I've taken no pictures today which is quite odd. It's been a day to keep my head down and just keep on truckin', as we used to say back in the Paleolithic Era. I do not know what the hell's going on with me but I don't like it one bit. Could this small tsunami of a wave of anxiety and depression really have been caused by missing one day of medication?
I woke up this morning, earlier than I usually do, full alert awake and everything sparking and not in a good way. After I'd been up for an hour or so I gave in and took an Ativan, so glad I had it, and it did take the sharp crystal edge off it, brought me back to earth a little instead of being off somewhere in the stratosphere, gasping for a breath, a perch, a softer and more familiar landscape.
I spent a good part of the day in the garden, sweating and getting filthy, pulling weeds and the last of the tomatoes, following the fragile but tough fibers of the roots of betony and dollar weed, something real to concentrate on, to grasp in entirety when I could. I found four Yukon gold potatoes that look about good enough to cook and eat as I dug. That was my biggest thrill for the day.
Some days are not meant for thrills.
Lucky and Grace are fine. Honest to god, I'm almost thinking about getting another hen to live in the coop with them. If I had two laying hens, that would probably do us for eggs. We don't eat that many. I used the last egg that Violet gave me making a small skillet of cornbread last night. I can hardly think about her without crying.
Eh, honestly- everything is making me cry today.
Where do these feelings come from? What is the trigger? What is the thing that happens that cracks open the window to allow anxiety to rush in, that crushes the wall so carefully and patiently and painfully built that keeps the crazy from crushing us?
I do not fucking know. But as my husband reminded me just a few minutes ago when we were talking, I told him once that things do change. This, too, will change and pass.
"I know, I know, I know," I pant-chant. "It will."
He's gently trying to get me to commit to the little trip I want so badly to take to Roseland and perhaps Vero, too, and as much as I want to go, to be by the ocean, to be on the river, the very idea of planning it, committing to it, of doing it causes me more anxiety.
He's okay with that. He understands. He just wants to give me a diversion, something to look forward to. I love him for that.
I also love him for getting us hooked up to a streaming service called Epix where we can watch the BBC production of a four-part series called "My Life as a Rolling Stone." Mick, Keith, Ronnie, and finally dear Charley each get an hour and it is beautifully done. We have watched Mick's hour and last night we watched Keith's.
Even in this turmoil of my heart and mind, I enjoyed that. He- well, he inspires me. His beautiful old face as he talks about the past, talks about the music, talks about now, talks about where he came from and what he came from and especially his generosity of soul and spirit as he praises his bandmates, his mentors, those who came before him- he is precious in his way. He has had many, many nights of the soul so dark that I can't even imagine them, and yet, here he is.
There was a part where his manager, his personal assistant for probably almost fifty years, a woman named Jane Rose, said something like, "You watch these older guys as they climb the stairs to the stage and with each step they become younger and then, when they get to the stage, lightening strikes."
Eh. Don't we all want that? Those moments that still, no matter where we are in life are like lightening, both in the sense that there is a power that we can tap into, despite our age, and in the sense that we can shed the heaviness that weighs us down with pain and with the fear of the unknown ahead of us, and for awhile, at least, fly in the joy of doing what we love, seeing that what we have created still has meaning?
Ay-yi.
I better stop now.
Here's the trailer for that documentary.
your *mood* may not be only the missed dose? but more, I believe, the stress of the poultry snatchers......you've been dealing with that for a while and it all adds up to one giant ball of *NOPE*, can't do that anymore*. I hope you may soon feel Roseland calling to you.....it will come. And your new header pic is gorgeous! I believe that is that back side of your house......it's as lovely as the front......
ReplyDeleteSusan M
You're probably right. And yes, that is the back of my house.
ReplyDeleteMissing one dose wouldn't produce these feelings. It sounds like you are having a flair of anxiety that could be due to the awful chicken situation or just one of those things. Can you get some more ativan to tide you over? And don't forget to breathe. Consciously breathe.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it's also the daily stress of living in what's become of Florida, your dearly loved state? It's there all the time.
ReplyDeleteI love that you still took the trouble to look up flowers for me on your app, though, awful as you felt.
May not help now, but you describe anxiety as beautifully as Clarissa Dalloway. If you’re up to it, find the movie w Vanessa Redgrave as Clarissa. Your words are like sheets, waves of color and light and dark and all the senses crashing over the reader.
ReplyDelete—elf
DeleteThe frustration and anguish of loosing almost all your chickens is such a perverse way must be the source of your anxiety. It made me anxious just to read about it. Plan a trip to Mexico for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteMushrooms & ecstasy- now being used for what you are describing, clinically gets the thumbs up. No more radical than Ativan.Anyway, that is what is happening here on the west coast because we're cool like that and it seems to be working wonders for folks in need of "adjustment". You are dealing with your murdered flock and that is enough sadness to bring us all into a slump!
ReplyDeleteOf course that video sent me to google world again to look up everything STONES, our lads!
The video is not available here, but possibly it might be on YouTube. I wonder if a visit to a doctor to check on everything might be in order? Vitamin levels, hormone levels, medications check? on the other hand, a trip to see the ocean for a few days could work wonders, walking on sand, breathing salty air.
ReplyDeleteAs well as the loss of chickens, your babies are all growing up too, with even Levon getting tall now. They will love you just the same, but are moving into their own lives more and more.
I can't see the video either (weirdly, since it's a BBC show!) but I have seen the documentary advertised. We should watch it. I wish I had words of support to offer regarding your rough patch but I hope you're able to organize a trip to Roseland.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear your anxiety is flaring up. I hope you feel better soon and get away for a lovely, restorative trip to Roseland.
ReplyDeleteSending hugs and love Mary. I wish we could have a cup of tea together and laugh until we both felt better.
ReplyDeleteAnxiety makes you feel as if you've got too much on your plate, even if you don't. Good thoughts as you navigate this time. I'm sorry.
ReplyDeleteYes, please go to Roseland. You may feel no better, but it's a nicer place to feel in.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear anxiety has it's teeth in you. Go to Roseland. I've got so much work to do out in the yard. Now that the project is done maybe I'll get out there. It is a little cooler in the mornings and the weekend is supposed to be nice.
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