Thursday, March 12, 2009

Green City Pause


I'm back in Houston for a couple of days and we have had rain (here and back at Winedale, thank heaven), together with a formidable cold snap. The sky from my gray apartment is fluffy shades of gray, and every other living thing that's visible shines brilliant green. I have all the shades up as dusk gathers. (The photo was taken yesterday not long after dawn. Too dark, now.)

This visit has re-inforced a lesson I've learned before but always forget immediately. And that's the importance of pacing. My tendency is to cram my days in Houston with activities. At the same time, on a given week, I press to minimize the days away from the country place and LH. Result: overload. I had scheduled events yesterday practically to the minute, not concluding until I drove into the garage at 9:30PM, exhausted. More for today. There were a number of results, none salutary.

The best of them, however, is my decision to wait until tomorrow to return to the country. Meanwhile, to rest. I wonder whether many of us in our wired, electronically connected world have figured out the right time to stop. Temporarily. Is there a reminder string we can mentally tie around our schedules to sound an alarm before we plunge into overload? Unfortunately, I always receive the reminder one day too late, as I recover.

8 comments:

PJHornbergerFolkArtist.com said...

Rest is a nice thing... we need to schedule it more often. Did a new video on Zentangles, how to start one. Let's paint Saturday, have some fun! ~PJ

Sydney said...

I don't have to tell you how much I relate to this one, lol. At least you're not alone in it, and when I find that, I feel a little better.

I'm glad you decided to give yourself that little bit of time.

The Texas Woman said...

I'd do the string, then forget why I did it!

The Texas Woman

Jinksy said...

Quite agree - an 'OFF' switch in the forehead would do!

Babette Fraser Hale said...

PJ, yes, fun is on the docket!
Sydney, it's always good to know we're not alone in something. Like flipping the pillow at night to get a coolness next to your cheek.
Cher, Exactly!
Jinksy, Off is good, as long as there's an On, too!

Anonymous said...

I was reading some health list on line a few weeks ago. I was amazed to see that 'getting enough sleep/rest' was one of the best things we can do healthwise. I know it doesn't sound like something that should have surprised me, but I have always, somehow, seen rest and/or sleep as the failure on my part to do enough. Thanks for writing.

Babette Fraser Hale said...

Yes, but isn't it annoying, Sizzie, to find out these things about sleep, just as we hit the time of life when sleep becomes more elusive?

Anonymous said...

It is hard to slow down. Hope you did get some rest.

-FringeGirl