It's been quite a week around here. This is possibly the coldest extended period of time that I ever remember in any winter. It's been over a week of temperatures barely hitting the freezing mark during the day, and dipping down into the low teens at night with wind chills near zero. The snow and ice we got on Wednesday is still here and the roads are dangerous. Except for a short day on Tuesday (delayed opening due to dangerous wind chills in the morning) school has been closed all week. Between the death of Gregg's mom, the holidays, and now the weather, I haven't worked more than a week total since the beginning of December. It's a weird time, and quite honestly I'm ready to resume a normal schedule again.
If it wasn't for the fact that we're still in limbo waiting for the results of Gregg's PET scan (we won't know until Monday) maybe all this time would have been more enjoyable. As it is, the stress of fearful waiting has been almost unbearable. Sitting at home confined due to the weather is just making it all worse. Yesterday was particularly bad for us both, but especially Gregg. He's having a really hard time. This morning he insisted on risking the icy roads to go up to the pet store and see about the aquariums and fish. I'm glad he did. The drive is only about 4 miles, on main roads, and he's dressed in plenty of warm layers. It will do him good to get out of the house and stay busy, and at least he can check one item off his worry list (the animals at the store).
For me, this weekend promises to be more days of pacing around the house and worrying. Even walking the dogs, which is usually my best stress reliever, is off the table until next week. I've watched a lot of tv, which is unusual for me, but it's the only distraction that seems to work for me at all right now. I've been watching The Crown on Netflix. I've enjoyed it (never mind the fact that the first half of season 1 deals with Queen Elizabeth's father dying of lung cancer) and have tried to just watch an episode here and there to make it last longer.
As much as I appreciate finally having a real winter here in South Carolina, I'm ready to come out of hibernation and start the new year. Hopefully, the news on Monday will be good (please let it be so!) and the weather forecast is calling for a return to average January temperatures by then. I desperately want life to feel normal again.
I am thinking of you and your man so much. Let it all be good, yes.
ReplyDeleteAnd I, too, am tired of the cold. I think I just lost my entire garden last night.
Oh no! I thought that most greens (isn't that mostly what you grow this time of year?) could weather a cold snap or two, no problem. I surely hope your garden is ok.
DeleteMonday - with good news, hopefully - will come round soon. I agree keeping busy is a good way of coping with a worry, but as you have not been back to bormal working schedules because of the weather, I hope there is at least some enjoyment in being able to spend more time together, and at home, than usual.
ReplyDeleteMy first day back at work will be Monday.
Monday seems to be taking forever to get here. I'm nearly stir crazy in the house, and to add to the fun, the city we live in is warning us to boil all drinking water. The deep freeze we've been in for almost two weeks has caused several main water lines to burst and so they're compromised. We have very little water pressure, and with the boil advisory everything is just...bad. I can't even cook and clean like I normally would. So on top of everything else, the house is getting dirty and the laundry is piling up. Sheesh.
DeleteI so much hope that Gregg's news is good. If it is, I am sure you will feel an enormous sense of relief and life will no longer be in suspension. Thinking of you.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Neil. I really mean it. It's a relief to talk about the situation here and unload a little. I'm afraid to even hope that the news will be good on Monday and that we can go back to normal life after that. Gregg's illness was so traumatic for us both that even the slight possibility that he could be sick again is hard to bear.
DeleteI wish Gregg gets back good news.
ReplyDeleteGreetings Maria xx
Thank you Maria. xx
DeleteHere's to better weather on Sunday and good news on Monday!
ReplyDeleteYes, please.
DeleteWaiting is always so difficult. Stay strong.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing my best. Thank you Sue.
DeleteWaiting is so hard, and I am hoping Gregg will have wonderful news. I like The Crown a lot and found two other Netflix series, Wanted (about two women on the run in Australia) and The Indian Detective (Canadian policeman visits his dad in India).
ReplyDeleteI will check out both of those, thank you for the recommendation. I'll probably finish The Crown today.
DeleteWhen I'm worried, about all I can do is watch Netflix or I get out some of my favorite DVDs and watch them. Little Miss Sunshine never fails to help me.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I'm finding that I can't concentrate to read, which is how I usually spend a large chunk of my free time. TV is the only thing that seems to work right now. I'd go to the movies to get out of the house, but the roads are still icy and dangerous. Sigh.
DeleteI have been practicing Mindfulness for a while now. Instead of pushing the worry away or avoiding it maybe try sitting with it for a few minutes. It’s wanting your attention. Acknowledging fear and an unknown future is so difficult so we try to stop feeling that way. It’s absolutely okay to feel everything you are feeling.
ReplyDeleteI've been sitting with the worry plenty. Sitting and waiting for prolonged periods of time doesn't come naturally to me. I want to find out whatever there is to know and DO SOMETHING.
DeleteThis time last year we were very cold, with -6 C daytime temperatures lasting for weeks. This year is is wet, windy, and warm. There's no logic to it.
ReplyDeleteThis has been a record-breaking two weeks in this area. Single digit wind chills, daytime temps barely above freezing, ice and snow....it's a major event. And not in a good way.
DeleteAnd to think I'm complaining because the wind is howling and it's dropped this morning to a frigid (really for here, frigid) 46 degrees F.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't seen 46 degrees F since before Christmas! Tomorrow or Monday is supposed to get us there, though. Maybe we can thaw out finally.
DeleteI just found your blog and have enjoyed reading although I can see it has been a very hard time for you. Look forward to reading more. Happy, healthy 2018!
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining us here! I'll try to have some happier blogposts soon, I promise!
DeleteI know what you mean about wanting to return to normalcy. Even without the added pressure of a medical uncertainty, I was quite ready to get back to work when the holidays ended. I'll be thinking of you both on Monday!
ReplyDeleteThis has been far too much time off for me....with a serious worry hanging over my head. I haven't been able to enjoy it the way I would have liked, but that's ok as long as Gregg gets good news tomorrow. Thank you for your support, Steve.
Delete