My cats help me out of the doldrums. Doing cross stitch lifts my spirits. I love seeing something emerge from a group of stitches. Reading inspirational books helps, too. Anything by Richard Rohr will always help.
What a super question Joe, and such a nice reply, Allison. I wish I could say I like rainy days, but I do not. I love the sunshine. Maybe being a native Floridian and now a transplant to North Carolina has something to do with it.
I’m happy to read your new medication is helping you Allison. You’re so fortunate to have your painting, sewing, crafts & music to lead you out of the doldrums. I’m envious of those that have those talents. My creative interest always lead me outdoors. To the garden. The trellis I want to make from tree branches & vines. The stone pathway I need to lay. The railings of the deck I need to finish painting. Not something one can do on a rainy day though.
My real mainstay is my exercise. I absolutely love the gym. Everything about it. I belong to two. And NEVER miss a day. I wake up in the morning excited to go. I take every class that’s available to me. I’m trying a spin class next week that starts at 6am. Excited & scared at the same time lol
There is something so wonderful about caring for one’s mind & body
And my sobriety now allows me to 😌
Like you, I’ve always been able to find the light so to speak. A gift & a blessing for sure.
Allison and Joe C: Being from Michigan, historically by now the doldrums have revved up to what may be approaching clinical depression. The sun won't have shown much since Halloween. And we're down to sifting through our mental storage unit to find any hope at all. Kind of like looking for a cigarette butt that could provide one or two "hits". But because God has a devillish sense of humor, he created March. Anyway the last two or three years have been anything but the usual. We had summer until a week or two before Christmas, followed by the polar vortex from hell for a week and now back to summer again. Now the monied class scoffs at global warming and point to the 4" to 6" of snow then ice in Nashville (Detroit had 2" for a day or two) and the week of 20° lows in Panama City. They trumpet this as proof that Global Warming is a hoax. The meteoroligists say that because of global warming the Jet Stream isn't strong enough to keep the Polar Vortex back in Canada where it belongs. This is all to say that in a couple of months we'll be complaining about the heat. And on and on. Regarding dealing with doldrums, you just keep putting one foot in front of the other and put Muddy Waters on your streaming gizmo. Thanks for not kicking me off yet
If I can do it, anyone can do it. March is where it gets old. Truthfully it isn't really warm until May. Then it is 90° until the middle of September with unGodly humidity. The extremes are what historically rough. Thanks for your message.
Cranking up the tunes. Creating something with my hands. Jumping on my bike and riding thru the local preserve, weather permitting. Getting lost in a good story if my concentration allows.
Listening to my cat snore. Dance parties in my living room, solo or with my hubby. Guided meditation. Talking to my daughter’s plants while she’s away finishing her last semester in college. Reading all of the books.
Thank you for talking about taking prescription mood helpers. It is brave and cool and wonderful of you. Thank you again from this ole gal that is right there with you.
My cats sooth me and help me relax. Soft music and a nap usually helps me when I need it as well. I try not to fall into the trap of sleeping too much Sometimes I fail though.
I swear by my trifecta, a good nighttime walk, (there's something about a cool breeze while basking in moonlight), a long drive with loud music, and a pit stop at Circle K for a mini shopping spree. I defy you to be unhappy when you're eating a Moon Pie. :)
And Allison, you said you "...tend to think to myself this too shall pass more than I would’ve allowed earlier in my life." This statement really speaks to me, as I too seem to be quicker at finding silver linings than I when I was younger. No idea why, but maybe me taking myself less seriously as I get older has something to do with it.
Wow, so much resonates here. I've long been aware of how my mood shifts with sounds, color, movement, words, and the right company (my mood is guaranteed to lift at the sight, sound, smell, and feel of my beloved Flynn [German Shepherd]). I'm drawn to the words of Wendell Berry, Mary Oliver, and more recently Margaret Renkl when I'm seeking calm reflection and a deeper connection to the natural world I'm blessed to have in abundance outside my door. (I live on an 18 acre stretch along the West Branch of the Brandywine Creek in SE Pennsylvania, in a 300 year old log cabin built by a trapper that was friend to the local Lenni Lenape.) Also certain music. Anything from Shelby and quieter ballads from Alejandro Escovedo's catalog, as well as my own dabbling at the piano, which starts out sounding like Chopin and somehow morphs into the early sounds of Joni Mitchell. Being surrounded by nature also offers a daily opportunity to encounter something beautiful and unexpected, which I sometimes just marvel at rather than try to capture in a photograph. But if I need a pick-me-up, there are all those amazing photographs.
Allison, I'm so glad I ventured into your corner of the universe, and I'm grateful for all you share. I'm also extraordinarily happy the Sissys are together. There is never too much love.
Dog kisses, my stuffed animal, and classic cinema.
Going to see New York City Ballet—my happy place!
My dog, Emmy Lou, makes me so happy. Love love love her. Music also gets me out of funky moods. Loud rock and roll
My cats help me out of the doldrums. Doing cross stitch lifts my spirits. I love seeing something emerge from a group of stitches. Reading inspirational books helps, too. Anything by Richard Rohr will always help.
Hi Allison
What a super question Joe, and such a nice reply, Allison. I wish I could say I like rainy days, but I do not. I love the sunshine. Maybe being a native Floridian and now a transplant to North Carolina has something to do with it.
I’m happy to read your new medication is helping you Allison. You’re so fortunate to have your painting, sewing, crafts & music to lead you out of the doldrums. I’m envious of those that have those talents. My creative interest always lead me outdoors. To the garden. The trellis I want to make from tree branches & vines. The stone pathway I need to lay. The railings of the deck I need to finish painting. Not something one can do on a rainy day though.
My real mainstay is my exercise. I absolutely love the gym. Everything about it. I belong to two. And NEVER miss a day. I wake up in the morning excited to go. I take every class that’s available to me. I’m trying a spin class next week that starts at 6am. Excited & scared at the same time lol
There is something so wonderful about caring for one’s mind & body
And my sobriety now allows me to 😌
Like you, I’ve always been able to find the light so to speak. A gift & a blessing for sure.
So thankful
Have a lovely weekend Allison 🌸
xo
I too am a Carolina girl.
Where are you in NC ? I’m in Murphy.
I went to Western Carolina.
Allison and Joe C: Being from Michigan, historically by now the doldrums have revved up to what may be approaching clinical depression. The sun won't have shown much since Halloween. And we're down to sifting through our mental storage unit to find any hope at all. Kind of like looking for a cigarette butt that could provide one or two "hits". But because God has a devillish sense of humor, he created March. Anyway the last two or three years have been anything but the usual. We had summer until a week or two before Christmas, followed by the polar vortex from hell for a week and now back to summer again. Now the monied class scoffs at global warming and point to the 4" to 6" of snow then ice in Nashville (Detroit had 2" for a day or two) and the week of 20° lows in Panama City. They trumpet this as proof that Global Warming is a hoax. The meteoroligists say that because of global warming the Jet Stream isn't strong enough to keep the Polar Vortex back in Canada where it belongs. This is all to say that in a couple of months we'll be complaining about the heat. And on and on. Regarding dealing with doldrums, you just keep putting one foot in front of the other and put Muddy Waters on your streaming gizmo. Thanks for not kicking me off yet
Holy cow Kenny
Hugs to you
I’d never survive Michigan winters
If I can do it, anyone can do it. March is where it gets old. Truthfully it isn't really warm until May. Then it is 90° until the middle of September with unGodly humidity. The extremes are what historically rough. Thanks for your message.
...Muddy Waters...
Cranking up the tunes. Creating something with my hands. Jumping on my bike and riding thru the local preserve, weather permitting. Getting lost in a good story if my concentration allows.
Listening to my cat snore. Dance parties in my living room, solo or with my hubby. Guided meditation. Talking to my daughter’s plants while she’s away finishing her last semester in college. Reading all of the books.
For me, it's prayer/meditation, movies, books or music. Anything to get my mind off myself.
Thank you for talking about taking prescription mood helpers. It is brave and cool and wonderful of you. Thank you again from this ole gal that is right there with you.
My cats sooth me and help me relax. Soft music and a nap usually helps me when I need it as well. I try not to fall into the trap of sleeping too much Sometimes I fail though.
Robbie 🌸
I went to Western Carolina. Murphy is a beautiful place.
I’m partial to brisk walks, long bike rides, songs that make me smile (or cry, depending) & meditation.
Excellent question, Joe :)
I swear by my trifecta, a good nighttime walk, (there's something about a cool breeze while basking in moonlight), a long drive with loud music, and a pit stop at Circle K for a mini shopping spree. I defy you to be unhappy when you're eating a Moon Pie. :)
And Allison, you said you "...tend to think to myself this too shall pass more than I would’ve allowed earlier in my life." This statement really speaks to me, as I too seem to be quicker at finding silver linings than I when I was younger. No idea why, but maybe me taking myself less seriously as I get older has something to do with it.
Wow, so much resonates here. I've long been aware of how my mood shifts with sounds, color, movement, words, and the right company (my mood is guaranteed to lift at the sight, sound, smell, and feel of my beloved Flynn [German Shepherd]). I'm drawn to the words of Wendell Berry, Mary Oliver, and more recently Margaret Renkl when I'm seeking calm reflection and a deeper connection to the natural world I'm blessed to have in abundance outside my door. (I live on an 18 acre stretch along the West Branch of the Brandywine Creek in SE Pennsylvania, in a 300 year old log cabin built by a trapper that was friend to the local Lenni Lenape.) Also certain music. Anything from Shelby and quieter ballads from Alejandro Escovedo's catalog, as well as my own dabbling at the piano, which starts out sounding like Chopin and somehow morphs into the early sounds of Joni Mitchell. Being surrounded by nature also offers a daily opportunity to encounter something beautiful and unexpected, which I sometimes just marvel at rather than try to capture in a photograph. But if I need a pick-me-up, there are all those amazing photographs.
Allison, I'm so glad I ventured into your corner of the universe, and I'm grateful for all you share. I'm also extraordinarily happy the Sissys are together. There is never too much love.
That’s beautiful Debra
Love everything you shared