Today I woke with a feeling of being surrounded by sludge as thick and slimy as yesterday’s latte left on the counter over night. I’m on day five of my recovery from a common head cold – well enough to be grumpy and think I “should be doing things” when all I really want to do is be a caterpillar – munching and moving slowly from one comfortable place to another.
Long-time “tweet friend,” massage therapist and intrinsic coach Fred Krazeise, from Washington D.C., reminded me “Just let the day come to you Terrill!” With only a little resistance, I have. What is “is.” Or…. it is what it is. Sounds simple but I have spent much of my life resisting the sludge when it wraps around me. I tend to want to fight back as it feels like giving up or giving in. Yet, I know the harder I fight the tighter the sludge holds me. So I am going to follow Fred’s gentle advice. I’m letting the day come to me.
Here is this morning’s sketch of our window seat looking east into the side yard where the Tibetan flags hang on the six feet tall deer fence.
8″x11″ artist waterproof Indian ink quick sketch
And here is another photo from Sunday’s photo shoot in the mist….
View and purchase full resolution image here.
May you enjoy and embrace what is – even the slimy sludge days.
Sprout Question: What do you do on you slimy sludge days?
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Hi Terrill,
Sorry to hear you feel so slimy. 🙂
On those kinds of days I guess I just like to sit and do mindless tasks like crocheting or darning socks while watching old reruns of my favorite shows from childhood. I think it’s called “vegging out”. LOL
Take care dear lady and remember as you said…What we resist…persists! 🙂
Sending lots of warm fuzzies your way to hopefully help with the slimy sludgies.
Thanks Itaya… I like the idea of “vegging out”:) One of the things I did while vegging was drop by and admire your new painting. Glad you came by to respond to today’s Sprout Question.
Slimy sludge days used to be subjected to every ounce of willpower and determination I could muster. Then MS gave me an excuse for embracing them … and I’ve learned to shift gears and do those things that call to me on those days. Snuggle under a blanket … listen to music I love … cuddle with my dogs … turn the phone off … And I’ve been surprised and amazed to realize how productive the time spent doing those things truly is. When the sludge clears, I find that I’m freer and that life is more sharply in focus because of the time spent simply being at ease with what each day gives me. Embrace the magic that comes disguised as sludge! 🙂
Tess welcome to Creative Potager and thanks for sprouting a response… “When the sludge clears, I find that I’m freer and that life is more sharply in focus because of the time spent simply being at ease with what each day gives me.” And when this brings about the results such as your recent writing post “The Tear” there could be no stronger recommendation.
Sprout Question: What do you do on you slimy sludge days?
Build a fire in the woodburning stove, wrap myself up in a big afghan, get out my Kindle and read the day away.
Terrill – Your photograph “mist” is beautiful.
Laurie, that is what is missing. I no longer have an indoor wood stove! I sometimes bake cookies to warm the house up just a little more than usual. I was known for keeping the stove going to the point the butter melted on the counter – and there I would be curled up reading right beside it with the big tea kettle putting moisture back into the air. Great sprout!
oh I hope you are feeling better soon Terrill. I am day 5 also of a ‘common cold.’ I just don’t expect to get as much done and get more sleep. I also play fiddle to get the center of my body heated up to help kill off any infection I might have. lots o liquids too. I had a couple of baths! And one night my sweetheart rubbed my feet and that was great.
Ohhhh Tobin such delightful solutions you have to the common cold. Come by and tempt me with ideas like these anytime:) Thanks coming by.
Yikes…….it’s a rarity, since I take C every day (worked at a health food store in SF back in the day) and when I do come down with something, I take Quantum “Cold Flu” capsules. These have: Vitamin C, Echinacea Angustifolia, Elderberry, Goldenseal Root. Elderberry, Echinacea, Goldenseal, Vitamin C. They work if taken right away. Plenty of rest and Tea (jasmine pearls although I like plenty more types also. It’s the only time I do nothing, except maybe read……….
We had a coffeehouse a few years back (it’s in one of the earlier Nov threads) and I recently compiled a coffee cd with music most people have not heard. If you’d like me to send one in a week or so, email your address and I’ll let you know when I enter it in the postal system.
Beautiful photos too! Forgot to mention yesterday.
Thanks coffee messiah, I had not heard of Quantum… it is likely at our health food store – will check it out for next time. I would love a copy of your CD and will email you direct. Awesome health sprout:)
Terrill – Here’s a link to a photo of our woodburning stove http://holessence.gaia.com/photos/view/549931 . Just look at the delicious old cast iron kettle — she holds a wee bit over one gallon of water! With water, she weighs a bazillion pounds [ever-so-slight exaggeration]
This is perfect Laurie, thanks for sharing your fire with us…. and a bazillion pounds sounds about right:)
Oh, I know all about the sludge and resisting it! Some days I’m able to let the day come to me and other days not so much. It can be tricky to know sometimes when I need a gentle push to get moving and when it would be better to let go.
I agree Leah sometimes it is hard to tell… letting go or a gentle push. Usually if I stop struggling long enough and ask “what is it I really need right now?” and then wait until the answer presents itself… I know what to do. Its when I’m not wanting to listen that I go off the rails into the quicksand of not-so-gentle pushing instead of letting.
I usually try and avoid others as much as possible.
just wait it out and usually without me knowing it things seem better. I know it is not much of a plan and not very effective.
jerry
Jerry thankfully we are not all made up the same way. If what you do works for you, then its a plan. If you are finding that it is not very effective… well, that is a bit different story. When I look at your drawings on flickr I am in awe at what you can capture in just a few lines. Your self portraits evoke deep emotions. My guess is you experience the world from a place way down deep but it is not always an easy passage to bring things to the surface – and if that is the case, avoiding others for a bit might be perfect… as it allows for you to “just wait it out and usually without [you] knowing it things seem better.” Sometimes doing nothing is to do the perfect something. However, I am guessing – and sometimes that is helpful and other times just darn annoying.
Letting life just come to you is one of my core beliefs. It stems from my own knowledge that I’m not very smart, but if I lead from the heart, wonderful things will happen. You’re a treasure Terrill. 🙂
And so are you Fred… so glad you could drop in. It is getting very late now and all seems right in my world. Thanks for expanding on your original advice Fred.
Hope you’re feeling better, Terrill.
I just love, “Let the day come to you!”
I am feeling much, much better. Yesterday afternoon I even slipped out and caught the signs of early west coast spring in a photo essay.
I love Fred’s advice as well. Thanks for stopping in Sheila.