Since I’ve started getting well, I’ve been buried. So many things have been neglected over the past few months, so much left undone, so very much to do, and each day adds another bucket of sand. One of the things that has taken a backseat is this blog. Funny how often I used to gripe about waking up at four. Now I realize how much I got done in those wee hours of the morning. My blog posts, networking, advertising. These days I tend to sleep to seven–three hours lost. Three productive hours!
I blame it on my med schedule. I’m supposed to hook up my IV at 7 a.m., 3 p.m., and 11 p.m. Folks who know me know I’m not a late-night girl, and 11 p.m. is late for me. I can’t stay awake that long, so I sleep, usually from eight or nine until eleven, wake up, hook up, and try to stay awake until the bottle is empty around 12:30. Sometimes I do an excellent job of staying awake, to the point that I can’t fall asleep again until around two–hence the current willingness to sleep until seven (or later, if I didn’t remember to turn on my alarm the night before). More often than not, I wake up tired.
So, lost are my early morning hours. By the time I wake up, MSB is ready to wake up too, and most of my morning is spent with him–not that I’m complaining, but I don’t usually get anything done, especially not anything on the computer. We have lunch around eleven, he takes his before-work nap, and for an hour and a half, two if I’m lucky, I have uninterrupted work time.
Sometimes, those are the only hours I get.
By the time he leaves at two, I’m tired. I tire so easily these days–and I hate that about being sick. Well, I hate being sick in general, but I especially hate that. Is no one listening to me? I have too much to do to be sick and tired!!! My house is a disaster zone, my closets need to be cleaned out, things from Mom’s house need to be put up or trashed (she still sees my house as her storage unit. How did that happen?–and how do I make it stop?). I can’t look at any room in the house without seeing days’ worth of work that I just don’t want to do.
But I’m not much better on the computer either. I still have two unfinished manuscripts that I haven’t picked up since fall of last year, not to mention the one I’m co-writing with a friend. I’ve been good about doing my editing jobs–for which the clients are grateful–but I need to get back to my own work.
I did better last week. I rewrote the synopsis for The Cat Lady’s Secret with the intent of having my agent send it out again (we’d pulled it off the circuit until I got well enough to work, in case it got accepted somewhere). I still need to rewrite the query letter, backcover blurb, and sell sheet—
—and I need to mop the kitchen floor, dust the furniture, clean the bathrooms, empty my closet of clothes that are too big for me now, get the cat fur off the couches, dust the spiderwebs off the walls . . .
Just dump on another bucket of sand.
Several years into it, and this blog still refuses to be categorized. It's eclectic and includes everything from writing posts to snippets from my ordinary life. 
Linda W. Yezak 
Being in grad school I know what it’s like to feel buried. Just breathe – and don’t stress over housework. Do a bear minimum or one thing a day on the house. Think of the dust as a protective coating for your valuables! And the spiderwebs, well they form the useful purpose of eating other crawlies. Maybe if you asked MSB he would pitch it with the housework? I know he works but maybe he wouldn’t mind say running the vacuum on his day off? Make a list and prioritize. That way if you are buried you won’t FEEL so buried and you will have the satisfaction of crossing things off your list. I keep a planner. It feels good to not only know when things are coming up but to see what I HAVE accomplished. (((((HUGS))))) Elaine
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MSB does help with the housework. I found out the hard way the other day that I shouldn’t be vacuuming yet, and he has to work the litter boxes–a chore I don’t mind giving up for a while! 😀
Thanks, Elaine. Glad to know I’m not the only one feeling buried!
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Bare minimum…can’t even use proper grammar and I know you’ll notice! HA!
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Oh, dear. I *didn’t* notice. What does that say about my editorial skills?! Guess I haven’t put my “editor cap” on yet! 😀
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Somehow I see things a little differently. Granted you’ve neglected to do things for an extended period of time; however as you’ve stated you’re beginning to make some progress, as little as it might be, it’s still progress so each day I see you removing a bucket of sand–albeit a new one gets added in, but at least now I see things leveling off. You’re heading into the area known, in my opinion. as “the more I do, the more I have to do.
To get a real start on the “BAGS and BAGS” of emails, just sort them by subject and delete every topic/comment/etc you’re not interesting in reading at all. I do this on a regular basis every three-four days. Having them sorted by subject I get to the ones I feel are most important – IE=personal emails from individuals I know and the groups I’m truly interested in.
My debut YA Paranormal/Time Travel/First Kiss romance novel, “I Kissed a Ghost” got released on 12/20/2012, been busy since then trying to promote and market it. Unfortunately, no real copies have been sold–copies which I want to use the royalties for a Kindle conversion. Anyway, I’m doing a slooow re-read and editing for my second novel, a yet still untitled adult Contemporary Romance, and once I’m finished, I’m not going to rush to write it unless I see sales of my first novel picking up; I’m be happy to write only one page or 250 words/day.
So my advise to you is to take it nice and easy and you’ll finish everything, almost before you know it. REMEMBER the children’s story of the tortoise and the hare, and who finally won it.
GLAD TO YOU BACK
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Thanks. And congrats on your new release!
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Glad you are feeling better. Since peri-menopause hit, I just don’t have the energy I used to either. I make sure I get eight hours of sleep, and nap if I have to. It makes the time I do have more productive otherwise I walk around in a fog and I’m lucky if anything gets done.
Hire in a maid/organizer for a day to help you catch up on the housework. You can probably find someone for sixty to eighty dollars who will help you thoroughly clean the house and organize the closets all in one day. That’s what I do when I feel overwhelmed.
Even Jesus took days to rest realizing our earthly bodies have limits. And he was a young man in his thirties!
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I’ve seriously thought about hiring a maid–in spite of the fact MSB doesn’t want me to. Sometimes it just gets overwhelming, and sometimes I just say to heck with it and let it slide. I think writing the post was a way of blowing steam. Since then, I’ve had a “heck with it” attitude!
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Lisa, thanks for that. I’m there too, only I’m young for it. I haven’t known what’s hit me the last couple of years.
Linda, I sympathize with the loss of those hours! I’m the reverse, a night owl, but I know how much I don’t get done if I’m worn out and go to bed early. My three hours are 11pm – 1am, and without them, I don’t write or get any of the household administrative stuff done.
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Yep–you know what I mean!
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Glad to hear you’re on the mend, at least! And glad to hear you’re stilling working on Cat Lady!
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We’ll see if it does any good. :p
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So glad you’re improving. Makes my heart feel better! And I agree with rl…you’re getting rid of some of those bucketsful (bucketfuls??? LOL). Your health is more important than a clean house! Feel better and better! ❤
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Thanks, Sweetie! I hope you’re feeling good, too!
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Linda, as I read your blog I hear how challenging life has become as you look after your health and try to gain energy.. I’m glad you are concentrating on resting and taking care of yourself. Your health is utmost important. As you spend 10 minutes here and 15 minutes there looking after your priorities and see that things are being accomplished bit by bit, I ask that you celebrate the victories in what you have done, instead of looking at what you haven’t done. Bit by bit you will accomplish most of the things on your priority list. I’m sending prayers and angels your way today.
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Thanks so much, Cathy!
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Hi,
You are going through some heavy testing at the moment, and I feel where you are. Being an early getter upper, I usually surface out of my bed around 5 AM every morning. Those hours are precious time so I understand how precious those hours are for you, and how much you miss them. But I want you to try and relax and accept the chaos at the moment for what it is. Chaos which you will overcome by passing through it.
I don’t think that I have ever shared with you that I have sleep apnea. It is not as life threatening as what you are battling, but it caused me great problems for years, because I didn’t know what I had, and why I was so tired and drugged out every morning, until my heart doctor discovered it. So, now I have to sleep at night with a machine next to my bed and a nice little plastic nozzle over my nose. It took some getting used to because I rebelled against using it. I thought the doctor was wrong and way out in left field with his diagnosis. They even put me in the hospital for a few days and did extensive testing, and I practically failed every test. This, however, did not convince me. I felt like they could give me some pill to take care of everything and it would go away with time. It was only after a heart to heart talk with my doctor where he and another doctor went through all the results in detail and the consequences of what could happen to me, that I unwilling said okay, I’ll give this machine a try. The first month or so, I was so against it, that my blood pressure sky rocketed. During prayer one evening where i practically cried so many tears, I could probably have made a little river in bedroom, I changed. I surrendered my will and I gave up my resistance and something came up in my spirit that said, “this too will pass.” I am still wearing the machine at night, and sometimes I can even do without it, but I no longer have this aversion to it. In fact, I tag it along with me, even to my concerts.
I don’t know why I shared this with you, but just wanted you to know, I understand, and what you are going through will pass. You will come out stronger and be a much greater light for others because you will be able to help others through similar experiences. I believe the words written in Romans 8:28. All things work together for the good of those who love the LORD. For those who are called according to his purpose. You are called. God has not forgotten you. You will rise above this, and will one day look back and rejoice at what you came through.
I love you Linda, and you are in my prayers, Lady.
Shalom,
Pat
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Goodness Pat. You’ve had so many of your own trials, I know you know where I’m coming from! You’re such an inspiration and source of encouragement. Bless you!
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So glad you’re getting better. Take it one day at a time. The tasks will still be there. You’re in my prayers. Linda
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Thank you, Linda!
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