Patricia Harrelson

I think this might be the longest stretch I’ve gone without posting to Twilightme since I started this blog 2 years ago. Though no new posts have appeared for several weeks, I’ve written many in my head, so the absence of messages has nothing to do with the absence of material. Maybe it has to do with the absence of coffee, however. (See previous post here.)

There’s no doubt that my morning routine is altered. While coffee reved me into a writing frenzy each morning, the cup of tea that I now drink puts me more into the mood for reading and meditating. I’m enjoying this much more mellow start to the day despite the occasional sensation that something is missing. What’s missing is not exactly energy but less sense of urgency. I sure don’t get done what I used to in the morning, but I am doing things that feel satisfying.

Once launched into the day, things are as busy as ever: home school, yoga, college work, free lance projects, yard work, family occasions–a list that defies the magnitude of activity in my days. Here is an example of a day in the life of PH sans coffee:

Last Friday started with Yoga class. I love Friday’s gentle yoga class. It’s all women of my age 60+ and my brother John 🙂 Cherie takes us through long, slow gentle stretches that feel exquisite. After class, she and Kath and I talked about the yoga/writing class. We opted out of doing it at Baker Station this year, but we talked about the possibility of doing a private class somewhere this summer. This month’s Poets & Writers had an article about yoga/writing retreats and the three of us started dreaming how we could make such a retreat happen: where/when/what, etc. We each took on a little assignment to do some investigating and we’ll report back next week to reconsider the idea. The energy of the 3 of us makes me think we can make it happen.

Then it was off to the Raleigh’s for homeschool. The kids did oral reports in preparation for their trip to the wild animal exhibit at the college. They each researched one animal named in the press release. Even 7 year old Candice did a talk on the blue-tongued skink which we all thought was a typo for skunk but turned out to be a lizard. They did a great job. I brought cup cakes for Candice’s birthday, frosted in pink, which we ate after we had lunch together. Then we reviewed their essays for a contest sponsored by the college and prepared them for mailing. Then Taylor gave me a pedicure while I visited with Raleigh who had great ideas about how to deal with my VW lease situation.

Next, I went to Julia’s to work on the Women Inventors book. We had a phone interview with this dynamic woman who lives in Colorado who invented a product for nursing mothers, called the Nursing Nest which is being used in hospitals around the country. We talked to her for an hour and half, tape recording the interview. I will transcribe the tape in preparation for completing her chapter. This project is truly fascinating as these women make their inventions happen against unbelievable odds and challenges. I think it’s going to be a fabulous book.

I rushed home where Cindy had dinner waiting. Then we headed to Murphys to see “Escanaba in da Moonlight,” a play that I reviewed for the Democrat. We got home at 11. I was so tired that I was wired. So I drank a cup of chamomile tea and made an outline for my review. I didn’t go to bed until 12:30.

This is a typical day in my life right now . . . LONG and with no absence of FUN!!