The flu, SAD, and healing music

Dear Blog, friends, family, anyone who chances upon this entry:

This will be a shorter discourse than usual. Got to get ready to go off to the Industry Hills Charity Pro Rodeo to volunteer in the ticket booth and check in any news media folks. I’m there for an hour, then home and then Dickens and I can head downtown to grab a cup of coffee and do some serious reading.

This is the first morning in about a week that I haven’t awaken with body aches, headache, some flu-like symptoms. Maybe that’s what I had after all. And I’ve got a dr’s appt. on Tuesday and she’ll probably give me the flu shot. Hmmm...not sure if I’ll have a relapse.

I’m going on the record here and say I hate this time of year. Shorter sunlight days, too many loved ones lost in these months, I just hate this time. It just sucks. I wake up, it’s dark; I leave the office, it’s dark...I get home and all I want to do is get my pajamas on and go to bead...at 7:30-8 p.m.!

I definitely hibernate. At least I know there are millions like me who suffer from SAD, an appropriate acronym for seasonal attitudinal dysphoria...we all need more sunshine, that’s the basics, and there are light bulbs for that purpose. I think this is the year I’m getting some...something’s gotta help.

A psychic medium I know suggested that I meditate to get through this time, to turn the negative into positive energy...I don’t know, maybe that could work. Right now, I just hate this (and having written that a couple times now has helped, weirdly).

Cali and Georgia (that's them in the pastel chalk portrait I drew this summer, at right) are sleeping indoors at night now – too cold outside for them and I just love that they’re home at night. And Dickens enjoys curling up next to the small of my back, a nice little heating pad for a sore back.

Yesterday was busy with the morning concert at Strings, the psychic medium reception at Village Book Shop and then a short visit to Blues-a-palooza where Stan West was performing at The Fret House. Despite the many steps downstairs to where his concert was, it was a real treat to hear him rip into some classic blues and rock classics...an amazing talent. I just love how music has re-entered my life the last few months through Strings and all the musicians I’ve met there. It has all been very restorative, and I just want more.

Oh yes, I just also want to say how proud I was that President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. And I’m proud that my mother country Norway recognized his efforts to bring the world together with an obviously open heart. Those Norwegians are so darn smart! ;-)

That’s all for now...gotta get ready for the Rodeo! Today’s entry wasn’t the most profound writing, but again, I’m just trying to clear some cobwebs from last week to get set for next.

Thanks for checking in on me – Cathie Lou