It was Monday morning with the added bonuses of a grey rainy day, an awfully sore shoulder and that time of the month.
It took everything I had to get the girls breakfasted, dressed, plaited and off to school happily. And once that mission was accomplished, I fell in a bit of a heap.
A heap on a Monday morning is not a good thing. One part of me started listing all of the reasons I have to be happy, listing all of the things that I had to get done before the end of the day, and listing all the reasons why I could not afford to fall in a heap. I could not fall in a heap! Happy wife-happy life and all that.
But then another, much louder, much bossier, part of me asked why the hell not?
I am exhausted. I feel flat. And uninspired. And blah. And ugh!
What I really needed is a day on the couch, snuggled under a granny blanket, sipping tea, eating soup and crocheting.
And you know what? If anyone else in the world told me that was how they were feeling, I would suggest they do just that.
So I did. I am.
And I am just so happy I listened. A teeny bit guilty maybe, but I keep reminding myself it's the right thing. I know it is.
The list may a bit longer tomorrow, the laundry pile higher, but I bet I'll be better able to cope with it.
I hope you are having a wonderful start to the new week.
And if not, maybe you need to stop for a little while and listen to what you really need too.
Are you?
Do you ever?
Big love. xx
ps. One week in and I am still loving the motif a day in May.
The past two days' motifs are in the photos above.
Today's is half done.
Sounds like a very sensible way to approach today!
ReplyDeleteI love seeing photos of your chooks, they look like they have a good life - we mostly get your eggs in our CERES box and they are lovely eggs - like home grown.
Man, he's a keeper!
ReplyDeleteTried crochet last month under instruction from the master - my Mum. My crochet was crap and made my brain hurt and made my mother laugh hysterically.
I am now even more impressed with your square bits!
Have a relaxing day, all for yourself.
ReplyDeleteBusy Moms sometimes deserve a day off too.
I too have Mondayitis, I haven't had it in such a long time so I umm, I *cough* devoured a pack of Tim Tams by 11am!! Yep, a full packet!! I am a piglet!!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear you listened to the bossier louder part of you and had a comforting inside type of day.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Anne xx
I woke up like this yesterday and the feeling remained this morning. I feel awful and blah and think it may be the supermoon making me feel super miserable. I forced myself to work today, will force myself to training this afternoon followed by forcing myself to P&C meeting tonight. Giant UGH. I felt if I did stay at home under the doona I would have felt worse as for me, sometimes it can go the other way. If I think about it too much it drags me down further.
ReplyDeleteChef did that with me, reminded me of all the great things we have and are happening to us now last night, he dragged me to the beach for a walk in the afternoon which helped me enormously( sorry feel like this is turning into a blog post !)
I do feel marginally better having come to work today as I got loads of paperwork done and I know the endorphins of training will help me.
I sometimes feel almost burdened with the happy wife happy life thing as I know my mood impacts on so much of our household happiness.
I hope your doona day made you feel better and the hookin' always helps.
PS I have a chook question for the whisperer will text later.x
I always need days like that! Good for you:-)
ReplyDeleteFelled by a bad headache yesterday, when I had lots of plans. Eventually I listened to my body and gave in to it, lay in bed and watched Little Paris Kitchen and helped my girl with her Algebra (yeuch). Sometimes you need a day like that to recharge. Good for you for giving into it :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm all teary reading what you wrote. I'm having an aweful day but am trying to our on a brave face but maybe I should just collapse, let it all out & then I'll feel better.... I should learn to listen to my inner voice because I'm not very good at it right now.
ReplyDeleteI feel like thats my year so far !!!
ReplyDeleteyour crochet with the bow did bring a little smile to my face though :)
todays nearly done, then tomorrows a new day !
what is it with mondays, anyway??
Lauren
xxx
Beautifully written. Your farmer boy is a honey. It is so lovely to be looked after. I am loving your motif a day! Hope tomorrow is brighter xxx
ReplyDeleteKate I do hope your rest day has helped you feel better. I think sometimes our bodies tell us when we need a rest so obviously you needed it. Loving your crochet motifs too, perfect for the cold weather days we are having.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you took your own medicine. that you just gave yourself permission to be. Even if being was blah. Permission not to be happy permission to be a blob ( not that you were crocheting away, but i think you know what I mean- i call them bum days, where I wear old holey clothes don't rush and do whatever i want, crochet or sew and watch dvds you know)
ReplyDeleteone thing I've learnt and am still learning, is it's important to listen to our bodies and our inner selves, they are pretty wise and most of the time they know what we need even if our head says different. sometimes we are just need to be quiet and be blah, it's human, we can't be perfect or happy all the time, it's not healthy.
So yes I do, but I should more often too. we all should.
YAY for you Kate and anyone deserves a bum day it's you . xo
Well done Kate.....it's not always easy to take our own advice, good on you.......
ReplyDeleteHope you are feeling much better and I love the pic of Bren and all the 'girls'.
I've had a day on the couch too, but not 'cos I was unwell, my sis came to visit. There was home made lambshank and barley soup, savoury muffins, crochet, knitting, chit chat, laughter and a fab DVD .....
The jobs will wait till tomorrow, family time is more important........enjoy the soup and bread sounds delish.....
Claire :}
a good way to start the week!!!
ReplyDeletexxx Alessandra
It seems to be today. I stuggled going to work today. My weekend felt incomplete. I need a certain amount of hometime every weekend where I can get back to my roots and I didn't get that this weekend. The hometime I had was nursing a bad headache :{.
ReplyDeleteGood on you for doing just as you needed today to feel energised again. Your husband sounds like a gem for making you feel loved.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteand why not??? we all need a day off now and again! When I can get one of those days I always find I'm spurring to go the next day and feel regenerated completely-so why not!
Popcorn stitch is very versatile and great for initials......
keep well
Amanda
at Crafy in the Med
Hi Kate,
ReplyDeleteStill reading and loving your blog and taking from your insights snippets that guide me through crap days. But dear, dear girl, have a day on the couch! I think not only do you work hard at life and family, the farm and that amazingly positive approach to living that you have, but you are sometimes hard on yourself. You deserve as much TLC as you give out to everyone else.
Hope it was a good day for you.
Liz
you go girl, most sensible thing I've heard all day.
ReplyDeleteYour boy is gold :)
cheers Kate
Oh, what a most beautiful, humongous-enlargement-canvas-stretch-worthy photo that is of your farmer and his chooks!
ReplyDeleteKate, your squares of today are so pretty. I thought the pink was great, but then I saw the bow-square and thought that might make a lovely breast cancer awareness square, done in white and pink (lost my mom to that - I have a beaded African brooch, and a Croc-thingey in those bows :-)
So now I'm going to ask my sis - I think she has the same squares book - I want the pattern from her!
We all should take the time to really listen to our bodies and rest when it is needed, you will be a much nicer person for having spent some you time on the couch, well done to you and yes I do it myself...Monday is often recovery day here :-)
ReplyDeleteGood girl! It's always good to listen to your body! (Sometimes we have to be quiet enough to listen!) Love the photos of your "farmer boy"...what a sweetheart to be taking such lovely care of you! I don't have one like that...so I'm a little bit envious! I absolutely LOVE that bobble ribbon square! How sweet is THAT? I need that book! Take good care and just BE! Hugs, Annette
ReplyDeleteA very wise friend of mine introduced me to 'mental health days'. When you're not that ill and you could soldier on but hang on, you're not a soldier. And nobody's going to die because you took a day out. She was my mentor when I first started teaching, 20 years ago, and it was one of the best things she taught me. And I've learnt, the hard way, that the consequences of not listening are worse.
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better tomorrow - your one a day motifs look great.
Mental health days are definitely needed, your body always knows when you just need to stop for 24 hours or so. Love seeing your daily motifs, I can't wait to see what you do with them all.
ReplyDeleteGood on you for having a day for you!
ReplyDeleteI had a nap whilst my daughter slept today - best decision I could have made! Needed it so much more than washing dishes or preparing food early!
I just wanted to let you know that I really like your blog - beautiful pictures, lovely girls, wonderful products... and especially the way you describe life. Sometimes hilariously funny, sometimes just...blah. Hope you feel better after a couch-day!
ReplyDeleteEveryones entitled to a 'doona day'.....enjoy! Hopefully your feeling a little more perky tomorrow x
ReplyDeleteYour motifs look amazing, I LOVE them! Hope you wake up feeling better tomorrow x
ReplyDeleteSo lucky here today ...as we haven't got the 'monday' blues as it's a Bank Holiday in the UK today, so we've been having a lovely relaxing family day ... only problem is that we'll have the 'tuesday' blues instead tomorrow!!
ReplyDeleteIf you fancy cheering yourself up why not pop over to my blog and have a go on my giveaway - a lovely hand-knitted bag.
Fleur xx
I think it's terrific that you listened to yourself!
ReplyDeleteI have also learned to employ that same trick over the years of asking myself what I would say to a friend and then treating myself as gently and kindly as I'd treat the friend.
Great idea! I need to plan for a couch day soon:)
ReplyDeleteSelby
good to hear( not the feeling bleh bit)you have taken yr very own advice..
ReplyDeleteand im loving the squares,you clever chook :)
I am so impressed that you took the day to yourself. I have been teetering on the edge of the feeling you describe for the past week but pushing through/against it. It hasn't worked yet so I am following your example and taking today off. I need it.
ReplyDeleteI hope your Tuesday is better because you had yourself a me-day on Monday.
Carol
(your motifs are so wonderful, I am lagging sorely behind on the quilt blocks but am refusing to let that add to my blah-ness).
Oh look at those glorious chickens, i'm typing with a little 3 week old Speckled Hamburg sitting on my hand, hoping she's a girl as she's keeping my hand very cosy, like a feathery glove. Amazingly toilet trained, i'm impressed. Love Posie
ReplyDeletePS you're a fantastic hooker, that bow is adorable, love Posie
ReplyDeleteI call my DH the bird-man. I have a photo of him with one of our hens on his shoulder too.
ReplyDeleteI also had an off day yesterday, I also decidedto take a break and spent the afternoon on my bed. I wish I could have knitted something, but I had a baby in my hands :)
Thats just the advice I needed, thanks. I'm off for a nanna nap right now.
ReplyDeleteSo glad that you did it. The trick is to decide to take that day off, say stuff it all but do it with minimal (preferably no) guilt. Like you, I have yet to achieve a guilt-free hookey day but let's keep trying every now and then, hey? ;)
ReplyDeleteYou seem such a nurturing person - your blog never fails to leave me feeling better as a mummy and farmer's wife. THanks, Kath in Esperance x
ReplyDeleteYOU ARE TOTALLY ALLOWED!!
ReplyDeleteIn fact, at some point I may do it too.
I recently heaved a sigh of relief when a knitting project FINALLY came to an end and I could get back to crochet, my one true love. I've been very good at sticking to only one project at a time, but it's mean a project drought because I was hating the knitting so much. Weird. Anyway, back in the saddle and totally going to hunt down a similar ribbon pattern like yours! How fricking adorable.
Hope you're better today. Give me some of that soup xx