I know cats are supposed to be stealth and all, but let’s face it: it’s not true. Every morning, we have the same routine. We get up and general mayhem, at least for the first solid hour ensues. Our latest rescue is a talkative little thing and likes to walk around the house vocalizing. That gets everyone wound up and soon, it sounds like a herd of elephants thundering through the house. Then, morning snack is scheduled for pretty close to 7 a.m. Why so precise, you ask? Because our sweet girl, Meadow, has a hyperthyroid and she needs medicine twice a day – 12 hours apart. The more we keep her on a schedule, the better she does. Hence, I’m pretty religious about 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. But suddenly, shortly after said snack has a chance to fill up bellies, the house settles down. This time of year, it tends to settle down just as dawn is breaking. We go from wild and wonderful to calm and quiet in what seems to be a head-spinning sea change. Still, I wouldn’t change either: the crazy of early morning or the quiet that follows.
And now that it’s quiet…
Sunday morning is usually a pretty good time for me to reflect. It’s a low-obligation day and with the furries all settled back down, there isn’t much to do. I live my life a bit by a schedule and Friday is cleaning day, leaving Saturday for any special projects and Sunday largely unscheduled. This works well when Saturday’s projects run over and when they don’t, a little quiet time never hurt anyone.
It’s hard not to feel a bit more satisfied with my life these days. Sabbatical seems to be good for me. Not only have I been able to keep the house and yard all tidied up (and reduce the burden on my husband for the yard), but we have been slowly chipping away at small projects. The result? Life just feels calm. Ish. Life feels calmish. Maybe what’s more important here: I still feel productive even though I’m not currently churning through professional work. Productive, for me, is always good. And that’s what makes it easier to enjoy a low-obligation Sunday. It all comes full circle.
If I’m completely honest, it will help that today is a rainy Sunday with a high only in the mid-50s. It forces us inside and allows us to simply enjoy the quiet(ish) of home. My big goals for the day? None. I’ve got none. I’ll make dinner – homemade pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy and roasted brussel sprouts. I’ll do a load of laundry or two. Maybe find another task to work on. But my goals? None. It’s not that kind of a day.
Slowly, the second hand around here is unwinding and so am I. It’s hard to believe I’m just two weeks into my sabbatical and I’m already caught up. Honestly? When I was in the thick of my professional work in September, I felt like it was going to be at least six weeks until I felt caught up. Now? The garden is fallow. We’re still waiting for leaves to fall off the trees but what has fallen has been picked up. The house is deep cleaned and even all of the pet beds have been vacuumed and washed. Our list which once boasted 95 items? Down to less than 30 and the majority of those (15) are related to our final renos. The rest? Not urgent.
I realize this morning that I’m not yet ready to get busy again. I need a little more time. That’s a perspective I’m not sure I would have ever slowed down enough to realize before. Then, I was motivated by a little fear: busy people stay busy and people who stay busy are successful. Don’t stay busy? You risk not being successful. But this time? I’m controlling the fear of losing relevancy better. Or at least I’m balancing that fear with what genuinely feels like a profound need to slow down. I really was that tired. I am also growing a little confident that I still have that fire in the belly to do something and to be needed professionally. Even as I’m settling in, I’m getting the urge and that’s a relief. It helps me realize that when the time comes to start looking for work again, I’ll be ready. For today, though? The sound of gently falling rain on the skylight is soothing. Inside, a sole meandering cat – the last to hit the sack again after the morning rush – is starting to slowly stretch out on the rug. Soon, he will roll over and go “four paws up” as he lets go and relaxes. Me? I’m going to sit here and just relax.
The Yuppie Homesteader 