When the Weather Matches the Mood

I have a propensity for sitting down before bedtime and starting to watch something or doing a crossword puzzle or reading a book and often fall asleep for a longer or shorter time. The time is just long enough that one no longer feels tired upon awakening. Going to bed then seems like an exercise in futility so I stay up later than I should. That happened last night. Today I “overslept” (I know some think that to be a ridiculous statement for a retiree to make). When I do that, the day seems to be long and unproductive. There are a million things I could do, but I’m not interested in doing same. The whole lazy attitude is exacerbated by the weather which is grey and cloudy and windy. My attitude and the weather are in sync. ¶ It is definitely autumn now. The temps in the morning and evening are cool. There is noticeably less sunshine. Nature is beginning to rest. The autumn joy sedum are at their darkest red. The mums have burst forth into bloom. The ornamental kale reveals its true color.

¶ All of this means it’s time for the annual fall heating system check. That happened last week and this week was spent in picking up the pieces. Right after the furnace man was here the thermostat ceased to work. The same person replied to my complaint by showing up again. He claimed it was a connection not done correctly. Following his visit the thermostat went dead. Previously one could do some things like call for heat. Now nothing! Furnace man number 2 then responded to my SOS. He claimed everything was just fine except that the system didn’t work. After he left everything worked fine, once again. This is, obviouisly, one of the mysteries of the Age of Computers. I taught with a woman whose husband’s fix for most everything was to “let it sit.” In some cases that’s all one must do.

¶ This was chemo week and everything went smoothly. The pharmacy was very much on the ball and I was in and out in record time. Instead of the usual two week break I will have three weeks due to the annual pilgrimage held in Sheboygan, WI, bratwurst capitol of the USA, if not of the world! Friends from the Denver area and North Carolina will be part of the crowd. It is a joyous reunion time as well as being prayerful. A full report will no doubt be given next week. ¶ Again, one of the autumn tasks is the evacuation of the sprinkler system. All of the water must be blown out so it doesn’t freeze and crack the pipes. The technician arrived early yesterday morning and went to work. It’s all done outside the house, but there is some noise carried into the house by the pipes. Sophia found the strange noises to be very disconcerting. Rather than be a brave cat, she retreated to her favorite “hidey-hole” until the whole thing passed. Cats definitely do not like things out of the usual.

¶ She’s recovering nicely and I will also as soon as the nap is completed. Tonight is the first symphony concert of the season so I am looking forward to that. ¶ I hope you have a good week. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. Thanks for all you do for others. Have a good week.