I am lying abed at this very moment and intend to stay here for most of the day. This comes after picking a bushel of apples from the garden and turning them into chunky apple sauce and doing the same with heirloom tomatoes. I'll do the dishes tomorrow because I have much thinking and resting and contemplating to do the rest of the day. And a facial from an E. Jean recipe of yesteryear -- a spoon of yogurt, a spoon of honey and a strawberry mashed together. Highly recommended!
I write during naps. When I really want to think something through, I throw back the covers and climb in. Freud called dreams "the Royal Road" to the psyche--and I think they're the Royal Road to every uncharted place. And frequent napping has another blessing to bestow: the hours awake each night while the world quietly sleeps ... just me and my dog--who has friends in the darkness who scamper up a tree or huddle in their little dens in the oak grove--and I who am a midnight star gazer who listens to Casseopeia scream silently across the sky as the whole universe revolves. Sleeping in the day and waking in the night has always been my secret happiness. Now I've busted myself!
E. Jean, another perfect question for this or any weekend. I'm a world-class lollygagger, best in show so to speak. The meme, "sorry, I'm late, I stopped to pet a dog," was made for me. I left my "work till you drop," husband years ago, so there's no one to tell me to "this or that." I can stare out the window watching birds or squirrels for hours on end. I can dawdle for hours too. If I wasn't in my current state of idleness, I'd consult Benjamin Dreyer as to the proper use of the above commas, but alas, that will have to wait.
I am a world class loafer after a life of too much work. I worked so hard I got burnt out that I am trying to build my capacity back up and it is not working. I taught college for twenty years with a focus on American history and violence, race and ethnicity, and gender. I left teaching before I totally lost it. It was a year after Trump left office and the damage he did to America was plain in the administrators who focused on their own salaries and not the needs of their working class students. I worked at a state school.
While I miss my students, I know that I was no longer able to be strong in the ways we need to be in the public sphere. I need to laugh more and cry. I need to experience more joy and recognize all that we lost in those horrible four years. Too many people died.
What do I do all day? Lay around, check on the chihuahuas, feed the tortoise, and occasionally answer a text. Grab a cat for cuddles when they are around. Listen to music. Remember the teenager who read Little Women and try to get back to that sense of power and self worth.
I have been listening to books and learning more history. I have been seeing how the youth have no tolerance for the bs we were forced to endure and it makes me happy. While I have always advocated compassion, I have found that when your enemy hates you simply for existing, you must fight back. I do some history projects on a small scale that draw attention to the saints who are usually the walking wounded who take care of my community.
I think it is possible to be creative without loafing--who am I to pronounce?--but not for me. I need a whole day to sit down and write or draw for two or three hours.
Advice for those who find it difficult to loaf: live with a cat and emulate them?
And an aside: E Jean, and all who comment here, you are an indispensable and delightful distraction for me at the moment and I thank you.
I never thought I'd be able to loaf, successfully until I retired from the US Navy. I feel I have perfected the art of loafing now. It was slow going, mainly because the hobbies I took up didn't allow me to stay in bed or on a couch. But now, I will do it if I feel my body needs it. There have been days when I stayed in my pajamas/silk sleepcap and lounged around, in bed, reading book after book. Sometimes, I have my laptop with me and surf all day; I never thought that could be done but I have increased my education, exponentially, by surfing. I will add some luxurious eating to the mix by bringing myself a piece of chocolate cake and/or day drinking a Dark and Stormy (made with Gosling's 151 rum and a ginger beer that is so hot, it makes me cough when I inhale it). I feel so refreshed after a day of loafing, especially being postmenopausal. One good thing is I've sub-contracted out things I don't want to do like yard work or housework. I'm willing to pay very well not to have to do it and we do. That leaves me with a lot of free time to do what I want. I can also stay up late to do some astronomy (we have a telescope and I have a camera that can do some rudimentary astrophotography). Even though I get up early, I know I can take a nap during the day.
Bonus: I can only be creative with writing, knitting or crocheting, in bed. If you're too uptight to relax, travel someplace where you have no choice. I once took a trip to Bali (when I was stationed in South Korea). We had a cool suite on the beach with a person to cook and make drinks for us. I felt guilty about how little she was making so I gave our lady $200 (cash), per day as did my travel companion. She was breaking herself to give us things but we told her to relax with us. She would cook wonderful meals for us (we gave her extra money to break away from the resort's menu) and make the best drinks. We were her sous chefs (my bestie and I love to cook and learn). And yes, she hung with us. We read books aloud to her, played music, showed her dances and learned some from her. She even convinced us to swim naked. It was the best and most relaxing vacay I ever took because we weren't rushing to see stuff, only dressed in these sarongs and swam naked. I didn't get dressed the whole time I was there because we never went anywhere and I was happy! I kind of get why people check out from life and go live as a hermit. And I did this before "Eat, Pray, Love".
I am an Olympic-caliber loafer, and I don't even need a bed to do it in. I can loaf standing up in public.
Bonus question: Go for a walk. Doesn't have to be strenuous, or far, or even anyplace interesting. Just find a place that's safe and let your mind wander right along with your feet. It will stimulate your creativity and is less bother than taking a shower, which also works.
I am too uptight to relax (bonus question). I have been known to alphabetize my sock drawer and color code my underwear rather than just hang out. Then I have more coffee.
I find that when I am near the ocean .. sea, or lake… if quiet enough to hear seagulls, ocean waves, distant fog horns… weather not an issue… I am immediately taken down a few notches relaxed …so that all stresses seem to melt away… and all i want is my watercolors a jar of water and paper… then the mind shifts to what is in front of me and the …f… ing state of the planet and our country are no more. A little gummie or vin blanc helps also!
Some people run marathons. Some do yoga. I do Olympics-level training for competitive napping. I set the alarm for 60 minutes, try to wake within 5 minutes of the alarm and turn it off. I work in the morning, nap after lunch, and work a few more hours. Or just lollygag.
Oh, E.Jean! My favorite non-social/non-sexual activity is driving. I take joyrides. (My car is an '08 Civic with a stick shift. It's peppy and agile, and does a great job carving corners. Part of why it's so much fun is that it weighs only 2,600 lbs.)
I hang out with friends and my dog in coffee houses. There is nothing that gives me more pleasure to ingest than espresso macchiatos. (I also make my own at home, and sip on 'em while I'm reading my various substacks, and the comics.) That's lucky because I'm on a very stringent diet--nothing non-nutritious, virtually no added sugar or saturated fats, because I have heart disease and I'm determined to keep it from progressing. My eating habits are Michael Pollan-approved, and even better.
I read voraciously. I'm currently reading Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus, an oft-humorous page turner. Anyone who likes to read about smart women who handle themselves well against oppressor men will love this book. There's a lot of humor, and a very smart dog named Six-thirty. My most brilliant female friend gave it to me. She also gave me my border collie, Natalie. During the six years Natalie lived with my friend, she worked on Polly's sheep farm. She gave her to me because Natalie needed more personal attention than she was getting (my friend is also an immunologist at NIH).
Natalie is my running partner. Most days we probably do 2-2.5 miles. On weekends we sometimes do nearly five miles. Today was one of those days.
The Virtues of Lolling
I am lying abed at this very moment and intend to stay here for most of the day. This comes after picking a bushel of apples from the garden and turning them into chunky apple sauce and doing the same with heirloom tomatoes. I'll do the dishes tomorrow because I have much thinking and resting and contemplating to do the rest of the day. And a facial from an E. Jean recipe of yesteryear -- a spoon of yogurt, a spoon of honey and a strawberry mashed together. Highly recommended!
I write during naps. When I really want to think something through, I throw back the covers and climb in. Freud called dreams "the Royal Road" to the psyche--and I think they're the Royal Road to every uncharted place. And frequent napping has another blessing to bestow: the hours awake each night while the world quietly sleeps ... just me and my dog--who has friends in the darkness who scamper up a tree or huddle in their little dens in the oak grove--and I who am a midnight star gazer who listens to Casseopeia scream silently across the sky as the whole universe revolves. Sleeping in the day and waking in the night has always been my secret happiness. Now I've busted myself!
E. Jean, another perfect question for this or any weekend. I'm a world-class lollygagger, best in show so to speak. The meme, "sorry, I'm late, I stopped to pet a dog," was made for me. I left my "work till you drop," husband years ago, so there's no one to tell me to "this or that." I can stare out the window watching birds or squirrels for hours on end. I can dawdle for hours too. If I wasn't in my current state of idleness, I'd consult Benjamin Dreyer as to the proper use of the above commas, but alas, that will have to wait.
“Only world-class loafers may reply.”
Hmm...maybe later.
I need to lol around for my own health.
I am a world class loafer after a life of too much work. I worked so hard I got burnt out that I am trying to build my capacity back up and it is not working. I taught college for twenty years with a focus on American history and violence, race and ethnicity, and gender. I left teaching before I totally lost it. It was a year after Trump left office and the damage he did to America was plain in the administrators who focused on their own salaries and not the needs of their working class students. I worked at a state school.
While I miss my students, I know that I was no longer able to be strong in the ways we need to be in the public sphere. I need to laugh more and cry. I need to experience more joy and recognize all that we lost in those horrible four years. Too many people died.
What do I do all day? Lay around, check on the chihuahuas, feed the tortoise, and occasionally answer a text. Grab a cat for cuddles when they are around. Listen to music. Remember the teenager who read Little Women and try to get back to that sense of power and self worth.
I have been listening to books and learning more history. I have been seeing how the youth have no tolerance for the bs we were forced to endure and it makes me happy. While I have always advocated compassion, I have found that when your enemy hates you simply for existing, you must fight back. I do some history projects on a small scale that draw attention to the saints who are usually the walking wounded who take care of my community.
There is no rest for the weary.
I think it is possible to be creative without loafing--who am I to pronounce?--but not for me. I need a whole day to sit down and write or draw for two or three hours.
Advice for those who find it difficult to loaf: live with a cat and emulate them?
And an aside: E Jean, and all who comment here, you are an indispensable and delightful distraction for me at the moment and I thank you.
I never thought I'd be able to loaf, successfully until I retired from the US Navy. I feel I have perfected the art of loafing now. It was slow going, mainly because the hobbies I took up didn't allow me to stay in bed or on a couch. But now, I will do it if I feel my body needs it. There have been days when I stayed in my pajamas/silk sleepcap and lounged around, in bed, reading book after book. Sometimes, I have my laptop with me and surf all day; I never thought that could be done but I have increased my education, exponentially, by surfing. I will add some luxurious eating to the mix by bringing myself a piece of chocolate cake and/or day drinking a Dark and Stormy (made with Gosling's 151 rum and a ginger beer that is so hot, it makes me cough when I inhale it). I feel so refreshed after a day of loafing, especially being postmenopausal. One good thing is I've sub-contracted out things I don't want to do like yard work or housework. I'm willing to pay very well not to have to do it and we do. That leaves me with a lot of free time to do what I want. I can also stay up late to do some astronomy (we have a telescope and I have a camera that can do some rudimentary astrophotography). Even though I get up early, I know I can take a nap during the day.
Bonus: I can only be creative with writing, knitting or crocheting, in bed. If you're too uptight to relax, travel someplace where you have no choice. I once took a trip to Bali (when I was stationed in South Korea). We had a cool suite on the beach with a person to cook and make drinks for us. I felt guilty about how little she was making so I gave our lady $200 (cash), per day as did my travel companion. She was breaking herself to give us things but we told her to relax with us. She would cook wonderful meals for us (we gave her extra money to break away from the resort's menu) and make the best drinks. We were her sous chefs (my bestie and I love to cook and learn). And yes, she hung with us. We read books aloud to her, played music, showed her dances and learned some from her. She even convinced us to swim naked. It was the best and most relaxing vacay I ever took because we weren't rushing to see stuff, only dressed in these sarongs and swam naked. I didn't get dressed the whole time I was there because we never went anywhere and I was happy! I kind of get why people check out from life and go live as a hermit. And I did this before "Eat, Pray, Love".
I am an Olympic-caliber loafer, and I don't even need a bed to do it in. I can loaf standing up in public.
Bonus question: Go for a walk. Doesn't have to be strenuous, or far, or even anyplace interesting. Just find a place that's safe and let your mind wander right along with your feet. It will stimulate your creativity and is less bother than taking a shower, which also works.
I’ll reply when loafing permits.
I am too uptight to relax (bonus question). I have been known to alphabetize my sock drawer and color code my underwear rather than just hang out. Then I have more coffee.
I find that when I am near the ocean .. sea, or lake… if quiet enough to hear seagulls, ocean waves, distant fog horns… weather not an issue… I am immediately taken down a few notches relaxed …so that all stresses seem to melt away… and all i want is my watercolors a jar of water and paper… then the mind shifts to what is in front of me and the …f… ing state of the planet and our country are no more. A little gummie or vin blanc helps also!
I loaf for a living. It's an art form. No skils or motivation required.
If i pick up a book, it's no longer loafing, that's reading and requires focus.
I can loaf in the front room or my bedroom. It does require a lack of shoes. Giuness and weed add to the luxury.
I am so incredibly lazy. And it suits me just fine.
Keep breathing...in for the count of 4, hold for 2, out for the count of 7... if you don't pass out, keep going...
Some people run marathons. Some do yoga. I do Olympics-level training for competitive napping. I set the alarm for 60 minutes, try to wake within 5 minutes of the alarm and turn it off. I work in the morning, nap after lunch, and work a few more hours. Or just lollygag.
Why yes. I believe I qualify. I lolled today with the chickens. Very restorative.
Oh, E.Jean! My favorite non-social/non-sexual activity is driving. I take joyrides. (My car is an '08 Civic with a stick shift. It's peppy and agile, and does a great job carving corners. Part of why it's so much fun is that it weighs only 2,600 lbs.)
I hang out with friends and my dog in coffee houses. There is nothing that gives me more pleasure to ingest than espresso macchiatos. (I also make my own at home, and sip on 'em while I'm reading my various substacks, and the comics.) That's lucky because I'm on a very stringent diet--nothing non-nutritious, virtually no added sugar or saturated fats, because I have heart disease and I'm determined to keep it from progressing. My eating habits are Michael Pollan-approved, and even better.
I read voraciously. I'm currently reading Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus, an oft-humorous page turner. Anyone who likes to read about smart women who handle themselves well against oppressor men will love this book. There's a lot of humor, and a very smart dog named Six-thirty. My most brilliant female friend gave it to me. She also gave me my border collie, Natalie. During the six years Natalie lived with my friend, she worked on Polly's sheep farm. She gave her to me because Natalie needed more personal attention than she was getting (my friend is also an immunologist at NIH).
Natalie is my running partner. Most days we probably do 2-2.5 miles. On weekends we sometimes do nearly five miles. Today was one of those days.