On top of which—the insipid icing on the cake—is the temperature, 57˚F at the moment, which is decidedly cool after last week's mid-90s.
The odd thing is, I usually like such dark, dank, dreary, drizzly, and depressing days. Moody, gray, wet, chilly weather somehow rouses my old Druidic roots, speaks to something ancient in the DNA…sets my blood to humming. Energized, I work like gangbusters—faster, better, longer. I can get more done on such a day than I typically manage in a week.
Not yesterday, or today—and probably not tomorrow or the next. What I feel like doing is building a small hearthfire, putting on a supply of CDs, something dense and somber, and with a pot of coffee to hand, curling up and reading a few of the old tales by, say, one of the Russian classicists—Tolstoy, Turgenev, Dostoyevsky, Chekhov—or maybe some of the great old atmospheric stories by Clark Russell.
That's what I'd like to do.
Instead, I'll make a pot of vegetable soup, bake some banana bread, do whatever laundry awaits in the various baskets, make another heroic effort to straighten things in my work room. Mindless domestic busywork. Tasks to occupy the hands and keep me from wasting time for no good reason other than a weather-induced funk.
I did mention it was dark, dank, dreary, drizzly, and depressing…right?
———————
14 comments:
Forget the laundry, it won't dry outside in the non-existent sunshine, stick with some light reading like 'The Idiot', or if you want to really get in the mood, get out an Ibsen play or two.
I know what you mean, Grizz. It's been that way here in the PA Piedmont since last Sunday--plus, we had a tremendous storm last night that caused flooding even worse than the flooding accompanying Hurricane Irene last week! Unbelievable!
Arija…
Uh…well, at the moment I'm listening to Gabriel Fauré's "Requiem" and between bouts of work, reading bits of Schoolcraft's account of winter life among the Ojibway of Lake Superior in the late 1800s (the dark pine forests and bitter cold of the vast, ice-locked lake seemed about right.)
Music or literature, light and bright, is not for me today; I want murky and melancholy.
I'll use the dryer for the laundry.
Scott…
This certainly isn't shaping up into a banner week here, nor, it seems, in your neck of the woods, either. I don't know quite why I'm in such a mood, but I am—and I intend to wallow in my gloom until the sun comes out or I find some other uplifting reason.
I know you've really had a bad time of it weatherwise—far worse than me—and I wish there was something I could do to help. Just hang in there, grip, grumble, or whistle happily like one of the Seven Dwarves heading off to work…whatever it takes to keep you going until things change for the better.
It must be D-5 if you are hauling out the Russians to read.
Much as I know I should read more of those Russian masters--they just depress me too much.
Oh, I see in your comment to Arija, you are listening to Fauré's "Requiem"--that would soothe me a great deal. Love Fauré, and Duruflé. Always play those requiems. Also Mozart.
KGMom…
Naah, not down that low—no more than a D1 or 2—but the Russians, especially their winter tales or pieces set in the Ural steppes, are good companions and I'll dip into them later this afternoon.
I like requiems and have quite a few by various composers. I don't find them "downers," either, but introspective and settling, a reverent refuge of quite prospect.
Oh Griss what a dark, dank, dreary etc. post - not like you at all. Just remember that every cloud has a silver lining - then the sun will shine on your river again and it will glitter like silver and diamonds.
PS Even that bird looks dark, dank, dreary etc.
Weaver…
More like me than you know—at least occasionally. But not to worry, I'm just bummed at a week of rain when I really wanted to get out and ramble. And now the extended forecast calls for the rain to continue through Sunday.
I picked the chickadee pix because, as it looked in my window at me, it seemed in an equally bummed-out mood.
HI GTRIZZ- same weather here. May get some sun later today. I am hosting a little 'coffee-clutch' with some old friends. I have a pumpkin pie in the oven as I write this. :-) Your oup and banana bread sound yummy, oh and as far as reading goes? Perhaps my last blog post might be a good place to start!! :-)
Love you
Gail
peace.....
Oh, is it dark, dank, dreary, drizzly, and depressing? I've been too busy dodging mosquitoes to notice any weather at all.
Go ahead and wallow in your wallowing - it's necessary from time to time - and I'll start wishing some sunbeams your way.
Gail…
I read and enjoyed your post—and I'm proud of you and Skipp for the way you handled your "survival week."
Your pumpkin pie sounds good. I bought a squash for baking at the market yesterday, to go with the pot of soup beans I'd spent the afternoon slow cooking, the coleslaw I'd made earlier, and the good crusty cornbread (real cornbread, not that sweetened cake-like stuff that would gag anyone with Appalachians roots!) I did once Myladylove got home. Nothing beats good eats, eh?
Have a good weekend. Bet that first hot shower felt wonderful!
Jain…
You know, the mosquitoes haven't been a problem at all here…got no idea why. And you might not believe this (or maybe you would, since you said you would send some sun my way), but miracle of miracle, the sun actually came out yesterday afternoon! Of course, when I looked out the window at the unexpected bright light, I thought for a moment those first golden-yellow beams were death rays from an alien spaceship. Moreover, the temperature soared into the the low 70s! I felt like Dorothy being sucked up and blown out of Kansas in black-and-white and suddenly landing in the full Technicolor land of Oz! Like Toto, Moon-the-Dog eagerly, if somewhat more sedately, given her age and arthritis, accompanied me when I rushed outside. The hours it lasted were better than any happy pill I ever popped.
HI GRIZZ- so glad you came by my place earlier!! :-) And your soup and corn bread, - the old-fashioned kind of course and baked squash and I love coleslaw!! I can see and taste it all - mmmmmmmmm I am marinating chicken for grilling later - I mixed olive oil, a bit of balsamic, ginger, brown sugar, honey and minced garlic and onion, it smells wonderful. I also made home made chicken soup, a quart of which we will bring to my Mom when we pick her up from dialysis this afternoon. She loves my chicken soup and I am quite honored that she does. Her appetite is not so good these days and the soup is hearty and healthy for her. phew.
I am going to read your new post now.
Love to you
Gail
peace.....
Gail…
Baked some more bread tonight—banana-pineapple—but otherwise, leftover beans from yesterday…and good, too. Your chicken sounded great. I really glad your mom is doing as well as can be expected. That chicken soup ought to help…
Take care.
Post a Comment