And Now for Something Not Depressing . . .

So it’s been weird here. Things happened that I wasn’t expecting. Things I expected to happen didn’t. And there was winter. It all kind of combined into a perfect storm that swamped me into a ocean of depression (which is why I’ve just deleted that horrible depressing post I put up about a month ago.) I’m much better now. Not dead yet. So here are some of the things that have comforted me and helped lift me out of my depression:

Yarn:

I have to stop buying it, but it’s my main pleasure in life right now. Okay, addiction, but still, I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs, I rarely leave the house so I’m spending about ten bucks a month on gas, I’ve given up my passion for shoes and designer clothes, so yarn seems a pretty harmless expenditure to me. Except I have now developed a lust for expensive yarn. The worst is Madelinetosh Prairie (so beautiful). A close second is Wolle’s Color Changing Cotton. Then there’s my longstanding craving for Jojoland Melody and Rhythm. Bernat Boboli Lace. Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere. Mini Mochi. Crazy Zauberball.



I have to stop. I have managed to get it all into the living room and out in the open which isn’t good for the yarn but is good for my bank account because I can look up from my computer and see that I definitely do not need more. Except it’s so beautiful. And as weaknesses go, pretty harmless. No, really, I’m going to stop. Soon. In the meantime, I’m crocheting like crazy and it’s wonderfully soothing.

Bandaids. I’ve been cutting myself a lot lately. No, not on purpose. Once dicing onions, once reaching into the silverware rack, not realizing there was a knife in there. And then there’s the various scrapes and punctures I’m inflicting on myself because I’m building things again. So it was time to get more bandaids so I could stash them around the house. Then I tripped over some on Amazon and was startled to see that they make Jesus bandaids.



I mean it makes sense, comfort and protection and all of that. I just can’t imagine having Jesus looking at me all day, given the general direction of my thoughts. He’d have to go out and get drunk by sunset. So I got the monkeys instead.

Power Tools:

The floors in this house need redone. I’ve waffled about what to do about them, tried different quick fixes, but now the time has come to just do it the right way. Hiring somebody to do it is not an option; I’m paying for a fence here shortly and then there’s the septic tank. Doing it myself will undoubtedly result in Not Good Work, but at this point, I just need them done. They’re deplorable. So I bought a Makita orbital sander and it’s made me very happy.



Good tools always do that. I’m currently setting up a workroom where I had planned to put an office and seeing all my tools together in one place, easily accessible, just makes me so happy. Of course, tools also include art stuff like great brushes and heavy duty paper punches and really great colored pencils. Sometimes I just go in there and coo because of all the potential.

Finishing

I have over forty unfinished crochet projects, at least six unfinished books, and a million unfinished or not-started projects for this house. Last week I finished an afghan I’d started early in 2013. It’s gorgeous, I love it, and it’s FINISHED. The thrill of that is inspiring me to finish the other 40 yarn project hanging around and at least some of the cabinetry I need yet, and definitely one of the books. What I really want to do is research Nadine’s book, but I’m slowly talking myself into finishing Liz first. I just want the thrill of completion after a winter of frustration. Also I’m tired of tripping over lumber and half-done cardigans while I try to figure out how to pay for the septic tank. FINISH ALL THE THINGS!



With thanks to Allie Brosh and Hyperbole and a Half, also good for depression.

Dogs:

Wolfie is still hanging in there, but I think he’s really on the downhill slope now. He still gets excited about treats, and he still ambles outside, but the bounce is gone from his bungee. The fence for the side yard goes up in July, and that’ll make life easier for him (no stairs), but he seems to be just slowly settling into a deep sleep, which is not a bad way to go. In the meantime, Milton races around barking and then leaps on my lap to cuddle. Mona climbs up on the pillow beside me and licks my ear. And Veronica–no-thanks-I’ll-just-sit-over-here-away-from-you-people Veronica–now bounces at the base of LaZBoy to come up and snuggle. How people survive without pets I will never understand.

Minions:

The importance of Kevin, Stuart, and Bob to a healthy, stress-free immune system cannot be understated.



I had to watch the first movie again because I needed an example for my turning points lecture, and I have to tell you, I still laugh really hard and cry really hard and then laugh really hard again when I watch it and when I watch Despicable Me 2. So I am all over this minion movie, and I want to be Scarlet Overkill when I grow up. (The movie’s out next month).

Internet

My internet broke Monday night and I managed to fix it last night. By myself. That was a bad twenty-four hours, but now I have internet. And you guys.

I’m also having Deep Thoughts about writing and I’ll be putting up the handouts for my RWA National talks and I want to talk about the books I’ve been reading, so really, I think the depression thing is lifting. I’m still at the “Needs To Do Better” stage, but I am no longer flunking life.

So how’s by you?