A Day of Hearts and Poetry Scribblings

I love my Queen of Hearts cup and saucer (it came with a teapot that I also love). It was my birthday present a few years ago and it's the cup I now use every morning to have my coffee in.

When I was younger, I would have saved this cup and teapot for a special occasion. It would have been carefully placed on display and probably never used. But what I've learned is that every day you're alive is a special day. Every day free of pain, free of torment, filled with first world problems, is a special day and worthy of celebration. So now, I celebrate by using all those special-day items that I love and that make me happy.

Since Alice in Wonderland is possibly my favourite book from childhood to now, this tea set holds a particularly special place in my heart.

I've also been working on one of my favourite poems and how I can create something out of it. Perhaps a quilt, perhaps a soft book, perhaps some embroidery. I'm not sure what yet, but it was in my head and I needed to start scribbling. Can you guess the poem? It is rather obvious!

Exhaustion

Exhausted. Just exhausted. The morning was characterised by some phenomenal dream that had me thrashing about. I have no memory of the dream itself, but did wake to find my pillows perpendicular to each other and items from my bedside table flung unceremoniously across the floor. I wonder what it was that had me so agitated?

I went to bed irritated and don't doubt for a second that that was what triggered the dreams, but the actual content of the dreams completely eludes me. Whatever it was, it had me flailing like I was fending off some monstrous beast.

Sleep has once again become an issue. It had been controlled for a while with the advent of regular swimming, but it's been nearly two weeks since I last swam any laps and I'm climbing the walls. Motivation is hard to find and lethargy curls its sinewy fingers throughout the day. My eyelids grow heavy and my brain grows dull. I hear the buzzing return of tinnitus and know that there's some low-level infection working its sinister magic on my immune system.

It's a vicious cycle this exercise and sleep business. I exercise, I sleep well and wake with energy. I don't exercise, I sleep poorly and fitfully and wake exhausted to my very bones, unable to muster enough interest or ability to complete even simple tasks.

My day has consisted of completing online forms and sending emails. Another contributing factor to the lethargy. Instead of revitalising me, it has made me long to curl up and sleep. My head feels filled with cotton wool and I cannot wade through the viscosity of it. I know there are tasks to complete, but have no will to summon. I suspect the weighty burden of all that needs to be done is also adding to my paralysis. I find myself near catatonia every time I consider the enormity of what remains to be done.

I'm sure there's a solution. I daresay it's a simple one - perhaps a reversion to my trusty lists is what will snap me out of this. The cotton wool in my head makes thinking clearly seem like trying to swim my way through a swimming pool filled with treacle. Every time I think I'm making progress, the sticky, gooey morass of impending deadlines and tasks yet to be done drag me inexorably to the bottom.

Still, to quote my favourite southern belle, "tomorrow is another day".