It is Tuesday and Day Three of NaBloPoMo. I am already feeling Wildly Overwhelmed. It’s a GOOD overwhelm: I am so excited! So many new posts! So many thoughtful comments! And yet, I am feeling a bit like the toddler being attacked by puppies. The joy! The delight! The inability to do anything but lie there helplessly!
What is your strategy for reading and commenting on blog posts? I have no strategy and am therefore already behind.
Perhaps if I had planned my posts, and did not have to write those in the moment, I would have more time to read/comment and be feeling better about the whole thing. (If you have post suggestions for me, please feel free to share them via my Ask Me Anything form.)
Speaking of feeling overwhelmed, I am also feeling overwhelmed by:
…election uncertainty.
I voted. That’s all I can do. While I have no idea what’s going to happen – especially in my state, which feels like it could easily go either way – I am very much looking forward to the end of all the spam texts. There are so many and they are SO RIDICULOUS.
…Christmas anticipation.
How’s your Christmas planning going? Mine, so far, encompasses some vague thoughts about potential gift ideas. Like, super vague. I may share some of them in post form, because that helps me organize my thoughts. We’ll see if I can get my act together.
…exhaustion.
My cat is not dealing well with The Time Change. He is surly and accusatory and runs away from me when I approach him. He came into my room at THREE AY EM to scratch the carpet, which is one of his tried-and-true It’s Time to Wake Up alarm settings. Even if the time hadn’t changed, that’s too early.
My husband and I are not dealing well with The Time Change. I thought we would feel more rested! I thought we’d pop out of bed an hour early! But no. We are both hitting snooze and grumbling at the cat, whose secondary alarm setting is to climb onto various surfaces and knock things onto the floor. Maybe if the cat would chill out, we’d be able to get some sleep?
…fluff.
Speaking of the cat: Lenny is experiencing his fall shed. We got a very brief reprieve from his spring shed, a reprieve of about a month. It was a wonderful month. But now we’re back to tumbleweeds of fur littering our floors. My dutiful robot vacuum Rocky is on the job, although sometimes the fur is too voluminous for him to handle and he has to reroute himself around it. I’ve also purchased a new handheld vacuum for the stairs and furniture. So far, I like it a lot. Our regular vacuum does a great job of cleaning the carpeted areas of our home and I’m contemplating getting a second one, to minimize the amount of lugging it up and down the stairs I do. While I would be 100% happy just getting the exact same vacuum, I kind of have a wandering eye. If you have pets, what kind of vacuum do you use to stem the fluff?
…routine shakeup.
My child has begun a new set of activities, but they are so new that we haven’t established any sort of a routine. Sometimes it feels to me as though the adults in charge of said activities take the same approach to planning that I have taken toward NaBloPoMo. I do not care for that.
…fall beauty.
We have had the most glorious, luxuriously long fall. The first photo I have of fall leaves is from October 2. And now, more than a month later, our trees are still gorgeous. Sure, some of them have lost their leaves (do you think they feel jealous of their still-frocked friends? or are they relieved to be able to rest?), but many many are still decked out in the most fanciful array of crimson and gold. I cannot get enough and I have been taking mental pictures and actual photos as often as I can. The photos never quite do justice to the beauty of my surroundings, though.
What’s got you feeling overwhelmed today?
I’m overwhelmed by anxiety over the election. By a variety of small health issues I’m having. By the endless elevator situation in my building. By the weather–and I know, I’m in Florida, I shouldn’t be complaining about the weather. But the humidity is back up and my will to live is impaired. This morning the temperature was 74, lovely, I wanted to open the windows–but the humidity was 95%. What the what.
Sigh. Thank you for letting me vent.
Those are all extremely vent-worthy. <3
Our cat also thinks the time change is bogus. He normally gets “first breakfast” around 6 am when two of our kids leave for work/school. So at five am after the time change of course he was meowing at me and pawing at my hair.
I’m trying hard NOT to be overwhelmed, though there is a lot I cannot share that is overwhelming. So I’m trying to focus on the small joys:
We have also had gorgeous fall weather and our fall colors are still glorious.
On our bike ride today I was able to check the little free libraries in our neighborhood and came home with THREE books I will enjoy and two new boxes of note cards! (One library in particular, somebody is always putting in calendars or note cards, which I find delightful.)
Oh I love that you have multiple LFLs on your bike route AND that they have so much to offer!
In the past I have always planned my blogging for NaBloPoMo, which makes it feel more manageable. BUT if the concept is that we write every day, then maybe we’re being more true to that concept by winging it. That’s what I’m telling myself at least.
Cats are better than dogs because they don’t need to be taken for walks, but dogs are better than cats in that they just let you sleep in. At least, all of my dogs have. Dinner time MUST BE AT 5, so time changes were rough in the afternoon. But breakfast? I’ve never had a dog demand that I get up at a certain time. I am thankful for this.
For someone who loves sleeping so many hours of the day, it’s kind of annoying that Lenny feels the need to be wide awake at 5:00 every morning.
Yes! Being true to the concept! Lol. I love that perspective.
Oh yes, the overwhelm with all the blog posts! But I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep up. I’ve made a folder in my RSS reader where I have all the NaBloPoMo posts, and I read and comment when I can but I know I won’t be able to read and comment on everything.
Hoping for the best with the election.
A special NaBloPoMo folder sounds so smart! I need to get back into using Feedly.
The fact that we have to move my parents. They are moving! which is fantastic! And yet the act of moving is going to be wretched, and my husband will be away for a good part of it and eeeeeeee.
I have no NaBloPoMo strategy, and I was supposed to be home for the first day of it and instead I was delayed for 24 whole hours, which, let’s be honest, changes very little and yet is making me feel extra scattered. Off the top of my head, my strategy to start is going to be writing shorter posts (I don’t think you can be regular Suzanne Day by Day every day, baby, I believe in you, but give yourself a break), making sure I visit and comment on a minimum number of blogs every day (maybe five? Six?) but not necessarily every blog every day. And we’ll see where that gets me.
Yes, the parents moving thing is SO stressful. Great! And very, very stressful.
Aww Lenny is so cute! We use a robot vacuum and a handheld too. So. Much. Fur!
And for keeping up with blogs… I don’t. And I am just a NaBloPoMo reader, not a writer! I get to them when I can. I figure if I appreciate a comment whenever it’s left than other people do too? 😂🤞
YES, you are 100% right. At least, that’s how I feel!
I would love to be able to read everyone’s posts, but realistically I know I won’t be able to. Between keeping up with my own posts and every day life, I decided I will read what I can, comment when I can and move on the next day. I am committed to answering all comments on my own blog though, that is the one thing I want to make sure happens.
I have a Husky mix and a long hair orange fluff ball of a cat. I can vacuum in the morning and an hour later it doesn’t look like I did a thing. I have a stick vacuum for quick clean ups and stairs, I agree, it’s wonderful in keeping up with some of the fur balls
That strategy sounds great!
Oh my goodness I bet your house is full of so much joy in addition to fluff!
That it is, that it is. The dog and cat get along very well too, which is a good thing. There are times you’ll find them grooming one another.
Awww that is adorable!
Yes! I’ve voted and now all I can do is wait. I’ll be SO HAPPY to stop getting all the texts.
I’m winging it with NaBloPoMo this year. In the past I’ve had big plans and themes, and they never worked out. As far as reading everyone’s posts- I think it’s impossible and we just have to do our best. My goal is to read all the posts by my current blogging friends, and to check out enough new blogs to hopefully make new friends.
Christmas!!! I have big plans for starting early this year, but the thing is, early is NOW and I haven’t started. First I have to get the Halloween things put away…
Yes, I am also winging it (clearly). We will wing it together! Your strategy makes sense!
Cannot wait to hear more about your big Christmas plans. I know it’s a super fun season Chez Jenny! I wish I could delay thinking about it at all until December.
I am overwhelmed so much that my blog has been abandoned in September and October. The election, of course. The state of our country (US), my parents’ health. My mental health…
Oh Daria I’m sorry! That’s a lot of big, stressful things. Hang in there. <3
The amount of overwhelm is HUGE over here. HUGE, I tell you. Particularly about the holidays – mainly because I don’t know what is going to happen this year. I mean, I don’t have one idea of how it’s going to go. Which means, do I continue to buy gifts as usual? Who knows? Are we going to celebrate? Who knows?
The only thing that I’m ahead of the curve on is holiday cookies. I’ve got most of my cookie dough made and frozen. So at least there is that.
This election is also overwhelming. Our state is in such a fix and needs change in a big way and I hope we get it tomorrow. If we don’t, I know I will be in such a state of despondency that the holidays (and what will or won’t happen) won’t even matter.
If the only holiday thing you end up doing is cookies, that’s a hell of a great thing to have done. Trying to plan ahead when there is a lot of uncertainty is so hard. I hope that every day gets a little bit easier for you and your family. <3
I have my holiday shopping via on-line done for the 4 grandsons and otherwise I just do money. Easy peasy. But the idea of holiday cookies is a bit overwhelming to me. I’m surly over the time change too and especially the cat crying outside my bedroom door at an earlier hour than I would prefer. Our leaves are still hanging on, just.
Wow! Good work, Margaret! I’m impressed!
Those of you who do a big holiday bake awe me. The whole thing feels extremely stressful! I’ve managed a handful of cookies at a time and that was TOO MUCH.
Suzanne, you have such a fun writing style that I’ll show up to read anything you write! If you have nothing to say, just post a picture of Lenny, and I’m happy! (Seeing him lying in front of the vacuum made my day!)
Oh Michelle, that is so sweet – thank you!!!
Your fall is absolutely amazing!! Stunning!!
I LOL’d at the meme: my mind is going a mile an hour.
I have to say that I’m not overly enthused with the NaBloPoMo, for someone who can barely keep up with blog reading, this just puts me in a mood. 🤣
Lenny has shedding seasons? I HAD NO IDEA. Do you have specific decor for each season or just the vacuum?
My mind often goes a mile an hour, LOL.
YES. Two annual sheds, which encompass most of the year.
Hee hee the year that I did NaBloPoMo I had no plan. More than once I started to write a “I can’t do this” post which ended up becoming a legit post so all I had to do was to take out the “I can’t” part.
In a perfect world I would write long and brilliant comments on all of my friends’ posts, but this is not a perfect world. I do my best, and when I hit the point where commenting starts to feel like a chore or I don’t have enough time, then I bail.
Birchie, you write fabulous comments and I appreciate you deeply. I also really admire your “bail when it’s a chore” stance and I’m going to adopt that as well.
I feel so very overwhelmed right now. I was already so behind on blog reading and commenting and then NaBloPoMo started so my reader looks even worse. I am waving the white flag. I usually try to keep up but i am so over my skies right now with work, travel, parenting, etc etc. I remind myself that no one is grading me or tracking how often I comment. But it’s tough!
I bought my first Christmas gift yesterday. The boys are getting something called a tin can which is basically a WiFi landline. It’s very popular at our school and kids make play dates using it. So we feel a little out of the loop without one. And they can call some other numbers like my parents. I figure it will help them learn some phone skills. That is the extent of my Christmas gift prep. I love the holiday but hate the present aspect. I can’t wait for the kids to be old enough for us to talk them into going on a trip instead of getting presents.
YES, great reminder that blog commenting is not being graded! I love when you comment, but would never ever want it to feel like an obligation, or an added stress. Blogs are, like, the OPPOSITE of that. Talking this through is really helping me feel more like: I’ll comment when I can, but when I can’t it’s okay.
I am kind of jealous that you are doing the tin can! It came out too late for my kid — all her peers already had smartphones. But I LOVE the idea. We are still among the very, very few holdouts when it comes to a phone, but it does feel like my kid is out of the loop on a lot of things.
The thing is – I love commenting and engaging with others! And usually I can keep up. Right now I can’t because work is taking over my life. SOB. I had a brief convo at the end of my flight yesterday with my seat mate and when he asked if I was heading out on a trip or coming home, and I said heading out, he said – wow you sound happy about that. He said it kindly and he was an older gentleman. But it’s sad when I can’t even mask my displeasure about travel to a complete stranger…
Awww Lisa, this is such a busy, stressful season of life for you. <3 I hope things let up and you are able to find a new balance in the new year.
We have an state election coming up at the end of the month and I hope that our current lot get thrown out. They are terrible—to the point where billions of dollars have been siphoned off infrastructure projects into organised crime figures and dodgy union officials. God I hope people don’t vote for them, our state is broke enough as it is.
I have not thought about Christmas but am feeling no anxiety. I will probably start thinking about it later this month, at the moment I am just trying to get back into my routine after 5 weeks away.
I am going to try to channel your Christmas calm! There’s still plenty of time.
I am so done with the politiacl ads and the text messages. I chuckled at the text from your husband.
Christmas shopping – I’ve said this before, but I’m hoping to stick to my guns this year. (and I’m reading Lisa’s above comment and thinking what a perfect segway it is to my gift approach this year). We plan to gift the kids a trip to Yellowstone. It’s far from glamorous. I do not want to and do not plan to shop for anything else. Maybe funny socks for the stockings? No one needs anything, and the kids who need clothes (aka the younger ones who live with us and don’t drive, etc) – well, I still take them shopping anyway. Coach told me last week, You still have to get everyone a few things, right? Says the man that has never ever bought a gift. Ever. Did I say that already? He doesn’t even generate gift ideas. Nope.
I’m feeling overwhelmed – hmm, about the presence of Halloween candy. We are trying to model healthy eating habits to our youngest two, who didn’t have the best start in terms of eating habits. Our general rule is no trick or treating after 8th grade, and somehow Rae went to a party, got bored with the kids her age, so went trick or treating with the younger sibs and has a huge bag of candy.
Oh yes, the candy. It’s so hard to manage, especially with kids who have a sweet tooth! We’ve had luck with a) setting a time limit for the candy, like, “you can have this for 5 days” or whatever, and/or b) setting a number of candies limit per day, and/or c) setting aside some candy to donate. Our school has a candy drive, which helps immensely with the last one!
WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK. This is the sandwhich season for me– things to do for the spring; fall classes still happening– GAH.
GAH indeed! I never know how you do all you do on a normal day, and this sounds… extra!
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I’m finally beginning to catch up on blogs after the Stratford trip and a round of medical appointments and PT. I follow about 50 bloggers who are fairly regular posting and try to get to them every day or two and try to comment. (With varying results) The daily posters awe me — I don’t see how they do it. About the only posts I write ahead are the end-of-month book posts, though when I’m downloading photos, I’ll start a draft. Right now I have a new wine tasting post I’m working on but it probably won’t see the light of day for a bit. I go in spurts but since most of my stuff is “real life,” I can’t work too far ahead!
We were on needles and pins yesterday too. What state are you in. I’m breathing a lot easier today, although even with a majority, they can’t override a veto without a coalition. We’ll see, but hopefully they can keep things in check. Now, let’s hope one of the Supremes doesn’t resign before the new gang are sworn in.
Lizzie’s having issues with the time change too. She’s bugging me for dinner way too early! She’s very transactional!
Hahahaha — yes, nice to know that our beloved pets really only tolerate us because we feed them. 😉
My state did good!!!!
I’m not sure I’ve ever appreciated having chickens more than around the time changes, LOL … Chickens are so easy, because they just make life decisions based on where the sun is in the sky versus what the clock says. So long as I make it out with a treat and a cuddle before the sun drops and it’s time for them to put themselves to bed, they’re happy 🙂
Good thing Lenny is so cute! 😀
I feel like I should have intuited this about chickens, but this is brand new information. Is very obvious though, now that you point it out! And yes, that is definitely a point in favor of chickens!