I slept like a log last night. Really deep. I do not remember waking up at all. Nor do I remember any dreams.
I feel the fog has lifted a bit.
But not the ice! We were iced in. I did not leave the house at all today. Our street looked like a skating rink.
I stayed in my pjs all day. Did some cooking. I made roasted vegetables and chicken breasts. Enough to last for a few days of packed lunches for the adult children and I.
I did my daily bible study and journaling. I did some thinking. I know I have been under stress lately. And we have a big life change coming up with our impending move. That is high up on the life stress list. Moving. Especially when one does not know exactly where one is moving to!
When I am stressed, my normal coping mechanism is to eat. Comfort food. Especially carbs. I had abandoned my gluten free diet. I am wondering if this has contributed to my depression. I paused my blogging here to do a quick bit of research. And I found several articles linking gluten with depression, even with people who are not "celiac" but "gluten sensitive", which I suspect I am one.
Here is just one article I found: http://universityhealthnews.com/daily/gluten-free-food-allergies/the-surprising-link-between-gluten-and-depression/
I have also not been exercising much since my back injury and flu. I just do not feel on top of my game.
So today I ate healthy. And I recommited myself to eating healthy, avoiding gluten and dairy and drinking more water.
A Facebook friend of mine was concerned about me. She private messaged me that caffeine is helpful for alleviating depression.
So true! And I have not allowed myself much lately. I recall back in the day as a single mom I ingested perhaps a six pack of Diet Coke a day! It made me quite the happy camper. That was before they discovered how damaging diet sodas were to ones health.
But there is always coffee! I will just have to avoid the creamer. I do like non dairy creamers - especially coconut milk. And I LOVE me a good Earl Grey Tea!
I did not get much else done today. But I feel like I really needed the down time.
I watched two movies. One, I had seen before: "The Girl on The Bicycle". It is a quirky little romantic comedy set in Paris. It is mostly in English, with some German and French with English subtitles. It makes me smile, especially the sappy, happy music in the background.
My son watched it with me. He enjoyed it more than he admitted (I saw him smiling out of the corner of my eye). He saw me noticing, and said, "I was just thinking how this movie is so YOU, Mom". lol
We also watched a very interesting documentary my son-in-law brought out when we all expressed dismay that our churches were closed due to inclement weather. I suggested we have a family bible study. He brought out "The Atheist Delusion". It was incredibly well done. Made me think. Made me cry. And made me proud of my faith.
I still feel a dark cloud is hanging over my head. But it is just a little rain cloud now. And the pressure on my chest has lightened.
That reminds me. One day a few years ago, I was walking back from the store. It was a typical cloudy day in Portland. I felt a few drops of rain, so I put up my umbrella and continued walking. I smiled at some passersby who looked at me oddly. They did not have umbrellas up. But of course, very few Portlanders actually use umbrellas. I did not used to, but since I walk and bus everywhere, I have gotten used to bringing one. Especially since I am often packing. Books and music, that is.
Well after a bit, I noticed that not only did no one else have an umbrella, NO ONE ELSE WAS GETTING RAINED ON BUT ME! I kid you not.
I passed a young man and asked him, "Do you notice that I am the only one who is getting rained on?" He looked at me oddly and then very seriously nodded and said, "I do notice that." Then he walked off.
I looked up and sure enough, there was a little rain cloud above me. After a few blocks it stopped, or perhaps he went to hover over some other poor unsuspecting walker.
Funny, that I assume the rain cloud was male.
Anyway, telling this story made me smile.
I am sure tomorrow will be a better day. I will just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
And remember to bring my umbrella!
Happy Sunday!
I feel the fog has lifted a bit.
But not the ice! We were iced in. I did not leave the house at all today. Our street looked like a skating rink.
 |
| I took this picture from the window of the #9 bus going up SE Powell yesterday in the midst of the snowstorm. Did not venture outside today to take a picture of our street, which was like the above, but covered with ice! |
I stayed in my pjs all day. Did some cooking. I made roasted vegetables and chicken breasts. Enough to last for a few days of packed lunches for the adult children and I.
I did my daily bible study and journaling. I did some thinking. I know I have been under stress lately. And we have a big life change coming up with our impending move. That is high up on the life stress list. Moving. Especially when one does not know exactly where one is moving to!
When I am stressed, my normal coping mechanism is to eat. Comfort food. Especially carbs. I had abandoned my gluten free diet. I am wondering if this has contributed to my depression. I paused my blogging here to do a quick bit of research. And I found several articles linking gluten with depression, even with people who are not "celiac" but "gluten sensitive", which I suspect I am one.
Here is just one article I found: http://universityhealthnews.com/daily/gluten-free-food-allergies/the-surprising-link-between-gluten-and-depression/
I have also not been exercising much since my back injury and flu. I just do not feel on top of my game.
So today I ate healthy. And I recommited myself to eating healthy, avoiding gluten and dairy and drinking more water.
A Facebook friend of mine was concerned about me. She private messaged me that caffeine is helpful for alleviating depression.
So true! And I have not allowed myself much lately. I recall back in the day as a single mom I ingested perhaps a six pack of Diet Coke a day! It made me quite the happy camper. That was before they discovered how damaging diet sodas were to ones health.
But there is always coffee! I will just have to avoid the creamer. I do like non dairy creamers - especially coconut milk. And I LOVE me a good Earl Grey Tea!
I did not get much else done today. But I feel like I really needed the down time.
I watched two movies. One, I had seen before: "The Girl on The Bicycle". It is a quirky little romantic comedy set in Paris. It is mostly in English, with some German and French with English subtitles. It makes me smile, especially the sappy, happy music in the background.
My son watched it with me. He enjoyed it more than he admitted (I saw him smiling out of the corner of my eye). He saw me noticing, and said, "I was just thinking how this movie is so YOU, Mom". lol
We also watched a very interesting documentary my son-in-law brought out when we all expressed dismay that our churches were closed due to inclement weather. I suggested we have a family bible study. He brought out "The Atheist Delusion". It was incredibly well done. Made me think. Made me cry. And made me proud of my faith.
I still feel a dark cloud is hanging over my head. But it is just a little rain cloud now. And the pressure on my chest has lightened.
That reminds me. One day a few years ago, I was walking back from the store. It was a typical cloudy day in Portland. I felt a few drops of rain, so I put up my umbrella and continued walking. I smiled at some passersby who looked at me oddly. They did not have umbrellas up. But of course, very few Portlanders actually use umbrellas. I did not used to, but since I walk and bus everywhere, I have gotten used to bringing one. Especially since I am often packing. Books and music, that is.
Well after a bit, I noticed that not only did no one else have an umbrella, NO ONE ELSE WAS GETTING RAINED ON BUT ME! I kid you not.
I passed a young man and asked him, "Do you notice that I am the only one who is getting rained on?" He looked at me oddly and then very seriously nodded and said, "I do notice that." Then he walked off.
I looked up and sure enough, there was a little rain cloud above me. After a few blocks it stopped, or perhaps he went to hover over some other poor unsuspecting walker.
Funny, that I assume the rain cloud was male.
Anyway, telling this story made me smile.
I am sure tomorrow will be a better day. I will just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
And remember to bring my umbrella!
Happy Sunday!
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