Low ebb

This was an extremely low energy weekend.

I went to one of the dojos and took belt test pictures on Saturday, and I ran a couple of errands on Sunday (got gas and a couple groceries) but otherwise stuck close to home. The girls went to karate on Saturday, but otherwise stayed in. We cut church on Sunday, too, which we very rarely do. We all felt really low. Rob has a dreadful cold, and he's been just miserable and as a result, not motivated to do anything but lay around and sleep. So aside from the drainer's worth of dishes I did, the kitchen stayed a mess all weekend, which, of course, made me cranky. The refrigerator's bare of nutritious food, but we're too broke to go out for dinner or buy more. Fiona stayed in her bathrobe much of the weekend. Delia fretted over her History Day presentation all weekend long but otherwise had immense difficulty settling down and doing her homework. Requests for chores to be done were met with indifference and, if further pressed, with snarls. The house is really a mess.

Delia did try to help, by setting the coffee table for tea with my grandmother's tea dishes. The two of us had that when I got back from my errands on Sunday. That was one bright spot.

But otherwise, it just all felt really bad. Low energy. We're all obviously fighting viruses, and I think we were all extremely depressed this weekend. Dinner last night was a dismal affair, a frozen pizza that nobody wanted (I couldn't bring myself to cook in that dismal kitchen, and there was little to cook anyway.) We ate it in silence, morose and cranky.

I haven't done anything on the Decrease Worldsuck project the last three days. Frankly, worldsuck (or perhaps personal lifesuck) has been almost too much for me. I'm trying to tell myself not to be too hard on myself for this. I feel bad about enough things in my life that I certainly don't need to add to my own personal stress in that manner.

I don't know what we need to turn things around. Well, I do. Health. A lot more energy. Spring.

And a goddamned job for Rob.

Shake your tailfeathers

This made me laugh harder than anything else this whole week:

( What I did today to make the world a better place )

Giving up carbon for Lent

Here's an interesting article I found on one of the environmental Twitter feeds I'm following. Apparently, two senior Church of England Bishops have called on people to give up carbon rather than chocolate for Lent. Ash Wednesday is tomorrow. Here are ten things you can do.

(Got this from TwilightEarth)

Don't Be Afraid of the Light that Shines Within You

Happy birthday, moony! I have moony to thank for introducing me to Luka Bloom. I've been playing this song today, which is all light in dark places, and perfect for this time of year. Read what he has to say about the song here, which includes this:

Since 1993, at the start of every February, I have watched large groups of men and women gather in my home county of Kildare. They come to welcome the beginning of spring. They come to Kildare because it is the home of Brigid, whose feast day is February 1st. Brigid is the goddess of love, poetry, justice in prechristian Ireland, and she is the patron saint of Kildare.

People also come to Kildare at this time, to speak about justice in the world, or lack of it.

There is reflection, talk, music and dance. It is not a big trendy festival, but a gathering of people who want to celebrate the coming of spring, and who want to call Brigids’ qualities into the world, to light a spark for change.

And every year we gather to welcome the light into our world; and to hope that more light will shine in the world; and that someday out of the darkness of war, hunger, greed, poverty, will come the light of community, sharing, justice, music, dance, peace and love.

I wanted to write a simple song to share with everyone in Kildare,and to honour this noble celebration. ...
Even at the point of recording the song in April 2008, I could never have foreseen the hurt that people are feeling around the world in a few short months.

At the end of 2008, everywhere is fear, insecurity, corruption, unemployment...
And yet, I feel this is the most exciting moment imaginable to be alive.

There is such a window opening in the world for goodness, for community, for sharing, for simplicity, for kindness.

And this song is a call to people, to reach inside and be aware of the power in each one of us to do good, for ourselves, for our families,for our friends, for our villages and towns, and ultimately, for our earth.

In these dark times, many people feel powerless, unimportant, un-needed, marginalised.

This song came from the power of a group of people who want to shine a bright light for the earth and for humanity. ... I know that many people need to hear and feelwhat is contained in this song, right now. I know that songs of themselves don’t change the world.

But songs can also be prayers, blessings, and they can be a spark to ignite something beautiful in anybody.. This song is my prayer for the world, and I send it out at the start of this exciting and dangerous year, with love and hope in my heart, for our shared future.

Tweets for Today

( Cut to spare the uninterested )