Learning how to split in half and still keep one’s sanity

Wow! Time is certainly travelling along, isn’t it? It has been too long since my last post, so I will try to remedy that.

My life has been split in half. So has my sister’s. Therefore, so have our husbands’ and all else connected to our private existence.

Life has changed a lot, being a full-time part-time caregiver has affected my life drastically. With my sister, I am alternating weeks living with our dad (which makes it part-time), but we are going to be doing this for … who knows how long? (which makes it full-time) Even when I’m not on my ‘shift’ I’m still sort of on-call – if my sister phones and needs support or information or whatever. She does the same for me. That’s how we have it set up for each other and so far it is working out.

Recently, we were approved for a few hours respite each week, which is a blessing. A huge blessing. We were getting very weary, it’s a mental thing — always having to be alert to where, what, when — so getting a break is an assist to retaining sanity. Respite is so new to us that it is taking a little time to work out the glitches, and I find it hard turning things over to someone else even for a few hours. But, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate it and need it.

Can anyone relate to any of what I’m sharing?

When I get home from my week on duty, I lose at least one day from total weariness. Being on constant alert mode is exhausting, and even feeling tired there it really hits when getting home and being able to let my guard down. whew! I don’t know how people do this for years, and not being able to alternate weeks. Perhaps it’s a little different having one’s own home to maintain as well, but either way … it is taxing. Even so, it is an honour and a blessing to be able to do this for one’s loved one, regardless of the difficulty as conditions worsen. Further to that, it’s not really understood that there is even a problem. Challenging.

So, how do we do it? To be honest, The Lord is our Strength. Prayer, talking to other people who understand, getting those little blocks of time out of the house or just being able to read or work at a hobby while a nap is happening .. usually not our own 🙂 .. all are very important in order to keep one’s sanity. Another top thing is that our families are understanding and very supportive in this. I doubt that we could do it otherwise. So, really .. the wheel that turns it all is LOVE.

I originally set up this blog to track my journey in writing. Why do my journeys seem to always have side roads? Do the sidetracks add to the well from which stories come? I’m hoping so. The novel I got well underway in 2010’s NaNoWriMo (refer to https://lynnadavidson.wordpress.com/nanowrimo-updates-2010/) has not been altered one bit since. Do I try to work more on it in NaNo 2011? I really want to finish it instead of starting something new yet. My hesitation is because I fear attempting NaNo this year would set me up for an incomplete. But gosh! If I keep putting it off I could be years .. or never! ..getting back to it.

How do people write, sometimes their best work, during times of stress?

It seems I still have much to learn about splitting my life in half while keeping hold of some measure of my established interests — and sanity.

Do you have a similar story to tell? How did or do you manage it?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Are you a ringer? or a leaner?

Have you ever played horseshoes? It’s a fun game of skill.

My dad and I have been playing horseshoes a little this Summer (now turned Autumn) and – although we certainly aren’t the greatest at it – we have lots of laughs.

Two pits are prepared, into each is driven a stake forty-two feet from the other. From beside one pit the players throw two horseshoes each, in turn, trying to get a ringer (shoe around stake) for five points, a leaner for three points, or within a horseshoe width for one point. Then the players walk to the other end, add up their points and pitch the shoes to the other pit. Eventually, a total of 21 points wins.

Take a look at the image here. This was amazing!

Both the ringer and the leaner are mine! Dad got one shoe close enough for a point, the other just a little too far out. This was such a great toss that we had to capture it because I thought no one would believe it. Of course, we have not been able to repeat this exactly again. In fact, when we get a point it’s occasion to cheer. 🙂 That’s right, we won’t be asked to join a team any time soon, but, as I said, we have fun. It’s a good way to get exercise, too.

Looking at this picture I began wondering about it in relation to life.
A ringer — do you hit your mark? Do you reach your goal?
A leaner — do you nearly get there, not quite where you want to be but enough so that you can say you did it?
Close — the old saying is, “close only counts in horseshoes.” Do you get nearly there and then decide this is close enough?
Not quite there — do you think, “well at least I tried”?

I wonder what my own attitude has been. I can go many ways with this but if I relate it to writing I know I have not made that ringer. I’m not sure I even have a leaner, either. But I may be close, although for me it’s not close enough yet. And I have had many days of thinking, “well, at least I’m trying”, but if I am truly going to succeed I know I have yet to develop my skill.

The secret, the trick, is to never quit, never give up. In writing there are so many, many ways to express one’s ideas and imaginings, many places to apply one’s talent, many word avenues to travel. And one has to learn how to pitch, how to lean in, how to get close enough so as to eventually succeed.

Am I there yet? No. But I am still trying, still in the game, even with all of life’s sidelines and stressors and detours.

How about you? Are you a ringer? a leaner?
Are you close? or not quite there yet?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

To blog or not to blog .. is that the question?

I have not been posting to my blog as regularly as I had hoped because of family obligations, but still I try to keep at it. This past week I was thinking about writing, in particular “blogging” —

There are hundreds – no, thousands! – of blogs out there to read, thousands of blog artists sharing their thoughts, ideas, talents, rants, advice, art forms, humour …

It’s a wonderful way to share, vent, contribute, advertise, hone skills, meet people, reinvent oneself. It’s also a sure way to reveal one’s lack of skill, talent, intelligence, tact, and common sense.

Blogging is an expanding sense of community, a way to connect with others while building one’s platform – one’s identity and presence in this world, or at the very least – on the Internet.

A quote I found which also follows along nicely with my last post about laughter is by William Saroyan, a writer known for his stories celebrating the joy of living in spite of poverty. He said, “The most solid advice for a writer is this, I think: Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell. And when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough.”

For some, a driving force in life is writing, for others it is the reading of wonderful stories that stimulates their lives.

So, my questions to you are as follows:

Do you agree with William Saroyan’s advice? Or do you have another quote or word of advice to share with me?

If you have a blog, why or why not?

Why do you read other people’s blogs, what do you look for?

How has the blogging world impacted your life, or has it made much of a difference at all?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

What is your passion?

I’ve been thinking today about what is my passion – where I put my efforts, how I use my time. Besides being with my beloved husband and my family, that is. This week I am working more on Valley Sunshine publication, hoping my duplicating machine won’t quit on me again. During the printing of the last issue my antiquated machine broke down but, strangely, when the repairman finally was able to come out to look at it, I tried it and it worked again! Now, I don’t know for how long it will be functional, but it means I can print off this issue, or at least for as long as it prints off the pages. That is one place I put my time – writing, compiling, sharing the Lord and His word through this little publication. I enjoy the contact with my readers/subscribers.

And you know I like to write stories, but I haven’t been able to really settle into being creative that way the last several months – except for book reviews and a few interviews. Working on my novel is something I have yet to mold into my life again, but I am really enjoying blogging. Because of time restrictions now I don’t get to visit many of the blogs I follow, though.

Another thing is, of course, reading books. Last week I began reading War and Peace which is four books in one, and I learned that it took Leo Tolstoy six years to write it! I figure it will probably take me a year to read it. 🙂 At least. But I also have several other books on the go at the same time, so I will keep adding titles to my “have read” list for this year.

But I think my greatest passion is worship – worshiping the Lord, and being in fellowship with other Christians to “be the Church” with them. It is uplifting and joyful and a blessing to all involved. Part of that is talking about God’s Word, learning more and sharing about it .. such wonderful food for the soul. Religion does not quicken my spirit, but relationship with Him does.

So, what is your passion? Where or how do you most like to spend your time? Do you enjoy creating? If so, what? Do you like to travel? If so, where and how?

What is your passion?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

What do you like to read, what would you write?

If you have been here before, you may notice that I changed my blog theme. I like that now the comments link, where you share your thoughts with me, is located at the top of the posts.

Thank you so much for taking time to come here and read what I have to say, and for leaving comments for me. I look forward to reading next week what you write to me this week. Time away from my computer for the next few days will be used for reading and hopefully a little writing.

In all the reading I am doing I’m discovering more about my varied taste in books – from children’s picture books, middle grade, young adult, to adult novels in different genres. If you want to check my 2011 “have read” book list page, I’m keeping track there, as I did in 2010.

I have been learning what I am not very interested in, what I like but with qualifiers, what I get totally lost in, and what I would love to write myself.

Lately I have been wondering about something, and I would love to hear from you on these four questions.

1. What do you like most to read? Themes, genres, authors?
2. Do you have favourite authors and would read anything written by them?
3. What have you found that you are not interested in spending your time reading?
4. If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Announcing the winner of Snow Day!

We have confirmation of our winner of a copy of Snow Day by Billy Coffey! (My apologies for not posting this earlier but I did not have access to my computer last week. )

Thank you to all who visited my blog and left comments at https://lynnadavidson.wordpress.com/2011/03/25/interview-with-billy-coffey-book-giveaway/

Shortly after 9:00 PM on April 8 my husband pulled a name out of the basket and I was pleased to send CONGRATULATIONS TO CATHY GRAHAM. Cathy, your book is on its way to you directly from the publisher, Faith Words.

In her reply to my email, Cathy wrote, “What fun to get your message about winning the book Snow Day. That’s great! Thanks so much! I’m all excited now!”

Thanks again, everyone. It was fun, and I know Billy enjoyed your comments.

There will be another review and interview as soon as I can manage it.

Thanks for reading and participating, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Have you come full circle yet?

Do you ever feel that life is taking off without you? That you can’t keep up with all that is in your line of vision? It is times like those that I realize I could not hold up without the strength the Lord gives me.

I am delighted that our youngest daughter moved home in March, and so is her little dog – as much as a dog can be delighted. 🙂 Now she is job searching so that she can get herself established again. Having her home will be helpful.

What is upcoming for us as a family is that we have come full circle, my husband and I. Several years ago, my sister and I lived with our parents again for the last month of our mother’s life when she was dying of cancer. We each moved back into our old rooms which allowed us to be there to spend time with Mum and minister to her however we could, and to support our father. (My sister’s husband would bring their baby some days, and each evening I would go home to have supper with my family and put our youngest to bed before going back to my parents’.) This month my sister and I will be starting a rotation of living with Dad, alternating weeks for as long as is manageable. We will be companions to Dad more than caregivers in the way it is most understood. This time it is a sacrifice that will affect our own households for an indefinite length of time, but it is the only right decision at this time as he needs someone there with him. We don’t live far from him anyway, but it is time to do this. And Dad won’t be overwhelmed by us — 🙂 — because we won’t both be there all the time, but taking turns week by week.

To be honest with you, in considering all this it is something that I want to do and do not want to do. Even though I want to be there for my elderly father, I know it is going to change my own life, marriage, home. I will do this, though, because my family supports me in it and I love my dad – otherwise it would be nearly impossible. Do you know the feeling? It will be a good challenge, very important to our relationship and with fun potential. 🙂

During our quiet evenings, since Dad is still able to enjoy his own reading time, I plan to read more books, prepare more book reviews, and finish writing my novel and picture books. Then the weeks I am home I can post to my blog and catch up wherever else I have fallen behind.

Yes, that is the plan. A good plan. A reasonable plan. I’ll soon find out how well it works.

Have you come full circle yet, becoming the caregiver for the one who cared for you?

Maybe you are caregiver for someone else you love, or are available to give someone else a break? (Being a caregiver can be very stressful and exhausting, so if you are considering helping someone who does this, I’m sure they would appreciate a few hours for themselves each week.)

I’m very interested in hearing your stories.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂