For That Time of Year

One of my friends stated publicly yesterday that she feels like a wet dishrag.  For her, that’s one of the symptoms of the winter blues.  She says she’s fallen into the blues full time, and it’s Jan. 13.

For another friend, today is her birthday, so I’m sure she’s coping today.  A birthday in  pre-mid-January would be a good antidote to at least one day of the blues, especially for this friend because she just retired.   

Even with a birthday on Jan. 13,  you still have 18 more days to make it through the month. 

That wasn't nice.  Did I have to remind myself and everyone else that we’re far from being midway through what’s generally considered the most hideous month of the year in North Idaho?

I did use the phrase “generally considered the most hideous month of the year . . .” because last January still ranks as one of my most favorite on record. 

I was riding my bike almost every day during January last year.

I was building planters near the barn and sliding  them across a light ice sheet to their permanent residence in the front yard.

My horses were not wearing blankets and enjoying daily rubdowns.  Heck,  I think I even rode Lily a time or two last January.  It was a very good month.

As Bill said this morning, this January is more the norm.  We had a big dose of winter yesterday, and today is starting out the same.  Schools closed throughout North Idaho, so I do know some folks who like this month.

To the wet dishrags among us, though,  snow days and school closures only mean more of the same. 

It’s a long month.  They’ve cleaned the house more than they care to clean the house.  They can’t do much more on the taxes----and who wants to think about taxes anyway in January.  All the more reason to be depressed.

I think it’s time we went to work on finding some simple secrets to beating those wet dishrag blues to death.  So, today I’m going to provide a few ideas of my own.  In addition, I’m calling for proposals. 

Let’s lick this annual recurring affliction once and for all.  Let’s put together our own little basket of goodies to help us through the next 2.5 weeks.   

Already I’m feeling better:  2.5 weeks sounds a heckuva lot better than 18 days.

What do I do to keep from going stir-crazy-nutso?  Well, my horses, dogs, cats and housework help.  The chores associated with them take up a few hours of every day. I’ve even found myself enjoying the task of cleaning cat boxes this January. 

I also bought myself a jigsaw puzzle for Christmas in anticipation of wet dishrag days.  I  set it up out in the New Old Motorhome---a thousand pieces. 

My theory was that if I scattered the pieces on the table out there, at least I’d get out of the house and breathe some cool, fresh air.

So far, I’ve experienced only one day of “needing” to go to the New Old Motorhome and put together a few pieces.   

I have to tell you, though, that there was cheating going on that day cuz whoever manufactured the puzzle left about ten clumps of pieces already matched up. 

I decided not to tell anyone who cared and didn’t even feel guilty when I laid those out, as if I’d found the matches myself.

It built up my self esteem, and  besides, who really cares if you cheat at jigsaw when nobody's looking.

Furthermore, I still have at least 975 pieces to go.  I'm reserving jigsawing for those really desperate wet dishrag days. 

I’ve also found great solace and joy in visiting my mother.  If anyone suffers from wet dishrag days more than the general population, it’s the elderly. 

So, any little visit, even if it’s taking down the artificial Christmas tree and replacing the dead poinsettia with a pot of succulents (needing watering only once a month) makes all the difference for my mother.

Such visits will dominate the next 18 days, and I’m hopeful for some more acceptable weather to get her out and about. 

I’ve thought about seeds a lot, but keep throwing that thought aside.  Last year everyone, it seemed, wanted to do their gardening in January and February.  Not a good idea. 

After growing weary from growing and growing into a jungle of worn-out tentacles, tomato plants and cukes will just plain die on you during the transfer from the house to the greenhouse.

 So, it’s best to wait, even against the wishes of your ever-anxious green thumb.

You can do something with seeds, though---sunflower seeds.  This is the prime time of the year to load those bird feeders and watch who comes for dinner.

Our flickers look a little out of place, trying to balance their bodies on tenuous limbs while grabbing sunflower seeds from the feeder.  Big contrast from the chickadees, for sure.

Always fun watching, though.

I’m sitting here with my short list, listening to avalanche prevention explosions up there at Schweitzer, and my mind has gone blank for any other ideas.  Oops, there goes another! 

Hard to keep on task when the explosions wake you from a thinking stupor.  Plus, it’s time to get this blog online. 

Cuz I know there are some January dishrag groupies sitting there with their cups of coffee, hoping for something to keep their mind busy for two minutes during this day.

Maybe this post will even take up three minutes cuz I notice it’s longer than usual.

Now, get out your jigsaws, call your old AND elderly friends, clean the catbox and DO send those ideas.  

I’ll happily publish all suggestions to help out the Wet Dishrag Society of North Idaho.

Postscript:  After chores and trying to follow my own principles of calling people---who were either not home or looking at their caller ID and not answering----I read some more tips on conquering the post-holiday blahs in the most recent posting from The Onion.  

So, of course, I'm following another principle and sharing the good news ideas: visit http://www.theonion.com/articles/beating-the-postholiday-blahs,18801/.