WordPress has had a makeover. How fresh in a time of crisis. I wish I could have a makeover. I am feeling terrible. I woke just after hubby but stayed in bed. By about 9 am I was feeling ready to go back to sleep. I don’t remember when I went back to sleep but I did.
I woke in the afternoon and really wanted to stay in bed. I should have. I got up and spent a few hours slowly working on a Puddles. It was good in theory but the colour process…oh the colour process. I guess I just didn’t think it through well enough and with all the detail of the bamboo it didn’t come out as clean as I would have liked. I just don’t like it. Let’s not talk about it.
So with the Arthur Puddles cartoon, as you have probably picked up, they are to celebrate a National or International Day. Even though I had a whole lot of time off, I am going to continue with the same theme and still draw the days that have passed. I have been a bit conflicted if I should draw Arthur social distancing and self isolating. He’s a penguin (and a cartoon) so technically he doesn’t really need to. As a sign of solidarity for the crisis (and for future generations that may stumble upon the cartoon) I thought it might be interesting transferring his world to his house. With all that said, I’ll probably keep drawing him doing outside things until the time that Australia went into a semi lock down on the 24th.
In today’s Adventures of Arthur Puddles we find him visiting a Giant Panda for National Panda Day to find out if he’s doing okay. Arthur is very caring.
I am defiantly unhappy today but it is what it is. I very much have things to be thankful for and, I still am. I’m just unhappy. Fingers crossed I’ll get a good sleep tonight.
Oh, you also may have noticed in my update yesterday (or just in the tags for the concise version) that I haven’t mentioned meditation. I haven’t been able to do it. I don’t know why either. I have tried a couple of times but it’s made me feel sick, almost like sea-sick? Maybe not. Not sure I’ve been sea-sick. Whatever it is, it just hasn’t worked for me. Last night I tried to just picture one of the meditation guides I used to listen to and I fell asleep pretty quick. I miss it. That’s not the only thing I’m missing at the moment.
I hope that you are staying happy and healthy. Enjoy the little things because that’s all we have right now. (Takes own advice!)
The saga began on Day 347 around 10 pm. It was a normal night. I had done my alien post (although I didn’t really feel like writing a post) and I am pretty sure I was playing WoW. Wifey woke up and asked how I was doing. I said that I would probably go to bed soon.
Within a couple of minutes of saying that, I knew I had to get to bed immediately. I hurriedly tried to say goodnight and as I was typing the last few words of my message to her, I had the strangest feeling rush through my body. It felt like all the blood drained to my head, my neck got warm and my heart pounded. I got up, very scared of what was happening, and sat on the bed. I didn’t want to lay down. I was restless.
Hubby thought that I was going to pass out. The things I was describing sounded like things he’d experienced before he had passed out in the past. (It happened to him a handful of times when he was working long days and only getting about 4 hours sleep a night.) I didn’t pass out. The next thought was that I was having a panic attack. My heart rate was very erratic and that lasted about 5 hours. I couldn’t sleep. I was terrified about what was happening. I kept saying to myself if it got worse, I’d go to hospital. I ended up getting to sleep somewhere after 3 am.
Day 348 – 16 March 2020
After a very scary and sleepless night, I spent the day in bed. I slept. That was all I did. I barely drank water, I didn’t eat. I slept.
Day 349 – 17 March 2020
I spent most of the day sleeping. I made some toast for lunch and made an effort to drink more water. I had a small dinner and sat up for a while. That wasn’t pleasant. I kept getting weird head rushes again and my heart rate kept bouncing all over the place. I tried to not panic.
Day 350 – 18 March 2020
After spending two days in bed, my muscles and joints ached. I tried to sleep again but it was getting harder. I was so restless. I wanted to get up but I still didn’t have the energy, so I thought I’d distract myself by watching some stuff on Youtube on my phone.
Founded in 2016, SBSK is a 501(c)3 organisation that seeks to normalise the diversity of the human condition under the pillars of honesty, respect, mindfulness, positivity and collaboration. This multi-media movement supports the acceptance and celebration of all members of the neurodiverse/disability community regardless of diagnosis, age, race, religion, income, sexual orientation, gender or gender expression. -Chris
Taken from the ABOUT page on the SBSK Youtube Channel.
I spent the day watching this channel. I laughed, I cried, I became motivated. The people that Chris meets and the stories he shares are beautiful stories of strength, perseverance, joy, family and the never ending journey for acceptance for all people.
I’ve always thought of myself as a good person. I try and make people feel good, I listen if someone needs that and I’m always ready to give a hug or a smile. Watching these stories really made me want to be a better person. To be more of all those qualities.
Apart from the fact that I didn’t have the energy to get out of bed, it was a really good and encouraging day. I eventually got out of bed when hubby got home but kept getting lightheaded and heart racy. I was finding it much easier to get my heart rate down quicker though so it wasn’t as scary.
Day 351 – 19 March 2020
It was another day of short naps and Youtube videos in bed. I spent a lot of the day watching more videos from the SBSK Channel (I have years of catching up to do) and I watched an episode about an interabled couple. They both had such amazing personalities and upon noticing they had their own Youtube channel, that was my next stop. After watching a few videos from them, I was hooked. Shane has got the best sense of humour. They have recently set up a help fund during the Covid-19 crisis for people with disabilities.
Even though I hadn’t been feeling as horrible as the beginning of the week, I was still very reluctant to get out of bed while hubby wasn’t home. The only problem with that is it was a 35 degree day and hubby was doing some overtime. It was a long, hot day in bed. I tried to stay distracted with naps and Youtube. Hubby got home around 10 pm and I was ready to get out of bed. It was nice to be up for a couple of hours before a night of nightmares and restlessness.
Day 353 – 21 March 2020
You’ve probably noticed a theme to the week; short naps and Youtube videos. Today was another. It was also another night of nightmares and broken sleep.
Day 354 – 22 March 2020
Hubby had a huge week at work and was exhausted. He slept-in until about 11 am. We didn’t do much with the day. I stared at the TV thankful I wasn’t spending another day in bed. I didn’t have the energy for more than staring though. We watched one of my favourite movies, Deadpool, in the evening and had an early night.
Day 355 – 23 March 2020
We woke up around 10 am and I got up at the same time hubby did. Hubby pottered around the house doing some housework (that I haven’t been able to do for a week, UGH!) He cooked some spaghetti sauce using all our leftover veggies. He also cleaned the cupboards and fridge out so we have some hope of packing away all our extra supplies. I did a little vacuuming and cleaned up one of the neglected side tables. I probably shouldn’t have done that. It was a huge energy drain.
Day 356 – 24 March 2020
I was hoping to get back to something of a normal schedule but I had zero energy. Actually, I think zero energy would have been an acceptable level. I couldn’t get out of bed. I slept most of the day. I got up when hubby got home. I tried to stay still and calm as I ate dinner and watched Deadpool 2. There was only one time I thought I was going to be light headed again but it seemed to pass quickly.
Day 357 – 25 March 2020
After another hard night sleep I woke when hubby did around 7 am. I stayed in bed and messaged wifey. We chatted until around 8.30 am, hubby left for work and I promptly went back to sleep. There was no way I could stay awake.
Homer woke me around 12 pm because he wanted to go out. I made a quick lunch and got back into bed. I returned to Youtube and watched a variety of videos, when I found one about; Advice for people who feel like their art isn’t unique. It actually made me feel better about my journey. This is only my first year on the bus. It’s been a bit of a bumpy journey (especially the last two weeks) but there is still a long way to go.
I was inspired to get back to art-ing and inked a Puddles that I had drawn a few weeks ago and I really should have used a new pen. I never know when is the right time to switch them out. I don’t want to waste them but they get to a point where they don’t make solid lines. Today was that day. I tried to fix it as much as I could in editing but I ran out of energy pretty quickly.
I’m not sure I’ll be bouncing back to a normal schedule just yet. I’m taking each day as it comes. If I’m up to it, then I’ll get things done, if I’m not, then it’ll be a day of bed rest. As soon as I’m feeling better I will get caught up on all the daily Puddles.
In today’s Adventures of Arthur Puddles we find him and a few friends reenacting a scene from The Wizard of Oz. He will return to his normal adventures very soon.
At the moment, life is running as normal for us. No one has symptoms of the virus, so we’re all pretty confident that none of us have it. (Even though I do have something going on with me.) Because of my agoraphobia, hubby and I have pretty much self quarantined for the last 3 years. Wifey and her mom are much the same. They only go out for things when necessary. So this hasn’t been much of a change for any of us.
As non essential services have been closed in Australia this week, we have started to worry about hubby’s job. He works for a bed store and at this point, they remain open. We are worried that there won’t be enough work for him though if people are self quarantined and not shopping. It’s tough enough living on a single income and we’re not sure what we’ll do if he gets stood down. The Australian government is offering additional help during this time but it’s still a cause of concern.
With our borders shut, as most are, we now have no idea when it’s likely that wifey will be able to come back to Australia. While it doesn’t change our relationship at all, it’s hard not knowing when we’ll get to be together again.
Hubby and I have been stocking up on pantry items over the last few weeks. He’s going to get some frozen veggies tomorrow and then we should be stocked in the event that there is a full shutdown. We should be able to survive three weeks without needing to leave the house.
What can you do to help during the Covid-19 crisis?
Follow the advice of local authorities to self quarantine. That means staying in your home. Don’t visit friends or family members. Also make sure you practice social distancing when you are in public.
Be respectful when stocking up for staying in. In Australian supermarkets we are now limited with how many items we can buy. If that’s not something being done where you are, please take only what you feel is necessary to get you through a few weeks of quarantine.
Reach out to vulnerable people via phone or online. This crisis is causing major isolation which is very hard for a lot of people. Just the simple act of asking ‘Are you okay?’ could make a huge difference in someone’s day.
Think about the positives of staying at home. This is a great time to spring clean, learn some new skills, start a home workout routine or complete that art project you’ve been putting off.
I hope that you, your families and friends are safe, healthy and happy right now. Please follow the advice of your local government and authorities to make sure your community can stay safe and recover as quickly as possible.
It was another night of healing meditation before sleep last night. I hope that this meditation is having a positive affect on my health. If nothing else, it’s definitely helping me to sleep better. After hubby got up this morning, he closed the door so Homer dog wouldn’t wake me. I slept in. It felt good.
That was about the end of the feeling good for the day. My back was crazy sore when I got up but thankfully through the day it started feeling a bit better. I will put that down to the fact that I channelled my inner potato and did nothing on the couch all day. Well, I Puddled and did some French and Norwegian practice.
In today’s Adventures of Arthur Puddles we find him learning about butterflies on National Learn About Butterflies Day.
The weekend is here and it’s time to relax (I started early.) I hope everyone has a relaxing, stay-at-home type weekend. Stay safe and healthy and stock up on that toilet paper when you can!!
I listened to healing meditation before sleep last night. It was a nice sleep but not enough because Homer dog woke me up early. I tried to get back to sleep but as soon as hubby had jumped in the shower, Homer was waking me up again. Not for any reason, just because he wanted to wake me up. He’s fun like that.
My back isn’t feeling much better and a day of art-ing probably hasn’t helped. I just couldn’t go another day without pulling out the watercolours. I found some inspiration on Youtube; Simple Watercolour Landscape Painting. I watched the whole thing through once, then paused it on the finished version and did what I wanted.
In today’s Adventures of Arthur Puddles we find him, Rosie and Douglas dog having some fun ice-skating. They didn’t need skates but they did need their earmuffs to celebrate National Earmuff Day.
I finished the day with an excellent practice of French and Norwegian. I think it might be getting close to a new topic in each, although I won’t start them both on the same week.
I hope your week has been filled with good health, good friends and an abundance of creativity. Stay safe.
I got to bed at the right time last night but had trouble turning my brain off. I just didn’t want to go to sleep. I listened to healing meditation and set it to play a couple of others after it finished. I don’t remember when I fell asleep, all I know is that Homer dog woke me at 6 am to go outside.
My back hurt more today than it did yesterday so I spent another day in bed. It feels so much better when I’m laying down. It’s driving me crazy not being able to workout or keep my kitchen clean. MY KITCHEN!!!!!
I spent the late afternoon doing Puddles and languages. It wasn’t a great day of either.
In today’s Adventures of Arthur Puddles we find him and Douglas dog planting some flowers for National Plant a Flower Day. Douglas loved making some holes in the dirt for the flowers.
I tried to listen to my daily healing meditation before sleep last night but my phone kept going to a black screen and Youtube would stop playing. When I woke this morning and checked the phone, the guide had stopped at 11 minutes. I missed my meditation and definitely felt worse for wear this morning.
Sometimes I just act like things aren’t wrong because I don’t want them to be wrong. So if I ignore them, they don’t exist, right? Last week I pulled something in my back when I was working out. I ignored it and worked out the following day. The last few days have been really painful and with a looming head cold, I’m feeling pretty wrecked.
So my day didn’t really consist of much. More sleep, a Puddles, a fantastic practice of French and Norwegian and a handful of dishes (I can’t stand having a messy kitchen.) Not a bad attempt at a day.
In today’s Adventures of Arthur Puddles we find him building a dog house for Douglas dog. This is the first time Arthur has tried to build something. He didn’t even know what half the tools did. It was an interesting way to spend National Tool Worship Day.
