That's the name of a book on the shelf in my bathroom.​ It's a bunch of good advice to humans from cats. 

I'm going to make this post quick because I'd like to get to sleep, oh, right about NOW. But I'll sleep better if I write this post and publish it first. I've missed my regular weekly posts because I've been profoundly exhausted from a sinus infection and have used every ounce of energy to do only what was necessary. Although that also happened to include outlining and partially designing three new courses (one of which I created while teaching the first iteration).

Have you ever been so tired that you cannot sleep? That's the way I've been feeling. Laying down a lot but not getting proper sleep. That, however, is changing. Right now. Tonight, in fact. Because, hey...

Today is the first day of the new astrological year. Last night was the new moon in Aries (the first sign of the Zodiac) and while every new moon is a good time to set intentions, this particular new moon is a perfect time to set intentions for the next twelve months. What kind of year do you want to have? 

Write down your intentions of what you want to consciously create in your life. Long hand. On paper. Just make a list. Tonight or tomorrow would be good because after that the moon moves into another sign. (Don't ask me which. Not an astrologer.)

I need more quality sleep. So that's big on my intention agenda. As I consider how to bring about more quality sleep, I know exactly what I need to change. 

1. Less to no coffee.
2. Less to no computer screen time before bed.
3. Less to no eating before bed.
4. No electronics in my bedroom (at least, none turned on in any way.)
5. Definitely no alcohol. 

on the plus side

6. More clean, pretty, good quality bed linens (well, I think I have plenty).
7. More reading at night.
8. More lavender and eucalyptus and calming, sacred essential oils diffusing and on the soles of my feet.
9. More intentional release of daytime worries and
10. more trust in the universe.

Yep. That's my list. Because...

Did you know that, with a good night's sleep, your brain is actually washed? I forget where I first heard that but don't take my word for it, read this NPR article.

I'll bet you've had that common experience of going to bed with a problem and waking up with the solution. Well, that's a perfect example of it all coming out in the wash. The brain wash! Just writing about it makes me want to conk out right now. But I am already doing one major thing that will keep me from quality sleep. Staring at a computer screen late at night. But on the other hand, I'm going to publish this post tonight and that will alleviate some anxiety, so... you know, six of one, half a dozen of another. (I wonder how many more pithy phrases I can include before wrapping this thing up.)

Well, 'nuff said. Time for you know what.

I'll say good night with an old song that I've just discovered is the traditional Brownie Closing Song. But I know that it's older than the Brownies because my mother would sing it to me at night and her older, German housekeeper sang it to her and her siblings around 1920. (The Brownies weren't formed till 1914 in the UK and were originally called "Rosebuds".)

Click here for the tune and the lyrics, as I learned them, are:

Now run along home and jump into bed.
Say your prayers and cover up your head.
The very same thing I say unto you,
You dream of me and I'll dream of you.
Good night! Good night! Good night! Good night! Good night! 

Wouldn't it be nice if the world worked perfectly to fit our own little ideas of our own little schedules?

Would it?

In a perfect world, I would be completely recovered from the bad head cold I came down with several weeks ago. I'd be free of the sinus infection that followed. My voice (that I lost last week) would be healed in full. My house would be free of clutter. I would have had enough energy after teaching all day yesterday to swim laps last night instead of collapsing into bed with a pizza and laptop streaming tv shows. I would have woken up between six and seven this morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed. I would have known when the painters and maintenance supervisor were scheduled. I would have left the house in time to arrive for my morning appointment on time. The download link I sent out to students this morning would have worked correctly. The electricity would not have gone out and my computer would not have shut down while I was trying to solve the download link problem. Just as I was sitting down to write, the leaf blowers would not have started up outside my windows. Um... and so forth.

It's 5 pm and I feel like I'm just getting started. Speaking of which, a few minutes ago, I started out writing about schedules and time and now find that I'm writing about a perfect world. 

The facts are that I did wake up this morning (I could end this sentence right there) in plenty of time for everything that needed to happen. (Although I have not yet done my morning Kundalini Yoga set.)  I was ten minutes late to my morning appointment (but I made it). I swam half a mile mid-day. The maintenance supervisor solved the mold problem. The painter has almost finished her work. I solved the download link problem. The "landscapers" are almost finished. And everything is probably going to be all right.

I don't deal well with chaos and clutter. That being said, like it or not, life tumbles along amidst chaos and clutter. You never know what's going to happen next. 

For example, last Saturday, I went out for a walk around the neighborhood in absolutely perfect weather. On my way back, about three blocks from home, a single storm cell flew in with serious horizontal lightning, the air turned orange and then green, I practically climbed the fence of the first neighbor I knew and begged for a lift home. Fortunately for me, he dropped everything and gave me a lift. By the time I'd run into the house and turned on the lights, I looked out to see that enough hail had fallen to mimic a snow storm. The roofs, cars, parking lot, lawn, everything was covered in white. You never know what's going to happen next. 

While I was thinking of writing this post two weeks ago, I was really struggling with the sinus infection, low energy and a hoarse throat while working pretty darn hard. I kept thinking of that Winston Churchill quote,

and while continuing to think about writing this post (instead of writing it!), this aphorism came to mind,

And so I am. Keeping on going. Putting one foot in front of another. I mean, I'm not in hell by any stretch of the imagination. It just feels like things are chaotic. And they are! At the last minute this morning, I pulled towels and toiletries and whatnot out of the bathroom, moved my kitchen table and grabbed my coats and bags off the wall rack then threw everything in miscellaneous piles in the living and bed rooms then ran out the door to my car. Now the painter has just left and, though she did the best cleanup she could, I have to go back in and mop up sanding dust. I'm going to do that, now, while the daylight is still with me.

I'm not sure what this post is about, exactly. It seems to be part venting about not very interesting or important stuff, and part just going with the flow. As it happens, as it happens.
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I mean, I know all too well that what I've described is simply incidental living and nothing compared to true chaos and upheaval. Not to discount or minimize in any way my own traumas, but even those experiences pale compared to what others are experiencing or have experienced.

Life just is. What's that other adage? Life is what happens while you're making other plans?

It was actually a pretty good day. The weather was pleasant. Some problems were solved. I have a few more jobs to tackle.  Then I have the great fortune of laying down in my own bed with my furry little beast and drifting off to sleep, perchance to dream.

Right now, I'm going to mop up that drywall and paint dust.

One week ago, I came down with a serious head cold. Wow. While it may take me another week to fully regain my strength, the head cold is more or less gone.

I don't get colds often but when I do, they mess with my head by which I mean I think that I've always been ill and always will be ill. I have to remind myself of the best healing protocol and then insist that I follow it. Usually take me a day or two to get myself in line but the sooner I do, the better I feel and the faster I heal.

The thing about colds is that they seem pretty harmless. Mild illnesses. Until you're in the midst of one. Then you remember how miserable they make you feel. The "common" cold is any one of a range of viruses that can linger and prolong your misery and develop into far serious situations like sinus infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, and more.

I'm not a doctor but I'll tell you this much. Most people I know—including yours truly—will power through the first stages of a cold when it's probably the most important time to power down. I powered through last week. I taught a full day then went to a meeting the next morning then had a couple of friends over the following night. I can only hope that I did not infect anyone. 

Still, around all those absolute minimal activities, I followed some basic rules.

• Accept that you have a virus.
• Look at the cold as your body's way of saying, hey, let's have a rest, a little clean out and reset. 
• Rest. As much as possible.
• That being said, get some fresh air. Take an easy walk every day.
• Keep a stack of clean handkerchiefs. Don't bother ironing. Why irritate your skin with paper?
• If you must go out, put a hat on your head and bundle up your neck and chest.
• If you must be around people, don't breathe on or touch them.
• Wash your hands often.
• No alcohol, caffeine or cigarettes. Do I have to say that? (And I don't care about the age old whiskey recommendations.)
• Vitamin C. Try small doses (250 mg) throughout the day. I know the jury's out on this but I think it helps and that it matters what type and what brand. I'm loving Garden of Life Raw C these days.
• Drink lots of purified water. It's true--keep those liquids coming.
• Don't eat anything white. That includes sugar and dairy.
• Do have lots of warm tea and broth with garlic, onions, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
• Sure, chicken soup is good. Add a bit of that red pepper and it's golden.
• Fresh lemons with ginger, peppermint and honey in hot water. Yum. If you don't have fresh lemons or ginger (or peppermint for that matter), use drops of those essential oils.
• Add essential oils of thyme, oregano, and peppermint to your water. They all have antiviral properties and I swear that the oregano oil helped me knock out last week's cold tout de suite. Peppermint helps with sinus congestion and headaches, too.
  
• Lavender essential oil will keep you calm and help you rest. 
• Don't take that over the counter crap. Really. Have you read those labels? They may subdue the symptoms and allow you to power through to work and travel but they're not addressing the underlying virus and the resulting lack of rest alone may actually prolong the cold. IMHO.

Along with everyone else, I don't like coming down with a cold but I do have to say that if I take good care of myself through the experience, I usually feel better coming out the other end than I did when I picked up the virus. Which makes sense, come to think of it, if we're more susceptible to viruses when our immune systems are down. How great can we really feel if our immune system is down?

I hope you don't need this but when and if you do, I think these are a pretty good set basic rules. 

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