Elizabeth J. St. John asked, and I spilled the tea (or is it coffee?) over on her website. Thank you, Elizabeth, for having me over! I enjoyed the interview, especially the lightning round.
Let’s do a check-in: how’s everyone holding up? For me, last night was tough. All of a sudden I became cold and started shaking uncontrollably. I managed to take myself to bed and hubby piled as many covers as he could find onto me, but it lasted about half an hour: finally I went to sleep and it stopped. I awoke a couple of hours later and was too warm, but otherwise felt okay. This morning no fever, no shakes. Although my muscles hurt so badly last night from the shaking that I was groaning, I’m remarkably not stiff this morning.
Alas, we had an opportunity to test out our “quarantine” plan: we had agreed that if one of us becomes sick, the other will sleep downstairs, we will use separate bathrooms, etc. SOMEONE was worried enough about me that he refused to leave the room, no matter how much I insisted. While I love how much he cares…
What was that illness last night about? I have no idea. I have been vigilant about remaining socially distant, only having gone on one grocery run in a week. I honestly don’t think I’ve been exposed to the bad stuff, but I’m still remaining cautious. My husband had an idea as to what might be wrong with me. Although I have never had sympathy pains, if you will, he wonders if I might have become overwrought with the world’s troubles. If maybe I was feeling so helpless that I became physically overwhelmed. I mean, I don’t remember feeling like it was too much, and yet I can’t explain what happened. He and I ate virtually the same food yesterday, so it wasn’t food poisoning. Maybe he’s right.
In any case, it brings to mind this William Wordsworth poem, definitely the title. Since it’s National Poetry Month, it seems fitting to post a poem, anyway.
The World Is Too Much With Us
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.
Maybe the world was too much with me last night, or maybe my illness was some inexplicable squall, blowing up and leaving just as soon. But it’s true, these days the world is too much with us. And yet, somehow not enough, either. Ironically, nature is the one place we can spend our time besides our home, as long as we remember the six feet rule.
I don’t do well feeling helpless, so here are some things I have done/am doing:
— Sent books to shut-ins
–Put stuffed animals in the windows on our porch for the stuffed animal parade our town has; parents drive their children around and the kids count how many animals they find. I love the idea! Today I’m adding my Easter bunny and my Minion to the mix. (I love Minions.)
–Called my peoples to be sure they’re okay
–Attended online church
–Been in regular contact with my friends and etc. on social media
–Trying to keep at my writing
–Promoted the writing of others
And in honor of Wordsworth, whose poem I think of each spring, here is a picture of some daffodils, evoking another of his poems.
A quick update on The Ambassadors: still enjoying it, but my grad school mentors would have had a fit if I hadn’t added more choreography than he has: so many talking head scenes, and yes, he STILL insists on babbling on about one woman and then another to the point that I’m not sure who he’s talking about, and yet somehow he’s keeping my attention. So yes, I’m liking it, but am also mildly irritated.
P.S. Did my capitalizing STILL above remind you of anything else he does??
Be well. Enjoy nature. Truly, we will make it through this. Let me know how you are!
