Still Stuck

I realize that I haven't posted a Seven Quick Takes in forever and when I caught up with Kelly's blog this morning it was too funny not to share. You can find that link at the bottom.

We are still waiting for Archway to give Alex a start date, biding our time through the afternoon hours with teachers from his past and present who come to our house for approximately two hours a day and persuade him to do something resembling work. And the rest of the day Alex spends playing Mine Craft or indulging in his Star Wars obsession. If I have to hear his rendition of Darth Vader's confrontation with Luke Skywalker at Bespin one more time, I might just die.

So, in no particular order, here are 7 Things I Do to help me cope with stress:

1. Watch tennis. The Australian Open starts tomorrow! I CAN'T WAIT! My favorite way to start my day is to watch tennis while I eat my breakfast. And this Monday is a school holiday so I plan to spend the entire day watching tennis and stitching.

If there's no tennis to watch, my next choice is Women's College Volleyball, but that's only broadcast during the fall. I recently started watching English Premier Soccer (Football!) to tide me over until tennis starts. World Cup, men and women's, is a given. Also, the Olympics.

2. Stitch. I always have at least one unfinished cross stitch project lying about (and at least 5 more planned) and it is the perfect thing to work on while watching something on the television.

3. Go to the movies. By myself, with my spouse, with my parents, etc. Just leave the house and go experience a film in a theatre. I'm hoping to see Spotlight when Alex goes back to school. I might even see Star Wars again.

4. Read. The more stressed I am, the harder it is to focus on a book, however. It has been more of a chore than a pleasure lately, but I have several library books that I've renewed 3 times already and just need to finish and return. Goodreads has been both a blessing and a curse. I can keep track of all the books I want to read and have read, but for every book I finish, I find 3 more I want to read.

I also decided, last summer, that I should read all of Georgette Heyer's published works from beginning to end. She is my mother-in-law's favorite author and I've only previously read about half of her works so it's been interesting, starting at the beginning. I've just started Faro's Daughter, number twenty-four on Heyer's list, which is an old favorite. I still have the last page memorized.

5. Do Laundry. It always relaxes me to make something clean. Kathleen Norris writes eloquently about it in The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy and Women's Work.

6. Take a walk. Of course, since Alex has been home with me 24/7, this has been impossible to do.

7. Write a letter or a postcard. Make a card or a postcard. Go to the post office to mail stacks of letters and postcards. I don't actually journal anywhere. I write letters or cards and send them to other people. I guess I always need an audience. Which is why a blog is perfect for me. Yes, I really am trying to blog more.

I brought my gerberas inside for the winter and they surprised me by blooming. This is a good thing I just dumped all my pots of African violets because they were getting leggy and my amaryllis haven't sprouted yet. Orange is my favorite color flower.

Here's Kelly's post. It is very funny.