I hope everyone is doing well! It's really hard to believe we're in the last month of 2023 (in all honesty, it kind of feels like we should be ending 2020 rather than 2023--time just doesn't feel real any more). Hopefully, things have been going smoothly for you in the midst of the busy holiday season and conclusion of the year; there's just been a heavy lethargy over here, leaving me feeling rather exhausted and drained. I can usually get myself to perk back up over the weekend, but it requires A LOT of sleep (that just isn't possible during the week due to society's schedules and my body's internal clock). Super grateful for relaxed weekends because I don't know if I could keep functioning without them. Staying inside snuggled with a blanket, space heater, and Tsuki is definitely preferred to going out into all the chaos and cold.
be It was a struggle falling asleep Sunday night. Not sure if it was due to the rather noisy rain, energies, or what. Made it a bit of a struggle getting up Monday morning, but thanks to sleeping in over the weekend, it wasn't too bad. My dream recall was incredibly hazy, though, and I wasn't able to remember anything once awake. It was difficult getting out of bed and entering the cold waking world on Tuesday. My dream recall was pretty hazy, but there was something about being at a Burger King with my parents and siblings. Details were fuzzy, but there was another part of my dream involving being on a trip. People wanted me to come see this indoor beach. It seemed cool at first with pretty seashells. It was strange, though. It seemed to be located inside a bowling alley, and the water seemed to basically be a wave pool controlled by some talking fish. More happened, but that's all I remembered.
I was feeling extra tired when I woke up Wednesday morning and was tempted to fall back asleep. Dream recall was incredibly hazy (likely because I've been struggling with sleep). Thursday morning was rough, too, and I wanted to just go back to sleep. Dreams were a blur. Friday morning was no better, with lethargy and fuzzy dream recollection. Not sure why exactly dreams feel nonexistent, although exhaustion can't help. The only saving grace was that I could sleep in over the weekend.
Dream recall wasn't any better Saturday morning, still incredibly muddled, but the plus side was that I didn't wake up so drained and lethargic. Sleeping in is so nice; my body does not like society's early start time. I was able to sleep in again this morning, which was so very welcomed, although I kept waking up for some reason. As I felt well rested when I officially woke up/got up, I had no complaints. A variety of things transpired in my dream, although specific details were a bit hazy. There was something about some restaurant offering some kind of special kids meal thing; it was super proud of it, and it had a slogan along the lines of "You can be great" or "You're capable of greatness." Frankly, it seemed like a money grab to me because it was a miss-match of all these different shows/characters. There was Pokemon, Yugi-Oh, Dragonball Z, and a variety of superheroes like Batman, for sure, but there were other ones I can't clearly remember (maybe One Piece?). People were excited about it, but it seemed like the restaurant only wanted to appeal to as many people as possible. Nothing inherently wrong with that, but it just seemed like they wanted to milk the situation as much as possible as you never knew which one you were getting (i.e. a blind box/blind bag situation).
More happened, but the next thing I could remember was being at a school, working as staff to help out this class that was all over the place. Some kids were rebellious wanting nothing to do with the school/current task, others were rowdy and loud, while others seemed completely oblivious and kept wandering off. I overheard three staff members talking about how to motivate them, and one was very much against the idea of the class having a "piggy bank" for good behavior, wanting them to have a taste for the real world and not expect money for everything. I pointed out that they could use the "piggy bank" to save up for free time (like an extra recess) which would be like those in the workforce saving up to go on vacation. I don't think they liked my suggestion; they seemed really stubborn (seemed to be a veteran educator that had been in the system for a long time) and like they just wanted to be "right" and have their way. More likely happened, but the last thing I could remember was going out shopping for gifts. I ended up getting this little table/display, some crystals, and these candle holders. Not sure who they were for or if I got anything else. That's all I could remember.
The boys are definitely ready for winter break; they've been struggling with getting up and being energized (and I can't say I blame them). They were excited to discuss theories, video games, Disney, shows, and the like. The older brother got into a deep conversation about Disney characters that are over powered. He was rather dissatisfied with the ranking some YouTube channel made, convinced that Jack Skellington was more powerful than Rapunzel. I could see why he felt that way (i.e. Jack can remove body parts and reattach them), but I feel like the ability to heal probably trumps that. He's entitle to his opinion, though.
Tsuki had a pretty chill week full of cat naps and playing in boxes, although we had a bit of a health scare, which led to her getting miffed about going to the vet. Thankfully, it was basically preauricular alopecia that's fairly common in cats (although the vet said that it was exacerbated by stress from changes in the environment, namely my brother bringing his massive, untrained dog to stay here). Grateful it's not some serious illness, but not happy about the stress part. Otherwise, it was same old, same old; Tsuki snuggled up with blankets, got cozy in her cat house, lounged on her window shelf, and snoozed peacefully to replenish her energy for antics and shenanigans.
Artwork for the week:
I created more new content for Creativity Chronicles this week as well as YouTube shorts! Feel free to check out the newest articles and shorts!
New Creativity Chronicles' articles included:
As the chaotic holiday season heats up, make sure to take care of yourself and make time for your own needs. It's all too easy to put your needs at the bottom of the to-do list because so many other items "need to get done" (speaking from experience, unfortunately). Be gentle with yourself; you're human and doing the best you can. Take things one step at a time and be okay with putting things off if your needs have started to get neglected. Some things (like your health) are more important. You can only do your best, so don't belittle yourself. Do what you can, be willing to improve over time, and be okay with postponing things that aren't vital if they interfere with your needs. You can't fill others' cups if your own cup is empty. You matter. You are worthy. You deserve joy, compassion, and kindness. Treat yourself kindly this holiday season (and every season). Wishing you a wonderful rest of your weekend and holiday season!
Food for thought for the week includes:
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