Doldrums

This is a very bitty post as I am in a period of doldrums. These come on me every now and then but especially during August. It may be a direct result of all those years of teaching. It isn't helped at the moment by the rain and bad weather. I can usually survive August because in the past we went away on holiday - usually camping in France. It also helps if the weather is very hot and it is impracticable to do a great deal other than sit sweltering in the shade. Most of the time in the shade is spent reading. DVDs are mainly kept for indoors in the inclement weather of autumn/winter.



I know a great deal of this year's doldrums are heightened by what happened earlier in the year but knowing is not quite the same as combating the feeling.



I am always impressed by the way the Best Beloved manages to read while having and tackling dozens of other projects. She has resurrected our garden shed from its extended period of neglect and disuse. When the weather permits she tackles the garden. I love a rose and would willingly gaze at it for a long time, just drinking in its look and scent. I have toyed with the idea of rose cultivation and am certain I and the rose would get a great deal out of it. However this is just another area where the doldrums sit heavily upon me and I need to find a way of breaking out.



Returning to reading, the Best Beloved can pick up a book and read it in sections. She can even read a bit at bedtime, in the night and in the early hours of the morning. This means reading a book extends over days, weeks and even months. She is also able to retain great deal of the plot and feeling for the book. It must be something to do with memory and retention as this approach most definitely doesn't work for me. I read Archimedes' blog (see links) with great pleasure daily as he is a very clever cat and his two human acolytes are interesting contributors as well. A recent post had Robin talking about reading and I found myself in such agreement with her viewpoint that it prompted this rambling response. I am best if I can begin reading in the morning and continue through until the book is finished some time that day or next day. This used to be impossible in workdays but you would think should be more possible in these halcyon days of retirement. I do manage it occasionally with playscripts as I do like to read these through in one go and it is usually possible to do so. However reading fiction in this way runs into two obstacles. When reading, I am oblivious to everything - I certainly cannot multitask in any way. Other people, the Best Beloved in particular, sometimes find this alienating and her strong protestant work ethic finds it indulgent in the extreme and makes it difficult for her to understand. (I am putting words into her mouth but she will intervene when I am reading and doesn't react well when greeted with a grunt or inaction to a request to do something simple or domestic). Like Robin, I find non-fiction easier to tackle in digestible bites because I need to think over bits and sections, especially if the concept challenges my present thinking or small brain.