SLUG
The WORD for the day is SLUG
Decades ago I read a story in one of those women’s magazines I never read today: Good Housekeeping (what’s good about a mop?), Family Circle (isn’t the right word “circus”?), or one of their sister drearily domestics—Lose Ten Pounds while Buffing the Silver (what silver?) . It was titled “A Day in Bed with Anthony Adverse” (a book, this is a PG blog). She was not sick; she simply dropped out to read a book in bed – all day. I don’t recall if her kids called Social Services or if her husband kicked her into the kitchen to cook dinner, or if her Bridge Club organized an intervention. I envied her choice, her lack of guilt, but questioned her literary taste. For such an extravagance, why not Jane Austin or Yeats?
I thought of that story this morning while fueling up with coffee and shivering in my living room. I realized my to-do list can be done in bed: finish a travel article, work on the World Vision case statement, make a few calls, both business and social, and anticipate the coming storm (up to 12 inches of snow predicted in the next two days.)
So here I am sandwiched between electric blanket and duvet with lots of pillows, an English muffin, cup of coffee, lap top, cell phone, and special lamp that is not quite UV, but mimics sunlight. The doctor said it would not do a bit of good for my depression, so we must pretend that this special lamp creates a placebo effect. It lightens my mood much more than pills. I’m probably on Big Pharma’s hit list with my Paxil vendetta and buying drugs in India, where I get $500 worth of prescription drugs for $7. But I’ll save that rant for another time.
This is a Day in Bed with Laptop. The dogs, now at Pam’s, would be welcome companions in my slug fest. They are fine mentors in lounging sans guilt.
Anthony Adverse, the book, if you’re interested, can be read for free on-line at Project Guttenberg.
The word for tomorrow may be “murklins” one of those lost words not used since 1674. If the power goes off I will be stumbling around murklins (in the dark). I have candles, but one of the inconveniences of being an ex-smoker is that I don’t know where the matches are.
Stiggerink's Blog 
January 8, 2010 at 6:21 pm |
Carol: You KNEW I’d leave a comment once I’d logged your Blog, Right? “Good Housekeeping” was always an oxymoron for me. The worst part of the job was that it was a non-promotable position. I mean, if you did your very best, and slaved till the place was perfect in every way, what was your reward, another house to clean? I must say SLUG is such an ugly word for such a beautiful, well-deserved treat as a retreat to the comforters. I’m a real expert at both the snuggle-down days and the afternoon nap (that talent I developed once all three children were in school whole days). Enjoy!
January 8, 2010 at 6:24 pm |
Hey, why is this getting complicated; all I wanted to do was leave a comment– What does “Your comment is awaiting moderation” mean?
January 8, 2010 at 11:46 pm |
Gay, Gay, Gay, did we ever shine in the technical areas of SIU? Were we not both lit majors? You expect me to understand how this works? But, I think it might mean that I have to apporove your comment before it goes “live.” Of course, I approved it. You would not stoop so low as to write a lyric to laundry soap.