This Grateful Season - Downtime

I'm writing this from bed.After work, I cooked chili with whatever was on hand - 1/4 of an onion, a few carrots, sweet potatoes, beans and canned tomatoes. We watched TV and walked the dog. New running shoes came in the mail, as did OPC3. Last night I did half the laundry that piled up the past few weeks, wiped down the bathroom and took a bath.There are a few work meetings sprinkled in this week. Friday is a holiday. Two weekends ago we cleaned the apartment - still maintaining the cleaner status. Finally rinsed out our wetsuits from the summer, hung them up on the bathroom door to dry.The dog needs a bath, there is more laundry to be done, and our shower curtain needs to be cleaned of mold. There are purchases and library books that need returning, bills to be paid, and plans to be detailed. Our plants need repotting. I crave healthier food and more exercise. I want sleep.This week is a stride of normalcy I've not experienced since May. This ease about myself is not magic, but an acceptance. The taskmaster has left for a moment and I am free to be wholly myself in each moment. Downtime in the shape of a more open schedule, yes, but more so, downtime from the anxiety that plagues my soul. A mini-mental vacation. I'm absorbing this juicy calm like a sponge, taking it all in, warm and soft. And resting while I can.~ ~ ~**For the month of November, I’m posting something each day that I’m grateful for. It may be as long as an intricate post, as short as a quote, as simple as a link or as wordless as a photograph. A friend has come on board. Join us? #gratefulseason