I turned off the news, put on Selected Shorts and sorted my scraps into piles.
There are so many podcasts I can listen to, but I still find comfort in hearing short stories read out loud, as I did over twenty-five years ago when I first moved upstate and missed being close to what was familiar to me.
As the piles of fabric dwindled, they slowly became potholders.
I was going to work on the quilt that came from the scraps, but I had the urge to use up as much fabric as possible before putting them back in my scrap bin.
It gives me a great sense of accomplishment to have my floor covered in potholders and a scrap bin with few pieces of fabric in it.
Around 4:30 after feeding the animals, I felt myself start to lag. My energy zapped, my head descending into a dark place.
Ever since I became aware that I have anxiety, I stopped drinking caffeine.
It’s been years now, but being post-menopausal my body is changing. It’s not just the heat that overwhelms me early in the morning causing me to ask Jon ” Is it hot, or is it just me?” As I pull off my sweater. It’s how I often get tired in the late afternoons too.
I think of caffeine as a drug now. One I’m coming to know again after years of not using it. I don’t drink it freely throughout the day like I used to.
Now, once a day at the most, I boil water and put a Yerba Mate tea bag into the small brown ceramic mug that a friend gave me years ago. The cup is just the right size and I don’t let the tea steep too long.
I bring it to my studio and drink it down before it has a chance to get cold.
At some point, I realize that I’m not tired anymore. But it’s more than that. The potholders come together more easily. My confidence soars and my anxiety vanishes.
I feel like I could make potholders all night long.
Hi Maria, I have never heard of Yerba Mate tea but now I read about the benifits I want to try it. Thank you for writing about it.
Glad to be able to pass it along Christine.
Maria,
I know the problems with menopause very well as I’m going through it as well. I’ve always been overly warm, so when the unbearable hot flashes hit, I contacted my OBGYN & he suggested I try Estroven. I take the sleep hot flash combo and it has been effective for me. A few years ago I saw a menopause specialist and she put me on Gabapentin. I am very sensitive to medications, so I can’t take the prescribed amount. This medication has probably been the most effective in treating my hot flashes. Now, in the evenings, I’m often cold so I put a blanket on me. I still haven’t cooled off enough to wear anything to bed. I never was a coffee drinker, but I do enjoy my tea in the morning. I’ve found that a cuppa in the afternoons helps keep me awake. This is new to me.
I fully understand that what works for me may not work for you. I’m enjoying my dryer balls! Thanks for making and selling them.
Thanks Holly. I was taking an over the counter combination of herbs that worked well. The hot flashes just started up again. Mostly at night. Right now I’m just removing clothing and blankets. I may try something else if it keeps happening.