Dear Heart
I am finding deep comfort in my bed these days. Nighttime may drop like a gently floating kite now but long before it does, I am seeking my pajamas and warm bed. On some level, I feel guilty about this – afterall it is spring, the occasion of renewal, but instead of the season making me energized, I feel bereft of comfort at the end of the day and for me, that means I must take to my bed – sometimes even before the sun has fully left the sky.
The other day when I stripped the sheets to throw them in the wash, I suddenly remembered a softly worn set I put away a few years before because I no longer liked the prim rosebuds on the hem. Now the homespun fabric and faded pink embroidery feels like home and after I laundered them, I knew they would be adorning my bed by evening.
My large bed can accommodate several books and notebooks, the stack of daily mail, several baskets filled with pens and Post-It notes, and a tray for tea things. Once I am between the sheets, I rarely have to get up again unless it’s to find the errant scissors to clip an image of a pretty dress or an interesting recipe from the stack of magazines kept as near as my arm can reach.
My laptop is providing entertainment if I want it by way of streaming movies. Locating vintage early ’60’s films is my new passion because they are especially reassuring right now. The other night, I watched “Dear Heart” and the sweetly haunting score soothed my soul when a memory imprint told me my parents played it alot on their hi-fi. Doris Day films have granted me a measure of contentment too and when the credits roll, I roll over to then snuggle with a favorite old book or novel. Just a few lines from a better place and time sets things right inside and I can live to watch the news another day…
When I made the bed the day I remembered those old sheets, I sprinkled them with rose-scented powder and sprayed diluted lavender oil onto the pillow cases. I filled the glass bedside pitcher with cool refreshing water to sip through the night and plugged in the humidifier to soften and moisten the bedroom air. My preparations becalmed and tranquilized me yet…
I saw a meme the other day that said that we should not be upset when we find on some days we don’t feel like accomplishing very much and that we should lean into the urge to slow down, even doing absolutely nothing at all. For me, I have made my bed and when I can, I gladly lie in it. Dear heart…
~
My dear heart, seems like a year since you’ve been out of my sight
10 Comments
Patricia
What a lovely post! I, too, delight in the softness of worn sheets, a cotton nightgown and a cup of bedtime time (Sweet Dreams of Banff from Banff Tea Co.) I enjoy revisiting my ‘friends’ in The Elm Creek Quilt series by Jennifer Chiaverini and then drifting off to sleep whilst making beautiful quilts in my mind. “Stop the glorification of busyness” is my motto!
Tracy H
Still working and everyday feels like Groundhog Day, but without the laughs.
I am bone tired and can’t get under those sheets fast enough.
I spray a little Windsong on the quilt to remind me of sleeping in Grandma’s bed.
A Lovely Inconsequence
Oh Tracy, that is so lovely! Hang in there…
LA CONTESSA
I am NOT PUSHING MYSELF EITHER…………….GO SLOW.
LAST night I was in bed asleep by 9:15pm.Woke up at 6 am feeling SO GOOD!
TODAY will be a day of a BATH and lotioning up the BODY!MY skin has become so dry recently!
I’m going to pull MY MOTHERS old TEA KETTLE OUT TODAY!
That may be the most productive thing I do!
BIG HUG,
XX
A Lovely Inconsequence
Sounds perfect Elizabeth! Keep it up! Judging by your blog, I know you are.
Ann
So true. We have been trying to get up and dressed for the day….but about 4 PM we say “let’s put on our pajamas” and we just nap and read and watch old movies. Your sheets sound so cozy – enjoy this time. And thanks for the tip about just being…some days I think “ok, I SHOULD do …..” and I just want to nap and read.
A Lovely Inconsequence
Thank you Ann. Pajamas at 4:00 pm??? Sounds like here!
Karen Noske
Isn’t that the truth? I am lunging for my nightie almost immediately after dinner these days! I love your description of how soft, old-fashioned sheets and comforting old films and books are so reassuring. For one thing, we know that our mothers and grandmothers weathered difficult and soul-trying times and came forth, tested and tried and true…and we will, too, with God’s help and faith in the strength He offers us. I loved this sweet post and thank you so much for sharing these thoughts. It’s a help to know that we’ve got these wonderful comforts amidst so much uncertainty. Big bedtime hugs, Karen
JILL
Here I thought I was the only one tucking in early. Cup of tea, selection of books, laptop for Netflix pen and agenda where I add some new virus fact. The best part though … lovely hot water bottle with soft fleece cover, shawl i keep on top of the hot bottle so it will warm when I’m ready to sleep. Plus, eye mask warmed in microwave and kept under hot water bottle for later.
Bliss.
Also my sweet little shitzu poodle dog.
A Lovely Inconsequence
Jill, you little dog must offer so much comfort right now! Blessings…