I haven’t been blogging much these days, partly because a lot of my time is consumed by writing my book “When the Child Becomes the Parent”  and also because I am being lured by so many distractions — all of which involve home renovation projects and gardening.  Okay, perhaps “lured”  isn’t the right word.  Let’s shift the blame back to the real culprit.  Me.

Mea culpa, mea culpa.

I admit it.  I am addicted to home improvement — inside and out.  I am an avid (rabid?)  HGTV and DIY television channel viewer.  Candace Olsen. Ty Pennington.  David Bromstad. Genevieve Gorder. Vern Yip. Mike Holmes.  Jamie Durie.  These talented designers, architects, builders, and landscape artists are my muses.

Not to mention my very own live-in architect and engineer.

In my view, there is nothing more rewarding than working with my hands (my nearest and dearest now calls me Rosie the Riveter)  and either creating something from scratch or restoring a room to its former glory.  Each Christmas, I tell my husband that in lieu of exchanging gifts just for the sake of it, we should simply get ourselves a new power tool — like a jack hammer, for example.  To which he replies, eyes shining, “I am such a lucky bastard!  A wife who loves power tools and motorcycles … amazing!”  

I never disagree with my husband.  That would be just rude.

But, I am getting distracted again.  As I mentioned earlier, I am trying to finish writing my book.  It is about one month (give or take a few days) behind schedule … a schedule that is completely self-directed.

Mea culpa, mea culpa.

Here’s my reasoning:  it is important to balance intellectual pursuits with physical activity.

Sitting in front of a computer, writing and researching for twelve hours straight is simply  not conducive to good health.   Although writing marathons/binges can be very productive,  the downside is that they can cause eye strain, circulation problems, and muscle pain.

I am an extremist.  I do go on writing binges which render me oblivious to time and sound.  I believe it’s referred to as “being in the zone.” However, when I let myself get distracted by my beloved house and garden projects, I push myself to my physical limits and, once again, I forget about that she-devil called Time.  The downside?  Chapter Nine was supposed to have been completed two weeks ago.  And, to add insult to injury, I just threw out my lower back again — very badly.

Mea culpa, mea culpa.

I should heed my own words. Balance.  Wasn’t that what I said earlier? Not one or the other. Both. In moderation and harmony.

Of course, now I can’t do either.  Sure, I can manage a 500-word blog, but I keep getting sharp twinges of pain when I move this way or that. So, I will have to press the Pause button for now and take it easy for a few days.

Gone fishing …

h.f.t.g.

P.S.  I welcome any suggestions for tried and true home remedies for back pain …

Image via paisleyperspective.com.