Rumours of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

There are two kinds of blog readers: the kind who notice when someone doesn’t post in a while, and the kind who notice the silence only when it ends. I am of the latter sort, myself, but for those of you who are of the former, this reassurance: I am indeed alive.

Alive, but not in the best of health – hence the nearly three month silence. After struggling for some time with a variety of issues with which I will not trouble you, I have now received a “working diagnosis” of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (which, yes, is what the Caped Gooseberry has had for lo these many years).

Sitting up – as opposed to sitting down – is something I don’t have as much energy for as I used to, so sitting up at the desk for the hours needed to produce a blog post on the computer has not happened in some time.

What have I been doing all this time? Reclining on the sofa a good deal, while working on noodling novel #4, knitting, sewing in small installments, reading a bit, or just staring into space until my battery has recharged enough to do something other than stare into space. (Also wasting time on the internet which would be better spent staring into space. I am working on this.)

Allow me to assure you, however, that this blog does have a future! It may not be so frequently furnished with new posts as previously, but I will do my best to ensure they appear every now and again. I may also repost some old favourites, if a) I can figure out how, and b) the readership seems favourable to the idea.

For those who are keener on frequency than length, may I direct your attention to my presence on Mastodon? I usually post a little morsel – a toot, they’re called – every day or so. About the garden (check out #BloomScrolling!), or what I’ve read, or handworky things, or current events, or really anything which I think will be interesting, entertaining, or informative.

I am not likely to be posting much about CFS or other health issues, as a) there are people who specialize in that sort of thing, and they do it better; and b) I do not find my own health to be particularly interesting, entertaining, or informative, and therefore it is highly unlikely that anyone else will.

But I will say this: though the physical limitations of illness are a definite negative in my life, I can see the way God is using them to break some of my emotional and psychological limitations, and for that I am thankful.

I will also say this: when sharing indoor spaces with others – supermarket, bus, church – please wear a mask. (These masks are good.) You don’t know what you might have picked up that hasn’t shown up yet, and you don’t know what kind of mess the immune systems around you are in – or the effect infection might have on them. Masking protects the wearer to some extent, but still more it protects those around them. Be the first line of defence for those around you: wear a mask.

Until the next post, then, farewell – and this time may it be less than three months until we meet again! Which it certainly will be if you comment – receiving and replying to comments is something I can do reclining, and unless you are a poorly disguised Russian spambot, I’m always happy to hear from you!