Hello and welcome. Come on in from the cold and have a hot drink with me.
It’s been cold around here this week. We had our first frost this week. I woke up Friday morning (was it?) to find a temperature of 31-degrees-Fahrenheit (-1-degree-Celsius) displayed on the desktop screen of my computer. I hurried downstairs and looked out into my backyard garden. Sure enough, the frost took my tomatoes and cucumbers (RIP). Thankfully, I covered my 7-tier planter, my peas, and vegetables in frost protection blankets.
There was a thin film of frost at the very top of my peas – the part that’s touching the frost blanket – but the rest is still very much okay. I later went out and found a layer of incredible clear ice on top of the storage bin lid. I held it to the sun and it shimmered like glass, wish I had taken a picture of that.
I think this is just one of those freaky weather phenomenons because it’s supposed to get warm again. Will there be a normal winter this year? Who knows.
If we were having coffee, I would tell you after back-to-back 50+ hours workweeks, I’m ready for a break and just forget about work this weekend. I’m exhausted and my right hand is hurting every night when I’m trying to sleep. I don’t know how many more weeks I can do this.
Of course, I can’t complain to anyone in the family as anyone will say they’ve worked more hours than my measly 50. Mom said she’d worked 72 hours so my 50 is nothing.
For the past two weeks, I have been non-stop billing and yet, the orders kept piling in, and no matter what I do, I can’t overcome it, at least not when I’m billing all of it by hand. It’s been one obstacle after another and the product pricings and names are all messed up. Half the time, I’m not even sure what someone ordered and just crossed my fingers I don’t get an angry email from customers saying I misbilled them.
My co-workers offered to help me but with the new screwed-up pricing implemented into the new system, I’m not sure who really knows how to bill anymore.
While I muddled through the long workweek, I’m finding I have brain-fog. It’s been happening for a few weeks now and I feeling it’s getting worse because of the stress. It’s like my short-term memory is gone. I constantly have to write things down to remember but the memory-loss feels selective – I can remember somethings but not others.
It’s all stress from work and life. I know it’s getting to me. If you ask my mother, she would say otherwise. She would say, “Stress? What stress? You don’t have any stress.” Then she would proceed to name all the things I have.
Unfortunately, she doesn’t know the biggest stress is living with her.
I would thank you for joining me in this edition of #weekendcoffeeshare and hope we’ll both return next week.
This is Another Story 
Hi YingLan,
Sorry to hear about the degree of stress you are bearing.
I also wish I knew how to point you to a way out, but life is not that easy.
A new job, you’d have control of might help, but the stress of making that happen itself might be crushing.
You’re a bright gal and I hope you find a path that works for you.
Blessings.
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Hi Gary, what’s happening at work seems to be just temporary though I’ve been told that since Labor Day. Right now I don’t know how long that will last but I’m praying and hopeful that this is just temporary and one day it’ll end.
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Oof, I hope you get some relief from the work hours soon. 50 is too many. It sounds like your mom has some toxic views of work, which is too bad. Work is important, but it isn’t everything.
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It seems the entire family does too as my aunt and uncle typically work upwards of 60 hours per week. My aunt told me the reason being if she stops working, my mom will call her lazy. My mom says the same thing to me when I decide not work overtime.
I used to think work is everything, not anymore. There are so much more out there.
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Yinglan, It is true, stress affects the short-term memory. I experience it myself. I use my phone a lot to jot down notes and put things in the calendar. No one knows the stress you have unless they are in your shoes. You have not let it stop you though, and that is good! I am glad some of your vegetables survived. I wish I was a green thumb, but I really am not. Have a good week and try to take time out for yourself. -Pam
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I used to not have a green thumb until this year and I think all the new techniques I learned over YouTube and the gardening class have helped me drastically.
I’m trying hard not to the let the stress get in my way but some days it’s harder than others. Hopefully I’ll get caught up with work soon and then my stress will perhaps decrease.
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I wish you the best!
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Nice work saving most of your garden. Maybe they will last several more weeks. Hope so. I’m planning to see you next week right here on the blog. I think you will overcome. 😀
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I think my garden will last a few more weeks too since it appears the temperature might be warming up.
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Every week you write about stress because every week it continues for you, and the effects you are feeling now are the cumulative effects of stress. It really is not good for you. I urge you to get out and away–some road trips, even short ones, visits to a museum or botanical gardens. You need to free your mind from work and family. Both will still be there after your little mental vacations. You need to take care of you!
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I think once all this is done, I will really use my paid vacation.
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