inch by inch

In the last several days I have noted some incremental progress in my functioning. Prompted by the need to undertake some labor-intensive preparation for some materials for a PC bridal shower at the end of the month I began to focus on that task. I plugged away at it, downloading pictures from the PC webside and importing them into a document where I added the necessary data for my purpose. It took a couple of days to complete that task before moving on to the second phase of the project, but complete and move on I did. In the meantime I did a reasonable job of keeping the kitchen tidy and clean. I cooked a few times (the desire to cook has been one of the greatest casualties of the depression), and made sure that my outdoor plants got watered. I made a trip to Home Depot to acquire some necessary things for some tasks that have been on my "to do" list for far too long. Some of those tasks are now done, and others have been started. My energy is better, and my concentration is improved. That is significant progress.

There are still routine things that seem overwhelming. If Ken weren't making my coffee in the morning I probably wouldn't be drinking any. The dining room table is still cluttered. The office is still a mess. Vacuuming hasn't been done in days and there are spots on the carpet that need attention. There is dust everywhere. Crossword puzzles go unfinisihed. Still, I cling to the progress and the word "hope" feels more real than theoretic. Now if only I would stop gaining weight I might begin to feel a sense of triumph!