17 April 2007

Nessun dorma

(or is it just me?)

Last night (aka this morning), after hours of uncomfortably turning and wriggling in bed trying to get to sleep and struggling to ignore the miriad gurgles, wheezes, snorts and whistles of the snore maestro next to me, I threw in the towel and headed downstairs. My head was full of all the things I have to do in the coming days and there’s no point staying in bed when you’re wide awake is there? Even if it is your own bed, in your own bedroom, complete with clean, familiar sheets and a purring cat at your feet. No, nothing for it but to appease the work anxiety demons and head for the computer.

At 2:20am.

I fully intended to read and make some notes for a piece of work with an ever-closer deadline, but as I cast my eyes around the office I spotted a box I hadn’t looked at since my birthday last year and I had a much better idea

The box contained the seeds I was given when my Dad had some heritage seeds adopted for me as a gift - Black Valentine Dwarf French Bean. I spotted the box and inspiration hit me. Oppressive thoughts of deadlines and word counts disappeared and instead I just knew that now was the time to sow those seeds. It’s true - I’m very easily distracted from my work, but at 2:30 in the morning I think I can be forgiven, don’t you? And I’m sure we can all agree that there can be no better time for sowing seeds than in the early hours when plagued by return-to-work stress, can’t we?

And so it was that I found myself in the kitchen, messing about with pots and compost and seeds, sipping peppermint tea, feeling weary but absorbed. I would like to be able to tell you that this relaxing pottering helped to put all notion of work from my mind. I would love to say that once finished, I somehow pulled myself up the two flights of stairs to bed and fell asleep almost immediately. It was not to be, however. It’s true I felt less stressed, but I was still wide awake after 4am when I decided that tired or not it was time to go to bed because I would soon have to get up again.

The result of this sleep deprivation has meant I have been good for absolutely nothing today except hanging out washing, taking pictures of tulips in the garden and idly rearranging piles of papers in my office. Still, I guess I’ve learned my lesson.

Heritage seeds as a cure for insomnia? Don’t sell your shares in Horlicks just yet.

Filed under: Sowings — Clare @ 2:22 pm