Off-Kilter: A Slightly Sideways Week

Hello everyone! I hope you’re all having a great week.

I’m personally at a slight loss for today’s article. My timing has been a bit off today, too.

Why? I have no idea.

Some days we just need to stop and take a break. I didn’t really rest this past weekend; in fact, I did more than I have in a while.

I was dog-sitting for a friend, working faithfully on my novel, traveling back and forth—among other things.

My being “off” may have started Thursday. I had some blood work done—most of it at my request, some requested by a few doctors. But after two sticks, one flattened vein, and twelve vials of blood, I was tired and definitely out of sorts. I’ve been kind of off-kilter since.

I had a CT scan today, which offset my writing timing a bit. Lately, I’ve had a good flow going, but when it’s interrupted—even by a forgotten appointment—it can throw me off a little. Not a lot, but just enough that my nemesis (procrastination) may sneak in.

Although, I did start writing a speech that I’m giving this Saturday. So, I did some writing, and I’ve managed to get this far here soooo… maybe my kilter is now leveling off.

Oh, and for those of you who don’t know what “kilter” is, I asked my friend ChatGPT to give a description for us. He is quite helpful…

🔍 Meaning of “Off Kilter”

“Off-kilter” means something is not quite right—a bit unbalanced, askew, or slightly out of order. It can refer to anything from a crooked picture frame to a person’s emotional or mental state (e.g., “She’s been feeling a little off-kilter lately”).

It’s often used in a figurative sense to describe anything that seems off balance or not functioning normally.

📜 Origin and History

The word “kilter” (also seen in older texts as “kelter”) is a somewhat mysterious term, dating back to the early 17th century in British English. Originally, “in kilter” or “in kelter” meant in good condition or proper order.

• The first recorded use of “kelter” in this sense appeared around 1620.
• By the 1800s, people started saying “off-kilter” to mean not in proper condition.

The exact origin of kilter/kelter is unknown, but it may be related to old dialect words meaning good health or fit condition—some scholars suspect it might derive from Scots or Northern English dialects.

Now that we’ve had an English lesson, I’d like to recommend a show I just finished watching (in between my Jane Austen movies). The show is on Netflix and is in the style of Knives Out. The title: The Residence.

I highly recommend this if you like mysteries—and you’ll want to catch it before Netflix takes it down. (They do that a lot. Some I can understand, but not all.)

Anyhow, it’s a great show/movie/series of episodes.

Well, I think I’ll end this strange little post and let you get on with what is hopefully a wonderful week.

May your days be filled with hugs, love, laughter, and blessings.
Good night 😴