Dose Dos--Remember When

I never finished writing this post originally so I never published it.  I was gonna delete it, but then figured that this was a record of the change from a very challenging time to one filled with hope.  I wanted to keep this memory.  Sometimes a blog can be less of a communication tool and more of a personal journal.  This is one of those times.

March 29, 2021.  We got up this morning and headed off for our second Pfizer vaccination. I might have been a little anxious since I had a nightmare that involved a low-speed car crash right into a small tree.  But we were up in time, had no auto incidents on the way, and were at the pharmacy in plenty of time!

What a difference three weeks can make.  There was no hour-long queue to wait in while cringing away from other people who somehow, even after nine months of Covid19 warnings, still didn't know how to properly social distance.  Heck, there was no line at all.  We walked right up to the check-in desk, handed in our paperwork, had our temperatures taken, sat down waiting for our names to be called and had our shots in less than five minutes.  It took longer to sit in the waiting area afterward than it did to walk up and get our jabs!

Since then, we had Easter dinner with a vaccinated family and I got to hug my mom for the first time in a year. Last week I took her to one of our local nursery/gift shops just because we didn't feel totally vulnerable and at risk.  

We are still very cautious in public, knowing that there are no one hundred percent guarantees and cognizant of the new variants swirling around.  I won't be eating in a restaurant or enjoying a movie theater anytime soon.  But I'm gaining confidence outdoors and not totally freaking out when there are more people in one place than I'm used to.  We do masks and social distancing and keep tabs on family, friends and co-workers who are getting vaccinated so we know when we can relax and enjoy their company.

I may be safer, but I'm still keeping up on the latest science.  I won't be getting cocky anytime soon.  I've seen the statistics on B.1.1.7 and they are scary.  My neighbor had a scan recently and asked if they could include his lungs since they were "in the vicinity" and his radiologist agreed since he knew why he asked (he caught Covid19 during a chemo infusion). My neighbor's lungs are thakfully clear and healthy.  But the radiologist shared that he'd just seen the lungs of someone who had a mild case of the coronavirus and he called them coal miner lungs.  Why one guy and not the other? This virus can affect vital organs in ways that we are still learning about.   

There is no downside to getting the vaccine.  Still a happy camper here...ready for springtime, outdoor activities, visiting with neighbors (all of us vaccinated), and lots and lots of gardening!

 

Liberation Day (sort of, almost, kinda)

Today marks two weeks since we received our second dose of the Pfizer Covid19 vaccine. 

Theoretically, I had planned to go out and do something normal again for the first time in a year.  Like shopping for a decorative item that I could live without at T.J. Maxx.  Or browsing doll accessories at Target for Rosebud's birthday.  Or strolling through the SPCA thrift store in search of treasures like picture frames for my watercolors or a book by a favorite author. Or spending the last of my birthday money on some tubes of Winsor & Newton watercolors at our local fine arts store.

Instead, I've cleaned up my desk.  I have a wastebasket filled with paper, a to-do checklist for the spring and an organized deferred-project inventory.  Most importantly, I managed to unearth my Covid19 immunization card.  It's now photographed, uploaded to the cloud and pinned to my corkboard--I think I've made it impossible for me to misplace every again.  

Three reasons why I haven't gone out and celebrated wildly today.

First, we've been so careful and cautious for so very long (since mid-February 2020 when my intuition and a healthy dose of scientific reading told me that the new coronavirus was going to be a pandemic and inspired me to stock up on every necessity that I could think of and start to bunker down) that the realization that we can relax a bit now seems unlikely and unreal.  I guess it's going to take me more than two weeks to fully process our new reality and venture out willingly.  Isn't it strange that the new antibody minions running freely through my body are adjusting more quickly than I am?!

Second, some recent variants scare me with their increased infection and severity rate, which we are seeing in an uptick in cases locally.  I have friends who still have not been vaccinated, intentionally.  I really want herd immunity so we can stop those variants in their tracks.  I'm making sure I pass on the scientific news that should scare them into doing the right thing.  There is just no downside to getting the vaccine.  None.  

Third, we only have one car and the love of my life decided to use it to run work errands this afternoon.  What was he thinking?!   

The good news is that I'll be equally protected by the vaccine tomorrow and the day after and the week after.  So I'll get out there...masked, socially distanced and with my trusty hand sanitizer dangling from my purse.  Just not today.

I plan to take photos of Life Outside My House!

 

One Week In, Two To Go

It might be spring if yesterday was too chilly to be outdoors and today is balmy.  If yesterday was gray and dour, and today is blissfully sunshiny.  If yesterday felt like a good day to cocoon and hibernate and today is an outdoorsy invitation.         

My garden is in no doubt that spring has just about sprung.  The yearly parade of intensely purple mini iris, tete a tete daffodils and crocuses (croci?) by the hundreds has been flaunting their blossoms regardless of snow flurries or shivery breezes.  Thank heavens for bulbs and perennials like primroses that lift my spirits each year.  

My vast collection of bunnies are lurking behind an abundance of green clad leprechauns and shamrocks, waiting for their turn in the seasonal spotlight.  Can lambs and peonies be far behind?  

I know that changing out holiday decorations is just too much trouble for most people nowadays.  I can't help embracing the changing seasons though.  A changing gallery of holiday reminders is just a small delight that makes my life a tad richer.

Plus, I get bored easily.  Eye candy is nice.

Time is a funny thing.  It hardly seems like it was only a week ago that we received our first covid vaccine.  The second dose scheduled for the twenty-ninth seems like an eternity away.  

I'm mulling how to celebrate being (relatively) street legal again.  There are some errands and projects that have been on the back burner.  Things I want to accomplish but have not been willing to risk the possible exposure, like a trip to a big box store to have a gallon of paint mixed for the family room or BB&B for a digital kitchen scale. The idea of going out without weighing risk factors and deciding on discretion is going to take some getting used to.  We are fortunate to live in an area where most people are mask compliant.  Still, those new variants popping up are not only more transmissible but also cause more serious infections.  I'll dream about paint and scales, but till probably resist the temptation until more of our population has access to the vaccines.  Better safe than sorry!

1

Be (Inspire)d #3

 

The Miracle of Morning

I thought I’d awaken to a world in mourning.
Heavy clouds crowding, a society storming.
But there’s something different on this golden morning.
Something magical in the sunlight, wide and warming.

I see a dad with a stroller taking a jog.
Across the street, a bright-eyed girl chases her dog.
A grandma on a porch fingers her rosaries.
She grins as her young neighbor brings her groceries.

While we might feel small, separate, and all alone,
Our people have never been more closely tethered.
The question isn’t if we can weather this unknown,
But how we will weather this unknown together.

So on this meaningful morn, we mourn and we mend.
Like light, we can’t be broken, even when we bend.

As one, we will defeat both despair and disease.
We stand with healthcare heroes and all employees;
With families, libraries, waiters, schools, artists;
Businesses, restaurants, and hospitals hit hardest.

We ignite not in the light, but in lack thereof,
For it is in loss that we truly learn to love.
In this chaos, we will discover clarity.
In suffering, we must find solidarity.

For it’s our grief that gives us our gratitude,
Shows us how to find hope, if we ever lose it.
So ensure that this ache wasn’t endured in vain:
Do not ignore the pain. Give it purpose. Use it.

Read children’s books, dance alone to DJ music.
Know that this distance will make our hearts grow fonder.
From these waves of woes our world will emerge stronger.

We’ll observe how the burdens braved by humankind
Are also the moments that make us humans kind;
Let each morning find us courageous, brought closer;
Heeding the light before the fight is over.
When this ends, we’ll smile sweetly, finally seeing
In testing times, we became the best of beings.

~Amanda Gorman

My Sunday Guidepost #115

Caring for others creates the spirit of a nation.

~Pat Nixon

A Peaceful August Day

August is such a relaxing time in the garden. The seeding and planting and transplanting and pruning and digging are done.

  

I can settle back and enjoy eating breakfast and lunch by Lilypad Pond.

I wonder when my neighbors' grapes hanging over our fence will be ripe?  

I love fruit that requires no work on my part.

Our volunteer pumpkin plant is pretty low-key too. Although I did prop it up on some old two-by-four pieces to keep it off the wet ground.  And I did have to wrangle the vine itself so it didn't wander all over the lawn when it was in its how-fast-can-it-grow phase.  It's only mid-August and it's plenty large and getting larger in spite of a most impressive hailstorm (see the shredded leaves).

It sprouted (along with some siblings that I culled) from the compost I used to enrich my raised bed last spring.  The Bombshells like old pumpkins and I guess some of the seeds escaped their notice.  As composters, they're pretty good but not perfect.

And if I can ever find the right-sized staples for my staple gun, this little beauty will be finished.

It's coming out nicely. It's part of a roadside rescue and I have no idea of what I'm going to do with it when it's finished.

This footstool was planned and it makes my old easy chair even more perfect than it was before. 

I had just enough leftover fabric and trim from the chair reupholstery to cover it. Oh, how I'm going to enjoy sitting in the winter sunlight with my feet up while sipping hot cocoa.

And here's a glimpse of my extremely high-tech and fancy-shmancy weight room.  I'm hoping all the tricep/bicep curls payoff as muscle by Labor Day.

It doubles as a workbench when I'm jigsawing, sanding or painting. The dogs use it as their preferred lounging/lookout area.

I hope you're enjoying every last delicious summer day too.  Summer is my absolute favoritest season!


 

My Guideposts - Week81

There are costs and risks to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range cost and risks of comfortable in-action. 

    
~John F. Kennedy

  

Every Silver Lining Has A Cloud

It's true, y'know. 

Beautiful warm sixty degree day with sunshine? The cloud is the complete lack of winter precipitation and a looming drought.

 A freezer housing five assorted cartons of Ben and Jerry's (a gift from someone who didn't know my favorite)?  I'm undecided if the cloud on this one is the five hundred gazillion calories involved or the birthday that involved a zero.


Anyway, you get the idea.  It's too bad that the silver linings come with their own personal clouds, but they do.


There's lots of random smooching at our house and slow walks while holding hands.  It's very nice.  The cloud, however, is named non-Hodgkins lymphoma.


I have all day tomorrow off work.  The cloud is that I'll be spending it with my better half while he has his first chemo treatment.


This isn't going to turn into a cancer blog but I wanted you all to know what's been going on.  CT scans and biopsies and wishing we could get answers more quickly.  Also holidays and laundry and brushing the dogs.  A birthday, a bit of painting and some January decorating.  A lot of blog drafts that aren't publishable yet due to overactive brainwaves on a totally unrelated subject.


I know.  Some bloggers will use any excuse to explain why they haven't been posting as much as usual.

I'm stocking my Kindle with books to read and sorting through my projects for portable crafts--things to distract my mind and let me accomplish something productive when we're stuck in Doctorland.


Good vibes, positive thoughts and fervent prayers are all welcome! 

Hugs,
 

Twenty-Eleven

A year of roses blooming wildly, sweet kisses, wagging dog tales, an empty nest 2.0, painted furniture, blackboard paint, to-do lists, green leaves and blue skies, walks with friends, a camping trip, birthday parties, family reunions, fresh eggs, compost, sun-dried towels, smoothies, new sheets, health worries, visits, high school, inspiration, tweets, Facebook, airport runs, smiles, crazy weather, fireworks, fires, fresh starts and sad endings, quilt fabrics, new art, daydreams, nightmares, holding hands, disappointments, welcome surprises, fun, laughter. 

The best of 2011? A tie between reconnecting with my cousins and knowing my BIL was going to recover. 


The worst?  Let's just say there are challenges ahead and we have our fingers crossed.  But then, all of us are facing problems either large or small, all of the time.  Some things I did right.  Some times I dropped the ball.  Next year I'll do better.  I'm making plans already; I love a fresh slate!

Clink your glass to the year that's passing,
Cheers!

The Demise of the Healthy Blogger

Not the actual blogger.  Or said blogger's health.  Just the blog about it.

Maybe I could have titled this post The Healthy Blogger Bites the Dust.  (Biting dust is probably low-cal and maybe even an appetite supressant.  I doubt that it's healthy though--might have some trace minerals but I'm guessing no vitamins.)

Pardon me while I have a silly attack.

I just deleted my other blog since I hadn't posted to it since November and I have this moderate sense of relief--enough for some silly. (That would be my voice performing a sad version of opera.)

FYI, I didn't delete it because I've given up.  I'm still working more health into daily life with a little help from No More Holidays (thank heavens) for a while and a giant boost from The Big Guy who can tweak my exercises so they're more effective and also who bullied me into keeping a Food Journal for a week. 

Thank you for your attention.  We now return you to our regular health-free programming.

Healthy For Life

Is it because Turkey Day is shortly to be upon us? Or the leftover Halloween candy? Could it be the fall weather keeping us indoors, fluffing and nesting, instead of outdoors, hiking and biking and playing like kids?

Whatever the reason, I've noticed recently that I'm not the only gal in the Blogosphere dissatisfied with her lack of a healthy lifestyle and the sad physical result. I'm currently avoiding full-length mirrors and sidelining some of my favorite clothes that are a bit too tight. I'd like to drop a few pounds, but who doesn't? What I'm really tired of is feeling  so low-energy. My get-up-and-go has done git-up-and-went.

I've acquired some unhealthy habits that need to be replaced by better choices. I  need some sweat in my life.  And some great food so delicious that my taste buds retrain my mind.  I could use a well-placed kick to jolt me followed by some pats on the back as I change.

Things That I Know:

• Being healthy is more important than being thin.  Which is good because the thin that I possessed before kids and age overcame me, realistically, isn't going to happen again in my lifetime.  Healthy is possible however!
• I like to exercise.  Pumping iron makes me happy.  Slightly sore muscles, just enough to need an Advil, are a good thing.  Needing a higher level to get my heart rate up is a victory.
• An exercise buddy will have me happily rolling out of my warm bed an hour early.
• Humming along to upbeat music makes a solitary workout less of a burden.
• I have a Sweet Tooth...but I love fruit--especially strawberries and blueberries.
• Keeping busy keeps me out of the kitchen.

I'd love to wave a magic wand and be thin, young and healthy with no work on my part.  Yeah, not gonna happen. Sigh.

Which leaves focusing on the things that I CAN do rather than thinking about all the things I should give up.

My goal is to make one great healthy choice every day.  It might be weight-training, meditation, berries and brussel sprouts (not at the same time), yoga, oatmeal, stretching, biking an extra mile, whatever.  I figure those daily choices will start adding up to habits as I go along.  I'll be retraining my mind while I train my tastebuds and exercise my glutes.  The result should be a healthy, energetic me.  A me with nicer posture, limber muscles, more stamina.

I'm always more successful with a support system though, and maybe you are too.  So I just created a simple blog where I can log my daily successes and be accountable in print without boring anyone visiting the Cottage--the Healthy Blogger Club.   Everyone's invited, there's no initiation fee or monthly membership and it's open twenty-four hours a day--some of the beauties of blogs.  There's no mirrors, no scales, no criticism, no fad diets (more good things about the blogosphere).  Specializing in camaraderie, positive-thinking, and healthier bloggers.  Drop by.  Inspire and be inspired.

Motivated,

Grace Is Not My Middle Name

I managed to construct half of a chicken coop and assemble a hand-me-down hammock stand without instructions on Tuesday, but I couldn't walk across the Queen Mother's yard without spraining my ankle. Coordination is seriously not my strong point.

I'm following the RICE protocol and I'm especially enjoying the Rest and Ice part. I can park myself and the ice bag on the sofa and catch every show on HGTV without feeling guilty. Or nap. Or read a paperback novel. Hey, it's part of my rehab!

I'm not happy about losing part of my summer, but it could be worse. It's not swollen much and has minimal bruising, and I'm grateful I didn't break it. Yes, it hurts a little to walk on it, but it's not bad enough to need crutches. Walking is down to the essentials and the absolute worst is that the phone is NEVER near me.

One unusable ankle hasn't prevented me from entertaining a young visitor thanks to neighbors the same age and our ping-pong table. Oh, and with help from Kharma--she'll do her extensive repertoire of tricks for anybody holding cheese rewards! And I got a surprise--my incredibly creative friend was visiting Tahoe and decided to visit the Biggest Little City's antique hot spots on a whim. There's nothing nicer than lemonade and a leisurely summertime visit with a friend.

Well, it could have been nicer if my ankle hadn't prevented me from personally showing her Junkee.

Hobbling,

Sweet Delight

What's this?  A pink box--oooh, must be for me!

Look! A bike helmet with an ever-so-subtle flower pattern.

Sometimes a girl just has to take things into her own hands--especially when she's been wearing a hand-me-down helmet (it was better than nothing) previously owned by one of her kids. A helmet which developed severe strap failure due to old age. And if her hands just happen to hold a gift certificate, all the better.

REI Gift Certificate: Free (to me, anyway)

Giro Skyla "Ice Blue": $40

Peace of mind: Priceless

Flattery Will Get You Everywhere

It's time for the annual wailing and gnashing of teeth as I stand in front of the mirror and assess what the chocolate-laden holidays from Halloween to Easter compounded by a winter of inactivity have wrought. It's not pretty.

Self-tanner can deal with the pasty whiteness until gardening and the weekly Sunday soccer game, even with SPF 40 slathered on, supplies a little healthy color. My clothes seem a little tighter however and my selection of teacher clothes that fit seems to have shrunk. Worst of all: I. Have. No. Waist.

There will be no photos accompanying today's post.

It's time for some seriously-healthy eating. Lots of whole grains and fruits and veggies. Protein as opposed to white carbs and high fructose corn syrup. Tis time for an end to mindless snacking. Mindless snacking is my forte. I can scarf empty calories faster than a stray dog can clean up a dropped Happy Meal.

It's time to find time to exercise and build some muscle. Once I start exercising and find a routine, I enjoy it. I like challenging my muscles, lifting just five pounds more and improving my time. Once I'm in the zone, if I'm not just sore enough to need an Advil at night before I pull up the covers, then I'm just not happy.

Hopefully I'll be rubbing your noses in my success and flaunting a trimmer figure in the not-too-distant future.

I'm having a hard time getting started on a healthy lifestyle though. Other things have taken a priority. Like a fence to keep Kharma in. Like struggling to save all my favorite plants from the Strong Men With Tools (bless their hearts) that have taken over the backyard while the fence is being re-worked. Like the pile of unfinished Christmas reindeer on the sewing machine and the pile of wrinkled clothes that replaced the bedspread in the guest room (which I am pleased to report have all been ironed and hung away as of the start of the Kentucky Derby yesterday) and the pile of unfinished scrapbook paper and accessories on the other larger guest bed. I could go on, but I won't. It's too depressing.

Too many piles, too much clutter, not enough time.

Exercise is right at the bottom of the priority list and frustration is fertile ground for mindless snacking. Right now I'm feeling old and shabby and out-of-shape and a little woe-be-gone. Still life goes on.

Friday was an early release day (mercifully) as well as the school Jog-A-Thon so I dutifully put on some sporty clothes and braided my hair out of the way and cheered my kindergartners on as they puffed their way around the track. By the time we pinned on numbers, stretched and warmed up, acted as cheerleaders and brought them back into the classroom for fluids and a little rest, it was time for them to go home.

One little guy who is kinda quiet, but very cool in his Spider-Man sunglasses, stopped to tell me something on his way out. I couldn't hear him very well so I bent down closer and asked, "What was that, Marshall?"

"Mrs. P, you look pretty today," he repeated with an admiring look at my braids.

Suddenly I didn't feel so old or shabby. I didn't feel the least little bit woe-be-gone either. "Marshall," I told him, "you just made my whole day."

In fact, he might have made my whole year! He made me feel so good that I've been a bundle of energy all weekend. Several piles are no more and I feel like I've created some breathing space.

That little guy is gonna make a fabulous husband for some lucky girl someday.