Saturday, October 15

[gottawonder]

Today I am grateful for:

The contractor could work in isolation in the sun room, and I could ignore it mostly. He left before I got up, so I could almost pretend that no one was here today.

They will return Monday, meaning tomorrow I should be able to rest.

The weather was quite nice. Still pretty mild, and sunny.

I decided to hie to the park down the road with Roxy, and walk along the salty shores of our salty little lake.

This is partly because I spoke with Sister S today, the one who recently had a kidney removed. She is recovering okay, but really starting to feel her age in general. She is about 70, and a lifelong smoker, never really made a point of fitness. She hurt her back a long time ago, and it has never really gotten much better.

She is starting to find it harder to do ordinary things, like go up and down stairs to do laundry. She is having a lot of trouble with all the walking required to get groceries.

Part of me wants to blame her lifestyle, yet I know some of it is just plain old age.

She likely could do a bit to help her situation, like start some kind of program for functional fitness and not give up walking. There are plenty of people her age that remain fit through dedicated exercise.

She is also getting groceries delivered more, and she has spoken about installing a washer and dryer on the main floor, which I think is a good idea.

I told her, if nothing else, to honor these limitations, and make changes now, rather than find herself having an impossible time getting back to her car in the parking lot.

So, I really felt like going for a long walk today, because I still can.

Then I came home, let everyone out for a while, and moved some more mulch over to where I want it. There is STILL quite a lot of mulch left from the pile we got delivered. I am hoping to have it spread before it snows.

I came in and had a nice nap, and tried another acrylic pour. Maybe slightly less like vomit this time? That's a plus.

Today I learned that every employee at a Ben and Jerry's shop is entitled to take home three pints of ice cream every day.

https://www.mashed.com/432672/the-amazing-perk-of-being-a-ben-jerrys-employee/

Comments

[cf2princessawnw]

Rest is silver, sleep is gold. I'm glad your getting pockets of both during this.

Back before my health declined further, I remembered hearing of old bff/sis2 as I called (not actually sisters) using a wheelchair as a teenager. I heard all she had to say about it, and I had helped her when she visited. That made me several times dance, jump, twirl, and walk while I could. I would have never ever dreamed I'd ever end up unable to myself. But I still feel good about despite fatigue of illness at the time, dancing. Jane Seymour had written that due to an injury she was not able to fulfill her dearest dream of being a ballerina (Audrey Hepburn's dream too and physically she couldn't from malnutrition from the war). But that even still whenever she saw large open spaces, she would dance in them. SO I remember doing laundry, being tired from the first health problems I had at the time, but resting in the basement sofa.... then getting up and twirling and dancing in the open space while the machines hummed quietly along. It's a happy memory I gave myself, and it helps me not feel like I squandered my abilities when I had them. No, I hiked when allowed and used ropes to climb up the side of the mountain (loved that!), I danced, and played sports, and ran, and jumped, and used my legs for bringing me activity and enjoyment through movement and ability. I can still smile at that. :)

[gottawonder]

Few people truly appreciate having functions that are generally accepted as "normal" until they experience something that makes them aware of how precious they are.

Sometimes, as you experienced, seeing someone else in a different situation, gave you more awareness.

I try not to take my body and my health, nor my time for granted. I know we ALL waste things to some extent, but I try to appreciate being able to walk with Roxy, to ride River, to see the trees change color, to smell and taste food, and to smell my animals (I love how horses smell, and cats often are very fresh smelling) and enjoy petting them. To hear music and the wind in the grass. So many senses that you can't take for granted. To appreciate what beauty I may have while I have it, and my mental clarity. To be with my husband.

I hope you still find days where you may dance, even if it is different than before. You might sway more than jump, or twirl a scarf a bit rather than spin, but it is still dancing.

[ratunderpaper]

I don't think I will ever tire of reading about ice-cream.

A long time ago, I was a winner in a worldwide poster contest and won 31 quarts of Baskin-Robbins. It was the best prize in the world.

Baskin-Robbins isn't at all what it was then, but Lois and I handily ate up those 31 quarts and it is a time fondly remembered.

At the palais, we are enjoying a new flavour of Ben and Jerry's: Bananas Foster. Ben and Jerry's is not quite what it once was, either, but it's still very good. I am pleased to hear about their employment perks, especially the K9-to-5ers.

The pink boy loves a bit of ice cream!

[gottawonder]

That is a pretty cool thing to win!

[ratunderpaper]

The win occurred at the height of my ice cream mania. I still remember all the different flavours I chose - dozens of them!