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 |  Day to day stuff....a memoir without order. |
 Imagination is described by Webster as...The act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses in reality. Albert Einstein said "Logic will get you from A to B, but imagination will take you everywhere."  I never realized it until I read it somewhere but there are ways to boost one's imagination: Create a visual journal Draw whatever you see for 15 minutes a day. You don't need to be an artist. Think like an artist Cut out pictures from magazines & piece them together to create an original image. Listen to Bach Close your eyes while playing your favorite music. Or listen to the sounds of nature on a CD or in the great outdoors. Play word games Try thinking of as many words as you can that begin with MAR...or you pick. Daydream Let your mind wander, or focus on a single object & study its characteristics.     Everyone has a story....here's mine.....c   |
| Last Friday Jim officially got on Home Based Primary Care. An ARNP is replacing his primary care doctor, and she will visit him at home. Yesterday, a licensed nutritionist came and talked about special things Jim needs to eat because of his health problems. He should be eating five to six small meals a day, nothing with concentrated sugar, and very little canned food. She hinted that I should not bring that kind of stuff into the home. Maybe she would like to deal with Jim's temper...and I live here, too, don't I? Depressing and overwhelming. I'm not eating much lately anyway. I mailed The Help on to my daughter yesterday, and ordered a new book, The Bone Garden, from Amazon. That is one thing you cannot do with a Kindle...mail it on  . I keep forgetting I'm on a free trial with Netflix streaming movies. Anyone know some good movies I can watch. I like the streaming movies because if I am interrupted, I can pause and pick up again later...same with reading.I noticed it was three degrees last night in our son's home State of North Dakota...brrrr. And Delaware got a dusting of snow day before yesterday, winter has arrived. Not too bad here but a cold front is coming  .until next time...c |
| I noticed something strange about myself this morning, at least strange to me. I always thought myself to be happier when I was by myself, reading or drawing or writing, doing something I wanted to do...alone. But this morning when the occupational therapist for Jim called to schedule today's appointment, I noticed my whole mood had changed when I hung up the phone. Sort of drudging through the morning before, thinking of all I had to do, after the call, things seemed...I don't know...happier? Got to think about this awhile |
| We had lots more company after the holidays than we expected. Our son stayed for a week, then, last Friday, Jim's brother and sister-in-law from South Florida were here for a nice visit. We had not seen them for several years, but after the first few words, the elapsed time seemed like minutes. When they lived here in Gainesville, we used to get together at least once a week for a game of hearts or canasta. Then there was always church on Sundays and dinner together somewhere after. We reminisced and agreed on how much we all missed those happy times. They moved to South Florida to be close to their children in their elder years. After reading someone else's blog (I can't remember who, now), I ordered "The Help" and read it over the weekend. My eyes got a little bleary, but it was a good read, and I hate to put down good reads . Then, last night, part two of Downton Abbey started on PBS's Masterpiece Classic. All told, a red letter weekend!It is very warm here today, in the low 80's, strange for January. I fear February will be a killer. My daughter sent me a Zen Cat calendar. It looks like Mopsy. January has the Zen Cat staring at a grasshopper with the caption, "When we Look Deeply into the Other we find Ourselves."...Honshin. until next time....c |
In years past I have always taken down my Christmas tree on New Year's Day. This year, though, I left it up because that was the day our son arrived for his visit. Now, I keep procrastinating about taking it down. What's with that, I wonder? I really like looking at it, the multi-colored lights, the sparkling ornaments, the warmth of it. I've gotten used to plugging it into the outlet as soon as I get up in the morning and having it in my eye range as I go in and out of the family room. I don't want to take it down  . Maybe I'll just leave it up a few more days.The tube is bombarding me with the Iowa caucuses tonight. The only time I really got interested in them was the year John Kerry was running. Not because I was big on Kerry but because Carole King was a big supporter of him and was "performing" at one of the homes. Can you imagine having Carole King come into your home and play your piano and sing. Wow! That fascinated me. I thought Kerry would win just because of that  .It was very cold here today, so cold I did not even want to set out my trash...but I did. The wind was brutal, and tonight may even go into the teens. This is crazy. The water temp in the Gulf, only 50 miles from me, is still 67 degrees. There are several springs nearby and they remain a warm 70 degress year round. No wonder the manatees winter over in the springs, i.e., Manatee Springs. Maybe we should winter in the water? It certainly would save on the gas bill...but then I'm wrinkled enough as it is  .until next time...c |
| It is supposed to go down to 27 degrees here tonight. Too cold. I am not ready for it. I filled the bird feeders and topped off the bird baths this afternoon in anticipation of hungry, thirsty birdies in the morning. Also brought in some plants that will not survive those low temps. It was actually a very nice afternoon for working in the yard in short sleeves, even did some raking, but I foresee brown grass in the morning. Oh well, I knew it was coming. Jim is doing fairly well, I think. No way to know for sure without labs, but he is in pretty good spirits and not complaining about pain or nausea. I bought walkie talkies so that when I am outside, I can easily hear him if he needs me. Make us both feel better, I think. His kidney function worries me the most. Our son has gone down to Lady Lake to visit with his daughter, our granddaughter. She will be very surprised to see him as he has kept his visit a secret from her. He has promised to take lots of photos. I had time this morning to write a short story for the Daily Flash. That made me feel so good...didn't realize how much I have missed it. Hope I continue to have time for it. until next time.....c |
| Our son from North Dakota arrived around 2 o'clock today. Even though it has been almost nine years since we have seen him, he looks much the same to me. We spent most of the afternoon talking nonstop, catching up on everything new and reminiscing about everything old. His job, moving oil rigs, is very dangerous. For some reason, I had not put the "danger" in the equation until he started explaining the process more intricately. Harrowing may be a more appropriate description. It may be dangerous, but it certainly agrees with him. I have aged far more than he has. His visit has made his dad so very happy. Was last night a full moon or something? Mopsey kept running around, looking out all the windows, pulling open closet and cabinet doors, and anything else she could get into until the wee hours of the morning. I think it must have had something to do with the New Year's fireworks. She gets scared by the popping noises, and it takes her forever to forget and go back to normal again. Even today she was a little hyper and "off her feed." Poor Kitty. I was so sad to learn of Sticktalker's passing. Lyle was always very kind to me and very helpful. I get a twinge in the chest and throat area when I think such a good person is gone forever. What a loss for future Dolls and WDCer's not to be able to know Lyle  . But I am very happy and appreciative that I did know him . Thank you, Lyle. You will be missed.until next time....c |
| I am relishing the simplest things lately, an afternoon lunch of a hot cup of tomato soup, a few minutes to catch up on my favorite blogs, a steaming cup of Swiss Miss hot chocolate with a dollop of Cool Whip after Jim is tucked in for the night. Little tiny blocks of time I can call my own seem most important to me now. Christmas was quiet with just Jim and me and some Merry Christmas phone calls from our favorite people. One of our granddaughters dropped by on the 26th on her way home, and we shared some leftover Christmas treats. And we still expect our son to visit after the first of the year. I normally take my tree down on New Year's Day, but it may breathe a little longer this year .I'm thinking Jim may need a hospital bed. He has no strength at all first thing in the mornings. I have to help him sit up on the side of his bed and quickly prop pillows behind him before he falls backwards. He is even too weak to feed himself his breakfast. A hospital bed would help him into a sitting position. I just don't want to take away from any improvement he can make, but it's been a while now. As the day progresses, his strength returns, and I am able to get him into his wheelchair. Then he can eat lunch and supper at the kitchen table with just a little help from me. Last night I got him a pound of snow crab clusters, one of his favorites. I cracked them all and pulled out the meat. He ate almost the entire pound  .Mopsy has been extra sedate lately also. I guess we are all getting "old". until next time...c |
| I had to take Jim back to the hospital yesterday afternoon for declining kidney function and a very low hematocrit. He is still being hydrated and got two units of blood starting at midnight last night. He was feeling much, much better today. Severe anemia was something I never associated with chronic kidney disease, but it is a fact of life with a lot people with CKD. The kidneys produce a substance I will just call epo, because I cannot spell the long version. Anyway, epo tells the bone marrow to make red blood cells. When kidneys are not functioning well, epo production sometimes goes way down, and the result is very few red blood cells being made to replace the dying ones. I believe I read somewhere that red blood cells only live 24 hours. Jim's hematocrit and hemoglobin results were half of what mine are. Can you imagaine how that would make you feel? Like crap! I had to call a mobile medivan to take him to the hospital because he is still unable to get into the truck from his wheelchair. The driver was great, joked with Jim on the way, and made sure I was able to follow close behind. His doctor thinks he will be ready to come back home tomorrow or Monday .My little tree looks slightly forlorn with no presents under it. Shopping has definitely been on the back burner this year. The best gift of all will be having Jim home on Christmas Day. Who needs anything else? until next time....c |
| I find my writing runs hot and cold, lately like an iceberg. Sometimes I think in rhyme without trying, but when I attempt to pen my thoughts, they flee. My day-to-day life is mimicking my writing. My surroundings dictate my outlook on things, everything. I did not used to be like this, before, always the optimist. Things are changing. I respond to others in like kind, negativity begets negativity. I do not like it, but it seems my brain has lost control of my mouth. until next time...hopefully, more positive....c |
| As of today I have been a part of the WDC community three years. It has always been a pleasant experience, and as the old song or something goes, "I'm sure glad I met ya1" Folks my age and in my situation do not have the opportunity to get out and socialize very much so the time spent on wdc has filled a very important void in my current life. If I had to drop a marble in a river for each time I've smiled because of someone on wdc, I could visualize a marble bridge across that river. A big "thank you" to everyone here who has touched my life in some way. It has been drizzlling rain here all day and only in the 60's, a good hot chocolate with marshmallows day, which is exactly what I just had, yum. My Mopsy loves the porch but not the cool air, and after about three minutes out, she is begging to be let back in. This circle of activity has continued all day and is now contributing to my cold feet since warm air rises and cold air lingers on the floor. But the cocoa is helping. I have not put up our tree yet but plan on doing it tomorrow. It's a lot of fun getting out all the Christmas things and the memories that go along with them. I have tree decorations made by my children and grandchildren. I still decorate the tree with the old fashioned things because it seems they mean more to me each year. The tree, though, is not so old and thankfully, has 'lights built in.' I can remember fighting with those awful strings of lights, just to get them straightened out, plugging them in, and realizing they don't work. That is one memory I can do without. Mopsy enjoys the tree trimming, too. The best time is late at night, sitting in the dark with the tree lights on...magical...makes me feel like a little kid again. I'm ordering a Heavenly Ham dinner for two for me and Jim for Christmas. Unfortunately, Erica is not able to come home this year, and Eric is not coming until New Year's Day. Jim loves the ham and the sides. That he is home will make it all special. Eric has not been home for several years (he lives in N.D.) and is planning to stay for a week. Looking forward to his visit has been good medicine for Jim, better than any pills in a bottle. I think I will be dreaming about trimming the tree tonight.... until next time....c |
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