A few years ago I looked up all the words that don’t conform to the I before E except after C rule of English spelling. I found more words than I had expected. I ended up writing a short tale containing 66 unique exceptions to the rule: Feisty old Keith lives in the sovereign state of […]
I before E except after C… and 66 other exceptions
Peace. I know. Who thinks of COVID as peaceful? But 2020 gave us a moment of peace. Many embraced this time as a time to grow, introspect. Many learned new skills or strengthened their talents. It all fit into my favorite part of the movie, Groundhog’s Day. What if we were given time to get better? Time to embrace our passions? We had that time and many of us were surprised at what we could do.
The thing is, I’d been thinking that way since ‘fibromyalgia’ took over my life. That’s what the doctor labeled the pain I went through. The pain left no energy and was all inclusive of my life. Yet at times it would disappear. That diagnosis was over 15 years ago.
But it was during that COVID year that I needed a tooth removed. The dentist gave me a round of antibiotics before he’d do the extraction.
On extraction day, I accidentally broke my baby toe. So immediately after having the tooth pulled, I went to Urgent Care. My mask was full of blood. I looked like a sated vampire.
That doctor looked me over. Yep, the toe was broken but outside of a crazy boot, there wasn’t much more to do. But with my temp he decided to put me on another round of antibiotics.
A weird thing happened. Even though my toe hurt, I didn’t hurt all over like I would have before that second round. Any hurt used to became body wide. Like every nerve was feeling the same pain as the stubbed toe. But suddenly the ‘fibro’ had disappeared. I don’t think it was ever that. But maybe a low grade infection had been in me for YEARS maybe decades.
So now I wasn’t working. I was living in a fear that the pain would return. But it didn’t. I was free to pursue my passions and curiosities. All languages, knitting, crocheting, loom-knitting, diamond painting, etc. etc. I was given Groundhog’s Day and pain relief.
That’s why I keep track of all my fun. The bits and pieces of my peace.
In lieu of Finishing Friday I offer this stream:
Somehow I managed to keep at least one lesson a day in Duolingo. And I cheated here on the blog with the slightest post of a funny daily here.
Music and diamond painting had to stop until I started having energy again. I think that was about Wednesday.
Piano and ukulele started then but I just picked up the violin yesterday. I just barely played Twinkle and that was enough.
Same with the stationary bike. Wednesday I did 12 minutes or around a mile. By Friday I got up to 15 minutes or 2 and a half miles. So energy is returning slowly.
With health I can regain my passions piece by piece. And that gives me peace.
Let me apologize. I know I’ve been phoning it in all week. I’m much better now. Temps are near normal. Coughing is minimal. I even have had a moment or two of energy. But they are seldom.
I love getting calls from my family and friends but this week my son got off the phone in a couple of minutes. My hoarse voice and constant coughing made conversation impossible. Still, it was nice to hear from him.
Tomorrow will be my week. Friday was Chris’s week. The other guys are Tuesday and Wednesday. It’ll be nice to not sound like a kennel. But better out than in, right?😂
I look forward to being back to normal. Whatever that is.
So here’s to good health! Bring it on!
I love school. It was my escape, it was where I learned new things. Especially when I taught.
Blah! Boring! I had a whole thing planned but by the time I sat down to write this my energy, and muses had left the building! I do intend to write more on this some time. And it’ll all be based on those first sentences.
Happiness is a warm puppy. This is the comic that came to me as I saw our prompt.
Meanwhile… The kittens are getting closer to the point of maybe coming in for the winter (and forever home). Maybe to them happiness will be a warm home with nice people? I got them a kitty tree to climb or hide in. Pictures when we can get them calm. LOL!
How can one still have these feelings nearly a year and a half later?
Fur-baby love happens. And it’s haphazard, dangerous, and enriching. When it does I will be happy (er).
If shipping is free then why can’t I get another cruise?
That was a fun unexpected adventure. I would have never known how much fun a cold place could be. A wish I never knew would be my wish. Until we went. I didn’t sleep. I enjoyed every moment of that June summer week.
This picture always reminds me of my favorite saying “But how do you know what you want and you get what you want and you see if you like it?” Cinderella, Into the Woods, Sondheim.
Anyway that trip was spent with my soon to be husband and his friends from high school. Another surprise for me. I was scared of meeting these old friends. What if I didn’t measure up? What if I couldn’t relate? But I had a ball with my new friends. Aren’t friendships the greatest?
That relationship has far outlasted my other marriage and his previous marriages. I think we grow more in real love as we learn how all that is supposed to work. Being there for each other.
While dreaming impossible dreams, I wish I could live on a cruise ship. I love the water. And I’d love to take all my family and friends. A relation ship.
It’s raining, it’s pouring…
The humidity affecting every pore.
Poor kitties and puppies experiencing loud scary thunder and lightning.
And yet the downpour drenches us in cats and dogs.
Sorry. Some streams probably need to be dammed. 😏
Well, it must be the season of the itch.
Yeah, all the allergies are flaring.
Or were you expecting witch? Yes, I did just finish reading All Souls 1-5, A Discovery of Witches series.
And yes, I am wishing for a new forever female canine. Ha! Gotcha!!!!
So try not to fall in the ditch as I write my best pitch. I might have one or more glitch.
But here’s the hitch:
Guess this won’t lead to be ri(t)ch.
Well, it’s the same ole story. Yesterday I found a mistake a few rows back and today I’ve been Tinking back. I still haven’t reached the boo-boo. And I find the number of stitches on each needle is so different I’m going to have to get creative to get the number to match. Or tink even farther. Ugh!
When I was a young adult, my grandmothers had Alzheimer’s. Yeah. Both maternal and paternal. So when you all wonder why I work so hard at languages and learning new things and puzzling things like Sudoku, that is a fight I’m on. I’ve not been diagnosed, but at 74 I’m being as vigilant as I can.
And yes, I do repeat stories. I have since I was a child. Most people do. Maybe they don’t realize it. Or maybe they are trying to work something out in this retelling. I remember my grandmothers would tell a story once again and folks would criticize them. But I listened and saw they changed the story a bit each retelling. Sometimes I learned something new about them or others. Sometimes it just was their story. A thing that made them. How I’d love to hear them repeat one of their old tales to me again.
Think about how kids love hearing a book read to them for the umpteenth time. They’re working the story out. The rhythms, the rhymes, how it all works.
I have learned to reread or rewatch things as each time I pick up just a bit more. Not only the story but about writing, directing, acting. Or maybe more about how people differ in their relationships.
Old stories are still packed with nuggets we can learn from. Whether we are telling them or an audience member.
Congrats! You have completed your goal of reading 100 books for the 2013 Reading Challenge! 115 of 100 (115%)
Congrats! You have completed your goal of reading 225 books for the 2012 Reading Challenge! 225 of 225 (100%)
Congrats! You have completed your goal of reading 200 books for the 2011 Reading Challenge! 204 of 200 (102%)
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