by Kat | Apr 3, 2023 | General, Welcome
April is the kindest month. April gets you out of your head and out working in the garden.
– Marty Rubin
Hello April!
I am so very happy that you are here and it would be nice if you just amble slowly along… key word being slowly!
This month I have some things on my “To Do” list:
- Sew up a couple of Toaster Sweatshirts. I have the pattern all traced off, and pinned to one of the fabrics! I need to get that cut out and pin out and cut the second so I can do some Assembly Line Sewing!!
- I need to finish up my handspun sweater!! And once I have the Pi Socks done that is moving to the top of my list!
- I start PT next week and I am planning on having “homework” which I will be faithful about doing every day! And I am just not even thinking about the Graston Scraping part… ha!
- I got some new “trekking shoes” that I want to break in a bit before we head to Erie at the end of this month. Walking has been an “iffy” proposition thanks to my damned hip, but I am going to swap out my “regular Sherman walk” shoes with the new shoes and hope that short daily walks will break them in … enough!
- Weeding… yes, the weeds are growing, so I need to spend some time in the garden beds or I will never catch up! But… being outdoors just is the perfect April thing!
- It is National Poetry Month and I picked up a couple of poetry books from the library… I am spending the month reading the poetry of Wisława Szymborska… which will be the perfect thing for the month!
There you have it… my ambitious plans for April. What about you? What are you looking forward to this month?
by Kat | Mar 6, 2023 | General, Welcome
March came in that winter like the meekest and mildest of lambs, bringing days that were crisp and golden and tingling, each followed by a frosty pink twilight which gradually lost itself in an elfland of moonshine.
― L.M. Montgomery
L.M. Montgomery’s quote seems to fit perfectly how March arrived here in Pittsburgh. February departed with tiny leaves emerging on slender branches that seem eager to welcome spring! The Song Sparrow Song Wars pierce the morning quiet of my morning walk with Sherman. I am also savoring the sunshine we have had since March blew in!
So, Dear March, I have some things I’d like to accomplish this month… it is not an extensive list, but rather one that is steeped in reality… you know, the reality that screams that I am not the much younger version of me who could do more with no body ill-effects. Sigh.
- Spring Clean the house… half a room at a time. I cleaned my closet *and* did the spring cleaning in our bedroom (note, I did not do the blinds, sigh) and I paid for it all day on Saturday. So I am breaking down the spring cleaning to avoid the “paying for it” portion. Getting older is truly not for the faint of heart!
- Sew… yes! I have a modest list of “spring supplements” for my wardrobe. Again, this will be a gradual process… starting today when I wash my material. I got some gorgeous sweatshirt material from Blackbird Fabrics and I have plans for a couple of Toaster Sweaters!
- Mammogram… which I have scheduled for later this month! (I am thankful for last month me for not procrastinating on this!)
- And a visit to the Sports Medicine Doctor for my hip pain. Oh my gosh, I can only say that after #1, I am even more eager to see her! And can I just say how excited I am that she is a Doctor of Osteopathy!! Holistic care is exactly what I am hoping for here. I am open to any and all suggestions she might have and I am especially hoping for some PT. Kym gave me some hope last week and I am eager to move from the living in pain to moving beyond the pain days!
- Speaking of eager… I am very eager to join the Read With Us Gang and discuss The Shipping News later this month! This will be the first book I have read twice before discussing! It is a book that is full of so many fascinating characters, I think it will be a fantastic discussion! (Hint… there is still more than enough time to read The Shipping News – it is available on Hoopla and you could join us!)
And so, Dear March… welcome!
by Kat | Feb 3, 2023 | General, Welcome
And Hello Friday! It’s been a week, hasn’t it? How about an update on all.things.medical first…
On Monday, the Nurse Practitioner called with my blood test results…sigh. My cholesterol was not at good levels and had jumped extraordinarily since my last blood work. So I am now taking Lipitor™ (or the generic – Atorvastatin) and am working on some adjustments to my diet. I get bloodwork done again in 6 weeks and see how things are going. It was advantageous that the NP called, because when we talked about the “exercise” portion of my day, I told her about my hip pain. She immediately looked at her schedule and I am seeing her on Monday regarding that. She was lovely and I am very much looking forward to seeing her!
And then there is the tale of poor Sherman who had to have a bit massive amount of dental work done yesterday. Today, he is eleven teeth lighter and quite a bit more grumpy than his usual self. We had planned on him needing to have a couple of teeth removed… but eleven… yeah. Poor baby. My goal today is to spoil him even more than usual!
One groggy, grumpy pug who is significantly more swollen this morning, poor guy!
But, beyond all of that…I really need to set a goal or two this month and focus on them… or February will be over and I will have accomplished nothing!
The Big Thing I really need to accomplish is a rework of my “Office.” I need to rearrange things because painting has become more important than it was when I first set myself up to paint. I like to stand up to paint, and in my current set up… that is not possible. So a big room rearrangement is needed. This will include “rehoming” some things and doing more sorting of other things. Yeah. All the fun… not! Haha!
The only other thing I have to focus on this month is to pull out some cook books and see if I can find some new recipes to entice The Meat and Potato Eater with some meals that have a more vegetal focus… i.e. sans meat and potatoes! As for me, I could easily give up meat and potatoes, if it means that I can keep cheese and the occasional bit of bread! But sadly, I cook for 2 in this house. Sigh.
Seems like so little to want to accomplish in a month… but if I can get these things done, I will feel like I have accomplished much!
And with that, I will bid you all a most amazing weekend and I will see you all back here on Monday!
Photo credit: Mikhail Nilov
