Traffic and Construction (!!)

Yesterday's theme was driving in traffic and construction. I have no idea why so, so, so many road construction projects began the first week of school. It was a cluster-f*&k. I haven't had a driving day like that in a long time. 

PT is THE answer. Like my back, a simple exercise done every hour will get my neck back into place to release the nerve strain. There's no shoulder involvement, it all stems from my neck. Bicep reaction is expected given the nerve involvement and isn't a concern (it was protective). This should correct my neck hump too. I have decent range of motion except for back to front in my neck where I only have 10% of normal. Geez. 

No chiropractor on the neck. 

Ice twice a day, no heat.

Massage is okay, with some neck restrictions, for now.

Pilates is an option in about 6 weeks. 

Hiking with a backpack is also okay, but try for better neck position. 

More pain before better.

I feel recovery is in site now and I'm traveling the correct road now. Phew. 

Lunch was nice, but way, way too far to travel (oh the traffic and construction stops along the way). Our friend was a no-show and a no-text. Left us hanging. We both commented we understood and are happy she's taking care of herself, but it was noted and we'll do it differently next time. A rather complete blow-off for another social choice felt a step too far (and back to something she does a bit too often).

The home garden donation program for the food bank is awesome. We're a roll out, experimental group for the full launch next year. It was born from a community meeting lead by the farm. How can we help a community in need AND be prepared if things get worse. How can we be good neighbors? Community leaders, charity leaders, and the MASSIVE churches in the area were invited. 

Guess who's doing NOTHING??? Yep, the massive churches. They have land, resources, money, etc and said they couldn't help. Everyone else is stepping up with resources and aid. Guess they're too busy counting their money. 

Guess who does have community gardens, etc that feed people in need? Small, minority run churches. Of course. Did we expect otherwise?

More on this as it begins in September. 

I'm hiking for the first time in quite a bit this morning. Half with a friend, half solo (unless my neck needs to shorten the solo bit). I have the waist bag packed, but I might switch to a lighter backpack. I don't want to screw up my balance or hips. I'm on the fence. 

Then ...

Dentist appointment.

Maybe grandson pickup (no holding him on my left side).

Sign waving (might just lean the sign against my body so my neck is relaxed.)

These next 2 days are full with days that run into the evening and full of things-that-bother my neck. Ugh. I'll be as careful and deliberate as I can and do more and more of the neck exercises. She says I can't do too many. By the end of the afternoon, my neck needs a break, but not today or tomorrow. I'll be more careful scheduling for the next couple of weeks. 

What will aggravate my neck the most? All positional, especially looking down.

Reading.

Computer (I have my laptop propped on pillows on my lap).

Phone.

Hiking.

Painting at my desk.

Journaling at my desk.

Cooking.

Peloton position. 

Meditation position.

Sleeping position.

Pretty much my entire life hah. 

She said the challenge is settling the inflammation down while continuing with life activities. 

Okay, have to run. Early hike with a drive, but worth it (hopefully not insane traffic with school back). I love this trail. Beautiful, well groomed, lots of loops so lots of distance options. Sadly, miserably humid morning STILL. Guess it is August in GA.

Have a good day. Later gators.

IMAX 70mm

The movie and IMAX 70 experience was fantastic. 

Maybe because it's been a long minute since I've been to a movie theater?

Maybe because it was a matinee?

I don't know, but I loved both. 

Hubby didn't love the movie or the IMAX -- enjoyed it, didn't love it.

It surprised me how much I did.

You could feel the vibrations all around from the sound system. It was so immersive. Hubby thought the theater was too light, but it wasn't from ambient lighting, it was because the screen was enormous. 

Lots of action and violence, but many tender parts too. And, I cried at the one part -- no spoilers, but it was beautiful scene with an animal. 

I have PT today. My shoulder feels really good this morning. That said, I'm not doing my normal workouts, etc so not sure if things will go right back when I get back at it. I'm most curious about today and hope to get the go-ahead to start pilates. 

I have a lunch "outing" with a friend, maybe friends. We planned this day for our friend who lost her husband. Her idea, etc. She might be backing out for another social option. Now, I want to give her all the grace she needs and this is a time when she should do what's best for her ... but ... this is very typical of her. Other plans means she bails and doesn't bail until plans are being confirmed/reminded the day before. 

No way either of us would go to this trouble to meet at this place, on this day, etc. Since she's a "maybe" we're still going. It'll be nice and such, but geez. As often, I complain she needs to be proactive about canceling. This is why you don't make plans with her more than a couple days ahead. It's noted for next time.

I'm still engaging with her, etc. but moving back toward my quiet boundary about making plans with her. Of course, I'll be available for favors, etc, but a more specific available for social stuff. She's another someone I only make plans that I don't mind if she cancels or changes to a last minute maybe (i.e. something I'd happily do anyway or either way). Today was not that. 

BTW, I understand. I really think she needs to think most about herself right now and what that is changes day to day. But, she's done this for the 13 years we've been friends and that's why I know I need to go back to my unspoken boundaries. 

I'll round out the evening at a garden meeting to set up for donations to a local food bank. I'm slightly on the fence about whether I qualify with enough to donate (especially for a fall garden). It's at no cost to them or me, so I expect I'll give it a go and see if it makes sense to continue for next year's summer garden when I know I'll have donations. 

Speaking of the garden, it's almost time to pull most of it. I've pulled a couple of things -- cucumbers, early beans, tomato plant. Time for more to go. I have a second planting of some things growing (beans, cucumbers), but I need room for the fall plants in the next couple of weeks. 

Hubby leaves on Saturday for 8 day golf trip (staying at a friend's house) so I have a lot of solo time coming up. That's when I like to get into the gardening projects. 

Have a good day. I hope I'll have good PT news to report. Later gators.

Another No-Hike Tuesday

Chiropractor was better than I expected. He says lots of "out of alignment" causing the issue. Give it 2 days and it'll be okay. We'll see. I have PT on Wednesday so I think I'll get that evaluation before I try to do a bicep curl. It feels better than it has this morning though, so maybe ...

Spent the afternoon babysitting my grandson -- so fun. He started his new classroom yesterday and it was a hard day for him (lots of tears). He was so happy to be picked up. Transitions are hard for him for a couple of days. Sweet boy.  

I got bit by a bug of some sort on my back. Huge reaction -- swelling, stinging, welts all down my back. It STILL bothers me this morning. Almost like a stinger is still in the bite, but I can't reach it. Hubby tried to help, but big, thick fingers did nothing lol. It's always SOMETHING. Good lord. 

Speaking of bugs -- these appeared to be doing some sort of nasty on my window. It was quite a show.

Once again, I'm not hiking with the Tuesday group. It's faded into the background. I'm not ready to drop it entirely, but it's coming close to it. I still want to hold some connections to these women and the text thread is the best way. I was planning to hike next week, and plans came up (a favor for the kids). Might be able to go to lunch though. I don't purposely make plans on a Tuesday, but I never hold the day anymore. I told the group I could hike next week -- often "that" person decides to do an off week when I announce it. Curious if that'll hold true. I won't update until she announces plans for the day.

Matinee at the IMAX 70 for The Odyssey this morning (best day for the better seats). We're lucky enough to live about 45 minutes from one of the few theaters in the US. Won't miss this opportunity. I'm very excited about the theater experience, but not sure about the actual movie. VERY happy about the morning viewing though. Daytime vs nighttime is never a contest for me. 

This is EVERYTHING on my calendar today. Easy peasy. No chores, nothing at all. Of course the entire event will be about 5 hours with drive time, etc. so it's most of the day. I should have some late afternoon time to putz around. Creative stuff?? 

That's all from here this morning. I hope your week is going well. Later gators.

Start from the End

Hello, Monday my old friend. 

I love you so much more since I retired. 

Easily my favorite day of the week. 

Funny how perspectives change. 

Anyway, this is a good week with a good balance. 

Chiropractor, PT, dentist. 

A number of "special" social things (more on these later). 

A few volunteer things ramping up.

Decent space between it all. 

All brought to me by selective yes and no decisions. 

I got those pesky chores finished yesterday and that ALWAYS sets me up in a good way. I could've squeezed them in the space around the things this week, but that would set the balance askew. 

It's also the first Monday of the month and this month feels like a FS kind of month. The balance this week is indicative of the balance all month. 

Productive.

Self care.

Group social.

Fun. 

"Special" events. 

Curious how I'll feel at the end of it. Have you ever heard the technique of planning your time backwards? START with how you want to feel at the end (of the day, week, month, life) and plan backwards. I've done it before -- remembering it now and it's worth a go again.

How do I want to feel at the end of this week? Stronger and lighter?? Hahaha -- yep. This kind of sums it up. I'm going to filter this week and month through that mantra and see how it feels at the end. 

Jinxing it??? or creating something intentional. We'll see lol. 

Look at these cuties. 

Today is the chiropractor appointment. I don't have high hope for this appointment in terms of relief, but I want to see what he thinks about my shoulder pain and bicep weakness. I feel a lot better since the massage, but there's still something wrong and wrong enough that I'm not taking a chance of hurting it more. 

Have a good start to the week and month, maybe something intentional and starting from the end?!?  

I'm giving it a go too.

Later gators. 

Sunday Updates

It was a nice solo day. 

I got little pesky things finished and had time for that list I made yesterday.

Farmer's Market for peaches, corn, and tomatoes. 

Painted the Picasso Portrait practice -- it's okay. I hope I do better in the class on Friday.

Perfect ordinary day meditation. Lights out, candle burning. Looks like a seeing eye. 

Saw this little guy from the kitchen window -- landed on a post in the garden and stayed awhile. 

The garden has a tomato hornworm. He's eating up my tomato plants and I can't find him. Took the black light out and searched and searched. Little stinker. Every morning there's more damage so I know he's still going and growing!! I can usually find them with a little effort -- not so far. 

In all my "things" yesterday, I forgot to water my outdoor pots. Eeeeek. Hot and sunny day. I'll make it up to them today. 

Today is a list of chores -- not my favorite things, but I'll be glad to have them finished before the week begins. But first, a fun morning. Coffee with hubby and Duke. Visit to see my grandson and play cars for a bit. 

Oh -- we have a preliminary baby name and I LOVE it. Margot. Beautiful, classic, not too popular, not trendy, not strange. The runner-ups so far are not my favorite. Celeste. Celine. And some other name I had no idea how to spell. I hope Margot is her name!

Got to get going. I woke up, turned off my alarm, fell back to sleep. Geez. It's later than I'd like and the morning is going quickly.

Have a great day. Later gators.

Waxing Poetic

A little more ramblings of what's on my mind lately.

I'm still overthinking thinking about decisions. An interesting distinction is "what I want" vs "what I need." This came into play this week. There was something I would've jumped to do another time, but this week ahead was not the week. If I said yes, I would be overwhelmed, tired, even a bit resentful. In the past, I would've said yes because it's something I wanted to do so I SHOULD find a way to do it. 

When (if) I ask the universe to give me these kind of opportunities (experiences), and they come up, I should automatically say yes. Right?!?

But I NEEDED something different. 

I said no. 

And I'm disappointed. 

And I know this was absolutely the right decision for me.   

Slowly learning. 

Another little thing on my mind is a meditation practice from Martha Beck. You imagine a perfect ordinary day in your life ahead using all your senses. It's a fun (but long) meditation. 

There's a part in the visualization that I see myself walking in the morning to a coffeeshop. I'm carrying garden veggies and some jars with flowers and herbs. I'm meeting people I know and we're talking and such. It's not a coffee date, just meeting up with people at the coffeeshop. I'm sharing the garden stuff. Talking, laughing, feeling community, familiar friendly faces. 

I've seen this in the mediation for a few years. And it now happens most Friday mornings. Of course the picture in my head is a different look (but not as different as you'd think), but it's that imagined image in real life. I walked to the coffeeshop yesterday, skirt flowing in the breeze, carrying a vase of herbs and a cooler of cucumbers. 

The FEELING matched that meditation feeling exactly.

It makes me excited to think about the other aspects of that "perfect ordinary day."

I believe it's less about manifesting ANYTHING and more about your subconscious knowing what you want or knowing what's in store for your life if you listen. I wouldn't imagine singing in a musical, for example, even though I'm fascinated with those who do that well. 

Anyway ... those are my thoughts on a Saturday morning. 

I'm solo today without a car. Hubby is taking my car to Asheville to deliver a beverage refrigerator because ours broke. He needs a bigger car. I won't drive his lol (long story, nothing bad). 

This means a morning of walking -- farmers market and library return and then a day at home. 

Feels like a FS kind of day. That might be why I have all this kind of stuff on my mind. 

Farmer's market.

Painting.

Making soup. 

Fussing around my plants. 

Meditation (maybe a "perfect ordinary day" ... hmmmm). 

As I often say, I need to use this day for good, not evil. Taking the time to do the things that make me feel good (a.k.a not be a snacking sofa slug all day).

I hope you have a good day. 

Off to walk with Duke to the market. 

Living in a walking town is a luxury I'm forever grateful for and hope I never take it for granted. 

Later gators.

Home Sweet Home

I'm home!

Lots of balls in the air right now. I'm hovering on the edge of overwhelm, but actually doing better than I usually do. Making an effort to balance the calendar better. SPACE, not specifically for nothing, but space to do the quiet things that ground me. 

Garden, cook, creative time, meditation. 

This makes me feel like I'm not giving myself to a to-do list. 

I said no to a few things recently and that's opened space for yeses that matter to me. It's not always so obvious to me, but coaching talks a lot about listening to your body's first reaction. What do you feel before your mind jumps in for an answer. Sometimes the no is a disappointment, but my body knows saying yes isn't right for me in that moment.

This works both ways too. My mind says no way, but I felt the yes in my body first. This happens when fear jumps in to answer the question (aka hiking trip, new volunteer case). 

I'm working on it. 

I want this full life. 

I love the variety. 

I enjoy what I'm doing. 

Yet, I get caught in too much and overwhelm. 

How can I balance things? Watching and feeling that first visceral reaction is interesting. Sometimes I override it because it's not a big deal or circumstance warrant it (i.e. favor for family kind of thing), but I still notice it. 

That's what's on my mind this early morning. A few new yeses and a few recent nos prompted this little chat. 

I have a full day of things today (all good things) starting with a packed morning BUT, the weekend is nothing at all and plenty of time for balance. More on this all tomorrow. 

Little photo moment at the teahouse on the way home. While I waited I added a little note to the wall. What a fun idea for everyone. It's such a welcoming little place in a sea of not-so-welcoming stuff in that little town. 

Have a good day. Later gators. 

P.S. I often mistype 'gators' and it autocorrects to 'haters.' Kind of funny.