This week has found me out of sorts. I've been gimping around for a while. I discovered that somehow I have developed Achilles Tendonitis and I'm not just old, decrepit, and worn out. When I noticed that I had developed a big lump on the back of my ankle, I went to our local Bone and Joint Institute. Honestly, I thought I'd be told that this was just a by-product of aging, learn to live with it, perform some stretches and exercises, and have a nice day. So, when that wasn't the conversation I had with the physician's assistant, I was a bit surprised. Then, when I returned for my follow up visit this past week and had not progressed toward wellness much, he fitted me with a boot. He told me to wear it if I was going to do much walking at all - like more steps than from my bed to the closest bathroom. Boy! I was shocked. I was also sort of depressed, after all, who wants to be told to stay off your feet or to have to wear that uncomfortable, bundle-some, unattractive boot? We all like to loll around from time to time but nobody wants to be forced into inactivity. So, I've been trying to follow instructions and keep my foot propped up, ice my ankle several times per day, and perform the exercises as instructed by the physical therapist I was sent to see.
I've done a bit of house loving this week. Things around here have been tidy for the most part and that always makes loving where we live easier doesn't it? For the past couple of years I've been working to get every space around here organized and I also think that makes a big difference when it comes to house loving. That old saying, "a space for everything and everything in its space" really does ring true to me. When we revamped our primary bathroom, I did a major cleanout and invested in clear storage bins to help me corral the clutter that happens in bathroom vanities and closets. I did the same thing in the kitchen when we revamped it a couple of years ago. As we are 'reclaiming' the basement, I'm trying to apply the same principals. So, this week, while I was trying to give my ankle a rest, it was nice to have a tidy space where I could really feel at peace and not see fifty-eleven-hundred things that needed doing. It is nice to have a bedroom with lots of windows that let in the sunlight and provide pastural views. It is nice to have a comfy chair with a stool to prop my feet upon and a retired lifestyle that allows for self-care.
We really are blessed to have a beautiful place to live. The farm is usually pretty peaceful and we have plenty of privacy and places to decompress and rejuvenate. Yes, there is a lot of responsibility in caring for a farm and all that comes with it but, somehow, most days it seems like a privilege and not a burden. Yes, we still grumble from time to time when limbs are blown from the trees or a fence needs repair, but we generally do look at having the opportunity to care for this place is a blessing.
So, this week while I was tasked with sitting around and propping my sore ankle up onto an ice pack and not free to putter around or dig in and clean out a space that needs organizing and clearing out, I've really been loving and appreciating our house and the fellow who steps up to help keep it tidy and comfortable.
- What I've Been Reading -
The good thing about forced restfulness is that it provides plenty of time to read! Here's a few books that I've had my nose in:
The author was chief usher at the White House for nearly three decades. Imagine what he must have seen! He tells some of it in these pages. His experiences range from time with behind the scenes looks during six presidential administrations - from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Richard M. Nixon. I truly enjoyed the inside look and would give it four out of five stars!
An unusual group of folks are gathered together in one place when the threat of a hurricane forces the evacuation of people and animals to a farm. Everyone seems to learn what is really important in life during the week of riding out the storm. To me it was sort of a look at how the wealthy might hunker down somewhere with friends when a hurricane threatens. I enjoyed it but it made me wonder what the story might be like for those less fortunate. I'd give it three out of five stars.
"A detour. A chance encounter. Two women who alter the pages of each other's story." I really enjoyed how the stories unfolded bit by bit throughout the book. It was a light read that I enjoyed enough to give it four out of five stars.
This is one left behind by my mother-in-law. When I pulled it out there were sticky spots on the cover and I had to wipe it down before I could even stand to hold it and read through it! I think that tells just what a wonderful treasure this cookbook is! I remember when Miss Daisy's Tea Room opened in Carter's Court in my hometown back in 1974. It was the perfect place for ladies-who-lunch, you know, those times for meeting for lunch, drinking iced fruit tea, sharing a casserole and salad, and dishing up all the news that is news. Inspiration for this cookbook came after she toured the state and decided to work with her co-authors to relate Tennessee's history through regional recipes, customs, and stories. If I ever wrote a cookbook, this is the kind of book I would hope it turned out to be - one that shares stories and information as well as a guide for really good food. It will take me a while to work through this one again but it will be worth every minute I have my nose between the pages. Of course, it earns a five star rating from me!
Just sittin' round provides lots of time to have my face in a book!
- What I've Been Working On -
As you can imagine, I haven't been doing a lot of work on much of anything that I usually find time to work on. I don't like wearing the compression boot. So, I have chosen to stay off my feet as much as possible. There are some things that can be done while just sitting around, though. I've been doing a bit more of my volunteer work for the local cemetery. There is a meeting on the horizon for the membership of the Cemetery Association (folks who own a lot or have loved ones buried there). So, I've designed and ordered postcards to send out to members, made address labels and attached those to the postcards, and sent those off via postal service. I've participated in a virtual meeting with the Association Board of Trustees and mapped out an agenda for the membership meeting and handled communication regarding those two meetings. Before volunteering for this group, I had no idea of all the things that go on behind the scenes!
Who knew there was a guy who met with the guys who install headstones? Who knew there was a guy who filed the association's tax return? Who knew there was a guy who called a tree surgeon when a windstorm blue a tree limb down in a cemetery? Who knew there was a guy who picks up the flowers that get blown around and scattered across the cemetery after a spring storm? Who knew that when someone inherits a cemetery lot from their parents they call a guy to get more information? Who knew that when a high school student wants to do volunteer hours picking up and cleaning up at a cemetery they would need a guy to sign off on their volunteer paperwork so their scholarship could be validated? Those things and more happen behind the scenes so that when passers by look across the field thy see orderliness and when bereaved friends and family show up for a funeral they don't trip over limbs and debris. So, this week I have been doing volunteer secretarial duties and answering the phone for the Cemetery Manager (better known around here as The Mister!)
When I went to physical therapy yesterday the therapist started off our hour by asking me had I been wearing the boot like I should be. Then, she looked absolutely shocked when I quickly responded, "No!" Her face was in such a state that her coworkers and I all immediately laughed. I let her know that I'm not going to lie about it but I would try to do better. As she ran me through my paces during our session and watched me perform the tasks outlined, she chuckled a couple of times, though. I had not been performing one of the exercises correctly and confessed to it. Then, I also told her that another exercise caused me to watch the timer closely because I could really feel it working on me and stretching in ways I had not felt before and she laughed and told me that I was probably one of the most honest patients she had ever worked with. I think it was a pretty good session for both of us!
I hope your weekend is full of smiles and chuckles and you get the chance to rejuvenate and be ready to face next week with a smile on your face - and I hope any boots you have to wear are for doing a boot scootin' boogie!
