Bringing Order to Life

I've been busy at home since my vacation. I need to get fully moved in, unpacking all my boxes, putting my stuff where it belongs, and getting rid of clutter.

So far, I've worked on more basic chores and errands. I cleaned the kitchen, did quite a bit of laundry, set up regular lawn mowing for the season, and picked up my new glasses and prescription sunglasses.

I also have more gardening to do. I planted my annual flowers, green beans, cucumbers, and cilantro, but I need to plant my squash. The problem is space and support. I've got potting soil and some containers, but probably not enough-- another raised bed would come in handy now. However, I'm going to restrain myself, even if I have to refrain from planting some of the seeds I purchased. If I don't want to exhaust myself and my bank account, there has to be a limit. Next year is time enough to add more beds if it seems necessary.

On a different topic, I have to say the flooding in Nashville makes my heart sink. Thankfully the number of lives lost were few. I know other places in the world have been harder hit by flooding in recent years, but the difference is that I've been to Nashville. I have some sense of what it looks like under ordinary circumstances; to see places like the Opryland hotel submerged in muddy water is really sad. I can't imagine having to clean that mess up or deal with the damages and repairs over the next months and beyond-- ugh!

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Finally Better

I've had a run of difficult days with cramps, headaches, drowsiness, aches and fatigue. I had to get to a doctor's appointment fairly early yesterday which helped me to get my rear in gear. I did get an adjustment to my medication which allows me to pay far less for one of them in exchange for taking pills twice a day instead of once. Good news!

Unfortunately, I had missed a dose of that medication (all out and waiting on doc for authorization), and it has such a short half life that I was starting to have withdrawal symptoms. So there I was crying on the way home from moodiness and feeling so bad, and my jaw muscles were so tense that my teeth were chattering though I wasn't cold. I went straight to the pharmacy for a refill, straight home for water to swallow my medication, and shortly began to feel better.

While at the pharmacy, I bought the local newspaper because the headlining story was about a woman who'd been arrested and jailed overnight for disorderly conduct in defense of deer. I have waited on that woman at the library and can confidently say that she is a strange and sometimes hostile person. She seems to hate Kentucky, so I'm not sure why she continues to reside here-- obligations? financial restrictions? sheer stubbornness? I believe that she needs mental health assistance, but I'm sure she would be offended at the mere suggestion-- she sees herself as normal and everyone else as deficient. I have seen her be charming and funny on at least one occasion, and it saddens me to see her spin her wheels and burden the community with imaginary issues. Life sure is complicated and amazing sometimes.

I took a walk in the late afternoon while my dinner baked and snapped this picture. I think the photo aptly captures my feelings about the last few days and my desire for something better for ailing people in this world. I've titled it "A Break in the Gloom". If I were a professional photographer and selling my work, I'd donate the proceeds to some mental health organization that is successfully impacting people's lives. But since I'm not, enjoy the photo. ;-)


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Woke up before 5 am...

So I've already made Gingerbread Multigrain Pancakes. I usually mess up the first couple of pancakes until I get the skillet temperature correct. This morning I wasn't paying attention and used the "quick boil" burner so I ended up with a higher portion of overdone pancakes. When I finally figured out my error, I switched burners. Anyway, with the orange marmalade-maple syrup mixture (1:1) I will use on them, I suspect even the darker pancakes will taste just dandy, plus I did get some lovely golden ones. I'll remember about the burners next time too.

This morning's news on AOL: Haitian children possibly kidnapped by Christians who did not have government authority to remove children from the country and did not ascertain whether the children were in fact orphans. The grief and terror they brought those children and their parents and the misuse of Christ's name makes me heartsick and angry. I am also opposed to Voodoo as a misguided and vain religion, but who are these people to split up families and steal children? How could they think that their actions expressed the heart of God for others? Yuk! Clueless! I hope they'll let their hearts and their thinking be set straight, and I thank God that their deeds were discovered in a timely manner.