Day 804

While my pictures are changing every day, there is one scene that reappears every single day. And not just once. Dozens of times.

Here's how it works...
I'm sitting somewhere - at my desk, my chair, or maybe my dining room table. Minding my business, doing my thing. At some point I need something from another room. Maybe a folder, a glass of water, maybe I need to go to the bathroom. I jump up, feeling great (still no pain), and head to where ever that other thing might be. Once I get to that other room is when it happens. The same conversation with myself. (FYI- the H-H-H in the conversation is me panting and gasping for air.)

Oh my H-H-H goodness H-H-H why H-H-H can't I H-H-H remember H-H-H to H-H-H move H-H-H slowly H-H-H?

Every single time.

The doctor told me to do everything very, very slowly. But geez whiz, I feel great and I want to move. So I keep forgetting. Again and again and again. Guess I'm going to have to take my time if I'm wanting to live deliberately to suck all the marrow out of life.

But I'll be letting someone else worry about the bulbs, strawberries, daisies, and peonies. Just today I sent out the all-call for folks from work to come and dig what they want out of my garden. I gotta keep a few of my peonies, but there are plenty to go around.

Day 803

I am so embarrassed about my rose garden. My untended, neglected, sorry-looking rose garden. The poor thing. The only time I stepped into the garden this year was to count rose bushes that needed to be dug up because of the too-cold winter temperatures.

Until today. I first took this picture. Embarrassing.

But thanks to my daughter and her boyfriend it looked like this by day's end. Not embarrassing.

The pile of rosebushes and weeds, stuffed in boxes and bags and trash cans. 16 rosebushes had to be dug out in all. Sad.

Then tonight, something sort of embarrassing. An award for me at the school board meeting. It's nice to hear nice things said about you. It was also nice to have hubby and daughter and her boyfriend along for the presentation. My boss took a picture and told me it could be the picture for the blog. Me, in a picture?

Nah, don't think so. But thanks to everyone I work with for making me feel so appreciated!

Day 802

This could be my picture for the day. Grilled hot dogs with grilled red pepper and onion relish, eaten out of the back of our car in the driveway. I'm not a big hot dog fan, but hubby's concoction tasted pretty darn good.

But this picture of something landing on me while I was sitting outside is more Mother's Day appropriate.

Happy Mother's Day.

Day 801

I haven't even had my new scooter for 24 hours and hubby has found a new use for it.

Spray truck.

Quite the sight with me driving and him spraying. Can't imagine what the neighbors might be thinking!

Day 800

How appropriate that on a milestone day - Day 800 - that a quote is on my mind. A quote from Thoreau, but also a line from the movie Dead's Poet Society.

"I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life."

As I've been coming to terms with this new diagnosis, I've decided to have a much better attitude than I've had with the arthritis. It's not all that hard. If I can handle 10 years of constant pain, I can certainly handle this. Yes, my life will revolve around a scooter. But it is time to swallow my pride and just do it.

I'm ready to live deliberately and suck out all the marrow of life. I have some more responsibilities at work next year and am excited about it. I'm clearing things out of the house like crazy and am excited about it. I have quilts planned and new books planned and am excited about it. I have a trip planned with hubby, daughter, and boyfriend and am excited about it.

As to quote another movie line from Dead Poet's Society, carpe diem! (Which means "seize the day", but should mean "my scooter arrived today.")