Wednesday: Words and Whimsy Day

...while Kevin did do some sewing yesterday...

...my Wednesday was aimed to be a bit more esoteric and whimsical -- Wednesday's being Humpday notwithstanding.

For the former, I looked up a poem that dd recently shared with me which I've intending to share with all of you. Enjoy:

My Symphony by William Ellery Charning

To live content with small means,
to seek comfort rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion,
to be worthy and respectable,
to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly,
to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart,
to bear all cheerfully,
do all bravely,
await occasions
hurry never,
in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious,
grow up thru the common, this is to be our symphony.....


With regard to the whimsy:
I've been taking advantage of the recent rains to weed the gardens early in the morning. While out, I also finished the second bottle tree:



There is now speculation as to just what happens to the spirits caught by the bottles. Can they self release? If released by someone or something, would it imbue powers? Are only 'evil' spirits enticed...trapped? Is it material for the likes of Steven King? A springboard for something in the Twilight Zone? ...hrmmmm...

FWIW, I prefer to see all spirits engaged by the beauty of the Bottle Tree. I'm not sure that segregation of various spirits is necessarily a good idea, any more than it appears to be for many forms... *shrugs*

I hope the Bottle Trees to provide light, beauty and haven. I guess my tale will be one of congregations and celebrations -- to add tumor 'c' words...

Wednesday: Waxing Whimsically Wordy Day *whaps self*


HealthWatch:

I continue to control the nausea with meds; headaches are less frequent. I still have muscle ache from the pruning I did this past weekend, but it's one of those good kinds of aches. We'll continue to focus massage there.

While I move more slowly, I'm up and around...

We have another look at blood counts and an infusion Friday morning...

Kevin has some standard tests scheduled in August and is otherwise taking very good care of himself and reaping the benefits, both physically and mentally. This is no easy dance that we're learning to do.

Mom is now on constant medication for her back pain (compression fractures) which, along with massage, is providing her relief. She went to bed early Monday evening saying that she didn't feel well, but by Tuesday morning she seemed to be back to her old self.



CritterWatch:

It's clear that we have a family of barred owls, Bardo, Barda and Bardy. They're now here daily, sometimes twice, perched in the trees just off the back deck. We're learning the other animal and bird behaviors that precede and alert us to the owls' arrival -- of late there are two of them at a time.

The chipmunks are plentiful and a bit more skittish when the owls are around... *hehe* Otherwise they accidentally run up over our feet and then run along beside us to see whether we're heading to a new food source.

A pair of black squirrels and a family of greys are a continual source of amusement.

We think we've identified a Bewick's Wren as one of the three wren families.

There is also a family of sparrows in our most precarious-to-reach eave... *sighs*



Here's wishing you a Symphony of Whimsy! *raises her glass bottle*

Make nice!

Tuesday: Rewritten

It appears that few follow the weekday chorelist posted yesterday. Others don't perform some of the chores that were listed, at all...imagine that!

Perhaps the posted list is now the schedule of the housekeepers and caretakers, and the rest of the world has gone on to chores like shopping (not to be confused with the posted Market Day), shopping, and shopping...

I must confess that we, too, are guilty of altering the list some. While we did rest Sunday afternoon and evening, and did do the laundry yesterday, today had no irons or ironing on either of our agendas. I have no sewing planned for tomorrow; if I cleaned only on Friday, I'd never have a Friday to call my own; baking is best done in the spring, fall and winter in Iowa; the best markets here are Wednesday and Saturday...

And, I seem to fit some yardening into every day as Kevin does creeking.

But, for the most part, in our neck of da Woods, Tuesday is:



Billiards Day!


...and:




Massage Day!



Hope your day had some time for you in it.

Make nice!

Monday: Wash Day

...that's what I remember:

Monday: Wash Day
Tuesday: Ironing Day
Wednesday: Sewing Day
Thursday: Market Day
Friday: Cleaning Day
Saturday: Baking Day
Sunday: Day of Rest

Anyone else remember that from childhood? ...and I read that 'Gardening Day' has been appended to Tuesday. *heh*

Well, true to the above instructions, we rested yesterday afternoon and evening. We did a bit more clean-up in the ravines in the early morning, when it was cool enough that we could still breath outdoors. I think I may have overdone it the past couple days as the muscles surrounding my right lung were breathing a life of their own. So, we watched a couple movies, played Scrabble and laid pretty much back. *aaahhhhh*

And, today we did the wash.

Also got a start on a second bottle tree. Trimmed one of the overgrown sumacs; it has a frame built for bottles. Am hoping it doesn't be come target practice for passing mail box smashers *crosses fingers* We found one of the boxes in the middle of the road this spring... *sighs*

Chest pain is diminishing. Only took nausea medicine once today. The muscles around my right lung have settled back down.

I told Katie I'd post my favorite photo from this past weekend:



...dunno that I'll get any ironing done tomorrow. Is that something people still do...beside B&B bed linens, that is???

I know there's a rhyme for being born on each day of the week...I have far to go.
How about you?

Yesterday's Visitors

Yesterday morning began with confirmation of our suspicion that we had more than one barred owl, and I was able to get a picture for the bird pair collection.

We're not sure if Barda is a female or immature (or both), but he/she posed for photos even after I came out onto the veranda. Bardo is a bit more people-shy -- all of his photos have been taken through the window.

I got the 'front' yard mowed before it got too hot, and then Katie, Sara, Ann and Mom arrived to help with a yardwork extravaganza which included moving four hollies, more than two dozen hostas and a japanese maple, removing the black walnut branch that had decided to fall on the horseshoe driveway Friday evening, mowing the east lawn, repairing the screen on Marie's front porch - the mosquitos are pretty plentiful this summer, and filling a dozen bird feeders.


We still had time to get in a game of five-handed Sheepshead before they headed back north. It was really nice to see all of them.

Healthwise, dp is doing okay -- keeping the nausea and headaches at bay with drugs, and pacing herself pretty well to make allowances for the reduced energy.

This morning, she's done her daily mile and was able to remove some of the overgrown sumac, locust, and wild black cherry trees that were blocking our planted border oak and sugar maple. She says there are some distinct new bottle tree sites.

I think I've finished Marie's wheelchair repair -- the front wheel broke for the fourth time in less than a year, so I'm trying to Shorty-rig a solution that will cost less and last longer than the $57 a pop we pay now.

That's done, we've got the day to relax, kick back and enjoy da woods; maybe Bardo and Barda will visit us again today.

Tumor Birds, Tumor Tales

This would be the second in our 'Bird Pair' series; two house finches on the feeder called, the Yankee Flipper. Supposedly squirrel-proof, but I saw a squirrel hang on for over forty-five rotations before letting go. (The ring on the bottom starts spinning with the weight of anything heavier than a squirrel.) Granted, if flipped him, but a couple more rides like the last one, and that squirrel would have the battery dead and the feeder to call his own. *grins*

Tumors were doused with another chemotheraputic cocktail this morning. Blood draw at 7:15 looked good except for the red cell distribution width being a bit high and the red blood cell count was a tad low. Overall, it indicated that the infusion was a go.

My initial bp, after walking from the parking lot and through the hospital was 123/75. By the time I walked, 75 ft., straight down the hall, my bp had risen to 145/85. ...amazing what our minds can do over our best intentions *sighs*

dd arrived before the infusion began and was most helpful in getting me settled, comfortable, relaxed, and quasi-asleep as the infusion progressed. *healing hugs* Kevin had music and headphone sets for both dd and me to share *grins*

The infusion started late since the clinic was sorely understaffed. Our Suite had four chairs this time; they filled up quickly. I was the newest kid on the block... This was the roughest IV stick that I've had -- uncomfortable but bearable. Also had no blood pressure cup attached...maybe because dd was keeping my bp low???

Otherwise, things went as smoothly as they could.

Kevin caught lunch on his way back to work and I had reheatables available.

Spent some time posting to other blogs, some of which I will probably grab and repost here rather than trying to rewrite.

I spent most of the afternoon quietly enjoying da Woods; what a blessing!

How was your day??


Make nice!!

No Bottle Rockets...

...but a Bottle Tree!

Wishing you the best this 4th of July!!

This is our first; it's a tree that needed to come down as it was too close to da Lane.

We'd seen the comeback of bottle trees a few months ago and decided it was something we might do, not only as yard kitsch, but perhaps as a 'cottage industry.' This bottle tree is permanent...well until the tree falls over...and seemed a natural place to start. We're working on portable options, as well.

No Eldercare today, so Kevin and I took care of Mom this morning and afternoon. C and D came over, had lunch, and helped entertain Mom, and us, as well. We walked da Lane watched birds for a while and had a leisurely lunch.

How was your day??

Happy July!

Cool Flashes: our wishes for the hot daze of summer!!

It's actually a fan that Kevin found; I've gone through a couple hand fans in the past five years, but none had the ability to program messages into the fan blades. Just another of the many bennies of living with a techxpert. *grins bigly* And, yes, we've already discussed the dangers of using it on the road...we should be seeing them in passing vehicles soon. *shudders*




We spent the weekend catching up on chores that we've been letting slide for a couple months now, both inside and out. There appear to be leaks in both of our ponds, so we'll begin leak-seeking activities this week. Also did some tree-felling along the entry lane to uncover some newer plantings that had become overgrown. Did some mowing and continue to plan plantings to replace the grass...




The fish appreciated Kevin's labors in the above photo; five came out to play.
Can you find all five?


Overall, we're doing well and hope to hear that you are, too.




The Bugaboo