Early February Update

The orthopedic boot came off yesterday. I also had my first therapy yesterday. All is going well. The ultrasound the day before yesterday showed not a tear but simple, garden variety tendonitis, probably already improved due to a week in a boot. It was weird when I first walked without the boot. The whole leg--not just the foot--felt weak. My knee occasionally threatens to buckle. I don't get that, since my knee was not injured, but maybe it's just not being well supported by the foot and ankle? I am very glad that I had my mom's cane, stair lift, and shower chair to help me through the last week. And I have learned my lesson. No serious walking in anything but my custom orthotics in the future. 

I am very glad I got out of the boot before Solo & Ensemble season kicks off in earnest this week.

Phillip is in St. Louis right now for a board meeting for our church body. He is deep into the second module of his colloquy program. It is taking all of his non-work time, but at least he can do it from the easy chair in our bedroom! Let's hear it for technology (and comfy chairs).

We had our second wimpy round of snow this week. Evan finally did get a little snow play, but nothing like this! 

Willard the puppy continues to impress us. We truly think we got the perfect dog. We have a doggy door that he learned to use right away. Lately we have been keeping it shut for periods of time so that he doesn't go out on his own and come back in all muddy without someone wiping off his feet. A few days ago the doggy door had been shut for a while and Willard went over to it then returned to the sliding glass door, sat down, looked at me, and gave out one sharp bark. I let him out. I love that dog. 

It seems that for a very long time now I have not been able to motivate myself to give the house the attention I would like. We're not living in filth. But I am not the organization and cleanliness maven I used to be. When I was young I would clean the whole house in one day and then enjoy that clean feeling for a little while. Now I can't physically clean the whole house in one day, even with help. There just isn't time. So I never get the pleasure of that clean feeling and I think that is a deterrent. Why bother? But I need and want to bother. I have decided I need to let go of the concept of a clean house and just make it my goal to clean or organize at least one thing per day. I guess if I at least get a closet clean I can go and sit in the clean closet for a while. We'll see how that strategy goes.

While we're on the subject of keeping house, can I just say here for the record that I am not a foodie? I am so not a foodie. All those people on all the cooking shows talking at warp speed about food leave me scratching my head. Who cares? I would be overjoyed to never have to shop, cook, or for that matter, eat, again. (Unless it's chocolate.) I know people who love to think about food and plan for it and who get intense aesthetic satisfaction from talking about it and looking at it and eating it. My husband is one. Poor man, he married someone who would be happy to subsist on bread and water. 

There. True confession. I feel better. Are we still friends?

P.S. I still owe you another Washington, D.C., post.