activities – Ink, Yarn & Beer

After the Fall . . .

On September 12, 2023, we flew out of Los Angeles to Reykjavik, Iceland. We landed on the 13th. I fell on the 14th and broke my arm. On the 15th we were back in California.

Diagnosis: comminuted spiral fracture of the left distal humerus. Luckily, it was not compound, meaning the skin was not broken along with the bones. My elbow was fine, too. No surgery needed.

The healthcare I got in Iceland was superb and the people were kind. I was totally doped up on morphine, but still conscious enough to talk my usual drivel and hold still for x-rays. I came back well packaged in a splint taped to my body.

Now, several weeks and a few months later, I am out of my splint and winding up my occupational therapy. It is time to return to my former life in a more active form. It has not been easy. Many activities require a bit of different thought as well as practice.

Like driving . . .

Driving with a splinted arm was okay for very short distances. Once out of the splint, my arm was still weak and I needed to learn my limits – how far could I go? I stayed local, did my driving in neighborhoods, tried different roads from straight to very curvy, and found I could do all of them with patience. I didn’t drive on the freeway for about a month, and that has not been really comfortable – busy cars and multiple lanes require a bit of a different mindset. Luckily, when I have needed to drive any distance, such as to the Valley in Los Angeles County, the esposo has driven me.

Now it is time to get it together. This means more and more normal activities, more movement and lifting. My arm is not fully healed – about 85% – so I need to continue to monitor fatigue and pain. In reality, after getting my arm set, I have never been in pain. Aches come and go, and overuse or misuse let me know as I don’t feel normal, just a bit of an ache in this or that position.

Yesterday I did a bit of gardening, planting bulbs, digging holes, hauling garden soil. Tomorrow I will drive to a friend’s house along some mountain roads. Sewing and painting are there, as they don’t require heavy lifting, but they do require an element of dexterity which has been slowly returning. My left 5th knuckle still bothers me – no idea why – but that, too, is lessening. With use, everything warms up and I am good to go – and that is when I need to be careful!

So, life plods on, but it is time to get back to a more active life. And believe me, Adam and Eve had it worse.

Worthy of My Time and Attention

Retirement is hog heaven . . .

A friend of mine, Stef, said it took her about two years to “settle into herself” after retirement. I believe it!

People wonder how you fill your day before you retire. The truth is, you just do. Sometimes you fill it with activities, and other days you sit down and do not a lot more than loll. For me, being goal-oriented, I feel like I must accomplish something (what is that something??), but I also am quite capable of just doing nothing. Rushing to do things takes away from time to listen to that inner voice of the self which provides insight, calm, and direction. I know I need both.

Oddly, I find I need the company of others more than I used to as well! At work, I always had someone in my face – a student, colleague, whatever – or something to be done – attendance, paperwork, class prep. Now, there are me, my husband, and the dogs for regular company, which, at times, is not enough. Given my desire for other people, I talk to friends and family, connect for lunch, go for hikes. I am in a few Meetup groups and have one of my own, which has been dormant for about a year – time to resurrect it.

Now, I have things to do, places to go, and people to see. Choices need to be made and sifted through daily as to the “agenda.” I have some things I have settled into as routine – getting up, cleaning up myself and the dishes, editing a daily photo in black and white for my 365 Silent Project (missed it a few times). At times there are appointments or pre-planned activities. I want to paint or draw daily, but that has been a bit – haha – sketchy of late. I like to watch about an hour of TV at night before going to bed.

The key word here is value. What is valuable to me today? What is worth my time and attention? Retirement is an adventure that is shaking up a lot of my ideas and solidifying others – and it is fun and tedious at the same time.

When Otherwise Not Occupied

The D7K has been gone for 3 weeks, only to be returned with a “nothing wrong” with it. Well, I don’t agree. SD cards work at times, and other times do not, even if they worked the day before. Something is off. I’ve got a card in there which is recognized and working, and for now will transfer pictures with the camera attached to a USB cable. Let’s see what happens with this card – could conk out one day.

Until the camera went into the hospital, I did not realize just how much time I was spending with photography. I am not sure that this is such a good thing. Other activities certainly went by the wayside, such as knitting and painting, and I have missed those. The past three weeks has seen a pick-up in the knitting area, and I’ve begun some socks and a hat, and designing a sweater (yet again!) for Josh.

What this all means is that my activities need to be more diverse – it feels almost OCD to always be focused (if you will excuse the pun) so much on pictures and software.