TToT — March 9, 2025

¹Cleaning is cathartic. And, by cleaning, I mean getting rid of stuff. I’m getting so much better at it.

For instance, today I came across a photograph of my parents that I really dislike. It’s a fine photo of my father, but my mother may as well have “DEMENTIA” written across her forehead. I looked at it and thought, Nope. I took it out of the frame and put it in the trash pile. Shortly after, one of my siblings called. I told them what I had done. They said, “I know exactly what photograph you’re talking about. I have a copy. I’ve never hung it in my home.” That ²confirmation, the fact that we don’t want to remember our mother in her dementia, was HUGE.

Also, while cleaning and sorting, I came across this:

It’s a ³change purse made for me by a ⁴friend. I don’t always talk to change purses, but I did today. “I need you,” I said. “I’m so glad you’re in my life!” And I promptly took all my change and loose bills out of the little zippered Celtic bag that I had picked up at a Scottish games and put them back into the clasp purse that will inspire me. And, actually, it’s not so much that change purse as the friend who inspires me. When I look at it, I think of her.

Speaking of ⁵inspiration, that’s another thing that’s pretty huge in my life at the moment. Ideas have started to flow again. Once they start, it’s like a onslaught, a tidal wave. Sometimes, that’s overwhelming. Other times, when they haven’t been there for a while, it’s an awesome reminder that I’m still alive and well and have something to contribute to this world.

Speaking of alive and well, I had my annual physical this past week. I’m actually very alive and very well. My ⁶blood pressure is the lowest it has been in over a decade. It had skyrocketed due to stress in my life. Now it is not just barely normal, but good.

⁷My cholesterol is high. My doctor said, “You need to remember to eat a healthy diet [I do] and get exercise.” I used to walk, on average, 12000 steps per day. Now it’s less that 3500. My hip bothers me SO MUCH when I walk that I just don’t. However, this is a thing to be thankful for in that I am seeing an orthopedic surgeon this week. He might say, “You’re not ready for hip surgery,” which is what I’ve heard before. However, not being able to exercise without pain is really affecting my life and that cholesterol number attests to that.

⁸Swimming is the one exercise I can do that gets my heart-rate up and doesn’t hurt my hip as much. I had stopped swimming when I had the flu. I had absolutely no energy. This week, however, I swam three times.

Friday was ⁹National Staff Appreciation Day. Our new director appreciated us with a bunch a homebaked treats: mini-cheesecakes and an assortment of scones. DEE–licious! I would blame my high cholesterol on him except Staff Appreciation Day fell after High Cholesterol Day.

Finally, I had a lovely ¹⁰lunch with a friend yesterday. It was around 2:30 PM and neither of us had eaten lunch yet. We were talking and decided, spur of the moment, to go get lunch together at a local restaurant. It was great decision.