A NEAT THOUGHTSave the Earth . . . it's

A NEAT THOUGHT

Save the Earth . . . it's the only planet with chocolate!!!

(From my friend Edith in Toronto.)

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The above photo was one I took at the Newport, Oregon Aquarium on October 19, 2005. I had a comment on it yesterday by a guy named Steve Worthington who makes bronze animals. They are very interesting, especially the turtles.

I have always loved turtles. I had quite a nice-sized one when I was a girl but my mother made me leave it outside, and I came home from school one day and found it dead, chewed up by a neighborhood dog. I was devastated! We obviously didn't know much about turtles at the time; it probably needed a fairly decent-sized aquarium.

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I am feeling quite a bit better today. I was sure yesterday that I had undone all the good work I had accomplished in the previous couple of days -- my arm was that sore! But the icing of the upper arm and shoulder along with the exercises have worked wonders. I was even able to get most of my work at the business done last night and this morning, with just a short stack to be filed tomorrow.

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Our weather is beautiful. It is sunny but there is a cooling breeze so it's not getting too hot. The afternoon should be perfect for Jeff to mow the lawn, as he plans to.

PROGRESSThere is a saying

PROGRESS

There is a saying that Steve always used to quote: "If all else fails, read the directions." That applies, I believe, to my flyer from my physical therapist, which I have gradually been reading more and more thoroughly and finding out that I haven't been doing my exercises as often or as many reps as I should have. That's probably okay, though, because I have built up gradually to the number indicated.

Yesterday, folding laundry wasn't nearly as painful as it had been the week before. (I was glad to have my little helper, Socks, too, as shown below.)



The day was so beautiful when the sun came out in the afternoon yesterday that I went outside and picked up all sorts of small branches that had blown off the trees during the strong winds a few days ago, in anticipation of Jeff mowing, which he has just let me know he will do tomorrow. I also cut down a few thistles that are growing by the garage, which is separate from the house. I am doing that a very few at a time. I was given strict orders by my PT not to aggravate my arm.

One thing I was told, as well, and have noticed, is that raising my right arm up is very painful and is a no-no. I do it entirely with my left arm, and that has brought me a great deal of relief from pain.

I didn't work Wednesday night but will work over the weekend, as is necessary. Slow and steady is the answer, with frequent breaks.

It is such a relief to not be in pain all the time! I can't believe I waited so many weeks to tell my doctor what was going on and get the referral to physical therapy. I am glad now for my progress.

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With ID thieves out there, I get a bit on the panicky side when I don't get any mail, as was the case yesterday. I contacted my neighbor via e-mail to see if she had gotten any, but they have a post office box in town. Today there was mail, though, so I feel better.