Old Friend Pain

I have been two days without any ibuprofen, just to see if the pain is still there, or even scarier, if the ibuprofen is causing some of the pain. My neck is sore and can barely be turned. my thumbs feel like they've been abused in some weird Chinese torture ritual, my right shoulder feels somewhat dislocated. Below the waist I'm not so bad although the first few steps after being in any position for more than a half hour are a little painful and off balance. I have been falling asleep without help though and seem to get the same number of hours as usual - I'm just more relieved when I can finally get up after being still for that long. I've been reading The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball (good read!) and wishing I had the physical ambition to do that kind of hard work, raising food for myself and others, farming. I think it would be too painful, if not impossible.  If there were not so many things left that I can do I would feel really bad about the things I'm thinking of crossing off the list.

But it is nearly February and time for the annual lesson in how not to garden in Florida. There are dozens of ways and I know I've not tried them all yet. One of these years something will work. I'm going to try not to spend any money this season (that was one of the things that didn't work last year). I've only lost a couple plants so far to cold weather and lack of water and am hoping the danger of freezing is past. I have ideas...  I'm wondering about chickens.

I bought a shirt from a company that makes travel clothes. I thought it would be a great light jacket for my Cambodia trip but I didn't wear it even once. It has polka dots, or maybe just dots, all over it. I guess polka dots are evenly arranged in a pattern - my own definition. For some reason I am drawn to spots like this on clothing, maybe thinking that other spots will be hidden much more easily. But I don't like them nearly as much when I see them on me. This black shirt with white dots makes me feel like a large domino with legs. What the catalog said is true, it doesn't wrinkle and that is a point in its favor.

I've only had to work four days a week for the last two weeks and it has been so helpful. With this kind of schedule, the job I have has a lot in common with the job I always thought of as the perfect job (see previous blog). This calm, adequately staffed period of time probably will not last forever, but I've been enjoying it. Some days I get up and work like a madwoman doing errands, cleaning, shopping, having people over for dinner. Other days (today) I don't make my bed but stay in it reading until midmorning, do only one thing from my to do list (wash outside lanai windows) and don't rush anywhere for anything. I'm practicing for retirement should I ever be forced into it.