Musings from Left of the Bible Belt

Since I can't garden outside yet, I ordered some succulents to pot indoors from an Etsy seller.

From whom I will never buy another thing. But that's another story...

Part of the deal was - buy 10 potted succulents, her choice of a mix of 6. So that means you get some that are the same.

So I spent some time IDing the ones in her photo on her ad.

And wasted that time.

Because only 3 were any of the ones in her photo.

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So now, I have spent some more time IDing what I actually got.

And this is where you come in...

First, let's start with the aloe I got from Lowes before I got the box of incredibly poorly packed succulents from the Etsy seller.



Now, the rest are from the Etsy seller.

I think this is some sort of agave.



And I think this is a sempervivum.



And I have no idea on any of the 3 of these, which I put in one pot (and may not oughta be in one pot). The largest one has a visible stem that I planted above the soil line.



If you have suggestions, please comment.

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The journey is good.

And it's even better when you can review an online sale...

Haven't updated in several months.

Since my last post, I have...

Survived the December 25 snow storm that paralyzed Arkansas, and from which all storm debris has still not been cleared away;
Got the flu, had a rare reaction to tamiflu, and learned that it just takes 7 to 10 days for the flu to go away, and you may as well veg on the couch; and
Endured more of this weird Arkansas weather this past week. Yesterday, we had a combination of sleet, freezing rain, hail, plain rain and thunderstorms.

All within the space of about 14 hours.

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Animals and babies have taken center stage in my life. My niece had a beautiful baby boy on February 8, and my nephew and his wife are due to have their daughter on April 5.

Knit, knit, knit...

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And I have gotten back into fish tanks.

In a major way.

MTS - big time. (For those unfamiliar, MTS = Multi Tank Syndrome. It also means Malaysian Trumpet Snails, but I don't have any of those.)

For those who find fish tanks interesting, I have some photos.
( Image intensive under the cut... )

Just wait until I get my DIY bog filter for my pond done this spring.

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The journey is good.

Namaste.

Saw the new doc on June 14.

*Love* him. We can have actual conversations. He upped my neurontin, gave me some lasix for the edema (and potassium to replace what the lasix will wash out.)

I can see the bones in the back of my hand and am able to squeeze the ball much harder than in the past.

And tonight, I used my manual can opener to open two cans all by myself. I had to stand at my kitchen table, which is lower than my counter, and brace my left hand against my body, but I did it.

And didn't spill a drop...

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Most of the special kiddos in my life have their birthdays in the spring and summer.

So I've been going to a lot of kiddo birthday parties, listening to squealing, screaming, and watching them stuff themselves full of sugary, calorie laden treats.

I can wipe a few mouths, indulge a few kids, commiserate with their parents, and then -

Go home.

I love the grammy role.

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Work is still a major source of stress in my life.

At the end of each work day, I get my [very hot] car, exhale deeply and start the A/C.

Then, as I drive home, I visualize all that toxic bullshit collecting in a cloud and exiting through my exhaust system. The cloud gets fainter and fainter the farther I drive.

As I approach my driveway, I envision the circle of white light surrounding the cottage. I pay attention to the flower beds as I walk up the sidewalk, and pause if I see a hummingbird on the feeder.

Then I open the door to my sanctuary. The tension leaves my shoulders and back (in part, because I put my purse down), and I smell the comforts of home.

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The journey is good.

It's so wonderful when you learn to let go.

Namaste.

Woke this morning feeling stuffy.

While friends and acquaintances were sniffling, sneezing and snorting their way through the yellow haze of tree pollen weeks ago - we had a mild winter and an early spring this year - I was fine.

Must be the grasses...

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No real chance of rain in our immediate forecast. Drought, anyone? Unless we have a really topsy-turvy summer, I feel we will have an early drought (and no, folks...it's not summer yet, it's late spring - check your calendar for the summer solstice. Or better yet. get in tune with nature's cycles...).

I just filled the birdbaths again. I have one on a pedestal for the wee titmice, chickadees and the like, and one on the ground for the doves.

Because doves look so awkward and ill at ease perching on a pedestal bath. They need to drink and bathe, too.

The viburnum is loaded with small berries left from its blooms.



The birds probably do not care. For the most part, birds live in the moment, taking food and drink where they can find it. If they cannot find it in their own range, they will look farther out.

Seems there are lessons in that...

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My four day weekend has been lovely. Productive where it needed to be, and restful where it did not.

It has given me time to look inward, in a season where I customarily am too busy to do much of that.

I've mused about how RSD has changed my life - in large ways and small.

Last night, I dreamed I curled my left hand into a fist. When I woke, my fingers were trying, but no dice...

This morning, pain and burning are about a 5. I just made multiple trips from garden hose with a one gallon pitcher to the bird baths - pedestal bath takes 3 pitchers, ground bath takes five.

Because the effort of unreeling, stretching and re-reeling the hose was just too much energy.

And during those trips back and forth, I realized ~again ~ that RSD has taught me a valuable lesson.

It - whatever it might be at the moment - is going to take as long as it takes.

And in those extra moments, I have time to observe. See and experience things I might otherwise overlook in favor of just getting a thing done.

As one might expect, some of those observations are about me...

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The journey is good.

As is looking within...

Namaste.

Having jettisoned (or been jettisoned by - I think it depends on your sense of timing) the neurologist with the god complex, and failing over the course of five weeks to be able to find one who can see me in any reasonable amount of time, I backed up and reconsidered.

I'll be seeing a general practice physician on June 14 who has a reputation for appropriate referrals for the management of pain, as well as listening to his patients and engaging in actual dialog.

Catch me please, as I swoon...One of the things I need him to do is continue my prescription for physical therapy.

In the meantime, I still have one refill of neurontin at way too low a dose to treat neuropathic pain, but I take it anyway to maintain my blood level, because I intend to ask the new doc to increase the dose and we'll see if I'm one of the 30% of people who get any relief from it.

I continue to research alternative therapies for pain and edema, trying some which, even if they don't work, still won't hurt me.

( You wouldn't believe what some folks do... )

The journey is good.

It's even better if you stop long enough to take it one step at a time.

Namaste.

The guy who is doing the heavy lifting - and what mowing is needed - in my garden came yesterday.

There's a set price for mowing. I had some other things for him to do.

Like carting out all the little limbs and pine needles from the east garden.

When he got ready to leave, I asked how much he wanted. He gave me the same price for mowing.

Because, he said, you'd be doing this stuff yourself if you could.

I gave him a big tip. Fair is fair.

Afterward, I watered and filled the bird baths.

And then, sat down and enjoyed the morning shadows playing in the breeze.

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The journey is good.

Namaste.

The week did not start well.

( Listen to me blather on... )

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The journey is good.

Sometimes, you just have to hang on for the ride.

Namaste.

I haven't been around here much lately - or anywhere else for that matter.

Late at night two weeks ago today, I made what could very easily have been a fatal mistake.

I emerged from it with a shattered left wrist, a whole bunch of bruises and scrapes, and a totaled car.

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You know what "they" always say about what NOT to do when you feel the tires on one side of your car start to leave the pavement?

You're not supposed to jerk the steering wheel in the opposite direction.

I did, and my small Kia SUV and I rolled over. The 11 year old airbags deployed.

I landed upside down. It took a few seconds for me to figure out that I was not going to be able to unlatch my seatbelt with all my weight dangling from it. I had to find a foothold to raise my body up enough to unlatch the seatbelt and fall to the roof.

I reached up to try and get the keys - that's when I noticed my left wrist was at an odd angle, and hurt like a muthafucker. Couldn't get the keys out of the ignition, but found my purse. Crawled out the busted passenger side window.

And up the ditch to the road.

A car came up behind me shortly. The driver checked for oncoming traffic and went on his merry way.

I started searching my purse for my cellphone, because obviously, I was going to have to call 911 myself.

Couldn't find my phone, but did find my mini-flashlight, so I went back down in the ditch and searched with the light for my phone.

That's where the driver and two passengers of the next car found me.

They were absolute angels.

I regret that I didn't get their names.

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So many silver linings...so many things for which I will be forever grateful.

My mistake only affected me and my stuff. I was alone, and didn't damage the person or property of anyone else.

My seatbelt and airbags did what they were designed to do. My injuries were amazingly minor when you consider the whole thing.

Although the Kia had been paid off for years, I still carried full coverage insurance on it, because - as I've told many incredulous folks when they asked - it's the only car I had, and if anything happened to it, I'd need to get another one.

It wasn't my dominant hand that was injured. (Surgery was last Friday - post-op check-up, removal of stitches, another x-ray, and orders for physical therapy scheduled for next Monday.)

I have - as many, many others do not - health insurance.

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Now, for the lessons and musings...

I am living proof that this time, "they" were right.

You can shave your right armpit with your right hand.

Most jars and bottles can be opened with your right hand if you grip them with your knees.

If your bras have more than two hooks, just go ahead and buy some sports bras.

The cats' mournful wails will increase exponentially with the degree of difficulty you have getting the gawddamn ringtab top off the canned catfood.

Just go ahead and buy some Senokot-S when you are getting your scripts filled for whatever codone the doc gives you for pain - you're gonna need both...

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The journey is good.

Sometimes you get a little wake-up call to understand just *how* good it is...

Namaste.

Received in my inbox this morning, with an assurance it had been checked out on Snopes.

Recently Marines in Iraq wrote to Starbucks because they
wanted to let them know how much they liked their coffees
and to request that they send some of it to the troops
there.

Starbucks replied, telling the Marines thank you for
their support of their business, but that Starbucks does
not support the war, nor anyone in it, and that they would not
send the troops their brand of coffee.

So as not to offend Starbucks, maybe we should not
support them by buying any of their products! I feel we
should get this out in the open. I know this war might
not be very popular with some folks, but that
doesn't mean we don't support the boys on the ground
fighting street-to-street and house-to-house.

If you feel the same as I do then pass this along, or you
can discard it and no one will ever know.

Thanks very much for your support. I know you'll all be
there again when I deploy once more.

Semper Fidelis.
Sgt. Howard C. Wright
1st Force Recon Co

1st Plt PLT

Also, don't forget that when the Twin Trade Towers were
hit the fire fighters and rescue workers went to
Starbucks because it was close by for water for the
survivors and workers and Starbucks charged them!!

JUST A NOTE TO THIS; STARBUCKS HAD STORES ON SEVERAL
MILITARY BASES IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY ARE NOW BEING
REMOVED BECAUSE OF THIS.

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Now, time for the Hertz moment.

Not exactly.

Actually, not even close.

If anyone in the massive list of addresses splayed down the page of my email had taken about 90 seconds to check, they'd have known that.

It wasn't even "recently," unless you count the rumor's original origins in 2004, as researched by Snopes.

In 2007, the rumor changed corporations, and it was Oscar Meyer.

There *was* an email by a Sgt. Howard Wright, and after he got a letter from Starbucks, he sent another email, backing up from his original statement and saying he "didn't do my research properly like [I] should have."

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So, what did I do?

I replied all.

And preached the truth.

And probably made several enemies in the process, people I don't even know.

And frankly, don't care to know.

Winston Churchill was right, ya know...

Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.

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The journey is good.

But I guess I'll have to move around the lemmings.

Namaste.

Had a lovely, fun-filled Thanksgiving with my son, his girlfriend and all four kids. He has two, she has two, and when everyone is all together, it makes for an interesting time. We had ages from 8 down to 1 1/2.

We went out to eat at a family style restaurant where you could either have a traditional southern Thanksgiving plate or order anything you wanted, including breakfast.

I elected to let someone else do the cooking and washing up this year.

So, the kids all wanted breakfast. Three of them had pancakes, including McKayla, my youngest granddaughter.

I cut her pancakes up and then held her plate to the side so I could feed her. She kept doing that dodging thing toddlers do with food. I offered her stuff from my plate.

Nope, the head swiveled to the side, lips locked in defiant grimace. Adam looked up and told me he thought she preferred to feed herself.

I said with syrupy pancakes? You've got to be kidding...

Who knew a syrup laden pancake could be so well constructed that it would survive being flopped around in the air by an independent 18 month old without having parts of it flung into the laps of nearby diners?

I learn something new every day...

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Came home in the afternoon to find that Tigger was having intestinal upset.

Which got worse throughout the evening and into the night, culminating in bloody diarrhea.

Naturally, on a holiday evening.

Left voice mail for the vet that we would be in promptly Friday morning.

No fever, no parasites, no detectable explanation at all. Same as with the idiopathic cystitis thing of two months ago, for which we are now injecting him every three weeks with Adequan.

For the rest of his life.

The only explanation the vet had was stress. Nonetheless, a round of antibiotics, to make sure there is not a bacterial infection.

And had to rest his gut, which meant no food until this morning.

His cohorts were not amused. I free feed the cats because my work schedule doesn't permit me to be around to do the scheduled meal thing.

To ease him back into food, today we are doing four small scheduled meals.

Which means for all.

Emma in particular is very put out, glaring at me as I took up the bowls. Emma snacks between serial naps. There should be something for her to snack on when she awakes.

Stoney has been following me around, doing the feline vocal equivalent of whining.

And I am trying to figure out what could have stressed Tigger out.

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The Weather Channel has just texted me that the temperature will drop like a rock, and we have a 30% to 40% chance of snow showers for the next few days.

WTF? The Farmers Almanac said nothing about that...

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The journey is good.

It has just enough weirdness in it to keep me from getting complacent.

Namaste.