MaryAlice Musings and More

I am not always deeply nostalgic on Sasha's birthday.  In the early years there was lots of planning.  Sorting out how to have the party that Sasha most wanted to have.  Baking the cake, inviting the kids and buying Champagne....I think the champagne started on the 2nd or 3rd birthday.  During those times and for many years Sasha's birthday was a much bigger birthday than my own.   From the very first moment that I saw Sasha and held her in my arms I was so in awe that she was her own person.  Of course she was my baby, but she was so much more, she was this bigger than life tiny little new baby who was in this world.  Her own self no longer within me.   What an amazing gift.  Today Sasha is 45.  It is Saturday and she was born on Saturday.  5:15 pm.  Spent a little over 8 hours at the hospital.  First "Lamaze" baby to be born at Vernon Memorial Hospital.   I had a good time this mo...

Best laid plans.... I had made a really good list this morning.  I am in the "things have to get done" mode.  I do not like to wait until the last moment.   Today I woke up feeling better than I have for the past week.  No coughing, no headache, more energy.   There just seemed like whenever I started something today,  another something happened.  It was all good.  I got phone calls this morning.  I remain happily surprised when I actually get a phone call vs. a text!    I had phone time to do a little more planning for the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Water Open House that I am hosting on May 16th!  It is a fun event and it will really be spring!   I know I have "moved into" my house as I now have piles in too many places.   I tried to attack a few of those.  With so so success.   Then it was boots on and off to run a few errands.  Went to the post office.  Then off to Rich...

It was a sunny day here in Patten.  I am feeling better and spent the day doing things that I need to do to get me ready for my trip next week.  It is hard to for me to imagine that at the end of next week I will be in London.   For today my making this real consisted of finishing up the individual planning cards I have made for each day.  They have options,  sights to see,  addresses,  good places to eat - and some fun ideas for each day in London.  I finished my overnite kit for the plane -- earplugs, eyemask, blow up pillow, and arnica for jetlag. At noon my new phone arrived.  I thought of this upgrade as getting a new camera.  So I am going to be able to take really good pics while vacationing!  I spent this afternoon doing all the necessary steps of the download and amazingly all has been transferred and all I need is my new protective case which will come on Friday in the mail. I started laying out clothes imagin...

I have been laying low,  I have "the crud"  which is probably an old fashioned cold.  A cough, aches, stiffly nose and generally low energy.  It has waxed and waned.  I am trying to do all the right things to move this along.  It feels like my body is just saying enough, my body, mind and heart have been stretched and stressed over these past months.  So I am focusing on taking care, being present, resting, and listening to how to help myself get better. This morning started slowly a luxury of my retirement.   Before I even had a cup of tea the snow guy came,  moving the latest "dump" of white stuff.  While he was working away the sun just burst forth, it was beautiful and bright and felt warm.   I went out and did all of the "clean up" shoveling.  I felt those first moments of giddiness as the warmth seems to overcome the winter.  The sun was so warm,  the ground was a little soft and my shoulders were...

I had a full day today.  One of the last things I did before I came home today was stop at our local drug store and bought a wrist brace.  For the past couple of days I have been noticing an increasing amount of pain in my right hand and wrist.  There were more times that I felt something was not ok. So while at my annual physical exam I talked with my doctor about what was going on and how it felt.  The verdict is unclear, but carpal tunnel seems likely.  So I am trying a brace and will be going to OT.  Here's hoping that this will make a difference and that I can reverse whatever is going on with my wrist.   Of course it is my dominant hand and now I get to try typing.  Good thing you can't see the results of my wobbly braced wrist. Back to my full day. It started with fasting.  So with only water to start my day I headed off to East Millinocket to have my taxes done by the AARP volunteers!  I was feeling very good after I...

I didn't make a list this morning, but I didn't need to take pen to paper.  My list has been rolling around in my head for awhile and it grew more fully yesterday as I spent the day traveling back to home. I has a slow beginning to the doing part of my day.  One of my "needs" was to just be able to wake up slowly and enjoy my tea, breakfast and the morning light.   I am aware that I will be breaking a new kind of ground in a few weeks - I have left towards the end of March and come back either in Mid-Late May or Early June.  This year I will be gone for two weeks, the last part of March and return on April 5th.  Spring is not my favorite season, at least spring in the north.  Spring in New Orleans, Texas, Arizona is beautiful and very different than Minneapolis, Millinocket or Patten Maine.   After breakfast I went to the basement and brought up a card table.  I am going to use the table for puzzle putting together.  I bought two p...

I don't have much to say today, except that I am really happy to be back home! My house is warm and cozy. Friends are so very wonderful. It is Tuesday, and I am very glad to be safely back home!