Anniversary -

 Twenty years! 

Thumbs -

 So this happened 2 1/2 weeks ago. After more than 2 years of attempting to cure a terribly arthritic thumb, without surgery, I had surgery on my left thumb on 1/22/24. 

Feeling better already, particularly knowing the pain I have now is moving forward pain! 

Biggest issues with no thumb - typing, blowing my nose, washing my hair. And yet - 

Never a Dull Moment -

 Let's begin this blog with a magic-filled mid-January run-down: 

Jan. 14 - Church with Knudsen Family, Pizza party at our home with Knudsen's, Holm's, and Birkeland's. Ended with a couple of great games, some sardine eating, and the cutest boy puking. 

Jan. 15 - MLK Day, worked, so many hospital patients, then WrenHouse clients at home. 

Jan. 16 - Work, WrenHouse clients, MM webinar. 

Jan. 17 - Work, WrenHouse clients. Pack for SLC

Jan. 18 - First meal together, although quick, then to Tyli's Drill Team competition. So precise, so magical. 

Jan. 19 - Long awaited weekend in SLC. Looking forward to all activities and time alone, together. 

Psychedelics in the Beehive, featuring Paul Stamets. Attended with a couple of friends, and made a few new friends. 

Jan. 20 - Good night's rest, time for a little shopping - fabric, flour, food, and great conversation with my honey. Came back to the motel and watched a BB game. Early to bed, looking forward to a nice breakfast and The Six! 

Jan. 21 - Scott is sick - food poisoning, 24 hour flu - but he woke up with a stomach bug of some kind. Attempted to rest, hustled to find someone to take our Eccles Theatre The Six tickets (purchased nearly 4 months ago, and so wanting to see) - shared with a friend. Packed the car, headed home with a stop at the grocery store. Scott went to bed, slept 12 hours, then most of the night. I made soup, muffins, cleaned the house, in preparation for tomorrow's surgery. And looked for the magic in the opportunity of coming home earlier than expected. 

Jan. 22 - Thankfully  Scott was feeling  well enough to drive me to the hospital for surgery. Surgery?  Yes, for the past 4 years the pain in my left hand has gotten increasingly worse. It was exacerbated with a fall where I grabbed onto a bar to catch myself, and the past year it has become unbearable. My left hand is my dominant hand (except eating and writing), and my thumb is worn out from years of creating and working. So from cortisone injections to PRP, braces, more cortisone, therapy, it was time for surgery (although I swore of surgeries after my elbow rebuilding). Thumb joint replaced (creatively) by a hand surgeon, and I was home to rest off anesthesia by 1pm. 

Jan. 23 - Scott and I stayed in recovery mode through Tuesday, happily eating soup, muffins, and resting, as well as attending an online retirement workshop (three months!). 

Jan. 24 - Washed hair in kitchen sink, dried and straightened with minimal help from Scott, yet showering is a fiasco - can't do it myself, and we have no tub. Back to work and WrenHouse clients as well. Fun to watch reactions to "thumb surgery." I must say, the pain is nasty, yet I know this pain is beneficial - aargh. 

Jan. 25 - Work and work! Busy day - 11 hours, then leftover soup for dinner. Good news is that I'm sleeping pretty well. My pain was the worst at night, and often kept me awake. This pain seems to subside at night, for which I'm incredibly grateful. 

Jan. 26 - Today! Learning how to manipulate my two fingers on my left hand to be pinchers and holders. Oh, and the blow-dryer between my knees as I dry my hair! Grand-daughter's cheer competition that I've missed, patient visits instead, checking in on my WrenHouse clients, and going to attempt to have a normal evening (that means dinner before 7pm, perhaps a Friday evening movie).

Jan 27-31 - Julie's Birthday tomorrow, Dentist and work and WrenHouse on Monday, my birthday on Tuesday, and the month is over!!! 

Life is good, experiences, planned and bonuses, are the theme of our lives, and yet - there is magic everywhere. From some phenomenal experiences with clients, to networking and making new friends, to enhancing friendships and strengthening family, to waiting and watching, and laughing out of absurdity and joy, as magic continues to unfold. Being curious is so much better than being fearful or indifferent, makes my life so rich. 

Welcome 2024 - New Year's Resolutions -

2024 - away we go - 

I've been saving thoughts that might make it into my "Resolutions" handbook, and while they are all inspirational, I think I'll be working on - 

1. Staying focused at work for 4 more months

2. Exercise 5x a week

3. Being intentional in all I do.

However - these thoughts will remain a part of my journey - 

We're all just walking each other home. 

Sometimes we are just the collateral damage in someone else's war against themselves. (Lauren Eden)

It's OK to lose your shit sometimes, because if you keep the shit, you end up full of shit. Then you explode and there'll be shit everywhere. It'll be a shit storm, and nobody wants that. 

Daughter, spend your life Loving. Not seeking Love. Ocean need not seek water. (Dr. Jaiya John)

Love is everywhere; Enough for everyone. If we but offer and receive. 

Seriously considering filling my pockets with glitter so when someone near me says something really stupid or rude, I'll just reach into my pocket, with a dead expression, and release the glitter into the sky above their head and watch it shower over them like a baptism of common sense. 

Yet just in case I need reassurance that I'm on the right track - 

For the introvert in me, motivation as I prepare for retirement the first part of May: 

I don't want a career, I want to wear a fancy robe covered in stars and dispense confusing and ambiguous advice to passing travelers from a large stone cottage on the edge of the woods where I live with a parliament of owls.

Faith - False Hope -

I've had several patients die this month, and I ache for their loved ones who remain. Even for those who have a belief in a Higher Power, the loss can be overwhelming. I see this particularly when the caregiver/loved one is the only family member and has been relied on so much - they basically lose their lives in service, then really don't have a life to move forward with. Lost. As well, I see this with divided families - death can really tear a family apart, rather than unite, which is heart-breaking. 

I've heard these phrases over and over again - "We have faith," and "God will provide." While these sound powerful, as a Latter-day Saint, I am taught faith without works is dead - and the faith may be in behalf of those caring for the loved one, whose works make them competent in their roles, and I should go to God with a specific request, not an open-ended request. I see this often - "We believe in miracles," and so when the patient does not survive, or has been on life-support for weeks, without any improvement, the fault becomes the medical team's, which is a heavy heavy burden. Watching someone decline over weeks, then watching family members be difficult and outright mean or in denial, causes undue harm to not only their loved-one, but also to providers and caregivers. "We have faith," "We believe in miracles," may be simply that their loved on no longer suffers and life-support is withdrawn. 

Without Telling Me -

 Without telling me/you, tell me where you live, where you've lived, what your careers are. 

I grew up in Potatoes, have spent most of my life in Fry Sauce. However, I did live in Heaven, aka, 2 blocks from the River that Sings, and 2 miles away from that Sound. Interestingly, that was 2.5 hours south of the home of Country Music. 

As for careers - let's see: 
I've been a Valentine's, Mother's Day gift creator, a Fixer Upper long before DIY and TV shows became popular, spending many years in the unpaid underappreciated workforce, nearly 20 years as a "I'm speaking now, you'll get your turn, and yes, I respect that your grandfather died." These past several years I listen to very sick people and don't share my personal beliefs. 

However, I'm also growing my business as a thought-catcher, tangled web untangler, and guide and partner on life-exploring paths. 

While these have been my careers, I'm also a cheerleader to the very young, semi-young, and "the best thing that's every happened to me."

In my free time I: 

Cut up fabric and put it back together again, remove growing things so other growing things can grow, ingest words, and create edibles. 

And you? 

Thanksgiving - Never Again -

 Today I had lunch with my two children, and I told them that if there was even a glimmer that I would repeat this year's Thanksgiving day, that I would quickly invite myself to their Thanksgiving events, rather than spend another like Scott and I did this past week. 

So this year all of our children went to their other parents or side-of-the-family, leaving Scott and me with an empty home. That is, until we also found out our adult grandson, who is away from home, likewise had no place to go. 

And we decided to alleviate any extra work or purchasing, rather - go to Chuck-a-Rama for Thanksgiving dinner. 

Enter laughing hilariously GIF here. 

We arrived at noon, with a line already outside the restaurant. Wind blowing, a storm coming in. We waited about 45 minutes outside, made it inside, for another 30 minutes, and when a table cleared, we were quickly seated and off to the Thanksgiving buffet. 

I put a thin slice of turkey on my plate, a scoop of mashed potatoes, a spoonful of dressing (picking out the dark meat as I could), and serving of green beans, another of corn, and a Diet Pepsi. I added a whole wheat roll, butter, and a soup bowl partially filled with gravy (because who doesn't like gravy with their potatoes?). 

Turkey was fine, vegetables were good, gravy was decent, potatoes had an odd taste, and dressing/stuffing were pure yuck. 

I like their German Chocolate Cake, and I love their Carrot Cake, so took a small piece of each. 

That's it - the chocolate cake was great; I picked around the carrot cake, leaving most on the plate. 

And within 40 minutes of sitting down, we were out the door, into the car, and on our way home. 

That's it! And grandson? He said, if we do this again next year, can we have it at your house? 

I was miserable the rest of the day, took Friday off because of a horrible head ache and stomach ache, and the weekend was spent just laying low (well ok, I made about 15 Christmas pillowcases, and we did get many gifts ready to deliver). 

As of today, 6 days later, I have lost 4 pounds, been dealing with just a "yuck" in my stomach, unable to eat raw vegetables, only fruit is bananas, and tonight I'll attempt to eat some soup for dinner. 

Seriously? Happy Thanksgiving? Nope. 

Looking forward to Happy Holidays though! 

On the other hand, these artist renditions of Freedom from Want by Norman Rockwell are awesome. Enjoy!