Today there is a purest blue sky and no breeze. It is the one Sunday in each month when J, my carer, doesn't come. It takes me most of the morning to complete the jobs she usually does in her hour and, apart from that I miss her cheerful company. But it is good of her to only miss one Sunday.
I should be washing and dressing - I have finished all the other jobs and setting off on my morning walk. So I will put this to one side for later in the day.
It is now four thirty and the day is beginning to wane. A cooler breeze has sprung up and is quite pleasant. I did my usual walk round the block. I have missed it for three days for one reason or another and how I noticed I had. Twice, where the path sloped, I nearly lost balance and fell and the last one hundred yards or so were very hard going.
I shall own up in the morning to eating today's lunch for last night's tea - it was just too good to leave until today - prawn salad. For lunch today I had to search in my freezer to see what I could find. There were plenty of interesting veggies - farmhouse miscellany, mediterranean vegetables. oven chips, oven jackets, I didn't feel like any of them. In the end I did my walk, came back and cobbled together a salad to eat with smoked salmon I had in the fridge. I could hardly keep awake and had to have a sleep. Then Priscilla and Iwent out on to the patio and dozed.
I had two interesting conversations on my walk this morning. First of all I met an African Grey Parrot with his 'Mum and Dad' - what a beauty he was - all grey but with a bright red tail. The three of them sat in their front garden in the sun. Then next door to them a couple were gardening in their front garden. They had a trough with eight black plastic plant pots - I have been walking past them a lot and seen the leaves emerge and grow. I remarked how their dahlias were growing and looked so healthy. They were not dahlias - they were special potatoes for growing in this way - first time they had tried them so now I shall watch their progress with interest.
The way I am feeling today underlines just how important it is that I keep up my daily walking - things were much harder today and I have been tired all day. Back to the grindstone tomorrow!
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18 comments:
You really do have to keep up with exercise to enjoy it, don't you? Turb and I have done more shorter walks lately, with my sister-in-law, who pulled her hamstring about a month ago. It was a perfect day for walking today, so T and I headed out into Shropshire for a bit of hilly solitude. It was magnificent...but oh, my legs felt the hills!
Yes, the old saying is "use it or lose it" and I'm feeling that way too. I'm going to ask my husband to bring up my treadmill from the basement (I refuse to use it down there anymore... nothing to look at and too gloomy) so that I can take a little walk everyday on it. I have to watch tv or something, while I walk on the treadmill, or I get way too bored. I don't have any room, really, for it but I'm going to make room. I'm afraid I'm going to fade away and not be able to move properly if I don't. ~Andrea xoxo PS~ But please don't fall again, my dear. Walk with someone and not by yourself. xoxo
Yikes, almost falling is scary. Do you have an alarm you could ring or something so that someone would come help right away? But yes, keeping up the walking is critical!
My husband planted some potatoes that sprouted in the kitchen last year and they were a great entertainment for him, so this year he ordered seed potatoes and most of our former vegetable/flower garden is now various types of potatoes. They are amazingly robust looking, and some are starting to bloom; I guess he's not the only one being entertained! How satisfactory of your various neighbors to provide both a parrot and potatoes for you to enjoy!
ceci
Do be careful and hang to Priscilla tightly so you don't fall! But of course you know that and I am so glad you are continuing with your walks. Do you have one of those exercise pedals so you can still work your legs inside on rainy days? I have seen them on TV and you sit in a chair and just pedal a bit while you watch a program. Just a thought for the days you can't get outside.
Glad you managed for yourself today!
On your carer's day off why don't you treat it as a day off too and just do the bare minimum? I am sure I would.
I agree with Rachel that's what I would do too!
I love your walk with potatoes and a parrot. Interesting neighborhood.
Rachel had an interesting idea. Set up an day off with a great store bought lunch and a book to read or special tv show or a visit in your garden with a bird house ?
Perhaps when your carer is off, you could have a meal delivered by a restaurant, if that is possible...just dress, eat, do your walk...nothing else...prayers
How true the saying 'Use it or lose it' is. I have the same problem. It isn't worth being lazy about exercise.
Another glorious day here too - such a treat after a rather long wait.
Thanks for the various bits of advice - much appreciated. Now that I have a carer who as well as helping me up, wash or shower and dress - also does washing and provides me with a meal each day I really do very little any way. My carer also manages to run the vacuum over the carpet and keep the bungalow clean - doing one room extra carefully once a month and she does my washing. So I have little or nothing to do anyway.
Must say I agree with the idea of a day off occasionally - especially on a Bank Holiday weekend.
Ah ... the African parrot reminded me of my long gone godfather. He met my parents in West Africa and then retired to Devon where he lived with his two spinster sisters. He took a parrot back to the UK with him and took great delight in teaching it bad language much to the consternation of his long suffering sisters.
I suppose one good thing about knowing one is a bit doddery on the old pins is that falls can be anticipated. If my knees or back are playing up I am extra careful. It's the tripping over the dogs' bed or slipping on the wet path that gets me into trouble. Take care.
You are so right, exercise each day is key. Your walks are always filled with lovely interactions with neighbors.
Meeting a parrot, what a surprise.
You do seem to live in a very friendly neighborhood. Is there someone you could arrange to walk with sometimes? You are such a sociable woman and talking as you walk along might make things a bit more pleasurable.
Your regular walk seems to be very good not only for your exercise but also for the opportunity to visit with some of your lovely neighbors! How nice to meet an African Grey Parrot along with his human family. Parrots are such interesting characters and fun to see. I hope your evening went well and you had a good night's sleep.
Coming across a parrot during a walk is rather rare in these parts!
The almost falling must have been a scary moment, good job you did not really fall. Would your help button work outside the house, too, or is it hooked up to your phone or internet connection?
Your carer having just one day off every month - I wonder how she does it all, looking after people, cooking for them PLUS her own household. She must have next to no time ever to herself. Admirable but definitely not the way of life I would want, I am too selfish and need my own time too much.
Librarian - lots of questions to answer: I am going to do a piece about my help button today as several people have asked. M carer only cooks for me (and her partner's mother. She started bringing me meals as she was already cooking one extra - I now pay her and she brings me a meal. She only has about four regular clients so she doesn't by any means work full time. But she is a treasure.
Debby - I must not talk as I walk along - I must absolutely concentrate on my walking - I am much too unsteady otherwise.
Sparklingmerlot - I really need to concentrate when I am walking. My fear is breaking the other hip.
Thanks to you all - you always brighten my day.
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