Sage's Journal

Armee · April 17, 2023, 05:02:12 PM

I can't wait to read your memoir, Sage. Thanks for the idea for the cranberry chicken salad. I have those 3 ingredients on hand and prepared so I'll try to find a recipe! Dinner out to celebrate sounds like a nice splurge and congrats!

CactusFlower · April 19, 2023, 04:20:21 PM

So, that salad was just fine the next day. This is the last of it, I think I'll eat the little oranges out of it and use the rest with some chicken for stir-fry. We actually ended up trying a new place yesterday for dinner and got breakfast burritos, ha ha. They were HUGE. I had the rest of mine this morning and it was decent heated up. So I'm pleased to get the value for the money, 2 meals out of them. Also managed to get a little more seasonal clothes put away and a few on the Buy Nothing group.

The amazon stuff arrived yesterday, the few things I got with that gift card I got for doing the survey. It wasn't a lot, but the things will make life a little easier. I got a set of clear plastic "drawers", rectangular bins, really, that go in the fridge to organize stuff. I'm pretty exhausted now, but it'll be a lot easier to just pull a bin and see if I need more of something or not. I also got a set of silicone bags in different sizes. So yeah, they're washable, but that will cut down on buying Ziplock bags for so many things. The wash is easy, you just put soap and hot water in them, close it, and shake it. Then it can dry upside down on the plate dividers in the rack. I also got a nice strainer for my looseleaf teas. I drink tea all year long, so now I can really enjoy my Lapsang Souchong. If anyone wants to know what this stuff is like, let me know, I'm happy to post links to useful items.

Since I did have a duplicate water bottle from last order, I keep one filled in the fridge and rotate them out to have cold water. It's really helping me stay hydrated well.

Did have some stress/anxiety this morning. Apparently the water heater was off, so the landlord had to come re-light it. He also found a small leak on one of the pipes, so a plumber will come over sometime soon. He just changed plumbing companies and I think I see why. That pipe is less than 5 years old. Still, people having to come into my home unexpectedly, strangers, it's very stressful for me. It brings up feelings of shame and judgement. Ugh. Also means I can't just wear my nightgown all day, ha ha. I suppose that's for the better.

rainydiary · April 19, 2023, 06:29:41 PM

CF, I resonate with discomfort of others being in my home. I hope that the plumbing issues are resolved quickly and that you all may be left to your space as much as possible.

sanmagic7 · April 20, 2023, 08:26:59 PM

i get the idea of not wanting people in my house, CF. no thank you. it disrupts my routine, causes me to interact w/ someone even if i'm not feeling up to it. ugh!

on the other hand, all your edible goodies sound like so much fun. keep it up - it brings smiles to faces and tummies! love and hugs

CactusFlower · April 21, 2023, 04:32:53 PM

Thank you, rainy, san. The invasion of space is an issue for me, I don't feel safe, either. Plubmer still hasn't called to say when they'll be here. Sigh. We did go to the Int'l grocery store yesterday afternoon and got some snacks. I also got some different ramen flavors as well as some miso paste so I can have miso soup whenever I want. It's so simple, but very satisfying. Just zoning here at the moment and waiting for the caffeine to kick in. annnytime now...

Armee · April 21, 2023, 04:58:07 PM

It definitely makes sense to not feel safe and I wish it would be over with soon so you can get on with feeling comfortable in your home.

sanmagic7 · April 21, 2023, 05:04:33 PM

love and hugs

CactusFlower · April 28, 2023, 11:33:34 PM

Oops, a week gone by! Relatively productive. Kind of depressing dreams, but that's going to happen in the "Mother's Day Season". I can't believe it's been 10 years, wow. But I did get laundry done, and about 90% of seasonal clothes switched out. Just a few more hoodies to put away. Varric is eating some cat food, the kind that is pieces in gravy. I'm hoping between that, the nutritional supplement stuff, and a tube of specific cat vitamins (like Taurine), that it will help. It's a long process to find out what he will eat, but he seems to like the pieces and gravy better than more solid wet food.

Next month will be a little busy, as the 3rd is the disability medical appt, My BFF is taking me to a murder mystery dinner theater thing on the 13th, and my birthday is the 16th. This coming Monday, BFF and I are doing our first day drive of the year, yay! Also had financials discussion with my bro, so that's been a huge relief for arranging things.

Therapist has been discussing my getting one of those walkers with a seat on them so I can go further when I go out. I feel very self-conscious, though. BFF has one and a membership to the botanic gardens, so I may "test drive" his in a low-audience environment. It just feels weird, like "you're not old enough or bad off enough for that!" Clearly, I need to work on that inner critic a bit.

rainydiary · April 29, 2023, 02:59:03 AM

It sounds like a lot of problem solving. Best wishes sorting out a mobility aid - I wish more people recognized how useful tools and props and supports can be and that it was normalized. I hope you enjoy the fun stuff coming up and that the appointments go as well as they can.

Armee · April 29, 2023, 04:29:15 AM

I agree with Rainy, and hope using an assistive device will help you conserve your energy so you can do more. It sounds very worthwhile to me.

sanmagic7 · April 29, 2023, 03:20:47 PM

hey, CF, i'm w/ rainy and armee on this one. there was a time in mexico when i was using a walker. it really did help. (i think some people around me were more upset by it than i was) and whenever i've seen those w/ a seat on them, i've always thought 'what a great idea'. i hope yours helps you, too. it's ok to use whatever is on hand to get us from here to there. just like it's ok to take medicine to help us get from illness to wellness. by the by, i decorated mine - it helped bring a smile to my face when i'd go to use it. love and hugs

Not Alone · April 29, 2023, 04:08:00 PM

Using a rollator walker is about need and helpfulness, not age. I hear your self-consciousness about it though. I encourage you to do what is best for you. It's cool that you have one you can "test-drive."

CactusFlower · May 05, 2023, 02:24:47 PM

Thank you, rainy, armee, san, and notalone. I'll write about it after I try it out.

Varric continues to eat the gravy cat food, vitamins, and supplement gel. He doesn't eat a whole packet of food at a time, so we save it and give it to him two hours later. It's feeding more often, but he's eating more. I think he'll start gaining again in a few weeks of this.

The disability med appt went about the same as the last one. Anxiety spiked my blood pressure, so it was measurable. The doc was at least kind and all when I managed to say I hadn't been with a male doctor in a really long time. Said what he needed to do before touching me, kept the door open, very nice. It probably helped that he was younger. Knee issues (at least he heard my knee pop, lol), walking issues, reduced grip strength, etc. It was short, even if they were 20 minutes behind, grrr. I really just want to get to the hearing now.

Not a whole lot going on other than what I've already mentioned about feeling down this month. *shrug* Blah.

NarcKiddo · May 05, 2023, 05:11:11 PM

Hey, CactusFlower. My husband has one of those walkers with a seat. He has arthritic knees. Walking is an issue but having to stand for any length of time (such as waiting for an elevator that never seems to arrive) is particularly painful. So the seat is really useful for him. He also uses it to sit on if we find ourselves in a restaurant with really uncomfortable chairs.

I can totally understand you feeling self-conscious, but I can also assure you that when you come to try one out you will probably find that nobody pays the slightest attention unless you/they need to interact for some reason. In the pre-Covid days when we dared to fly anywhere my husband would have wheelchair assistance. This meant checking him in at the disability counter and then I would have to take the walker over to the heavy baggage area for loading. The easiest way was for me to use it as a walker. The first time I had to do this I thought people would stare and wonder why I was using one. So I decided to run through the airport with it to really give them something to wonder about. What a waste of effort. Nobody batted an eye!

CactusFlower · May 06, 2023, 06:15:29 PM

Thank you, Narckiddo! That does help. Fibromyalgia is my main pain issue, but I do have degenerative osteoarthritis in both knees, so that just adds to it. Can the height of the seat be adjusted? My canes are all on the lowest pin since I'm only 5 feet tall. I do like the idea of it in a restaurant, as sometimes the chairs hurt due to them not being exactly at my knees at my height. I'll look into different types. Everyone here is really easing my mind about the being self-conscious.