I watched a little bit of the news last night and some of the reporting reminded me of the two week stay in a rehab facility when I had bilateral knee replacements. I can only imagine what most assisted living residents, both capable and incapable are going through now. Most of the patients, at the rehab hospital, had mental difficulties related to strokes with their physical rehabbing at the facility. So, my mental capacities were probably some of the best among the patients. It was mainly the nursing assistants that began our "rehabbing" relationship with the supposition I wasn't with it and when I responded to questions or questioned them back, they were quite taken aback. Being in the facility over the Thanksgiving holiday, I experienced exceptional bad behavior and decisions all on one day...Thanksgiving Day was the worst day while rehabbing. All the way from the nursing assistants to the contract nurse, to the fill in physical therapist, to the substitute doctor making rounds...it was just bad. The doctor asked me a lot of questions that particular evening. I answered him while praying silently that I wouldn't be tempted to spout off at him. At the end of the interview he said, I don't know if you are faking this competence, because you are very good at this. To tell you the truth, I wanted to say, wow, all those hard years of medical school and residency...and here you are talking to a 61 year old woman about aches and pains, goals and such in a rehab hospital that mainly is filled with elderly patients that are probably at the top of their game with descent lingering in the foreground ...maybe I should be questioning your competence...or your grades in med school cause you're subbing for the attending doctor on a holiday, you're a contract Dr.... Thank the Lord, I didn't say it cause he seemed like the re-avenging type. I stayed the whole two weeks but probably could have left a lot sooner...but with really good insurance, I remained. That one day could have broken me...mentally and emotionally. I cannot imagine going through that everyday and fighting for normalcy.
Now I wish I had read the review on a book about watching the daily life of snails, and what we humans can learn from them. Really, snails? My attention span is more for feral cats than snails. Maybe the one piece of advice we could learn from snails is, stay away from salt. While I don't give it a lot of study, the dynamics of the ferals changes constantly. The strongest cat in the group only remains the strongest until a stronger cat comes along. Rejection is tantamount in feral colonies. Ranger experiences rejection daily. Punky chases her off, even Edee takes a couple of swipes at her if she gets too close to the newly placed food. I've done everything to try and help that cat, but she rejects the unknown help that has consistently fed her and given her shelter. Punky keeps her remaining kitten out of sight and when those occasions arise when I do see Boo and Punky realizes Boo has been spotted, she wrangles that kitten into hiding. She is still nursing it not letting it come to breakfast or supper. The big alpha cats Big Chief and Darth haven't been around, so that means Frankie is around from time to time. I don't really like Frankie...he is mean and acts on that meanness without BC or Darth around. He is the one cat that would attack me...but I take means to protect myself. Poor Strawyer, he is the weakest cat in the chain.
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Darth showed up for a quick minute yesterday. He has a presence and when he is sitting on one of the large rocks in the back, his appearance startles me every time. I think he is someone's cat that gets out now and then. He is well groomed and doesn't have a weary look of a feral. With the continuous rain today, most of the ferals are under the house and sounds like they have a peaceful coexistence happening.
We are supposed to find out this week if the state is able to go into phase 2 of reentry. I don't know if hair salons are in phase 2 or not. At this point I'm kind of indifferent because it would be interesting to see what color my hair really is. Although my hair has always grown fast, it is at that stage where it is slowing down growth-wise. Yesterday, outside of Sunday church from a distance, has been my social day in the past two months. Two long phone conversations in the morning and a social distancing visit in the evening which may or may not have contained chocolate chip banana nut bread delivered to the front porch. It is delicious! We used the social distancing pole from the rug delivery for the porch to measure the distance. I knew it was a good thing to keep, at least for a time such as this. Several South Carolinians have written emails and letters to the editor to the state of NC. SC is open, more open than us, and several business owners pleaded with the powers that be to open up because almost every other car in their business's parking lots were from the Old North State. They were pleased to have the business but could only think of their counterparts missing out on business and survival opportunities.
I've read several FB posts written by friends who have worked from home and are now slowly being phased back into their offices at work. Such a joy to read of the blessings in the time, which also included working more. Roy says he works harder from home than in the office. He is phasing into office location and while not many are there, he likes the break from cabin fever. Now truthfully, these past few months haven't had a lot of change for me, schedule wise. But, I have not been on the go like my usual spring time activity. Beginning with daylight savings time, my TV watching goes down exponentially but not this year. Being around here and doing projects and chores instead of running and gunning, then returning home to projects and chores, took away several hours of The Andy Griffith Show for me. Yes, I am so trendy. Anyway, that front flowerbed project has kept me busy, exercising and it has been very entertaining. It was a jigsaw puzzle at times. Thankfully, no math was used...well, not too much math. My endurance is better from carting bags of mulch, outdoor carpets, bags of soil and plants down to the flowerbed. I've used the swing more this spring than I did all of last year. One side of the railing by the stone steps has been repainted and all the solar lights have been replaced that run along side the steps. New lights were put in by the new stone steps in the back, dead heading of roses, planting more dutch irises given to me by the master gardener himself, Larry R. I have never really enjoyed gardening but that has changed. I now join in the ranks of my Grandma B, Mom and my brother Doug. Nathan, owner of Leicester Landscape and Lawn, took my dreams of the flowerbeds I wanted, made them happen and helped me get started down this pathway of getting vitamin D. That side flowerbed is now coming into its own with wildflowers beginning to sprout and bloom. The roses in the back by the gravel road are growing so quickly. The little pops of color, pink mostly, brighten up the back. I see some huge weeds taking sprout so as soon as the rainy season of this week is over, I'll be up there pulling up weeds, galore.
The mood and direction of our country, yes, even with little glimmers of hope, light and laughter, continues to be a very bad mood that sometimes feels like it is spiraling out of control. Twitter has been a go to for news but there is more trash talk than news some days. From all sides and points of views. I worry about Christian influencers. that kind of taunt but rarely tease. What if they are wrong? There is a lot of accountability. What if they are right? Lots of glory and pats on the back. They are mainly young, so those who are older...well, here they come adding their views and opinions. Then everyone blocks. Politics is no different because no matter whose side you are on, there is a lot of time wasted on rabbit trails and looking for offenses...to report or not report. So each side puts attention on what is near and dear to their hearts...ratting out the opposition or ignoring the offenses of those they support. On so many things, I sit on the fence so I don't join in cause it will be assault from all sides...guess I am a Robert Frost supporter
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
‘Why do they make good neighbors?
I support his Mending Wall poem. Being raised by one of the best conspiracy theorists ever, it is a fight not to tend to that thinking. For me, it overwhelms and keeps me idle, which is not a good thing...idle in doing the stuff that needs to be done cause thinking about what ifs can be a wearisome experience. Also leaning toward cynicism is a battle for me and here of late, has been more victorious than defeating. Some days, while reading FB or Twitter and a little swipe is made...well, every year it gets less difficult cause I really can't say easier, to respond with a much better retort or swipe back. Once again being raised by someone with attachment disorder, most probably bi-polar and a narcissistic personality disorder...three strikes wow, one of the talents that had to be developed, thinking on your feet for the best, cutting retort or assessing the situation to see if humor might level the field somewhat. It is exhausting to have to be on ready constantly... I am not so good at this anymore because I don't have to practice this now, but sometimes it can be the default setting. When a smug remark is made by someone who is less talented in this area... mostly it is water off my back but sometimes....oh my, anyway. A conversation with a friend years ago about some smug remarks made by someone clearly not gifted in this area got a response from me in the conversation as, I could have taken her out with words, she'd be a devastated mess because clearly, she is not as good as she thinks. My friend said to me, you say that like you're proud you could do that. My response is no, I am saying this because there was a day, and it wasn't very long ago...I would have leveled her...I am telling you this more like a, look how far God has brought me. Look at His transforming work. Well, this has turned into a rambling mess...but now, hopefully, it is out of my system...thinking about all the hurt, hate, hopelessness, havoc...if I was a good Baptist the alteration would have stopped with three points.
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