Legalily said:Bronchitis went from viral to bacterial. Dr gave me antibiotic and day and night cough suppressants. Also have sinus infection. I'm thankful it wasn't pneumonia

It is very good that you have gotten medication from the doctor. Now maybe it will clear up.

If the cough would stop that would help!!

I'm thankful that the bad fall I took the other night does not seem to have affected the vision in my right eye - which was hit hardest. I'm developing a doozy of a black eye but my vison is still OK. This could have been such a disaster. I have almost no energy but also almost no pain so I'm taking it easy and working on forgiving myself for being so clumsy. I got very lucky and am more thankful than I can say. katie

In my case Katie forgiveness for being clumsy is an ongoing event My bosses jokingly call it my pre-existing condition

Thank you for the comments about my view .. I'll share more about that in another post, but first I want to share my gratitude for the gifts of friendship. I am so totally awed at the moment by how a friend can change the content of one's life.

Yesterday morning, I got a call from a friend from church who opened the conversation by telling me that she noticed that I was looking quite tired and kind of beat up ... well, yeah. I told her a steady diet of eating bear does that to one.

She laughed and asked, "What's up ?"

I gave her a short summary of the last several weeks and a summary of what still needed to be done. I ended with, "I am totally overwhelmed. There is simply too much for one person to do, but it all has to be done."

There was a long pause and then she said, "I am headed out of town for the weekend. You keep on eating your bear one bite at a time and I'll be there on Monday afternoon. We'll set up a list of priorities and tackle everything on the list until we get you over the hump and you can manage things without beating yourself up. Then no more bear for you !"

D is the most joyful, energetic and organized person I know. In my mind, I have this vision of Samantha the witch twitching her nose and everything falling into place immediately. That's D.

Our friends are truly the treasures of our lives. I am so very grateful for my friends.

Lyn it sounds like you have a wonderful friend

Legalily said:Either way Lyn you have a gorgeous back yard

Ginny. I can't take credit for the plantings on the slope. Mrs. J planted all of the junipers. There are four different cultivars crossing the slope which goes all the way across the back yard. This is what I started with:



I've slowly developed beds over the years. To me, I still don't have one bed complete:







This is the bed in front of the woodshed before you go up the stairs to the slope:



This is what I call the side yard bed which is at the top of the stairs above that gate down by the street you saw in the other photo:





There's still a lot to do the get the garden ready for winter, but now I think that will actually happen before the first frost ...

Sally ... I am not fond of treadmills very much myself. I really hate walking to nowhere. Good for you for even climbing up on the dang thing, much less actually using it.

Rosie ... A spiffed house ! What a joy ! Good for you ...

Ginny ... I hope you will be feeling better very soon.

Susan ... Those exercises really do make a difference. I avoided knee surgery because I really kept up with them. When they said I would have less pain if I had surgery if I did the exercises, there was no question as to whether or not I was going to do them. I'll do anything to avoid pain ..

Katie ... I often say I was born a klutz and just haven't outgrown it, yet ... I am so thankful your fall was not a disaster.

Lyn - I'm thankful for people like yourself that keep me on the straight & narrow re: knee surgery.

Oh Lyn,
That's a treasure of a friend! I used to do that for DD when all 4 kids were small and she had so much to do. I would spend the night when her husband was on the road trucking.
You have done a beautiful job f adding beds!
Luckily I have a book holder so I can read. Right now I'm reading cookbooks and no, it doesn't make me hungry but I sure am tearing strips of paper to mark recipes!!!

I'm thankful my legs are good so I can walk.

What a great friend. You can begin to jot down things 2do and think about priorities. "Chunking it" some call this. I have to do this here as it seems to be a constant one step forward and two back, what with hurricanes, medical issues, and, always, life.

When I was feeing a little better yesterday afternoon I recognized my tendency to get distracted and made a SHORT list of high priority tasks. And I checked back with it several times. Got the laundry done - a big chore - and a few small things. Gave myself pat on the back and quit for the day. It's hard to stop when I still have any energy but I did it and commended self for my discipline.

Several months ago I began a nightly routine of hugging myself after I'm in bed. I gently stroke my arms and legs gently and tell myself "I love you." Unconditionally. Not because of anything I've done - just hugs and "I love you." I'm reading a book about unconditional happiness. I think we cold probably all use a little more unconditional love and happiness and I think as we learn to give it to ourselves it enhances our relationships with others as we are not looking to others to provide it.

Going to check my shortlist of chores for the day. My mantra is "it's finite." There will always be more to do but the must-dos are finite.

Right now Inky Dink is demanding attention so duty calls.

hugs all around, katie

Katie - what a wonderful & loving thing to do for yourself, giving yourself hugs!
Also, a short list of things you accomplish gives you a great sense of gratification when they're done.
Good for you!!

katiebear said:What a great friend. You can begin to jot down things 2do and think about priorities. "Chunking it" some call this. I have to do this here as it seems to be a constant one step forward and two back, what with hurricanes, medical issues, and, always, life.

I have already done that ...

My mantra is "it's finite." There will always be more to do but the must-dos are finite.

I never ask for help getting ready for winter because everyone else is also getting ready for winter. I am running out of time, which is why I am pushing so hard.

Some of my "must do's include getting a good seal on the deck. Getting the plants winterized and getting plants into the ground before I lose them. I need to find some fill dirt to back fill where the moles have undermined the beds near the sidewalks and near the propane tank. A trip down the mountain to get my winter groceries to stock up for the winter and for cooking for the freezer, (there's a good chance I could get snowed in). The inside of the house was completely torn up by the furnace installation. I've been putting that off, but the clutter is making me tired and cranky because I don't know what I have on hand and need to purchase for winter supplies. Changing out summer clothing for winter clothing.

I need to get my chores done and supplies on hand before I can schedule the eye surgery I need, which will be four trips down the mountain. I can't take time off now for surgery.

I am so very grateful that I actually think D and I can get this done before true winter hits and I'll be able to have my surgery without having to ask someone to drive me down the mountain during the snow season. That has been a worry that has been tucked in the back of my mind, that I just refused to even think about.

Life is good and miracles do happen. I am filled with joy today ...

It's so good to hear you feeling better about it all, Lyn! You have a wonderful friend there and I know the 2 of you can get things in order before the true winter hits.

Lots of pain today. I finally took a second pain pill and it's pretty much knocked me on my butt. Sometimes it ups the energy, sometimes the opposite. I got the new cooker for the dogs' food going. I cleared out a small but cluttered area next to the back patio. I was going to do more there but got bogged down in looking for the necessary tools. Sometimes when I have a chore to do I spend a half day or so getting all the needed materials ad tools together and the start he job the next day when I'm not still frustrated from the searches. Today I could only find one work glove. I have literally dozens of pairs - they were all hiding. Anyway, I'm set to continue the task tomorrow provided the furbabies don't hide stuff. I'll be grateful for what I got done.

My eye is healing well. Anita had to leave a little early as her mother was coming to visit. As she hugged me goodbye she said I'm like another mother to her.

My cup runneth over.

katie

Lyn I'm worn out just reading what you have to do I'm thinking I'm thankful I don't have NEAR that much to do.
Katie

To everyone , cuz we ALL need hugs, and I'm thankful I can give them to you all!!

Legalily said:Lyn I'm worn out just reading what you have to do I'm thinking I'm thankful I don't have NEAR that much to do.
Katie

Ginny .. this year is unusual. Really it is. This summer I wasn't playing at 100% and got behind. I didn't realize how big of an impact that would make on the fall work.

Then there was the furnace installation and then my handyman couldn't do the deck work. This is the first year I have had a mole problem. It all added up. Then I messed up big time by setting impossible deadlines for myself and pushed myself until I was almost a blithering idiot. I lost my ability to multi-task. I couldn't prioritize well and I wasn't working efficiently. I was just too tired to think and work well.

However, my biggest mistake was that I lost site of what was really important in life. I almost didn't take time out from my marathon to be available for a friend in need.

That's when I decided to start eating my bear one bite at a time. The list above is a LOT shorter than it was when I made that decision ... I have accomplished a LOT ... one bite at a time and I have made time to help a few other people a bit along the way, too. That feeds my soul.

I feel blessed that another friend, D, volunteered to help me tackle the rest of the things on my plate ..

Oh Oh Oh.... Lyn...... lend me your friend, D, ok? I could sure use someone to help me eat MY bear..

At least now I understand eating the bear analogy!