Not reading about politics

 I have all these wonderful comentators who have daily emailed newsletters...as well as the big initialed people who give talking points called "Five Things You Need To Know."

So I've just deleted the political ones each day, and am gradually removing the subscriptions. Ever since the GOP took over Congress, and tRump was in court...the news just wasn't anything I had any interest in. The Democrats would evaluate the situation, come up with reasons it was not good, and go on into how they could have done better.

Local news, local politics - I pay big bucks (for me) to get streamed through YouTube TV on my streaming-only new TV. It might also be available if I had an attena still. Anyway, I filter out the local murder stories and highway mahem usually, and want to know where new construction is happening, or different non-profits have new efforts, or the actions regarding the young people arrested in December for helping the homeless. Yes, I've got my local interests!

I do also select BBC and CBS and NPR stories about international and some national news.

And sometimmes I see things when scrolling through Facebook that means something newsworthy is happening. 

I have dedicated the rest of my life to serving environmental issues, so I do read about lots of those...and there are more that I don't know about yet and would love to follow! My dedication doesn't mean much actually...just talking with others mainly (here, on Facebook, in meetings).

I am overwhelmed by the many gun deaths reported.

I am overwhelmed by gory details of any violence, anywhere.

After all I'm 80 years old. I don't have most of my life ahead of me, but behind me. And in that time, the memories of any violent news has faded into a file I call "things I would rather forget."

I still have lots of items in my mental file of "Things Worth Remembering."

As some scientists, or maybe spiritual leaders have said, we only have so much room in our brains. 

What happened to the ones that said we only use 50% of our brains' capacity?

Anyway, while on the subject of brains, I did try the several over-the-counter products that supposedly help with brain function. For 6 months at least. Nada.

I think having a healthy diet, getting fresh air and as much exercise as I'm able to do have been the best things for my brain health. Just my opinion. Remember this blog is where I share my opinions. But you are welcome to comment, which I will definitely read.

 I have lost a bit of weight while dealing with pneumonia, and I would like to keep it off. I mentioned that to my Chronic Care Coodinator today (we talk once a month about my health goals and any new developments.) He said he had studied nutrition before his medical studies to become a Physicians Assistant...and he'd be happy to help me if I want to continue to gradually lose weight. Diet for plant based food is really hard for me. So I asked him to be my coach. 

And tonight I ate a Burger King Impossible Whopper (plant based, tastes like hamburger.) Not that great since it's full of oils, but it really does taste like a hamburger. I don't usually want that sandwich anyway. I tossed out the white bread bun. Lettuce and tomato were very scant.

September song

Such lovely weather. But that's not all that's good in my life right now.

I spent Sunday afternoon sitting on the desk greeting people who visited the Red House Art Gallery. The weather might have been the reason there weren't that many visitors. And they whizzed through so fast, it was as if they had looked for a specific thing and not found it.

The other gratefulness I'm feeling is that my health is being pretty good. I'm taking naps as needed, and eating pretty well.  I've got a chest c.t. scan this week, keeping track of my lungs for my pulmonologist. Bronchiectasis - needing to cough to clear mucus frequently.  If the coughing weren't so noisy I could go where people are more often. As it is, at least once a day when I'm out, I have to remind people that I'm not catching, it's a chronic cough.

So I'm patting myself on my back for having slowly, and with lots of breaks, been able to walk to the lookout on top of Mt. Mitchell last Thurs.  Yay me.

I love September. It used to mean (way back maybe in the 60s) going back to school.  Nowadays it happens in August everywhere.  But rejoining the scholastic community has always been exciting and rejuvenating for me. I'm still taking Spanish, though it's not quite as hard as it could be, not having a teacher but just a bunch of seniors trying to enjoy what they can learn, while many times we can't remember even English words! Well, now that's become more important, in case I ever find myself helping shelter someone who ICE is looking for. So now I want to be able to say a few important things.  But I know some members of the Spanish class would want ICE to arrest illegal immigrants, so I won't be practicing those sentences in class!

There was one summer that I quit my job and spent 3 months traveling and camping with my oldest 2 sons over 10,000 miles. A lot of driving for me (at age 32). But other than that, I haven't had "summer off" or "summer vacations." I would work through summers. And when I retired...well, I have vacation time every day, but I volunteer almost every day.

Goodness this has gone on and on!

Another weather report - how dull

My life has been put on some kind of hold.  I don't do what I plan to do. I can't get into the BMCA clay studio till Monday because of flooding.  That's ok.

 I need to lie down and take a nap at least once a day.  And lying down I just fall asleep and wake up and go back to sleep for hours.  Drat and darn.

So that's how I'm not doing what a week ago I thought I would be doing.

I'm also eating easy fixing things...lots of soup, toast, bagels, fruit, and some fast food.  I have the fixings for a good soup, but haven't cleaned up the kitchen for a few days.  So it's not a good idea to make a bigger mess yet.

Maybe soon.

See, my health report is duller than the weather report.  Snow is mostly gone now, after a day and half of steady rain, light but cold.

At the end of my rope

I've seen it, grasped it firmly, but then let it slip through my fingers.  The end of my rope, the place where I just can't take it any more.  (Unknown, ambiguous "IT".)

But the IT I've been dealing with is just my health issues.  I don't think all older people spend half this amount of time concerning health.  I certainly don't like doing it myself.  So I ask your forgiveness for my continuing drama, and if you don't wish to hear my whining, just skip reading all the following.

When the side effects from the latest round of non-specific treatments hit, I folded.  Antibiotics are often a good idea, and often not at all a good idea...especially since I get a yeast infection from hell when I take them.  Having cat scans of lungs, once was fine.  Having probes stuck up my nose (after it had been thankfully numbed)...all ok.

But when a possible torn rotator cuff starts to wake me up by pains in my whole rib cage, there's something else happening.  My doctors couldn't figure it out when it came up several years ago...and finally treated me for "shingles pain without a rash."  So now I'm taking football size pills for that.

If I didn't have relief....  if a course of antibiotics gave me a recurrance of shingles, and the awful yeast infection...yep, I'd sure be at the end of my rope.

Did I mention the cough from hell hasn't improved?  The snot (excuse me, mucous) sample was sent from my nose off to the lab and showed no infection, so the antibiotics weren't treating anything.

I love ranting here, because it's almost anonymous.  But then sometimes someone says something that's very helpful...so I listen to comments.  

Pain medications are all "over the counter" and I'm grateful for some relief.  Hot showers help too. And I can have days without the cough also.  Today seems good.  When I get tired, or whenever I lie down in the evening because I'm tired...the cough comes back.  Apparently a cough isn't a condition.  It's the result of another condition.  And over-the-counter drugs are all I get...there aren't any prescriptions that are hiding behind the costly specialists.

So relief is either through assuming it's allergy related (generic Clariten-D) or treating the symptom of thickened mucous with Musinex.  And nasal sprays.  And continue using inhalers for the Asthma and the COPD.  The cat-scan confirmed some enlargement of bronchial tubes.   

So I've got my rope in hand again.

Going to go make some soup.
I told one doctor I use herbal teas to good effect.  He smiled with that "that's nice, dear," look.  They do give relief.  All the over-the-counter drugs do too.  But nothing seems to cure what I have.

When I was 72

Contrary to the name of this blog, I continued to count my birthdays.  I thought my 69th year was pretty momentous, thus started the blog.

But year after year continues to have lots of ups and downs.

I'm not doing a new blog each year, so I hope my blogland friends can just bare with me.  Or is that bear with me?

So here I yam a couple of months into another year if I count them on my birthdays.  I still live independently, and have a wonderful group of real and virtual friends...you know which one you are.
I go through stages of journaling my life, like reading Tarot cards.  Sometimes it feels right, sometimes not.  I stay involved in my church though I may have different opinions at times.

I've returned to the Black Mountain Clay Studio most days, where I try to push myself to do something I  want to do (I almost said need)...to try new things, to share with friends there.  I have a studio at home where I can throw or glaze or hand built.  I've got a small group of other potters (Mud Buddies) who I share summer sales with on Saturdays, and that season is winding down.

I've started a new informal partnership with another potter for showing at a couple of venues other than the Saturday markets.  We both are motivated by financial needs.

And occasionally I take day trips with various friends.   This Sunday we're going to the Spruce-Pine Potters Market...one of the best in the area with potters from the mountains sharing their wares.  The show starts on Saturday...10-5, but I'll be going to Black Mountain's Tailgate market then.

And my health continues to be a concern...needing more attention than expected, in almost unexpected ways.  Drat.  And dang.  And dang-bat too!  It makes it hard to do other things besides blogging.  When I have the worst other symptoms, (usually, knock on wood) I can still type on the computer. 

I am so glad to sometimes have comments in exchange (usually with folks from Sepia Saturday).  Anytime you want to comment on what I've posted, just click the "Comments" link at the bottom of the page, where either "no comments" or perhaps #__ comments is the tag.

It's summer, so?

I'm spending the rest of the weekend working on my own health.

Notice the spindly look to those pansies now that summer has given them a week of 80s and thunderstorms most afternoons.  This morning very early, I planted the first coleus in with them, and will add the other 3 as soon as their roots are established.

I cut back the mint that was threatening to block entrance to the house.  So the steps are now clear on that side anyway.  Now there's a pile of peppermint on the dining room table.  Since I don't have a dining room, nor a kitchen table...it's the one in the living room (in case you've actually visited me!)

Health issues will not be discussed here.  If I broke a leg.  If I had a gall bladder out (already been there, done that.)  If I had a nervous breakdown (already been there, done that.)  If I was just being checked out without symptoms...ok, you get the message.  For my friends who know and support me going through the Irritible Bowel Syndrome...thanks.  For the rest of you, I'll let you keep your 10-year-old bathroom humor intact.  And I'll just go through what I have to go through.  Aren't you glad?

There are some limits to what I see as acceptable social sharing.  I think that's appropriate.