Thinking still of how wonderful a first house is, and how much Alison and AJ's new home reminds me of those good feelings, and the hard but satisfying work that they must have endured.
This is one of my favorite poems and I keep thinking of it since I got Alison's pictures, so I'll share it.
An Old Woman of the Roads
by Padraic Colum
Oh, to have a little house,
To own the hearth and stool and all-
The heaped-up sods upon the fire,
The pile of turf against the wall!
To have a clock with weights and chains,
And pendulum swinging up and down!
A dresser filled with shining delph,
Specked and white and blue and brown!
I could be busy all the day
Clearing and sweeping hearth and floor,
And fixing on their shelf again
My white and blue speckled store.
I could be quiet there at night
Beside the fire and by myself,
Sure of a bed, and loth to leave
The ticking clock and shining delph.
Och! but I'm weary of the mist and dark,
And roads where there's never a house or bush,
And I'm tired of bog and road,
And the crying wind and the lonesome hush.
And I am praying to God on high,
And I am praying Him night and day,
For a little house - a house of my own -
Out of the wind's and the rain's way.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Alison and AJ's New Home
My brother Charlie's daughter Alison and her husband AJ's new place in Oakland, California. Housing prices in the Bay Area are very high and don't meet with salaries down there, so we were very glad they found this! They live in half of this duplex and rent the other half out. Congrats - we're so proud!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Hurts So Good!
Yesterday and today were more painful during the machine decompressions. More icing (!) - but we're getting past the tight muscles and decompressing the vertebrae that are causing the pinched nerves in my neck that effect my arms. Lots of new tingling and burning of my face, arms, hands and lower back.
I get a break from appointments tomorrow and then start up again Thursday, but I keep up my daily exercises.
When I go into Disc and Spine I do warm-up exercises that take about a half hour. These include balancing and wobbling with weights, stationary neck traction, 'fulcrum' and core strength exercises, and so on, at different stations there. While I and others do our workouts, we talk about our issues - how we got where we are physically and what we've tried so far, our worst symptom and our lives in general.
I am amazed by these talks - the number of people who have hurt their backs and how they have been to chiropractors, physical therapists, and doctors for years - like me. I'm also amazed at how many people I know (that responded to my email) that are in some kind of therapy for back pain. (I'm Prayin'!) I had no idea - I thought everyone complained as much as I do!
This past Sunday we had our Parish Young Adults Group meeting here for dinner and pool, ping pong, 'nerf gun' wars and other games. What a fun group. We've had several of these 'parties' over the last few years and always have a good time. Our Parish Prior came for awhile, dinner was chili - dessert was cookies - perfect! Frank and his girlfriend Theresa came also, and we had about 50 'kids'. There's nothing like 'young' energy!
I hope to have more pics later today or tomorrow.
I get a break from appointments tomorrow and then start up again Thursday, but I keep up my daily exercises.
When I go into Disc and Spine I do warm-up exercises that take about a half hour. These include balancing and wobbling with weights, stationary neck traction, 'fulcrum' and core strength exercises, and so on, at different stations there. While I and others do our workouts, we talk about our issues - how we got where we are physically and what we've tried so far, our worst symptom and our lives in general.
I am amazed by these talks - the number of people who have hurt their backs and how they have been to chiropractors, physical therapists, and doctors for years - like me. I'm also amazed at how many people I know (that responded to my email) that are in some kind of therapy for back pain. (I'm Prayin'!) I had no idea - I thought everyone complained as much as I do!
This past Sunday we had our Parish Young Adults Group meeting here for dinner and pool, ping pong, 'nerf gun' wars and other games. What a fun group. We've had several of these 'parties' over the last few years and always have a good time. Our Parish Prior came for awhile, dinner was chili - dessert was cookies - perfect! Frank and his girlfriend Theresa came also, and we had about 50 'kids'. There's nothing like 'young' energy!
I hope to have more pics later today or tomorrow.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Neck/Back Treatments
This has been a crazy week - sick 'kids' and trying to adjust my daily life to include my 1-1/2 hour 'exercises' twice a day. Liz has been my greatest help - cooking dinners, doing dishes, driving a sick Frank to the doctors twice and to get his meds, while I go to appointments. She's also been encouraging and cheerful!
I finally have some time to write about my spine treatments, and I'll start with my various spine problems. As I said in my initial email I have bulging discs in my neck, lower back and at least one degenerative disc in my middle back. On top of this, my neck is bent and deeply curved (forward neck syndrome) causing my lower back to compensate by becoming very straight and inflexible - it should curve towards the belly button. The curved neck further pinches the bulged discs which pinch the nerves. So, it all has to be treated at the same time. These pinched nerves cause all kinds of symptoms and I think they're worse than the treatments! I've had several injuries over the years which have contributed to the initial severe whiplash I had gotten (in Tahiti!) when I was in my early 20's.
I am being treated at Disc and Spine Northwest in CDA, and part of my treatments include using the decompression machine there, chiropractic treatments, cold laser treatments, good nutrition, lots of exercises, traction, weights and so on. You can look this all up at: www.discandspinenorthwest.com, and also at one of the sites of the systems they use: www.pettibonsystem.com. My treatments and exercise take about 4 hours a day, and are designed to fix and retrain/re-mold my spine.
I have to avoid anything that brings my head/neck forward and down for extended times - which is everything I do: cross stitch, embroidery, computer work, painting, reading, etc. Very difficult!
It's hard work and painful - but I am determined (and thankfully my family is helping me!) to keep at it. I will undergo these treatments for 4 - 5 more weeks, then the exercises for 6 more months, then once a day for the rest of my life.
Bob took more pictures of our 'creek' and the 'farm' before it started snowing again, and he'll upload them later today.
Thank you for your prayers and good thoughts!
xox
I finally have some time to write about my spine treatments, and I'll start with my various spine problems. As I said in my initial email I have bulging discs in my neck, lower back and at least one degenerative disc in my middle back. On top of this, my neck is bent and deeply curved (forward neck syndrome) causing my lower back to compensate by becoming very straight and inflexible - it should curve towards the belly button. The curved neck further pinches the bulged discs which pinch the nerves. So, it all has to be treated at the same time. These pinched nerves cause all kinds of symptoms and I think they're worse than the treatments! I've had several injuries over the years which have contributed to the initial severe whiplash I had gotten (in Tahiti!) when I was in my early 20's.
I am being treated at Disc and Spine Northwest in CDA, and part of my treatments include using the decompression machine there, chiropractic treatments, cold laser treatments, good nutrition, lots of exercises, traction, weights and so on. You can look this all up at: www.discandspinenorthwest.com, and also at one of the sites of the systems they use: www.pettibonsystem.com. My treatments and exercise take about 4 hours a day, and are designed to fix and retrain/re-mold my spine.
I have to avoid anything that brings my head/neck forward and down for extended times - which is everything I do: cross stitch, embroidery, computer work, painting, reading, etc. Very difficult!
It's hard work and painful - but I am determined (and thankfully my family is helping me!) to keep at it. I will undergo these treatments for 4 - 5 more weeks, then the exercises for 6 more months, then once a day for the rest of my life.
Bob took more pictures of our 'creek' and the 'farm' before it started snowing again, and he'll upload them later today.
Thank you for your prayers and good thoughts!
xox
Friday, February 15, 2013
Bob's Barn
Daily Life
Family and Friends,
I've never 'blogged' before, and I hope that as I learn this becomes easier and more creative. I plan to make weekly entries to this diary - mostly about what we're doing, pictures of our chores and projects - instead of numerous emails.
Once everyone gets this 'blogspot' address (SCF2319.blogspot.com) they can read the updates about my neck/back treatments and any news around here.
So far, my treatments are uncomfortable - very. But it's taken 30 years for my neck, especially, to get in this condition. After week two of treatments I'll write more about the diagnosis/treatment plan.
I'm anxious to see if this works.....
xox
I've never 'blogged' before, and I hope that as I learn this becomes easier and more creative. I plan to make weekly entries to this diary - mostly about what we're doing, pictures of our chores and projects - instead of numerous emails.
Once everyone gets this 'blogspot' address (SCF2319.blogspot.com) they can read the updates about my neck/back treatments and any news around here.
So far, my treatments are uncomfortable - very. But it's taken 30 years for my neck, especially, to get in this condition. After week two of treatments I'll write more about the diagnosis/treatment plan.
I'm anxious to see if this works.....
xox
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)