Saturday, 9 May 2026

Gratitudes

It's 6:05 and I'm drinking my second cup of coffee.

I've been up since 5. 

It's been several weeks of both challenges and of gratitudes.

The injury from my recent fall has sent me to physiotherapy for both laser and hands-on treatment for my right knee and surrounding area.

This trauma has made me forgo doing so much of what I  count on to make my days joyful. 

I've had to curtail my daily walks to Willows Beach and surrounding area as well as doing almost nothing in the garden I love.

I don't look at the health app on my phone which seems to blame me for taking far fewer steps this week and this month than I have previously.

While I have been feeling discouraged and bordering on depression, my daughter Sat-Sung,  who lives in Israel, has asked me to join her in a daily practice.

Each day we message each other with 3 Gratitudes and 3 Wins.

While I was initially upset for having a poor sleep, my first Gratitude today is "the birds are singing in a nearby tree." 

While it is so difficult for me not to be in gardening gear when the spring garden explodes, Thursday's Gratitudes, all 3 of them, were "I met J and he knows and loves plants and he will work in my garden!"

The Wins have been harder for me to compose.

What qualifies as a Win, I wonder?

My daughter has explained that it doesn't need to be something BIG.

So today, my first Win is holding my loving cat, Oliver, in a warm hug.


And Win #2 is sharing my thoughts with whomever reads my blog entries.





                                                        the first poppy in my garden


Saturday, 25 April 2026



It has been nearly four months since I last wrote a post. 

Today, for the first time, I want to!

My morning began at St Mary's Church where every Saturday the church is transformed into Churchmouse, a wonderful used book "store".  

More than the books, it is a place to sit and talk, or to sit quietly and just be present. 

Today, after choosing a few books, I sat at a round table that is  "home" to the knitters. These women gather to knit and to visit and later to sell their beautiful creations. The money goes to Churchmouse, to be donated to three organizations that happen to be on my personal donation list! 

The food bank at St John the Divine, Hospice and Threshold. 

One of the women offered me a cookie that she had baked to share.

Later in the morning, I had planned to do some gardening with the help of a wonderful new acquaintance.  

And then he texted that he wasn't able to come.

At first I was very disappointed, but soon moved on to see what I could do by myself on this beautiful warm and sunny day.

An aside...about 10 days ago I had been weeding in my small lane garden, crouching, as I can't kneel, and I fell backwards. 

 Really!! 

( I quickly looked to be sure that no one had seen this inglorious tumble!)

 It didn't seem like much, although several days later it warranted a visit to my physio.


Fall #2.

Going down the basement stairs, that injured side...knee/thigh...gave way with two steps remaining, and I fell onto the concrete basement floor. 

Another visit to my caring health practitioners!

And today, feeling so much better,  I said "to hell with it".

I worked/played in my garden for hours.

It was wonderful!

I've just put a bottle of Pinot Grigio into the freezer (with a timer set!)  and decided it is time for an extra strength Tylenol . 

I forgot to say that I've signed up to take a class "Feldenkrais Method Balance and Fear of Falling"at the Monterey Centre beginning May 25!