Limits

I wanted to take some photos this weekend and do a blog post. There are many chores to accomplish so I thought I’d tackle them today and wander around tomorrow – however – the temperature is supposed to take a steep dive tonight so I told Fish we were going this morning.

We walked out the door, looked at the amount of snow on the car, and decided just to show you some images from the front yard. I did not think spending 30 minutes making the car road-worthy would be a good way to spend my time. 🙂

The big yellow lab from next door joined us as we messed up the immaculate white blanket covering the grass and the two of them did their own thing while I tried to get some semi-interesting shots.

I say I had some chores to do – well, there are always chores. At some point every day I just decide enough is enough and the list is abandoned. I mean, what is the point of being retired if you spend all of your time “getting things done”?

OK I will go out and clean the car later before it gets coated in ice, and I will bring in more firewood before the deep freeze, and I will wash those pots sitting on the kitchen counter, do the laundry, and the vacuuming. But that’s it! 🙂

Setting boundaries is a big deal to me – there was a long period in my life when it was impossible. It still isn’t always up to me – at least physically. My tremor likes to make the decisions when it can.

A woman here on the Island was recently diagnosed with Parkinsons and is just starting to deal with some of the issues. I can only help her with the ones I experience with my hands but did share something interesting a couple of weeks ago. If you know somebody with Parkinsons then show them this clip and make sure they watch until the end. It’s less than 5 minutes long and it is remarkable. Science is magic.

Age also creates boundaries for us (damn it). Part of that has to do with expiring warranties – I swear they run out in our 30s and then body parts start breaking.

Getting a mechanical heart valve was an interesting adventure, but the only real lasting impact (apart from the fact that I’m still here) is the side effects of the medication you are then on for the rest of your life.

I swear being on blood thinners is a dementia test. At least for me. Every tiny change of my diet and my INR (the thinness of the blood) swings up or down and the dosage changes, but not consistently. It’ll be 4 mg 3 days/wk, then 5 for 2 days, then 3.5 for 2. Then the INR changes and so does the weird dosage. Good thing I have Google Calendar.

Interactions are also a thing. I only found out this year, at Christmas when I annually pig out on Licorice Allsorts, that I’m not allowed to have licorice when I’m on blood thinners. All hell broke loose.

I declare, here and now, publicly, that if at some point somebody decides there’s a dangerous interaction with Gummy Bears there will be serious consequences. That is one line nobody wants to cross.