Day 518

Nowadays I think a lot about the emergency run-through they do on airplanes. Particularly the whole secure your own mask before helping others.

Now that we're on Day 14 in the hospital I've tried to get myself into a routine where I'm securing my own mask. Originally I was always at the hospital but that has changed. I'm visiting the hospital two consecutive days and spending the night with my mom and then I go home for one day. Two on, one off.

Even with being home a day, it isn't enough to keep up with things. Unfortunately on my off day I don't have energy to do much of anything other than take it easy. With summer in full swing and gardens and lawns needing attention I'm drowning. I had to absolutely force myself to do something today. It wasn't on my to-do list but I made myself get back into the sewing room. I mindlessly cut out stockings for Stockings for Soldiers.

My hands and arms may be sore tomorrow, but I cut out enough to make 99 stockings.

Day 517

When you only eat one meal a day you want that meal to count.

I've still been juicing twice a day, even taking juice with me to the hospital. But at least once a day I have "real" food. The other day it was oh-so-good chicken tacos at Alejandra's, last night it was cube steak and roasted red potatoes at my mom's, and today it was a birthday lunch.

My friend from work - the one who took me out for my birthday last year, the one who I went to the movies/show with last summer, the one whose birthday I forgot in October  - took me out for a belated birthday lunch. I got to choose the place and time.

Red Robin. 12:15. Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich. Need I say more?

Other than yes, I ate it all. And thank you to (you know who you are) for the lunch, the gift card to the fabric store, and the good conversation.

Day 516

All the work that went into planting the garden this spring - clearing the plot, putting down landscape fabric to deter weeds, laying the used timbers from the rose garden to mark the beds, and weeding, weeding, and weeding.

All that work and a harvest that isn't exactly worth a picture. It's way down from last year, but that probably has to do with the neglect it has suffered over the last four weeks. But at least it's just enough to supplement my grocery store veggies and keep my mom supplied. We have red potatoes but they didn't make the picture.

Day 515

Every morning I drive by a coffee place that has a new slogan each day. The sayings are typically pretty darn insightful, but I'm not a coffee drinker so I never stop to write them down or take a picture of any of them. But I had to get gas nearby and found myself stopped at the stop sign smack dab in front of the board. Must have been fate.

Except I don't know who it best fits. Hubby and his therapy or me and my exercise bike.

Day 514

A year ago today I wrote about how my husband was at a conference and wouldn't be home. No going somewhere, no dinner out, no special dinner in. Last year on this day I spent my time in the sewing room and in the gardens.

Why is this day so special? It's our anniversary. 28 years. And just like last year, my husband is away and won't be home.

But I did go his way. I spent the afternoon with him watching NASCAR on the TV in his room. (Mostly he slept, I watched.) When they wheeled him away to go have his dinner with the other patients, I drove back to Marsing and had dinner at Alejandra's.

$3.18 bought me two of the tastiest chicken tacos with some chips and salsa. I'm a cheap anniversary date, especially when I'm by myself.

Day 513

Who plants peppers that grow upside down? That would be me. I don't know if it happened in the mix-up at the greenhouse or if I intentionally chose them, but they are not growing in a way I would expect peppers to grow.

I guess kind of like our lives right now. Hospital, day nine, no improvement.

Day 512

When I showed up at the hospital early this morning I warned my husband that things weren't going to go as planned and we might as well just go with the flow. I knew this because of my horoscope for the day:
In order to persevere during this potentially tumultuous day, you are going to have to take a bit of a 'so what?' attitude to all the goings-on.

He didn't heed my advice. But tomorrow will be a new day in a new hospital in a different town as this afternoon he was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital in Boise. He'll be closer to my mom and daughter, but about an hour from me. I haven't figured it all out yet. I'm going to bed early and will think on it tomorrow.

But as for my picture...every morning on the way to the hospital I pass a potential picture. Doesn't seem quite right - such an old, weathered barn sitting next to a ? (I have to admit, I don't know if it's a cell phone tower or an emergency tower or what.)