2026 healing

 Another new year. How lucky are we that we get to see another one? We still have so much left to do in the world as a whole, but also in individual worlds of the people around us. I purposely didn't make resolutions, commitments, set goals. Nothing. No pressure. No looking so far ahead that I can't enjoy the right now. 

As you figured, we spent New Years Eve and Day working. The walls are painted around the shower now, and it is time to move to the next step.

That is right, friends. Caulk. The dreaded task of caulking. Woodchuck is not allowed to caulk, though he did pick this one out. I was nervous about this, I didn't really want to be the one to potentially mess up all of this new stuff! But then I got hyper-focused. It was like being a surgeon, but I was asking for damp and dry paper towels instead of surgery tools, lol. This was one of the nicest caulks I've ever used! I can't take all of the credit, I was asking for guidance from every spirit of every person that has ever worked on this house and knew what they were doing, lol.

Then we got the water handle on, and that took a bit of work since you can't see through the wall to where the screws are supposed go into. So one of us would be on the screw head side in the shower while the other was in the closet with the plumping trying to guide where the screws would go. It worked out!

Then the shower head! The ring around it caused much confusion. Why is it this color and not silver? Is this a covering to protect the metal from getting scratched, and if so, why was nothing else coated in it? The box clearly shows silver. I don't know, and if Woodchuck knew, he was too distracted by other things. So it went on as is.

                                                        Then it was time for the drain cover! 

                                                                    And done!!! Or?????

We have running water!

We turned the water back on, and there was a small leak. My eye is twitching just typing that. It wasn't a big one, but we weren't going to leave it. So, back to Menards and this time Woodchuck decided on using flex line. Which I actually like how it looks better than the PVC we used.

But then the shower head fitting on the plumbing side of the wall also had a leak. So Woodchuck stopped the next day after work and picked up flex line for that and changed it out. As far as I know now, the shower is done, and the boy is using it. HOWEVER, it wasn't until he started using it that we realized the water lines were installed in reverse by the original owners. Woodchuck left it as is. I bowed out of the last couple of trips because our son wasn't feeling well, and I had a lot to get done to prepare for surgery...including not getting sick. I am honestly amazed at the amount of people who don't care they are sick and passing it around! It's me and some of the little old ladies who are wearing masks when we go out in public because everyone is coughing and sneezing without covering them up, running out to get medicine even though they say they have the flu "and my wife and kids had it first". But I digress. I can only control myself, I can only control myself.....

I spent a couple of days getting the Yule decors down and cleaning the house back up from that. I also had to think about being able to move around fairly easily while on crutches, and picked things up and moved things out of the way. We also tried to organize the fridge to have all of my things on the top shelves and at the front, since I can't bend over at the waist. 

I had to go and get fitted for the hip brace I was going to need to wear after surgery. Sizing is approximate, and based off of weight. That put me in a large one, but I'm short, and there was a lot of adjusting that needed to be done to it before it was fitting me even remotely correctly. They also have to set it for the degree of movement the doctor wants you to have after surgery. Mine is set for 30 degrees. It felt so good when we she put it on! Just enough pressure and support to stop my hips from hurting, but I don't get to wear it until they put me in it after surgery. After my appointment, I went grocery shopping, paid bills, and wrapped up as many loose ends as I could.

I am continuing with my smoothies most days, and loving everything about them except that they make me cold at this time of year, lol.

The day before surgery, I went to get a massage and hair cut. This was my first time at this massage place and I loved it! I loved the vibe, music, decor, and the massage therapist herself! I am looking forward to going back after I've healed a bit.

We went to the land after Woodchuck got home from work. I pulled SD cards so that I could look at them while recovering, and we just took in the peace and healing.

I found 6 more oothecas on the watershed.

The water table is SUPER high, and the watershed pond has never come up this high before. If we had not had the South bank of the pond built up, the ponds would have likely merged in this overflow and that would not have been good.

I step foot on this land and all of my pain, physical and otherwise, disappears.

That is the watershed pond in the distance, upper right corner of this photo. While the ground closer to me is always wet, the removal of the phragmite and silky dogwood likely is contributing to more water. I have researched plants that we will plant to replace them all, but we have to make sure this area won't be disturbed again with pond work, and we have to have soil brought in too. 👇

This would have normally stressed me out, but water does what water does, and the addition of soil and lots of native plants will help minimize the flooding.

We found an odd fungi on the watershed path, covered in water droplets.

It was hard to leave, not knowing when I would be back in the same capacity, but the land needs its time to rest as well. It should be thawing out and waking up around the same time that I am healed enough to start moving around, carefully but unhindered by crutches and braces. The stars saw us home.

I didn't get everything done that I wanted to before surgery, but I stack my to-do list unrealistically, never intending to get it all done, but would celebrate nonetheless if it did happen! The morning of surgery was beautiful! I was SO ready, SO peaceful, and SO grateful. It was a full moon week and it saw us off. 

We are rarely in my car at night, and I do nearly all of the driving and have the instrument panel creating light, so we never noticed that my car has internal panel lights, lol.

I feel like my new glasses are too big, lol. Waiting for Woodchuck to come in and sit with me until surgery time! They had me walk into the surgery room, which was WOW. There was so much equipment everywhere! 

Everything went well though, and after throwing up on our way to the pharmacy to pick up the most important medicine that, for some reason, wasn't filled the day prior when we stopped to get my surgery meds, we headed home. I had seen a recipe for a homemade electrolyte beverage and had that made for me to enjoy. I honestly didn't feel much different from it, but it tasted fine.

I started physical therapy the day after surgery, and have my post-op tomorrow. I am hoping they get the stitches out! My skin heals very fast, and they are itching and catching and tight and pulling and burning. But we will see! Form what I told, the surgeon found what he expected, an impingement, but other than that, I don't know much yet. I'm on crutches for 4 weeks, 20% weight bearing on that leg, and also the hip brace. I'm doing therapy twice a week, and also doing those exercises at home twice a day (except for the exercise bike since Woodchuck said it's old and really doesn't have a way to adjust tension). 

I'm working on some gifts for my cousin and they are Christmas themed, so I'm working on them now while I am still in the Winter/Yule mind set. Back to old-school, plastic canvas. This is a sneak peek.

The temps have plunged, and there has been hit or miss precipitation. The perfect time to go within and heal and rest. I am grateful for those days with Father Sun to break up some of the monotone and on the days we have snow, my world is sparkling like glitter. On this day, the sun hit a mirror I have temporarily stored behind the console stereo and you just had to receive the message! There was no turning away. 

With less movement, and being on an Aspirin protocol for 6 weeks, I get chilly faster. It doesn't help that I can only get one sock on by myself, so when Woodchuck is at work, the left leg/foot are always cold. I broke out the chunky wool sweater. Reserved for times such as these, it is the ultimate snuggler.

For the first 2 or 3 days after surgery, I was energized but as time is going on, I'm getting more tired. Most nights I sleep well, but on the nights I don't, it's much harder to push through the next day than usual. The upside is that I'm reading a lot! I'm on my third book since the beginning of the new year, and don't be jealous about that! I had fallen WAY behind and have stacks and stacks (and even a bag full) of books in the closet. It feels good to finally slow down and catch up on the things that I enjoy. Some days are a bit lonely and frustrating at the lack of independence, but all in due time. I have to rest now to make sure I'm ready for what the year is bringing! (and BTW, the book was FANTASTIC! One of the best I've read). I hope you are well, resting when you can, seeing the messages and the gifts of each day. )O(