A Spring in My Step

 

Today, we took a Sunday afternoon drive on this fine Spring day.  We stopped first at a wayside north of Stillwater.  Found a bridge going over a deep ravine with this huge tree growing up.  

 

To get an idea of the size of it, we walked down a stairway and could get right up next to it.  It's not too often I have seen tree trunks this size in the Midwest.

 

 

Here is another photo from the bottom of the ravine showing the cliffs and St. Croix River.

 

 

 

A few months ago on HGTV, I saw a view of the High Bridge from a property they were showing a couple.  Since then we have tried to see it from the Wisconsin side without any luck.  In asking around, today we found the "half mile trail" going to the river. Of course getting there was downhill. Here are some scenes along the path.

 

 



 

At the top of steep path going down, we came to a fork in the path.  The left side looked very steep, so I took the right path.  Paul decided to stay in place while I went down to view the bridge.  The path I took was a longer walk, but not as steep.  I even had to use my balance beam talent to cross a gurgling brook.  Very picturesque. 

 

 

 

Finally I got down by the shoreline to see the bridge!  I ran into a guy on the path and he told me he was up on the bridge last week walking across it.  And just after he got to the other side a train came through.  He didn't know it was a "live" bridge! 



On the way back, I decided to take the steeper path back to Paul.   I could see him and it took me a while to crawl back up.  Yes, there were spots I had to crawl.  We took our time walking back up hill to the car and were rewarded with some more nature beauty shots. 



 

Once home, we rewarded with more beauty right outside our main door.  Today is Mother's Day and moms and grandmas are the stars of the day!  I am sure your mom is as beautiful as this "star."  I am sure you put a spring in her step today! 

What would you do?

What would you do?  Where would you go.... if you had an extra $7,000? 

Today I posted that question on Facebook and I have almost 40 posts.  The responses ranged from "go to the bank or car lot" to going to Italy, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Fuji, Bora Bora, or Hawaii.  It certainly was interesting!

I asked the question because hubby and I have been thinking of taking a trip next year that would cost at least $7,000.  So rather than rush into this decision and maybe I'm second-guessing my choices, I thought I would ask others where they would go.  If you read the post, I will tell you my hubby's answer is not what we have been discussing!  😬  So, is it back to the drawing board or is it not?

But we both thought it was quite ironic that today we got my yearly statement from my small life insurance plan that I bought when I was in college and the cash value is $7,010.  Hubby says, "There is your $7,000!"

Tomorrow, we will be walking with others at the annual American Cancer Society walk in Frederic.  My mother is a very diligent fund-raiser for this cause, having lost her father and a sister to cancer.  Every year she raises more and more money.  Recently my Facebook has shown past posts in the "On This Day" and I have seen the progression of her fund-raising efforts as the walk is always the second weekend of May.  As of today, she raised $4,100, beating all her previous records.   Wow!

Now, we have to trust that American Cancer Society will know what to do with that money. 

Easy Does It

"Easy Does It" is usually affiliated with an anonymous program.  And maybe I should remain anonymous in my blog today.  I am one of those people that do things the hard way without realizing that a shift in direction or status can make things easier.  

Take for example, getting things out of my refrigerator.  





This lady could be me!  She has full capacity to open the door wide and look straight into the refrigerator.  But she is doing as I do, craning my neck and bending sideways to get things out of the refrigerator.  Any physical therapist will tell you to avoid side ways bending in daily activities.  Face your object frontally and squarely.  One of these days, I will get it right.

I did get it right with my cupboards and drawers, changing where things were located (see blog on April 11).  It is so much easier and makes sense now where I have things located.  

We had a covered waste basket in the master bathroom for years now.  It has a swinging cover that you move slightly and put your waste in the basket.  For years now, hubby has tried to get waste into basket by dropping it on the cover in hopes that the weight of the waste will open the swinging cover and deposit the waste in the basket.  Most of the time he is successful, but every week I am picking up pieces of waste on the floor around the basket.  Ugh!  

For some reason, I got to thinking about using an open waste basket in the master and the covered one in the guest bath.  Actually, I thought, my guest might not want to see the waste of other guests and the cover will keep all the waste out of sight.  So, I switched the baskets.  Voila!  The open basket in our bath has made it EASY for hubby to drop his waste INTO the basket.  

Something else I have done to make it easy and convenient for me is having a box of Kleenex in every room and two in the bedroom (one on each nightstand).  To some that may seem frivolous, but when you have respiratory and sinus issues, you often need a tissue NOW!  I am not using any more Kleenex than if I had one box in one room, my usage is distributed.  It sure is handy and easy to not have to run into another room when I am about to sneeze.  

I also keep a container of anti-bacterial wipes under each sinks so that I can wipe down the sink when I see it needs to be done.  Before, with just one container for the place, I would tend to forget to go and grab the wipes.  Then of course, I would remember when I saw the sink needed a wipe-down.  

You all probably know and do all these easy tips.  I guess I am not too old to learn new tricks/tips.  Now if I can just remember to open that refrigerator door wide open and look straight in, I might see those vegetables and salad fixings that I need to be eating.  Speaking of that, I bought a bag of salad - 4 kinds of lettuce already torn with carrots and radishes.  I read that even though buying your salad this way is more expensive, you are more likely to eat the salad.  Then, you are spending less money (and time) than buying everything separately and throwing away most of it.... as it's just not easy to fix a salad sometimes.  Easy does it! 

I Got Caught....

I got caught burying my head in the sand.  Just like the ostrich burying his head in the sand when he sees danger, I have been ignoring my health.  Actually, did you know that the legend about the ostrich is incorrect?   And I guess "ignoring my health" is incorrect too, as I have felt quite fine.  





But, I'm not quite fine.  Today, I felt light-headed, head-achey and decided to leave the coffee hour early.  One of the residents here is a nurse and she insisted on taking my blood pressure which was high.  They strongly  suggested I go to the doctor.  For once, I followed someone's advise and did as they said.  My blood pressure was still high at the clinic.  So now I am on blood pressure medication, again.  

About 13 years ago, I was having head aches and ringing in my ears.  The doctor put me on blood pressure medications and I felt so much better.  Last year in the process of moving here, my prescription ran out and since my doctor was in Texas and I was not able to have a follow-up visit, no refills were allowed.  I thought, "I feel very good, maybe I just needed the medication while I was working.  I am going to try to live without medication." 

That thought frame went along with my decision to live without my diabetes medication.  Yes, I have been borderline diabetic for a few years now.  Again, I have been feeling quite fine without the medication, so I didn't pursue getting a new prescription.  Did I say that I hate going to the doctor?

So, today the doctor ordered a blood sugar lab test among other tests.  I got the call this afternoon that I need a fasting glucose test, which I am having tomorrow morning.  My blood sugar was quite high.  The highest I have ever recorded....although I have not been testing daily for about a year. Blame it on my good healthy feeling of living here in Wisconsin, right?  I guess the sands of the St Croix River were very conducive to me for burying my head in the sand.  

The body is a mysterious and complex organism.  It keeps us going even we think we are well, but we're not.  Good healthy living does not always cure whatever ails you.  I thought I was fine, but my body was breaking down and thankfully, there are medications to help make my body stronger.  I have to realize that I may never get rid of the hypertension or diabetes, but I can start the healing process of fixing the breaks in my body.  Don't be an ostrich, get your body checked.  

Lazy Days

Yep, this is me!  Lazy Day!  I feel somewhat guilty about not writing my blog and certainly what I have written lately has been superficial.  Maybe it's the dreary weather we have lately.  Maybe it's the fact that we spent three very busy months lately and I'm just tired.   I just have not gotten very deep into thought at all.  I told hubby that I have not been philosophical lately.  I just have not gotten very deep into anything except my recliner.  

Well.  Well, that's a deep subject...remember that old phrase.  Today, it applies to me and that's OK.  I think I will abide by the following philosophy. 





Maybe another day, I will be full of energy.