Thursday, July 18, 2013

Mid-July and summer is here!

I am posting this picture because it makes me happy. This is a sunflower that was more than likely planted by the birds in my planter, but it is lovely and makes me smile.

June got away from me with being sick, and at my doctor's appointment a month ago my pulse and blood pressure were high. I was put on an antibiotic, which took care of the sinus infection, but I continued to have random episodes of feeling light headed and easily winded. At my follow up appointment my blood pressure and pulse remained high and my doctor started me on a dose of blood pressure medication, which I began taking today. I also bought my own blood pressure cuff and she wants me to track it for the next three weeks, with a follow up appointment in early August.  I am grateful for the medication and look forward to positive results from it, but am concerned with what brought it on (other than a family history of heart disease) when there have been few significant changes in my life over the past few months (other than stress, perhaps). Eric is of the opinion I need more exercise, which I don't dispute, and I would like to lose some weight, but while I don't see myself as an athlete by any means, I also don't see myself as terribly sedentary either.  I agree in principle that I should step things up a bit (to which end I have my sisters old school Nordic track) but I will also admit to being very self conscious about exercising where I have an audience because of bad experiences when I was young in gym classes and so forth...  I do enjoy walking, and I wouldn't mind getting out more to go to the base gym if I had a regular way to get there.  

Skye is definitely keeping me active right now though. She has been here for a week and we have spent lots of time swimming in the smallish pool we put up in the back yard (emptying it and moving it around every couple of days). It has been a god-send inn burning off her energy by mid afternoon and getting her outside and keeping her cool over the heat of the day. She is also practicing riding her two-wheeler on the sidewalk once the front half of the yard is shaded and she is getting the hang of it. As much as I am enjoying her, she is wearing me out too and I look forward to bedtime.

My class is going well and I am keeping up despite the interruptions to my days. I am really enjoying the subject matter (counseling skills and procedures) and feel like I am refreshing rusty skills. Of the kids Aurora is the only one with a job still, and she is working her butt off at the kennels. Reimond is getting organized for school and is (I think) looking forward to it. I am still riding him to get thank you notes written for graduation before the summer ends, but he has his own time tables and they don't necessarily reflect mine (although I guess that could be said for all the kids). Eric is back on overnights so our sleep schedules are a bit screwy as we navigate who sleeps when, and I am doing my best to keep distractions to a minimum for him.

Liisa is starting to get he work done on her house and got her first insurance check to pay for things. The electrical is done, the central air is limping along while parts get ordered etc. and the roof is still under negotiation between her roofing contractor, the city, and the insurance company. Slowly but surely it is coming together for her and I am so happy for her and Zack. Tony and Andrea are doing fine. My kids are in summer school and seem to be enjoying it. We still need to coordinate schedules for the kids to come down to me, but we are still looking at the beginning of August for that.  

I am getting drowsy so I think I will go for now. I am still around and we are doing ok, just busy busy busy!

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