Finding What Is Doable

Reinforcing delicate catalog pages

The human body is a marvel of design that connects and holds together its myriad parts, and those connections are sometimes surprising. During my assessment with the physical therapist yesterday, it would appear that my shoulder pain actually originates in my neck where I have no pain at all except if I tip my head back past a certain point. He wants a look at my spine before he gets too crazy with his therapy plan but in the meantime there are things he can do to help with the spasming at several trigger points that are causing my pain and limiting what I can do. I especially enjoyed the treatment with a machine that caused gentle tingling and heat over that whole shoulder blade area, a step up from the heat pack I've been using at home.

I didn't come away pain free but I could feel a difference, especially later in the day as I stood at my work table. I'd been thinking about what I could work on in my partly incapacitated state and hit upon this recycle bookbinding challenge I started at the end of April (yes, it's on that 5 page master to do list). I may not be able to type long at the keyboard or use the mouse except in my left hand (which I'm getting pretty good at), but as I mentioned before, writing with a pen isn't a problem. Nor is pasting down and cutting out the images of dragonflies I've been collecting out of magazines and catalogues, as long as I stand at my elevated table to do so. So that is what I'm working on this weekend, between sessions with the heat pack and watching motorcycle races on tv. I've tracked down quite a bit of info as well as poems on dragonflies to fill those pages stamped with lines. Still not sure what will go on the spreads with the teabags. But it is a good stress-free project for this awkward healing time. 

I'm pretty much housebound anyway because we are inundated with smoke once again from the many forest fires in our corner of the U.S. I took this picture a few days ago when the air quality rating was at the first level above good. A pretty effect until you realize it is not romantic haze like in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. No, that haze is real smoke and much thicker today in spite of the cold front that's pushing winds into the area that we thought would clear some of it out. Instead, I noted this afternoon we've actually jumped two levels up to red which is a warning for more than just those of us with breathing issues. Well, I'm not too sad about curtailing my daily walks as it has been record breaking hot too. All this too shall pass, and I always have plenty to keep me entertained inside.