Sigh-day

5:21 p.m. Today's project was to have a chiropractic adjustment after wrapping up business and personal errands for the day. I just want to sigh with relief and look forward to the weekend. I heard someone say once, "When you're retired, every night is Friday night and every day is Saturday." That person hasn't been at my house in the last two years!

This morning I realized that I still have the same feeling about Fridays as I did while teaching: you may have lots of things to do still, but you're wrapping up the week so you can enjoy the two measly days when you don't have to report for duty anywhere. So my mental state was already more relaxed, even though I had duties scheduled. Today's schedule was:

9:00 Help Steve get dressed and ready for the day, overcome various mishaps.

9:45 Get gas, transfer funds at bank, drop off Rx at CVS, buy celery and brain pills at Sprouts.

10:15 Hair appointment--demonstrate and sell Mary Kay cosmetics to new and old customers.

11:15 Deliver nail polish to customer, and explain the need to order one of her lipsticks.

11:30 We devour brown rice and almond nacho chips on the way home.

12:00 Set out Steve's sandwich fillings, dice mango; eat celery with salmon cream cheese.

1:00 Prepare for two nursing students to sign up for Mary Kay, get Steve ready to walk dogs.

1:15 Rat man here to check on traps; no sign of students, make other appointments and order.

2:00 Steve walks dogs, I water garden and avocado tree and clean out dogs' water bowl.

3:00 Chiropractor appointment, show him x-ray films, get adjustment.

3:40 Go to Vons for deli sandwiches, sit together, eat and relax; pick up a few other items.

4:40 Text from students that they are still in LA; will reschedule

4:45 Get Rx muscle relaxer at the CVS drive through, enjoy hysterical laughter from pharmacist at his MK mens' cologne sample. Probably glad I finally had something for him instead of his female colleagues!

Home, finally, to ponder the results of my chiropractor visit. It seems I have some arthritic disk degeneration way down at the bottom of the spine (#72?). But in response to my query, I was assured that it's better than most people my age. Thank you, Lord, because my mother had crippling arthritis. After using heat and giving me an adjustment, he suggested flipping the mattress I sleep on, walking in shoes with good orthotic support on a flat surface 7-10 minutes at a time (No 45 degree Canyon Crest hill)! Do the stretches on the paper he gave me and come back next Wednesday. Later I left him a voicemail describing the puffy numbness I often feel on the surface of my left calf, even though it's not swollen in the least. Why do I think of the most interesting and puzzling questions AFTER I leave the doctor's office? You too?

From this point, 6:00 p.m. I'll serve Steve a leftover bean, cheese and homegrown green salsa concoction on a flour tortilla for dinner, since we had big sandwiches so late in the afternoon. Then we'll clean things up, I might try to walk, and then settle on the family room couch with heat on my back and my leg up on the couch. Steve and I got a lot done today, the Lord helped my shorten and limit my overreactions and apologize for them speedily and sincerely.

Then perhaps we'll peek out to see if Dan, the neighbor who helped us with our circuit breaker on Wednesday, is still up for mowing our front lawn as he offered. I am so glad the Bible tells me in Psalm 145:8-9,

The LORD is gracious and full of

compassion,

Slow to anger and great in mercy.

The LORD is good to all,

And His tender mercies are over

all His works.