Reminisce

Lovely place to be. 

Country Dance

Tonight's earworm: Your Man (Josh Turner).

When the world is complicated and work is mentally exhausting, I do enjoy a deep, kind voice, and an invitation to dance. (The smiling people in the video make me smile, too.)

I hope you enjoy.

Catch-up

Herself speaks.

I feel as though I ought to talk about all the somewhat complex yet mundane happenings of the past few weeks -- yet I do not feel up to going into detail, somehow. I shall give the nutshell version.

There was a lot of physical minutiae -- the recovery from the MOHS surgery (which is going well, I am glad to say); endoscopy and colonoscopy to investigate and ensure nothing more sinister than IBS is brewing in my innards (the results did not reveal anything significant, mercifully, and so we assume IBS and proceed accordingly); plus additional doctor visits to address other uncomfortable issues (which are improving, I am happy to report). I am mentally exhausted from the necessary physical invasions, and still experiencing occasional flashbacks of previous unpleasant medical occasions. I need more quiet, tender touch, to balance out the unpleasantness.

Also: there was Thanksgiving, which entailed some very enjoyable cooking, and a house full of my very favorite people. Lovely -- yet also a wee bit mentally taxing, as each person has their own individual needs to which to attend. I now need some quiet, alone time, in which to reflect fondly upon my favorite people, to appreciate them, and to miss them.

I am not sure how to self-care right now. I would spend some time organizing my abode to quiet my mind, but there is much work at Work to be done. Alas.

One step at a time.

A little rest with a companion can help. 

Tiny Sad

Tiny Dog is sad that Offspring the Second, Offspring the Third, and Cherished Friend have left. As am I.

Big Anemone

Tiny Dog takes refuge with Cherished Friend.

Handsome

Offspring the First quipped that Elderly Three-toothed Dog was thinking: I remember when root beer was a nickel.

Spending Time With U

Turkey

The Cooking Begins

Memes That Break Your Heart

Sing

I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think. -- Rumi

Picture copyright 2017, Mediocria Firma. Used with gratitude.

Friday Night Couchtime

Warmth

Holey Moley

Although I was not able to capture a picture of the wee critter who dug a new back door adjacent to our campsite, Cherished Friend did. Behold, that lovely little furry face. BEHOLD. Lovely.

Picture copyright 2017, Mediocria Firma. Used with gratitude

Mole Hole

Some wee little rodent-like animal chose to dig itself a new back door immediately adjacent to our campsite this past weekend. We enjoyed watching it pop in and out of the ground, throwing piles of earth and dragging the occasional bit of plant matter back into its lair. I wish I could have gotten a good picture of the varmint, but alas, it was far too speedy to do so.

Good luck wintering in the wilds, wee critter. Thank you for your amusing and entertaining appearance.

Lichens

It was difficult to capture the complexity and variety of the lichens in a photo. 

Simply fascinating. 

Roughing It

Herself speaks.

Beloved Husband, Cherished Friend, and I spent the past weekend camping in the wilds of New Mexico. It was decidedly... primitive camping. with not even an available latrine. The temperature dropped significantly at night, to the point that I actually took a warmed rock from the campfire ring into my tent to keep my feet warm. (It was decidedly helpful to do so.) The campsite was wonderfully remote -- hardly another person to be seen or heard -- and the night sky was just lovely.

Part of me feels I might deserve a small round of applause for managing to maintain a pristine surgical scar, as well as to follow the low-FODMAP (anti-IBS) diet suggested by the GI doctor and to take care of all associated bodily functions in the woods, for the weekend. Yet another part of me needs no applause, but rather is quite satisfied that we did not treat me as a fragile incapable flower, but instead went about our business and pursued simple adventures in spite of my temporarily-increased physical neediness.

I did not go for a hike -- though I would have enjoyed it -- because I did not want to push myself too hard at that time. Instead, I took a close look at all the lichens and trees in our camp, and surveyed the number of small animal burrows in the vicinity. Simple pleasures.

I also enjoyed watching the two Menfolk make their way up the side of a big hill as they hiked. Snatches of their conversation drifted over the valley, indistinct, yet clear enough for me to hear the comforting tenor of their voices. It warms my heart to see the two of them together, taking some time to relax and enjoy the out-of-doors. Good for them.

It was a welcome respite from It All.

 

If you look closely, you can see them. 

Camping

Small Nose

"You have a very small nose," the doctor said, as he put in the sutures. Apparently a larger nose is better for such things, but he managed to work well with the small nose just the same. 

-----

As expected, MOHS surgery was necessary for a second time. It was not terrible, all things considered, though the sensation of having skin manipulated this way and that was distinctly unpleasant. It is a two centimeter line, and in time, it will likely fade just as the first one did.

My face hurts. There was only one day of significant pain last time, though, so I am hoping that by this time tomorrow, things will improve. 

(I was warned that my eyes might swell shut two to three days later. Oh, dear. Let us hope that does not happen.) 

I am glad it is finished. 

Office Visitors

I am the designated Remover of Insects at work. Just the other day I relocated a very pretty spider from a stack of papers in the copy room to a bush outside. 'Twas a pity I did not have an opportunity to take a picture of it first. Perhaps next time. 

Autumn Rose

A Dog and His Boy

Elderly three-toothed dog is happy that Offspring the Third is home for the weekend. 

The Task

I have taken on a task (henceforth known as The Task) - it is a lengthy, challenging, onerous task, but for reasons that are best left unexplained, it must be done. It will take a full year before we know whether I am successful at The Task. We shall see. 

Tomorrow is a small step within the much larger Task. Am I sufficiently prepared? How will this piece of The Task go? I will be glad when this piece is (momentarily) over, at any rate.

All will be revealed, in due course. Have patience.

Have mercy, Universe. 

Occupation

The intake form for a doctor I saw today included a spot to check if one is a housewife.

What century is this again?

Lunar

The moon is lovely this time of year.