Still Twitching

I wanted to title this entry "Still Kicking," but that'd require more energy than I have!

Since the last entry, I've made one trip to ER because I didn't feel right and my blood pressure was "wonky." Not a whole lot has transpired from that trip, other than 1) quality time with my husband, and 2) a seed of doubt about my condition. Number 2 was taken care of shortly as my mental health manager reassured me that this is not psychosomatic in the hypochondriac-sense. I did need that assurance, for a variety of reasons that I'll not write about here.

We're slowly adjusting, as a family, to this new (and hopefully temporary) way of life, with me being barely functional on a daily basis. I've done considerably better since receiving and taking the hormone for stabilizing my blood pressure (an hormone that's normally released by the adrenal glands).

The other day-- Thursday, I think-- Hubby & I went on a "date" just to get cat food & put bill payments in the mail. On the way home (I was driving), we came across horses on our gravel road; one of the horses had a lead rope and was stepping all over it. The dark brown horse took to Hubby even while he was in the car. Part of this comedy came later when the horse caught up to Hubby and proceeded to fart with each step. I cannot tell you how much that made me laugh!

Back to the beginning, though (I'll try to get this written before sleepy meds take effect, which I think may have already started). I stopped the car and took off the new high heels I was wearing w/ my new summer dress (to note: never believe the Hubby when it comes to attire-- the man let me walk out of our house wearing the summer dress, which supposedly had 'support' and thus not wearing a bra. Suffice to say, it dawned upon my Hubby that "the girls are huge. . .  and LOW!" while we were eating at our favorite restaurant in town.) So, I took off the heels--to Hubby's dismay & "Honey, you shouldn't" and told him to drive the rest of the way home. I walked barefoot (OUCH!!!) on the gravel and softly talked to the horse. I'd figured they were the neighbor's horses, as they are forever getting out. I took the lead rope and started leading them back to the neighbor's house-- which was the same direction as our house, so Hubby had to drive very slowly behind me. I noticed to things rather quickly about the pale horse who had the lead rope on: 1) she was better behaved than the neighbor's horse, & 2) her hooves were in bad shape and she was having trouble walking on the gravel also. We made our way to the neighbors, and upon arriving at the gate, I saw the neighbor's horses in their area. I looked to the horse I'd been leading, "You're not them." The horse didn't seem to care about my puzzlement.

As Hubby slowly drove past, I indicated the puzzle of the horses & asked him to bring out some shoes for me. Hubby wasn't happy I was exerting myself even more, because I was already not doing very well after expending the energy on our outing. But these horses needed to be taken home. Hubby could only find my skimpy flip-flops, but it beat walking barefoot (until the broke on the way home).

I conferred with one of the other neighbor's as to who the horses might belong, and then we started towards that place. It was the right place! It was while on that long-ish driveway that the dark horse (no bridle or anything, but had stuck with the pale horse throughout-- they were very concerned about each other) caught up to Hubby (who has a long stride) and started the walking farts and then pooping a bit. I was still barefoot, and behind leading the pale horse.

The grateful owner gave us a bottle of water, the liter of which I drank rather quickly, since I'd been sweating profusely (which can dehydrate me, which leads to blood pressure drop, . . . you get the idea). Chatted for a while and then finally started to head home-- I'd already gotten sunburned, to boot.

That "good deed" cost me two days of not being able to do anything-- couldn't even knit or crochet; just napped in my recliner. No regrets, though. The horses were well behaved, no bucking or anything, and actually followed worded commands, and thank heaven no stepping on my bare feet! Which, by the by, were extremely sore for the two days, also.

The teens are looking forward to school wrapping up before too long. They're pretty tired. Girl is wanting to start high school, and has planned on 3 higher education places (Harvard, Oxford, and an Art Academy) already! Boy is still trying hard to keep up, even though this year has been pretty stress-filled.

Hubby has decided he's too old to "play" in the "throw around the mat" training. He picked the hardest guy in there to be his partner, and now has the bruises and strains to prove it! I'm glad he's finally getting tired of that kind of stuff-- even though he's out of the military, he still gets a gleam in his eyes at the thought of "training" or "going to combat." It's a love-hate thing for him.

As for me, my latest project began last night when I received a reply message from one of the survivors of the Oso landslide. I'd sent her a message, letting her know a little about myself & that Hubby had pre-comm'd the ship her husband had been assigned to before his tragic death in the landslide, along with 3 of their four children. The fourth child, a toddler, was rescued directly after the slide; the mother had gone for groceries or something, and thus wasn't home when the event happened. I've wept for her, a fellow military wife, a fellow human being who has lost not only everything, but also her little family--gone in minutes. I have the opportunity to make a blanket for her, and one for her surviving son (the toddler who was rescued). When the media goes away and forgets, and extended families return to their homes, that's when "IT" will hit-- the reality. Probably not unlike deployments & the time it takes to adjust to that. But this time, there is no homecoming. This time, there is only one of her little children to care for; my heart aches at the thought!

Even though my condition is still very weakened, I am glad that I can be of help, that I can provide support and maybe a bit of comfort. I can be there, when the public slowly gets "back to normal."

Sleepy meds.

"You can't make castles out of dry sand." Add my tears to help you build your castle, dear.

~Cedeham~