Windchimes...Not For Me!

   Windchimes are not for me.  I do love the melodic tinkling that fills the air with each breeze coming off the Bay.  I do love the intricate designs of some of the better made chimes.  I do love the ingenuity behind those who can put together a chime that can send a listener into a calmer mood.  I do not love restringing those things once the weather has taken a toll on the piece.  That, my friends, is NOT for me!  I usually do not have a problem with repairing things that become broken.  As a kid, I was always taught to repair or repurpose damaged items but restringing a windchime this morning nearly got the best of me.  The style with metal tubes or bamboo pieces never presented a problem so I decided it was time to repair one that was strung with capiz shells.  That small chime set made me realize just how "fumble fingered" (Mom's phrase) I have become.  I could hardly tie the eight million or so knots that were required to get the goofy thing tinkling again!  

  In all fairness, I do have a good amount of arthritis in my right hand making it difficult to hold small things but I felt somewhat like a spider with fifty or so flipflopping bugs in my tangled web.  The fishing line that needed to be used was of the finest sort and those capiz shells are as light as feather.  (They also have sort of a chalky coating making them hard to grasp!)  Each time, I would poke that line through one hole, it would slip and slide right back out and occasionally poke itself into the wrong place. Tying the knots was another story as they had to be tight enough to not slip but not too tight where the paper thin shell would cut them.  Keep in mind I did all of this at five in the morning so the brain was probably still a bit sleep-skewed.  

  Still, about two hours after starting, I finished the job! It was one of those "can't quit" things because the cat would have surely made things a lot worse had I abandoned the task midways.  Had...to...finish!  Should I have just tossed the chimes and bought a new?  Nope.  My nephew brought the windchimes from the island where he lives.  The locals there make amazing crafts from what they have on hand and he knew I would appreciate the workmanship. I love the windchimes and the music remind me of my incredible nephew.  Besides, I am not one to trash something without attempting to repair it first.  This attempt nearly did me in, however!  Hopefully, I will never get a harebrained idea to use capiz shells for anything...ANYTHING!

Taking The Easy Road Has Me Tired!

   As I age, the body does not seem to want to keep up with the brain.  In my mind, there are a billion things that need doing during the day but the body is tired and achy.  Today after a migraine yesterday, I decided to forgo the plan of cutting the last bit of marsh near the pier.  That is a hot, strenuous chore best not to be tackled while headachy.  So, I opted to spend the day in the kitchen canning pears.  Seemed to be the easiest route to take.  It turned out to be harder than I had anticipated.  Arthritis is not for the weak.

  The hands were not appreciative of the bushel of pears that needed peeling, coring and chopping.  Instead of dealing with the entire bushel, I took the easy way out and only did half.  Problem is...I still have a half bushel to do (and many, many more on the trees).  Baby steps!  I will do what I can and go from there. 

  Today, I merely canned a mixture of diced pears and pineapple.  This concoction has very little sugar and a good bit of lemon juice.  Later, when the weather cools, a jar of this will be used as filling for pastries.  We do not need any more jars of ANYTHING on the pantry shelves but it is such a shame to let it go to waste.  I was raised during a time when it was "Waste not, want not" and that has stuck.  I have tried sharing fruit from the trees with many folks but there have been no takers.  So...plums, peaches and pears have kept me busy even with my hurting hands!  It is all good...literally!  Yummy, in fact!

My New Job

  Rather than a new job, I should say that an existing job has veered into a different direction.  The old dog that is in my care is really showing his age lately.  I was advised at the last visit with veterinarian that this was to come but I was still not ready.  Do you ever get ready for things like this?  Mr. PJ started showing signs that things were "just not right" about a week ago.  First, he did something that was so out of character that even he was shocked.  His bladder let loose in the house.   Not just a dribble but full blown peeing everywhere.  Poor old fellow was humiliated to say the least.  That set in motion a new routine.  Now as soon as he gets up, he goes outside.  Usually, that was done after he ate.  This is working as far as the bladder situation goes but a new problem arose that needed tending.

  For the past two days, my sweet old friend has lost a good bit of strength and most of the control of his hind legs.  He has good intentions of standing, walking and typically being what he used to be but it does not happen.  Good news...he does not appear to be in pain.  He is in good spirits, eating well and, other than the accidents, has regular "waste disposal" functions.  My new job is to help him continue with his daily routines.  I help him walk.

  Carrying a 60lb dog is not an easy task for someone my age so a bit of ingenuity came into play.  For now, an old bath towel is folded in half lengthwise and passed under Mr. PJ's belly.  The two ends of the towel are held in one hand above his back.  This way, I can gently lift his body while he "pedals" along with the front legs.  It works well with little stress on him...or me.  It took a little while for him to get the idea that I was helping but once he did, he accepted my efforts.  If his condition does not improve, the plan is to sew a "hoisting cloth" with handles so the process will be easier.  

  There are those who would rather just "put him down"...there are those who have to give unneeded advice...there are those who find it ridiculous that I am putting this much effort into helping a dog..but as long as he and I can work this out decently, we will work through it.  I am not letting a friend in need down because I am too lazy to deal with his needs.  Mr. PJ deserves my help and will get it until it is not needed.  It is hard.  It is time consuming.  I become frustrated.  He becomes frustrated.  But, we will do the best we can...together.