I have had a couple of busy weeks. I’ve been working on strengthening my upper leg muscles and on my balance. Both are improving.
Descending stairs is doing well. Going up needs work. And I can now go halfway around the house to prune the butterfly bush without extra support and no shortness of breath … and even then shorten the cuttings to fit into the trash.
Kaloo Kalay …
And last saturday I got to spend most of the day with Mark and Paul. We went to see the newest attempt to translate Herbert’s “Dune” to film. It is much superior to the last one … and Mark tells me there are plans for a total of six films. Next one is said to be due in 2023. I’ll still be here for that one. Maybe not any others but that won’t stop me from enjoying.
I remember the story basics. However, Mark has a memory for details and nuances. “Chapter 1” is steaming on HBOMax so I’ll be able to rewatch it and possibly see what I missed.
Before the movie, I tried to get my Covid booster but after being told on the phone all I had to do was walk in, it turns out I need to make an appointment via the net and specify which vaccine I want … so there’s a chore for this coming week.
The day ended with dinner at Casa Ramos (if you’re ever there try the pollo taquitos).
An altogether great day.
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Our local Opera HD performance group which had been disrupted by Covid as had so much else, made a too-late effort at reforming. One of us had in the meantime become a subscriber to the Met and had been receiving the magazine. It turns out that our effort was too delayed. The local showings in Medford (both the saturday live presentations and the wednesday encores) were sold out.
Lessons learned …
1. Join the Met guild so I get the Met magazine (done)
2. Start watching for the announcements for the 2022/2023 season in early August 2022 and learn as much as possible about the shows proposed and the performers
3. Start the choice selection asap and enter orders as soon as all preferences are received
4. Continue hopes, affirmations, habit modifications, grats for friends, etc leading to my return asap to my pre-COVID “normal” or maybe a bit better.
5. Hope the Met chooses to repeat one or two of this season’s new productions of old favorites (Rigaletto) and/or new operas (Eurydice and Hamlet).
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Weather has been wet. There has been night rain nearly every night for a week, with only scattered showers during the days.
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A very pleasant young man was here last monday to check out the safety of the Monitor heater which came with the house. I told him I’d been living with wood and solar for over forty years and wanted to make sure I didn’t start a fire or blow myself up the first time the heater was started. That made him laugh.
He found that when the folks who installed the flooring put the Monitor back in place, they failed to reconnect the vent and the correction took him all of about 15 minutes.
He then did a complete go-over of the entire system and set it to maintain the house at 60º from 1830 to 0630 and 70º the daytime hours. It’s been 2 days and seems to be working the way which keeps me comfortable. We’ll see how it goes when winter hits and how the cost compares to the electric forced air which is part of the house and which is currently turned off.
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Today is the day my storage unit was emptied. For a while the house will be stuffed with plastic bins and cardboard boxes, etc.
There are things found so far which had been forgotten or thought misplaced and, since I’ve just touched the tip of the unpacking iceberg, others anticipated which have yet to be revealed.
But then I’ve been in this mode for only a couple of hours.
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Since my move-unmove-different move I have been the recipient of so many gifts, help, positive affirmations, some interactions which felt like negative assessments which may be working out to be blessings in disguise, unanticipated invitations, kindnesses, unexpected aid, discounts … and today when I went to write the check to the mover, and asked if he was sure that was all, he smiled and said I should just consider it karma coming round.
The Great Spirit created a system of balance and justice. This law says, if you treat others with respect, you will be treated with respect. If you gossip about no one, no one will gossip about you. If you are fair in all of your dealings, you can expect the same. If you share with others, others will share with you. If you judge others, others will judge you.
The original teaching talks about being a giving person.You will always get back what you give out. Help me to be a giving person today.
–Joe Coyhis, STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE Tribes
So … ‘til next week …