Alphabe-Thursday Letter K

Good morning class. Welcome to round nine of Alphabe-Thursday!

We will be kicking up our heels for the letter:


Please link directly to your Alphabe-Thursday URL (if you don't know how to do this let me know!) and please continue to visit the five links before and after your link and leave a comment. Minimum of 10 links visited please. You can visit more if you like, of course.

If you have any difficulties with your link, please make sure to include the number of the link when you e-mail me. It is really difficult for me to find you easily otherwise.

If you have any questions about Alphabe-Thursday or problems doing your link just post it in a comment or send me an e-mail. I'll do my best to help you as quickly as I can.

The McLinkey will be live from 1:00 pm MST time Wednesday afternoon in an effort to assist our lovely "friends across the pond" and continue through 10:00 am MST time Friday morning!

And remember.... link back to this post, you need to be registered as a follower of my blog, PG posts only, and visit at least 10 other students (perhaps the 5 students before and after your post). The links will stay live after the final post deadline has passed so you can even wait and visit over the weekend or whenever you have more time.

Please share your killer "K" post now!

We passed her going up the steep hill...

Her bike glittered cobalt blue in the late morning sunlight.

 

Her muscled arms glittered with perspiration.

 

"Calves of steel," I commented to Mr. Jenny.   "How can anyone ride straight up an incline like that?"

 

We drove to the top of the mountain.

 

We had planned a low-grade elevation climb hike.  No steep incline stuff for us.

 

We're working on strengthening Mr. Jenny's lungs and building my strength up again.

 

We felt virtuous.

 

Hiking in the wilderness.

 

Yeah.

 

That had to be just as good as biking up an intense incline.

 

We got booted and fanny-packed up.

 

And just as we were ready to head toward the trail we heard a shout.

 

"I did it!   I did it!"

 

Turning toward the racket, we saw the same woman we had passed going up the hill.

 

Her jubilant grin dimmed the high desert sun!

 

She rode her bike toward the truck.  "I did it!   Did you see me?   I did it!"

 

"I totally saw you on the way up," I said.   "Wow.  You are in some seriously good shape!"

 

She replied, "I'm getting there.   After three kids I had pretty much given up on biking in these mountains, but I decided it was time and I started training."

 

"I'm really impressed!   Good for you!" 

 

"And good for you for going hiking."   She gestured toward my boots and walking stick.

 

I started to minimize hiking.

 

I started to compare a low-grade elevation hike to strenuous biking up a mountain.

 

And then I stopped.

 

And simply smiled at her.

 

Effort is effort...no matter how dramatic.

 

So I simply smiled wider and asked, "Do you have enough water? I have extra in the cooler if you need it."

 

"That would be great!"   She opened her water pack and I poured an ice cold bottle of water in.

 

We grinned at each other.

 

"Happy Biking!"

 

"Happing Hiking!" she shouted over her shoulder as she rode back down the hill.

 

And it was.

J is for Just Amazed

This post is linked to the letter J for Alphabe-Thursday. To read other J links, just click here.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

I thought of Ghandi today...

...not that I know him well.

 

Or, indeed...

 

...to be truthful.

 

Not that I know him at all.

 

But.

 

At the recommendation of several of my doctors, I have begun trying to regain my strength and endurance.

 

Today, I met with a trainer.

 

At a gym.

 

Gulp.

 

I was a wee bit afeared.

 

But I sucked it up.

 

And only said, "You want me to what?" three times.

 

It wasn't really bad.

 

It was just something very different.

 

I liked the trainer.

 

She made a lot of sense...

 

But as we wrapped up our one hour session I remembered the quote...

 

And I said to her...

 

"Do you know this quote?"

 

...

 

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

 

She said, "Hmmm.   I don't think I know that quote.   Or maybe I've read it but I just don't remember."

 

She did, though, remember to give me a printout of all the things I'm supposed to do at home each and every day.

 

Hmmm.

 

Good old Mahatma Gandhi.

 

And even though my trainer was NOT impressed with his philosophy...

 

At the end of the day I'm certain strength training will not be the end of me.

 

It will be the beginning of me...

 

Stronger.

 

and with more endurance.

 

My goal for next week with the trainer is to only say, "You want me to what?" two times.

 

Because,

 

I.

 

Jenny Matlock.

 

Have an indomitable will to get better! 

 

Wishing you a weekend that is stronger with more endurance...

 

Or at least the will to resist such things!

 

(PS.   This is soooo not my arm.   Even though I embarked on a 10 day 'get rid of your bat wing' program 11 days ago, they are still with me.  Drats!)

Like a bridge over troubled waters...

...I will lay me down.

I know times are tough still for so many of us.

This morning, though, I got an e-mail from a blog-friend who told me of another blog-friend in dire need of some assistance.

Here's a link to the cause if you are able to help in any way.

Blog friends have come through for me, personally, in so many ways as I've journeyed through my life for the past several years.

I just wanted to share this in case you are able to contribute to this lovely woman and her family.

Hugs and Happy Thursday.

Alphabe-Thursday Letter J

Good morning class. Welcome to round nine of Alphabe-Thursday!

Today we will be juggling the letter:


Please link directly to your Alphabe-Thursday URL (if you don't know how to do this let me know!) and please continue to visit the five links before and after your link and leave a comment. Minimum of 10 links visited please. You can visit more if you like, of course.

I'm finishing up visiting your I's right now!

If you have any difficulties with your link, please make sure to include the number of the link when you e-mail me. It is really difficult for me to find you easily otherwise.

If you have any questions about Alphabe-Thursday or problems doing your link just post it in a comment or send me an e-mail. I'll do my best to help you as quickly as I can.

The McLinkey will be live from 1:00 pm MST time Wednesday afternoon in an effort to assist our lovely "friends across the pond" and continue through 10:00 am MST time Friday morning!

And remember.... link back to this post, you need to be registered as a follower of my blog, PG posts only, and visit at least 10 other students (perhaps the 5 students before and after your post). The links will stay live after the final post deadline has passed so you can even wait and visit over the weekend or whenever you have more time.

Please jump up and post your letter "J" now!

I is for I SPY...

I spy...

 

With my little eye...

 

And attempt to wink

by a little guy...

 

 

...wiggly worms collected

 

oh me.  Oh my.

 

 

 and

...three Grandlittles at Paris Disney

 

under a raining sky...

 

 

This 'I spy' post is linked to Alphabe-Thursday for the letter I.   For other interesting reads, just click here.

 

Hi day! It's Friday!

...and I almost forgot to post a post today.

 

BUT!

 

It's not my fault.

 

It's Mr. Jenny's fault.

 

Because.

 

Well.

 

If you don't mind my candor.

 

We're.

 

Ummm.

 

Fighting.

 

Grrrrr.

 

And it's hot.

 

And I might be a tiny bit cranky today...

 

Which might have made me forget the dratted reminder from the purple post-it note on my computer.

 

 

However.

 

All this...

 

It's Mr. Jenny's fault.

 

We were both going to go to pick up my parents from the airport but at the last minute I decided to stay home.

 

Alone.

 

And while Mr. Jenny was gone, I rushed around like a mad woman and cleaned the house...

 

and even swept and mopped the floors.

 

And even though I didn't get to the vacuuming part of the house cleaning, I was still sweating like a menopausal woman wearing wool and a turtleneck at a July afternoon wedding in Phoenix.

Hmmm.

 

How was that for a labored metaphor?

 

But you get my meaning?

 

Anyway.

 

Mr. Jenny  walked into the house and said, "What are you doing?   The floors are my job?"

 

And I said, "I wanted to surprise you!"

 

And he said, "Why did you do that?   The floors are my job and what's wrong with your hair?  It looks...umm...dark."

 

And I said, "It IS DARK!   It's dark because I'm all sweaty because I was trying to surprise you!"

 

And he said, "But the floors are my job."

 

And I said, "Well, d'oh!  I know the floors are your job!  I did it to surprise you!"

 

And he said, "But the floors are my job!"

 

And I said, "You're welcome?   How about saying you're welcome!   How about saying that was a good surprise!"

 

And then I huffed off.

 

To sulk in my office.

 

And that's when I realized today is Friday.

 

And I forgot to write a post.

 

So luckily this momentous thing happened to me today that I could share.

 

...

 

...

 

 

And even though Mr. Jenny wouldn't say it, I will!

 

You're welcome!

 

Sigh.

 

Have a good weekend.

 

 

Alphabe-Thursday Letter I

Good morning class. Welcome to round nine of Alphabe-Thursday!

Today we will be improvising about the letter:



Please link directly to your Alphabe-Thursday URL (if you don't know how to do this let me know!) and please continue to visit the five links before and after your link and leave a comment. Minimum of 10 links visited please. You can visit more if you like, of course.

Just letting you know that I'm surely, but slowly, catching up!   Just starting H's on Wednesday morning.   

If you have any difficulties with your link, please make sure to include the number of the link when you e-mail me. It is really difficult for me to find you easily otherwise.

If you have any questions about Alphabe-Thursday or problems doing your link just post it in a comment or send me an e-mail. I'll do my best to help you as quickly as I can.

The McLinkey will be live from 1:00 pm MST time Wednesday afternoon in an effort to assist our lovely "friends across the pond" and continue through 10:00 am MST time Friday morning!

And remember.... link back to this post, you need to be registered as a follower of my blog, PG posts only, and visit at least 10 other students (perhaps the 5 students before and after your post). The links will stay live after the final post deadline has passed so you can even wait and visit over the weekend or whenever you have more time.

Please inspire us with your letter "I" post now!

Hey! Who put this post-it on my computer?

Seriously?

 

Seriously!!!!

 

Argggh.

What was I thinking when I wrote  this:

 

Back to the semi-discipline of writing.

 

Harder than I thought.

And why didn't I nag myself into ten minutes?

Or even 7 minutes and thirty seconds?

Geez-o-man!

...

...

 

I guess I've turned inward a little more than I realized in this whole journey through chron-ICK!

 

Turning outward seems to be a lot more intense.

 

Swimming against the tide of self-isolation is hard.

 

I hope it tones some of my flabby body parts.

 

I've heard swimming is good for that.

 

Anyway.

 

So.

 

Ummm...

 

Tuesday afternoon I was sitting in the cool orange chair that looks out over the pool.  I was admiring a table I painted some years ago.

 

I've held onto it as a reminder of how steady my painting hand used to be.

 

I've also held onto it because I like orange.

 

And I still like 'tattoo' painted furniture.  I wrote about a cool dresser I painted here.

 

 I sold that dresser.  

 

Not sure why I did that because I really liked it.

 

However.

 

This was an ugly table I found at a garage sale for a few bucks. 

 

It languished in the garage for a long time until one day I got out my paints and transformed it.

 

I'm feeling a lot like this table these days.

 

Sometimes I'm not sure what paint I need to use to make myself feel like myself again.

 

I feel.

 

Okay.

 

I feel.

 

Better than I did.

 

I found a great neuro doctor who said, "Why don't we just give this testing a break and see if I can just help with the symptoms for now?"

 

I wanted to kiss her.

 

I wanted to 'tattoo' paint some furniture for her.

 

...

 

I didn't do either thing. 

 

I'm thoughtless but she was brilliant.

 

We tried some different medications and found a balance that keeps the pain mostly away.

 

Mr. Jenny likes that.

 

He didn't really care for the whole 'screaming in pain' wife thing.

 

He didn't say that.

 

I just sensed it.

 

And I see how relieved he is that I'm not begging him to go find me morphine every night.

 

Which.

 

by the way...

 

He never actually did.

 

Geez.

 

O.

 

Man.

 

So that's what I'm doing for now.

 

I'm good with it.

 

You can only be poked and prodded for so long.

 

You can only be treated like a pained-out lab rat for a certain length of time before you protest.

 

I protested.

 

And how lucky I was to find an 'ologist' who would actually listen to me.

 

And.

 

Hey!!!!

 

Guess what?

 

I'm at almost thirty minutes.

 

I know!

 

Can you believe it?

 

I have a lot more to write.

 

Like about our trip to Idaho and my wicked food poisoning (who doesn't love a story about that) and Mr. Jenny's trip to the hospital over Father's Day weekend and stuff about our Grandlittles in Ireland and a story about a weird thing that happened to me and another story about a weird thing that happened to me...

 

AND...

 

Lots and lots and lots more to write.

 

I'm thinking the purple post-it note is working.

 

Or perhaps it's only the 'or else' warning.

 

Whatever it is...

 

I'll be back on Friday.

 

And in the meantime...

 

Feel free to say geez-o-man!

 

And feel free to spray paint any ugly furniture you have laying around!

It's only words...

...and words are all I have...

 

The Bee Gee's sang that to me years and years ago.

 

For months now, though,  words have deserted me.

 

I've been doing the thing I caution against...

 

isolating...

 

quieting the words inside my heart and soul.

 

I've had a lot of excuses.

 

Or at least excuses that I've told myself.

 

I've been sick.

 

Mr. Jenny has been sick.

 

We've been sad that the Grandlittles we saw many times each week have gone to Ireland.

 

My fingers have been hurting.

 

I...ummm...broke a nail?

 

My office is hot?

 

Ummm.

 

I know there's a bunch more excuses I've told myself,  but I can't remember them all because of the sheer mass of their existence.

 

However.

 

Today I put a post-it on my computer screen.

 

It's a purple post-it so it feels moderately kinda/sorta authoritative...

I'm not sure about the "OR ELSE" part, but I'm willing to obey the purple post-it for now.

 

So here is a post for Monday!

 

Go.

 

Me.

 

What can I tell you of all the stories that have been happening in my life of late?

Ummm.

 

Ummm.

 

I know!

 

We just took a seven day road trip.

 

 

Business and pleasure.

 

We ended up leaving mid-afternoon after a business meeting with our patent attorney.

 

It's the first time I've ever met a patent attorney.

 

Oddly.

 

The two people we met with LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE I IMAGINED PATENT ATTORNEYS.

It was weird.

 

In a cool way.

 

And they were cool.

 

In a weird way.

 

(If you are a patent attorney...Weird is actually cool!  Thank you for your service!)

 

(Darn.  I have forgotten how to write.   Gee whiz.  I hope I remember before Wednesday.   That "OR ELSE" is moderately freaking me out.)

 

Anyway.

 

The patent stuff is pretty new to us in our business and it's fascinating.  It's technical and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages (you get the idea) long with pages and pages and pages and pages (I think you get the idea again) of drawings and diagrams.

 

Anyway.

 

When we left the patent attorney's offices, we stopped at a fast food to change into our comfy driving clothes.

 

And Mr. Jenny asked me to drive.

 

On the freeway.

 

Heading to Las Vegas.

 

Me.

 

Drive.

 

Okay.

 

Do you understand my shock and dismay?

 

Freeway?

 

Phoenix?

 

Although it's not quite as bad as driving through LA or Boston, it's pretty serious traffic.

 

ACCCCK!

 

Anyway.

 

I am nothing if not an obedient wife...

 

(cough, cough, choke, sputter, sputter)

 

So I complied.

 

Willingly.

 

And sweetly.

 

(cough, cough, choke, sputter, sputter)

 

On the beltway heading out of town I was doing pretty good keeping up with the flow of traffic.

 

Mr. Jenny was doing something intense with his Ipad while talking on his cell phone.

 

So...

 

There I was...

 

In the HOV lane...

 

...holding onto the steering wheel in a death grip.

 

Did I mention FREEWAY?

 

PHOENIX?

 

In the lane next to me was a Maserati.

 

 

A black one.

 

In the spirit of full disclosure, I don't know if this was the actual KIND of Maserati.  

 

But it was black.

 

And shiny.

 

And I whizzed past it!

 

I yelled!

 

Mr. Jenny dropped his phone!

 

"Did you see that?!!!!" I shouted, "I passed a Maserati!  I passed a Maserati!"

 

Mr. Jenny was not quite as amazed as I was.

 

I slowed down a little in the HOV lane and the Maserati came zipping by me!

 

"See?   See?!!!!   It's a Maserati!  I passed it!  In the truck!!!!  I passed  a Maserati!"

 

I speeded up and passed it again.

 

I yelled again.

 

Mr. Jenny shook his head,  retrieved his cell phone and reconnected his call.

 

But me?

 

I sat a little taller in the drivers seat.

 

I was driving through massive traffic on the beltway in Phoenix and I passed a Maserati! 

 

And...

 

Well...

 

This concludes my Monday writing exercise.

 

Thirty minutes is up.

 

I'm not even breaking out in hives from actually writing so I think that's a good sign.

 

So, I'll see you on Wednesday then?

 

Okay, technically you'll see me.

 

Because the post-it note says so.

 

And I bow down to the power of a purple post-it note.

 

And the power of poking my head out of isolation a little bit!

 

 

Happy Horse

..and Happy Girl.

 

Here is our oldest Grandlittle at a horseback riding lesson in the Irish Country-side.

 

It is wonderful to see her so happy.

 

This post is linked to Alphabe-Thursday for the letter H.   To read other H offerings, just click here.

 

 

Alphabe-Thursday Letter H

Good morning class. Welcome to round nine of Alphabe-Thursday!

Today we will be happily discussing the letter:




Please link directly to your Alphabe-Thursday URL (if you don't know how to do this let me know!) and please continue to visit the five links before and after your link and leave a comment. Minimum of 10 links visited please. You can visit more if you like, of course.


If you have any difficulties with your link, please make sure to include the number of the link when you e-mail me. It is really difficult for me to find you easily otherwise.


If you have any questions about Alphabe-Thursday or problems doing your link just post it in a comment or send me an e-mail. I'll do my best to help you as quickly as I can.


The McLinkey will be live from 1:00 pm MST time Wednesday afternoon in an effort to assist our lovely "friends across the pond" and continue through 10:00 am MST time Friday morning!


And remember.... link back to this post, you need to be registered as a follower of my blog, PG posts only, and visit at least 10 other students (perhaps the 5 students before and after your post). The links will stay live after the final post deadline has passed so you can even wait and visit over the weekend or whenever you have more time.

Please feel free to link your happy posts now:

G is for ...

...our grimacing (in morphine-masked pain) Grandlittle.

 

 

 

She lost a battle with a 'spinny thing' on the playground all the way over in Ireland.

 

And Grandma and Grandpa are quite sad we can't be close by.

 

She turned eight two days after this happened and doesn't think a red cast for a gift is a good present.

 

Sigh.

 

If you could say a little prayer for her healing, I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

This post is linked to Alphabe-Thursday's letter G.   To read other G offerings, just click here.

Alphabe-Thursday Letter G

Good morning class. Welcome to round nine of Alphabe-Thursday!

Today we will be gathering links for the letter:


Please link directly to your Alphabe-Thursday URL (if you don't know how to do this let me know!) and please continue to visit the five links before and after your link and leave a comment. Minimum of 10 links visited please. You can visit more if you like, of course.

I also want you to know I've been reading all the links each week.   I am only halfway through the F's but I'll by.

If you have any difficulties with your link, please make sure to include the number of the link when you e-mail me. It is really difficult for me to find you easily otherwise.

If you have any questions about Alphabe-Thursday or problems doing your link just post it in a comment or send me an e-mail. I'll do my best to help you as quickly as I can.

The McLinkey will be live from 1:00 pm MST time Wednesday afternoon in an effort to assist our lovely "friends across the pond" and continue through 10:00 am MST time Friday morning!

And remember.... link back to this post, you need to be registered as a follower of my blog, PG posts only, and visit at least 10 other students (perhaps the 5 students before and after your post). The links will stay live after the final post deadline has passed so you can even wait and visit over the weekend or whenever you have more time.

Please gallop over and post your letter G now!