Today was what I would call one of my regular “new normal” days. I awoke with the usual pains and stiffness while slowly making my way to the bathroom to begin my daily routine. I got my husband’s coffee and apple prepared for his departure to work. I poured my own cup of coffee, made our bed and helped get the kiddos off with our oldest on an outing.
I did not go with them because A) It is an hour and a half away where they were going and driving would not be a good thing for me to do coming off a migraine day. B) I was told that today was set aside for me to do lesson planning and to enjoy the quiet house. However, my mind was not with it. *sigh*
We had a bit of a stressful situation prior to the kids departure and I needed to give it to God. So, a lot of prayer to recollect my thoughts, a walk to the mailbox to mail a bill before the July heat took hold and I was all set with a new view on my day. I fell right into planning! An hour later I took a break and rode my Airdyne Bike for 5 minutes. Stiff and sore from that I sat back down at the computer to research the Unit Study I was preparing for this coming school year.
The heat was getting pretty intense outside so I asked my oldest son who was still here to help me hang out a sheet cover over our straw bale garden. I was clad in floppy hat and sunglasses and we got that done. While outside, I picked a cup of green beans, came in and blanched them, then sautee’d them with fresh garlic and ate those for lunch. I then said goodbye to my son as he headed off to work.
Alone, I went back to the computer. Two hours later, all the kiddos came back home and we rested with a Magic School Bus episode. (I needed to rest my body from sitting at the computer, anyway, before I began the point of no return).
Then my oldest and youngest daughter and I went out into our pasture to pick our peaches which were ripe and sweet. After 30 minutes, it began to rain. We hurried. The wind began to blow a much-needed cool breeze. We went faster. One up on a ladder handing me peaches while I passed them to the youngest who placed them in the buckets. We hauled 2-five gallon buckets and a smaller pail filled with sweet peaches across 3 acres before (what looked like) the storm hit. (By the way, the storm never did hit and we hurried unnecessarily, pain and all).
Once inside, one daughter boiled the peaches, another peeled them, another sliced them and I put them into a fruit saver bath, then placed them on cookie sheets to be frozen and then bagged for future use.
During that time, I also mashed pinto beans that I had been cooking in the crock pot all day with yummy seasonings to make bean burritos for the evening meal. My body was aching by this time. I sat down to watch the evening news with my husband and wanted to melt into the couch. But, alas, I needed to get up, but could not get up without help. I was so sore I wanted to cry! I then staggered up the stairs and into the shower thankful for a productive day.
Now I write this with aching shoulders, elbows and hips, hands and feet. It is what it is.
Yes, this was my “new normal” type of day when my pain was not too terribly intense, just persistently there.
