Escaping the Rain

 Going Mental  2 Responses »
Jun 122023
 

How another week has gone by so quickly is one of those endless mysteries of life. πŸ€·πŸ½β€β™€οΈ I thought that I would have more time to write or do so-called normal activities even with almost a week in France, but somehow that didn’t quite happen. πŸ€ͺ

We hit the road late on Wednesday last week after I got back from Rome where I had what I thought was my last ankle check up for a while. Instead, I am going in tomorrow for a quick op to get one of the rods taken out, but more on that later in the week. In any case, although we don’t like to drive in the afternoons and evenings, we decided it was better to get to France and wake up with a full day rather than wait and waste a day driving.

Our main mission was to take the pups 🐢🐢 and see how they are in the yard as we will be taking them there with us for part of the summer and I’ll be on my own with them there for a few days. That mission was accomplished and Monty was able to show us all the holes where he can escape the fencing – they will be filled and blocked up. Unfortunately, Peanut was just on the mend as she had gotten bit by a viper 🐍 in our yard somewhere on the Monday afternoon before we went. Thanks to getting her to the vet, a blood test confirming the bite, and more meds, she is recovering. She still isn’t back to her full self yet, but she’s getting there. So, the upside was that she wasn’t as naughty so we only had to contend with one mischievous dog to complete our mission. 😬

Since it had been a while for M to visit and see our friends there, we made the rounds catching up with them. We also ate some delicious food and even got in a market day. So, it was a good trip even if the drive felt long on the return and the weather turned stormy β›ˆοΈ in the afternoons after a misleading morning of warmth and sun β˜€οΈ.

Now, although I have unpacked and we are basically settled back home, we still will be on the move to some extent with tomorrow’s op and visitors coming for a few days. It’s all good though, this is not a complaint – just a reminder to myself that I gotta make schedules work for me as life moves fluidly around. 😁

~T πŸ”₯πŸ‰β™‹οΈ

Mama & Me – May 17~June 2, 2023

 Going Mental  2 Responses »
Jun 052023
 
More photos here

It was a quick 17 days spent with my mom in Italy and southern France. We got to do a mother-daughter road trip from our place in Orvieto to Cinque Terre to a spa stay in Bordighera before using our place in Lorgues for a few nights to see the Mediterranean coast that makes the Cotes de Provence.

The timing was perfect as well to see the happenings of St. Tropez and Sainte Maxime. Plus, we soaked up the red carpet vibes of the Cannes Festival and grand prix weekend in Monaco with a stopover in Nice on our way back to Italy.

Once we returned, we didn’t let Mom rest too long before getting back on the road south to the Amalfi Coast with a stop in Pompeii before getting to our stay near Sorrento and a day on the boat.

We had a fabulous time hosting and think she had a great time visiting and seeing a glimpse of our lives. Hopefully, next time, we can get her and Dad over, but we shall see!

Now back to regular life… πŸ€ͺ

~T πŸ”₯πŸ‰β™‹οΈ

Waiting for Summer/Spring…

 Going Mental  2 Responses »
May 162023
 

It has been unusually rainy and cold for this time of year. M and I lament that it is somewhat like our memories of our home countries when we used to live there. I took this photo yesterday when we had a brief morning respite from the rain. You can see the orange umbrella waiting to be put up by the pool – a little spot of color that represents our hope for sunny β˜€οΈ days to come. πŸ™πŸ½

On the bright side, I needed to focus on getting some work done that I have been procrastinating on for weeks, so the gloomy weather allowed me to do so without distraction. Plus, the deadline of ensuring my work got done before my mother arrives tomorrow was another motivating factor. πŸ€ͺ😬

Still, our ten day forecast looks rather grim… I am hoping 🀞🏽 that there will be some decent weather for my mom as we do our road trip to France and see some of the Mediterranean coast. I know we will have a good time either way, but sunshine does help!

No doubt, though, that once the warmer temperatures do arrive I shall be posting about sweating too much or something like that. First world problems as they say! πŸ™„πŸ˜œ

In any case, for the moment, I am waiting for more typical weather to return to us, but focusing on the positives! πŸ˜…

~T πŸ”₯πŸ‰β™‹οΈ

Ankle Recovery: Week Nine @Home with 0 crutch

 Going Mental  2 Responses »
May 122023
 

So, this shall my last ankle recovery post unless there are some major milestones to share. This is because I am personally getting bored with thinking about it all the time, so I imagine it must be equally boring to read each week about the progress. Now that I am basically on the road to normal use with a bit of tightness and such, I can reduce updates to monthly or something like that. πŸ˜…

In any case, I did drive 7 hours one-way to France and back on my own last week (Saturday to Wednesday this week) and had no major problems. It wasn’t overly sore, though there was some swelling when I got to France. However, walking around the French market and the town was good for the healing. Plus, I’ve got my regular more yoga stretching for it.

Then, yesterday, I went back to salsa on my physiotherapist’s recommendation and approval. That made me super happy! πŸ’ƒπŸ½ It was a little sore last night when I got home after a full day out and an hour of dancing, but it was worth it. My muscles need a bit of attention and push anyway.

In any case, all is progressing well. Life is returning to normal. So, once this rainy weather decides to let spring/summer finally win out there will be nothing but sunny β˜€οΈ skies ahead. πŸ˜…

~T πŸ”₯πŸ‰β™‹οΈ

A Little Getaway (& More)

 Going Mental  1 Response »
May 082023
 

When we first arrived in Italy some people recommended this thermal spa hotel in Viterbo, which is only an hour drive away. Since M and I had not really had much of a break together, I decided to book us in here for a night.

It was such a great idea – good job me!

We arrived in the late afternoon, got to our suite and then headed out to these pools (pic is a view from our room). They were indeed warm and felt therapeutic to body and soul. We had a nice dinner and caught up with each other without distractions of the pups, phones, TV, etc. The next day, we had a hammam and massage, which was very relaxing and calming.

It was a much needed moment to reconnect since my fall. So much of our focus has been on my ankle or scheduling life around physiotherapy, and so on. Therefore, it felt good to be just together without worry about all those other things.

We felt we would go back again for a day spa since it is so close, but we might not need to pay to spend the night as it is close enough to drive there and back. Anyway, it was a lovely little getaway.

Then, since I had been given the green light to drive and to go away, I decided it was my turn for a solo trip. I hit the road on Saturday morning and made the drive to France.

It wasn’t too bad with the ankle. I didn’t really need to stop more than twice, which is my normal amount anyway. I listened to my audiobook, podcasts, and enjoyed the beautiful weather for a long drive. I felt as if I was returning to myself again.

So, I’ll be here for another day and then heading back on Wednesday. It has been a great time spent for myself with friends and putting small personal touches to the apartment.

And, with that, I close with a smile and now it’s off to bed!

~T πŸ”₯πŸ‰β™‹οΈ

Ankle Recovery: Week Eight @Home with 0 crutch

 Going Mental  1 Response »
May 042023
 

It’s been a great week of almost normal walking. I’m still a bit of a hobbler when it comes to stairs or when I’m tired toward the end of the day. However, I’ve been green-lighted to go without the crutch in familiar terrain and home. So, all is well.

I will do a full reflection on this whole process next week as it has been a rather amazing ten weeks or so. Overall, I think that it has been quick and fairly painless, but it hasn’t all been lovely either.

Anyway, just wanted to close out the week with this – we stopped to take pics in a gorgeous poppy field!

~T πŸ”₯πŸ‰β™‹οΈ

It’s May!

 Going Mental  No Responses »
May 022023
 

Well, another month is beginning. With almost ten weeks of life on hold, I am looking forward to returning to a more regular and familiar routine. Although I have managed to mostly maintain my positive attitude and patience with myself, M and the slower pattern of the days, I am eager to pick up the pace little by little.

Last Friday, I went to a new mindfulness group session that was conducted in mostly Italian. I had asked about joining a group almost a year ago, but when one started I couldn’t attend due to scheduling, etc. So, I was pretty excited to go and also to test out my Italian skills. It turned out to be an amazing time on many levels. One satisfying part was to realize my Italian listening is pretty good given I’ve only studied on DuoLingo. Another was to join a group where I could meditate in a peaceful energetic space – unlike at home most of the time. The best part was getting a reminder that baby steps are good. With small steps, I can assure my stability and assess the ground. If I move too fast, my feet and ankle are weaker plus I cannot fully sense what is underneath me to keep me safely on my feet.

So, while I am making really good progress with the ankle and will be hopefully returning to basic yoga soon, I still need to remember to take a pause, smell the new spring flowers, enjoy the rainstorms, and take those baby steps.

Happy May and to the month ahead!

~T πŸ”₯πŸ‰β™‹οΈ

Ankle Recovery: Week Seven @Home with 1 crutch

 Going Mental  2 Responses »
Apr 282023
 

Last week was the last of the two-crutch walk, and on Monday this week I was OK’d for just one crutch to hobble on. In actuality, I could mostly hobble along without, but there are those moments when the terrain is uneven or unpredictable, so the crutch still helps.

It’s been satisfying to be getting around. M has gone off again for a few days and I kept the dogs with me this time. Plus, I am able to drive into town and around without any difficulty. This has really helped my motivation and sense of confidence in returning to normal life. I’m still not able to do a long drive as the lack of movement makes it sore, like when sitting at a restaurant. However, the short drives around town for appointments and errands is perfectly fine.

So, with a taste of regular life again and having successes in each day with the pups, I feel more like myself again. The extra peace and quiet with M gone has definitely helped as well since I was starting to get a bit frustrated with life.

I am expecting that next week I will be OK’d to go without my crutch and the weather is improving that I might be able to get myself to the pool for my physio exercises. In the meantime, I do my yoga stretches and try not to do too much – though that is a challenge.

Anyway, all is looking good overall. Another week down!

~T πŸ”₯πŸ‰β™‹οΈ

Finally Spring!

 Going Mental  1 Response »
Apr 262023
 

It was a late winter and the colder temps have lingered much longer than we either expected or wanted. Both M and I are sun seekers. β˜€οΈ We thrive in warmer temperatures and sunny climates. While I prefer the temperate warmth, M enjoys the more sweaty ones. πŸ˜… So, we agreed that we will not be spending another mid-winter period here because the cold and rainy days do not suit us. However, we are still left with a delay in the spring weather this year.

Thankfully, I think that we are nearly to the point when Mother Nature flips the switch to begin heating up the outside so that we can bat away the bugs and sit by the pool working on our tans. It has been a bit grey and wet today, but we enjoyed a beautiful mild weekend. The wisteria tree was in the town of Todi, not too far from us, where we met some new friends for lunch. So, with the various spring blooms coming out in their full colorful glory, we stop to enjoy and sigh relief that the cold is on its way out.

Another plus is that while my ankle is on the mend, I am not feeling as if I am missing anything yet since early spring pollen flurries usually keep me indoors anyway. By the time all of that passes and the temperatures are suitable, I shall be fully walking πŸšΆπŸ½β€β™€οΈon my own two feet! 🀞🏽

So… finally SPRING!

~T πŸ”₯πŸ‰β™‹οΈ

Ankle Recovery: Week Six @Home on My Feet

 Going Mental  No Responses »
Apr 212023
 

Don’t let the picture fool you – my foot does not like to be confined to a shoe! 😝

However, there has been progress. Two days of physiotherapy down with some pretty significant swelling that has been deemed normal for the situation reveals that the body is truly something strange and amazing. Trying to do some yoga poses on the wall has dismayed me as I found what used to be so simple and easy to be a struggle. My brain really needs focus and concentration to rebuild trust in the movements and positions.

Still, I can put more weight on the right foot. Not quite full weight, but it is definitely improving each day. With more exercises and another three-visit week ahead of physio, I am hoping that this time next week, I’ll be writing standing on both feet equally. πŸ’ͺ🏽

In the meantime, slow and steady wins the race, right? 🐒

~T πŸ”₯πŸ‰β™‹οΈ

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