Here's Looking at You, Kid!

 Hello, is that you looking in at the Stress Pool? Good to see you again!

Well, sort of. 

Not that it isn't good to see you, but that you are just a little fuzzy. Let me get a little closer.

It has been an interesting summer, that's for certain. It wasn't awful; it wasn't great, but mostly because of the eye surgeries. I am driving again, and are you ready for the scary part?

In the state of Pennsylvania, you only need one good eye to drive, and that good eye should be 20/40 or better. So be assured, my good eye is 20/20!

Not the other one.

Yes, I did get glasses, and already I fear the eye has changed a bit and the glasses don't work. The eye doctor was pleased with how it went - it was really bad, and he said that sometimes an amblyopic eye doesn't bounce in right away, if at all. So, when you see someone going through red lights, or stop signs, or driving over the line, perhaps they don't have 20/20 vision in either eye! Scary, right?

So far, I've done just fine. With driving. I bought some readers for close-up work, and I'm still reading books with large print. Not as much strain that way, so I was able to do some reading. I'll get to the final list before the end.

We also got away for a couple days - DH and I went to Berlin, Ohio, which is Amish country. There are a lot of stores and plenty of places to eat. It was hotter than you-know-where! We brought home a peach pie - best peach pie I've ever had in my entire life. Ms. Business is also a fan, and agreed that it was second to none. We crossed through an area called Tappan Lake - if you've ever stayed there, let me know what you thought. I'm going to look into possible cabin rentals in the area. Just beautiful.

So, pool time (thank you 90+ degree days for heating up the water!), reading, and a little painting (but not much). Am I ready to go back to school? I would like to say yes, however...reasons.

Now, back to the reading list, picking up from where I left off in the last missive:

3 more Denise Domning books: Winter's Heat, Summer's Storm, and Spring's Fury. They feature some of the same characters from the other five books of hers I listed from June;

Of Fire and Lions by Mesu Andrews. We are going to see Daniel at the Sight and Sound theater in Lancaster in the fall. This book is a fictional rendition about the Babylonian exile and Daniel, and his family. Interesting read.

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. I like her books - gentle reads.

Salt and Broom by Sharon Lynn Fisher. A take on Jane Eyre, the main character's name is Jane Aire, and the school where she teaches is for 'witches'. She's off to take care of a curse, and of course, we meet many of Ms. Bronte's characters, albeit a little twisted. A fun read, for sure!

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens. This was a book club read - very good!

The Last Sister, The Silence, In the Pines, The First Death, and At the River, all by Kendra Elliott. These are from the Columbia River series, and feature a lot of characters from her Mercy Kilpatrick series. If you've never read Kendra Elliott, and you enjoy suspenseful thrillers, do it!

The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh. She's lived a lie for 10 years - you'll never guess what happens! I just finished this one today.

Total number of books for the summer: 21. No regrets on any of them!

Time to get out the alarm clock and make sure it's set to the crack of doom; pull out what I'm going to wear on the first day of in-service; and what am I going to eat for breakfast? There had better be a full pot of coffee, that's one thing for certain!

And yes, hopefully there will be a few more warm days to heat up the water in the pool, and of course, evenings on the porch. There is a light at the end of the work tunnel, but I haven't reached it yet. In the meantime, feel free to pop on in, because, as always, the water in the Stress Pool is always perfect, if not a little too hot!

Virtue vs. Gratification

 Hello, fellow swimmers, and welcome to the Stress Pool! My, summer has come with vengeance, has it not? You would think we'd be in the actual pool daily, but since the days have been so oppressive, and then evening thunderstorms following, well, it just seemed that staying indoors was the right thing to do. Then, there was the cataract surgery.

Yes, be it age or just the fact that my eyes have never been the best, the cataracts are ripe for the picking. I opted for the astigmatism correcting lens for both eyes, and the eye doctor said, "We do the worst eye first." What they don't tell you is that it might take some time before you can actually see! And boy, am I glad I didn't get this done during the school year, which was the original plan.

In this age of instant gratification, I thought for sure it would take a few days, then all would be normal. Nope. I've had the lens taken out of my glasses, only to find that my other eye doesn't adjust to the difference. It has made June very interesting, indeed. Patience is a virtue with which I've often had difficulty, and this experience has been no exception. I'm not prone to deep bouts of depression, but I did come close! I'm not one to sit too idly. and had been looking forward to sketching and painting. Patience, Wendy, Patience.

What you should be grateful for is that I am not driving - with everything being fuzzy, I'm just not comfortable behind the wheel. That means my family has to haul me around if I need to go somewhere, like the eye doctor, the allergist for shots, the pharmacy, and wherever else I need to go. (My eye doctor and I are getting to be great pals, LOL!) And, while I'm not one to meander through the mall, or shop a lot, that's all I've wanted to do, probably because I can't. This too shall pass. (At least, I hope so!) Ms. Business and I went to the parish flea market last week - yay, a trip out of the house! I found something I wanted for the studio, and a book of positive quotations called "It Isn't Easy Being Green" - a Jim Henson Book. Loved him. And, it was nice spending time with them.

Stipulations in the discharge papers:  "No gardening. No housework. No lifting anything more than ten pounds. No alcohol (although that might have been because of the anesthesia). No going away for two weeks after surgery. No swimming for a month." WAIT, WHAT?! Summer finally arrives and no pool? So, at the first post-op appointment, when he asked if I had any questions, I said, "Let's talk about the pool."

He chuckled. "We don't want you to get chlorine in your eye."

"I also don't want to get chlorine in my eye - ever. I just walk around the pool and float."

I was given the go ahead, but only after two weeks had passed. That would give me two weeks before the next surgery. Yay! I do intend to get back in again today and as many days as possible next week. Notice, I was not at all concerned about housework or gardening or lifting. DH and I are hoping to go away at the beginning of August for a day or two. My main concern is being able to see well enough to help do some of the driving. As for the alcohol, I don't drink enough to even think about that one.

So, what does one who cannot see do?

Well, I think I'm on the third season of Reba; I watched Disney movies for the first three days; Crazy Rich Asians is on Netflix (if you haven't seen it, please watch - it's one of my favorites!). DH and I have watched The Sympathizer (HBO - a must watch! There are a lot of subtitles, which was difficult for me to see, but I saw enough to get the drift); Bridgerton, season three; and Persuasion. Moink sometimes wants to spend some time with us in the evenings, and we'll watch Taskmaster, New Zealand. Wow, they hold nothing back over there, including language and what they show on television. It's bawdy and a hoot, and we are quite diverted when watching. Seriously though, I've never watched so much on television in such a short time in my life!

And, thank God for the person who invented large print books - as well as the Kindle where you can adjust the size of the font! The summer reading has begun. So far, I have read:

Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson - a mystery/comedy that keeps you guessing all the way through;

Simply Lies by David Baldacci - did not disappoint!

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - wow. Well done, and I couldn't put it down. Very interesting.

Servant of the Crown Series by Denise Domning, which included, in order:

Season of the Raven

Season of the Fox

Lost Innocents

The Final Toll

Caught Red-Handed

It is a series set in medieval times which, interestingly, involve a Norman born knight who becomes what Briton locals call "the crowner", which later translates to 'coroner'. That being said, you can well guess at what he does - and where these adventures might lead! She has another series that involve some of the same characters, and I'll probably buy that one on the Kindle while I wait for other books from the library.

I am also proof- reading Moink's book - the first in his series. He's good. I hope he's able to get an agent and have it published. In the meantime, he's started writing the second book. 

So, three weeks into summer break, and I'm eight books in already. Hopefully, I'll be able to get some artwork in as the eye sight improves - I did finally have some success with a pair of cheaters, which is helping some. I'm wearing them now, and hoping that there aren't too many mistakes! 

The actual pool is refreshing, my friends, and maybe if you're in the area, you'll pop in for a dip, and we can talk about how you spend your time in the summer. And, remember, the Stress Pool is always open! Bye for now!

Updates from the Stress Pool

 Hello to all of you, winter-weary and ready for fun in the sun! The actual pool was opened this week, and is filtering out all the ick left from fall and winter - hoping to be able to jump in around Memorial Day. The Stress Pool, however, never closes, and is always ripe with all-things-life!

Updates: the heart monitor showed I have something called Ventricle Trigeminy, which means that sometimes there are a few extra beats in there. My doctor told me we'll talk about it when I come in for my next visit - he's not worried. Therefore, I shall not worry! But, talk we will.

Cataract surgery is scheduled for the beginning of June on the left eye - which will be quite the experience, I'm sure! I've been wearing glasses since the age of six, so being able to see things in the distance will be a treat, indeed. The second eye will be done at the beginning of July. I'm already planning my trip to the Dollar Store to pick up readers: a pair for school, a pair for the studio, a pair for the purse...and maybe one extra just because. It's a lot cheaper than prescription eye glasses! And yes, I know, I shouldn't plan on this - things can go wrong, We're just hoping and praying everything goes right!

Little Man is graduating from pre-school soon - can you believe how fast time flies? Mouse is working on walking (sort of - she much prefers to have DiDi carry her everywhere!) Big Brother said that they've entered the living room to find her standing up, but when she sees them, sits down and puts up her arms. She's no dummy, that's for sure! She also often looks at Little Man with an expression of 'someday I will get mom all to myself, you just wait'!

Then, there is the little wonder of Morticia and The Doctor. She's a wide-eyed wonder, truly. On track for all things developmental, also clings to her mother! Morticia came to see us and have dinner every Thursday this past semester, as The Doctor was teaching all day and we were a diversion. I would walk in from work, Sweetie Pie would take one look at me and burst into tears! (I think I have that same effect on some students, and I'll never know why!) This past Thursday, after weeks of this, I took her from Morticia as she packed up to go home, and not one tear. Not one! Yay, a small amount of success - and I'll take it! 

Everyone else here at the Pool is just fine and dandy - in just a few more weeks I'll be home for the summer, ready for a bit of relaxation, reading, painting, cleaning-up...my, the lists never end, do they? As always, if you're in the area, stop by for a dip in the actual pool, and we'll have some tea, or another sort of beverage, and you can renew your membership in the Stress Pool!

Monitoring the Heart

On February 2nd, Punxsutawney Phil promised an early spring, and we here at the Stress Pool were hopeful that he would be proven right - and by golly, we have been enjoying an early spring! Of course, on February 2nd, the hearts of those who live here were grieving, as BFFB left this earthly plane for the afterlife just several days before. To say it has been difficult would be an understatement, as she left behind a son, a brother, and a lot of friends who loved her dearly, as well as two cats, and a house with a lot of stuff that needed to be gone through. Fortunately, there were a lot of us who were willing and able to pitch in. Without anyone asking him, DH has been going to the house every week to put out trash that others have put together, then goes back the next day to pull the cans into the garage. He and others would go several times a week to help take care of the kitties, until about a week ago, when a loving soul took them into her care. 

BFFB, also known as Barb Riley, was my personal cheerleader. At the end of the week she would send a text congratulating me on making it through another week. While that sounds ridiculous, sometimes you just need someone in your corner, rooting for you, patting you on the back, making you feel like you matter. I miss that. I miss her.

It's been an interesting birthday week for me. We had the whole crew to the house on Sunday for a birthday celebration. Normally, I wouldn't have asked for that, but losing Barb kind of put life into perspective. You never know when your time will come, and celebrating life with the people you love means more to me now than ever. My heart was full that day, and still is - I loved seeing three generations of family all together in one place.

Morticia made a comment about wishing she had a camera to use when hiking with the baby, so I dug out my first digital camera for her. In checking an old SD card, I found pictures from when Moink made his first Communion, Big Brother's high school graduation, and a vacation to Virginia with Mima, Barb, and the rest of the gang. There were pictures of all five kids - one was exceptionally nice, that I would like to print. It did my heart a lot of good to look through and see more memories - a Stanley Cup trip to Detroit with Barb; one with her, her father Jack, and her brother Tom while we watched the final game of that series at their house. The Pens won that year. 

As far as the heart goes, I was "thrilled" to get a heart monitor this morning! What a way to celebrate another year on earth, right? For 3 days, or more specifically, 72 hours, it will be a part of me, monitoring the beats of my heart. I'm supposed to push a button if my heart speeds up, or I'm out of breath, things like that. (CT scans of my head and neck come at the end of the month. So much to look forward to!)

However, while the beat (of my heart) goes on, and the monitor will record them, I'm certain it won't record the love I feel for family and good friends, or the pain of loss. We tend to protect our hearts, yet it is in leaving the heart open we live life to the fullest. The monitor isn't going to record that, but my mind will. 

Stop by the Stress Pool any time, where we can share and make memories. After all, that's what life is all about, right? 

Resolutions Smesolutions

 Greetings, fellow swimmers, and welcome back to a new year of fun in the Stress Pool! Hard to believe how quickly time marches on, but there you have it - a full week into 2024. I don't make resolutions anymore. Not sure if it is due to age, or the fact that by February they've been swept under the rug! Do you still make them and, more importantly, are you able to keep them? While I don't actually do the "I want to.." thing, there are certain things I strive for:

Moving my body...I mean, I know what I have to do. Keeping the arthritis at bay is a struggle. Planet Fitness tells me I have until Friday to decide to get in on a great deal - until the next one, of course! It's just the whole idea of going, especially in the cold and dark of winter! 

Studio time...now, that is something I have been doing this week! My Mentor (aka Donna) and I are going to check in weekly to share what we've been doing in our prospective studios, and I was actually able to do that this week! Looking forward to the days where I'm not 'carving out' time to paint.

Family time...scheduled weekly! Someday it will be easier to devote more time, but for now, knowing there are certain days I will see my cherished darlings is gold.

Reading...goes without saying. Just finished our book club pick, "The Measure." Thought provoking: what would you do if offered the chance to know how much longer you have to live? Would you want to know? What would you do with your time? Good read! (For the record, my answer is no, I would not want to know. Take one day at a time!) Then, I read "When I Was You" by Minka Kent. Wow! Couldn't put it down. I would say we're off to a good start!

Writing in the blog...Yes. The best laid plans of mice and men...Here's hoping I'll get at least one post a month!

Here at the Stress Pool, everyone is well and smoothly gliding into 2024. We wish all of you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. May your days be anxiety free, filled with a laugh or two, with some kindness to and from all sprinkled in. And, if you want to chill out with us by the pool (or the fire, inside of course!) you know where we are!  

 

Snakes on a Trampoline

 Greetings, fellow swimmers, and welcome back to the Stress Pool! You may be wondering about the title of this latest segment, and I'm happy to say there is no better sound in the world than "Nana, watch! Watch!"

It has been a fast, yet full, summer. June was a little rainy and cool, so there wasn't much actual time in the pool - but we did find that July dawned hot, and humid, and rainy! However, there has been a lot going on here, so let me catch you up to speed. 

Little Man spent an afternoon here one day - I wish it could have been more, but they had a busy summer, too. Suffice it to say, he is a VERY BUSY 4 YEAR OLD! Recently, we were over at their house, and Little Man was slinging his stuffed (very long) snakes over the top of the trampoline, each time yelling, "Nana, watch!" It's just lovely sitting back and 'just watching'! Someday, I will retire, and will do a lot of 'watching'.

Speaking of just watching...Morticia and the Doctor gave birth to their first child- what a little peanut! She is, of course, just as adorable as anything. I had the pleasure (I'm sure this is where some of you will go 'ew' over your shoulder - I did not feel that way!) of being present for the birth. I've never seen it from this side of the world (I didn't wear my glasses during any of the deliveries of our five!), and what an experience! She arrived just on the other side of midnight in mid-July, and what a change there has been in just a month.

DiDi and the kids were visiting her family out of state, and what a change in Mouse! Seven months old, and she has quite the personality. Of course, I could go on gushing about the grandchildren for days...as, I'm sure, can many of you!

DH and I got away for a night to Lancaster - we went to the Sight and Sound Theater to see 'Moses'. It was good - we enjoyed 'David' more, but still had an enjoyable time. The weather was wonderful, and are hoping to go back next year to see 'Daniel'. We also found out some info on the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, and considered for a brief moment about going this year, but will wait until next fall. It looks like a really nice venue, and who doesn't like hobnobbing with knights and royalty?

There was a little more artwork, and a little swimming, and some weeding of the front garden - which also brought with it a nice case of either poison ivy, or poison oak. Whichever it is, it's been since August  4th when I saw the first two dots (I thought they were bug bites!) It became full-blown, and I mean full-blown, to where I am finishing a prescription for prednisone and look like I have some horrible skin disease! Standing in the cool pool water actually feels pretty good! Sadly, pool days are beginning to dwindle...while it warmed up considerably yesterday and today, we also started in-service today. So, yeah.

Now, for the Summer Reading Round-up! 14 books this summer - a record! They are, as follows:

1. Firefly Lane - Kristin Hannah

2. Fly Away - Kristin Hannah.  These two go together, and were a fine read. I started watching the Netflix show, and got through about five minutes before I said, "Nope." I truly dislike when directors and producers completely change a story! Save that for the really awful books that might have a semblance of a good idea, but aren't well written!

3. Nineteen Minutes - Jodi Picoult; looking from both sides of a school shooting, and makes you really think about bullying and how it affects the everyone involved. I just love her writing - the research Ms. Picoult does for each book is phenomenal.

4. My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult; would you be able to have a child in order to keep another child alive? Hmm...

5. Heartburn - Nora Ephron.  Funny book - we had just finished watching "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", and I imagined Miriam Maisel's voice as I read the book, which was helpful. I hear the movie is funny, as well, and hope to watch that sometime soon.

6. No Exit - Taylor Adams. Suspenseful thriller - read it. Don't watch the movie - it sucked.

7. Stillhouse Lake - Rachel Cline, and 8. Killman Creek, also by Rachel Cline. They are the first two books in a series of six books, but DH and I both agreed the actual story wraps up nicely after book two. However, if you look into these, and you move on to book 3, let me know what you think.

9. The Clutter Corpse - Simon Brett: a fun, quirky read that is very UK. The writer has won numerous awards, and easy to see why.

10. Dead Sexy - Cameo MacPherson. Another fun read - very light hearted with a lot of witty comments, with zombies and nymphs galore.

11. The Summer Girls - Mary Alice Monroe. A paperback I've had sitting around for a long time, and decided it was time to read it. It would have made a great beach book. If you want it for next year, let me know.

12. There's No Coming Back From This - Ann Garvin. Her latest, it just came out on August 1st. An interesting look at what goes on behind the scenes of making movies, and the people who make it all happen, and how a little positive attitude can help.

13. The Killer in the Choir - Simon Brett. Love books set in the UK, and with this one being a murder involving a choir - well, it just sang to me! 

14. The Maidens - Alex Michaelides. He's the author of "The Silent Patient"- The Maidens is his second book. Wow. Loved it - read it in a day and a half. I hadn't intended to do that, but there you have it.

One I didn't mention was "Hello, Beautiful", which was one of our book club reads for the summer, but it was my suggestion, and I had read it before summer actually started, so didn't count it. There are a few on my list of hoping to reads this winter, like Wolf Hall, and The Water Dancer, and My Dear Mrs. Hamilton. A book, an afghan, and a low fire in the living room, maybe a steaming cup of coffee...Without the pumpkin spice though, okay?!

So until those days, I hope you find a moment to stop by the Pool and tell me about your latest reads, trips, and family escapades. And, if the weather doesn't cooperate, doesn't a sit on the screened-in porch sound delightful? Maybe roast some marshmallows in the fire pit...you're always welcome here at the Stress Pool.

The Lazy, Not-so Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer

 Summer...at last!

It's hard for me to believe I've been home from school for three weeks - and, it has been truly wonderful! Sleeping in...taking naps...sipping iced-tea in the afternoons...reading...what more could a girl want?

I mean, really?

And yes, there has been studio time. I took some time to research a little (I use a site called Unsplash, which has photos of just about anything you might be looking for, which don't have a copyright. You should just give a shout-out to the photographer if you use it)

As a treat, I pulled out the charcoal and chalk pastels. What fun that's been! And no, I don't know what I'm going to do with these sketches yet - it's just been enough spending time making them. 

The last picture was based on one I had taken at Cecil Park - BFFB and I had taken a ride over Spring break, and I snapped a few pictures. I liked the reflection of the building on the creek. So, fun days for me! Truly, there is nothing more fun than getting my hands filthy with charcoal and pastels, and didn't remember how much I really, really love it. 

As for the clan, Morticia and the Doctor are expecting a bundle of joy any day. Baby has gotten herself turned head-down, but so far is not engaged. If she's anything like her mother, she'll take her good old sweet time in making her entrance! 

Big Brother and DiDi have their hands full these days with Little Man and Little Sister. Little Man spent the afternoon one day last week - we painted, read books, and played with the old Playmobil Fort (it belonged to Eggbert, so it's at least 30 years old!), but he's more interested in the animals than all the cowboys and Native Amercan figures it came with.

"Look Nana, the horses and donkeys are going outside of the fort. They have to poop. Do you see the poop?"

Four-year-olds. Gotta love them and their sweet imaginations! 

Did I mention the vultures? There are three vultures - only one has both legs. They occasionally go home with him. Then, when we go to visit, I scoop them up and bring them back. It's a back-and-forth thing. We used to do this with horses from the Playskool farm. "Nana. I'm taking your horses. They want to go home with me." Seriously, someone needs to buy this kid a pony!

The days have been a little cold for swimming, but we've made it in a few times. I'm sure July will hit good and hot at some point. For certain it will be really steamy on August 21st - first day of inservice! Look out - I'll be rushing home to jump in as soon as I get home!

Reading...it's finally happened. First time I ever put down a book and said, "Nope. Not finishing it." It isn't that it wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. This author has scads of books, and this was the first in the series. A Victorian-era mystery, "Murder at the Mayfair Hotel". I like a period novel, but it just wasn't keeping my interest. So, what else have I been reading?

I just finished "Firefly Lane" by Kristin Hannah, the first of two books. The other is "Fly Away", which I've already read, but didn't realize the other was first, so I finished that yesterday, and am now re-reading "Fly Away". Our book club read "Lessons in Chemistry" - wow, what a fantastic read! We're also reading "Hello Beautiful", a Napolitano novel, and it was enjoyable. I also recently finished "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult. It's also an older book, but it's been sitting on my bookshelf and decided it was time to read some of these books that are more than decoration for my family room. Wow. A very powerful book about bullying and school shootings.

There you have it - nothing earth-shattering going on at the Stress Pool -waiting for baby to come, reading, and sketching. Oh, and Zumba. I need to move around more, and signed up for a class. So far I haven't tripped over my feet or fallen flat on my face! So if you're in the neighborhood, stop by and shoot the breeze, dip your foot in the pool (float around if you're brave enough!), do a few Salsa moves, and spend some time with us at the Stress Pool! We're always happy to have some company.