Good Things

I am concentrating on the good in my life this morning.  I'm focusing on the smiles.

I slept without pain pills last night.  I rolled onto my side and didn't need any help. There were clean sheets on the bed and my pillows fit my spaces just perfectly.  True, the birds pecking on the chimney woke me up earlier than I'd have chosen, but it's such a happy sound that I couldn't really be peeved.

The walker was right outside the shower thanks to TBG's kind ministrations.  I could reach the drawstring on the blinds in the bathroom and was able to open them and see the sun on the palo verde outside the window.  That kind of stretch was unthinkable 2 weeks ago.  I love noticing progress.

I took the bathrobes off the hooks on the back of the closet door and suddenly it opens wide enough so that I can get in without scraping the edges of the wheelchair against the frame.  It only took me 8 weeks to do that little bit of problem solving, but figure it out I did.  Choosing my clothes is a much more pleasant experience when I can glide right into the closet.  

My long black skirt sits high enough and has a loose enough waistband that there's no discomfort at all.  My center seam and my hip seam react poorly to pressure; this outfit looks dressy but feels like gym clothes.  My favorite Lucy t-shirt was TBG's choice too, and I'm decked out in comfy and cheery style.  Cowboy boots or ballet flats - decisions decisions decisions.  Life is tough, eh?

A hawk flew past my window, a long long snake in its beak.  Looking like a kite, reminding me of Daddooooo, it soared on the current, not flapping its wings or seeming to exert much effort at all.  I could feel sorry for the poor eyeless, legless Serpentes but I'm looking at the bright side this morning.  I've never seen this image before and it's stopped me cold.  Will the hawk share her bounty with babies?  With a spouse?  

And as I'm typing this, watching a mourning dove peck aimlessly in the gravel on the other side of the courtyard gate, I'm stunned to see him lift his head with vigor - a long worm in his beak.  Worms are a rare and precious commodity here in the desert Southwest - they were regular visitors in my Marin garden, but the dirt which passes for soil here isn't quite as welcoming.  To see one about to be dove dinner is alternately amusing and sad.  I'm going for amusing - once again, it's a sight I've not seen before.  

I watched him fly up to the top of the saguaro.  Am I anthropomorphizing just a little when I tell you he flew proudly?  And here he is again, pecking at the junction of the driveway and the yard, looking for dessert.

I know that Spring is coming because the bunnies are back.  I've only seen one or two, and they've been on the other side of the street instead of under my front window, but they are fast and determined and they're not spending much time waiting around for predators.  Poor bunnies - they don't have much in the way of protection, do they?

NBC's Mike Taibbi and his crew of two dropped by yesterday morning to see how I am doing.  I draped the Chinese shawl from Heidi over my shoulders and hopped on out to the mailbox - a first since January 8th.  The videographer made me look gorgeous and my responses were edited to make me sound warm and wonderful (if I do say so myself!) on The Today Show this morning.  Our DVR is filled with snippets of me on the news; this is my favorite view of my face so far.

I made myself oatmeal this morning, and managed to get a fairly full bowl all the way from the cooktop to the kitchen table without spilling a drop.  The brown sugar has congealed into a frozen brick, but I managed to scrape off enough to sweeten the porridge and mmmmmmm I was back to eating my regular breakfast... and I did it without help.  

Not-Kathy is coming over this afternoon.  I'm going to watch little kids jump rope tomorrow.  There's a benefit concert to which I have front row tickets on Thursday night and my concert buddy and I are planning a fine time.  Little Cuter sent me a love text and The Bride admired my mailbox run and the dove just found another worm.

Life is full of good things.

I'm holding that in my heart as I head to the arraignment this afternoon.