Monday, February 16, 2015

Who stole February?

Or at least the first half of it…  The last two weeks have been very busy and the coming one will be even worse, with one appointment or another taking me out of the house for a good part of every day and a visit to DD at the weekend for her birthday. I feel tired already. All of this makes me realise that I’d better show a sign of life before search parties are sent out to look for me.

I’m pleased to report that the daily exercises are continuing to foster progress in my hand and wrist and thankfully clarinet practice is sounding a little less dire as time goes on. I’ve also been tackling the boxes of books which have been waiting for me to have two good hands to deal with them, though we now need more bookcases to house all their contents. I’ve even been starting to think about how I would like to develop our new garden, once the weather is warm enough to tempt me outside.

At least I don’t have a mischievous cat undoing all my good work, or I’d never finish anything.


Image via Wikipedia


48 comments:

  1. Good news that the diligent physio is paying off for you. Simon's cat as ever makes me chuckle!

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    1. I'm a firm believer in the efficacy of physio, Catriona, even if it can be a bit tedious to carry out. As for Simon's Cat, I think you could give him new ideas based on your two lovely moggies. :-)

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  2. I, too, have been wondering what happened to February! In fact, I'm still looking for 2014!

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    1. I'm not surprised, Broad. You've had a very eventful and sometimes sad year. Here's hoping 2015 will be more peaceful for you.

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  3. Simon's cat is such a sweet restful little monster isn't he? Perhaps he ate February :-)
    I'm glad your hand and wrist are beginning to operate properly again.
    Nice to have Spring to look forward to isn't it?

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    1. Monster is the right term, Ray, though this time he does get his comeuppance. :-)
      Yes, my hand and wrist are really starting to feel like they belong to me, once I've got them going in the morning. Today the sun is shining after a frosty start and I can feel my gardening muscles twitching.

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  4. Perpetua, glad to hear that your hand and wrist are progressing nicely. February has been flying by for us also. Soon it will be March and the signs of Spring will be appearing... yea!
    The Simon's Cat videos are so realistic. When I'm quilting, I have to cover up all the little pieces I'm coordinating as the cats do enjoy playing with them... or anything else I might leave lying about.

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    1. Thanks, Rian. It's satisfying that all the exercises are paying off, just in time for spring. It would have been much harder to be so circumscribed in the better weather.
      Simon's Cat is a constant joy - so well-observed and funny. We don't have cats at present, but I well remember the things ours used to get up to.

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  5. I'm so glad that your hand and wrist are coming along, it must be such a relief to you. It's good to hear that you're making clarinet progress too; maybe an Easter performance for the family? Take care and have a good week.

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    1. Thanks, Jennifer, it's a big relief, though I won't stop the exercises for a while yet. I'm enjoying being back on the clarinet, but I have a lot of ground to make up. I've been practising a few short pieces and DD is going to accompany me this weekend.

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  6. We have blossom on the trees in some parts around here....I'm not sure we really had winter yet though and it may still come! But I know what you mean...February seemed to take forever to arrive because we were planning our Scotland trip, but suddenly, March is just ahead of us and our trip is fading into a memory.
    Glad the physio is paying off now - it's been a slow process but it's good things are improving in time to start on your garden...take it easy now!
    Axxx

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    1. Blossom in February! How lovely. :-) It sounds like you missed the heavy snow that parts of Spain got a few weeks ago. Yes, planning and making trips takes a lot of time, so I'm not surprised February has vanished for you too, but it must have been so worthwhile.
      I'm a firm believer in physio and have another appointment this afternoon, but they are getting further apart which is a good sign. I'm sure a bit of gentle gardening will be excellent exercise for my left arm...

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  7. Hari OM
    ...oh that cat - at least he got some 'comeuppance' this time!

    Despite the time-gobbling, sounds like things are going along well and that is good to hear. ...isn't it strange how books appear to multiply when we move them? We had places for them all before, but then we find we need more shelves!!!

    Enjoy what is left of a rapidly depleting month. YAM xx

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    1. My thought exactly, Yam. The biter bit...

      Fitting in all the books is proving to be a logistical nightmare as we didn't have enough shelves in any case and what we have aren't fitting easily into the new house. Ah well, we'll work it out somehow... :-)

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  8. Glad you are getting back to fitness and losing half of February seems to be a world wide phenomenon

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    1. Thanks, BtoB. Perhaps we're all losing February because we're too busy looking forward to spring. ;)

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  9. It's not only the first half of February that's disappeared - January did too. That viral infection has robbed me of more than 6 weeks, including sleep, and I'm still coughing and spluttering - no sign of real improvement yet. Grrrr.... ;-( Please, someone, take it away!! Glad your wrist is improving, though, and hope you have a great weekend with DD and family. See you before long - hope last Saturday went OK. Love to both of you from us both.

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    1. Poor Helva, it's been so much worse for you and I do hope things improve soon for you both. The wrist really is improving and the exercises are continuing, including clarinet practice. :-) We're looking forward very much to the weekend, thanks.

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  10. February does seemed to have raced away. I have a very naughty cat who keeps jumping on to my trough of daffodil bulbs and delights in scratching them all up. So glad to hear that your wrist is getting better day by day.

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    1. The disappearance of February seems to be a universal experience, Molly, if these comments are anything to go by. :-) What is it about our cats that makes them do these thibngs? They seem to know just what we'd rather they didn't do...

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  11. Part of the reason that February seems to go so fast is because it only has 28 days, which I find most helpful as it seems to make my stipend last longer - important after having to pay out for repairs to my broken front tooth!

    Glad to hear that the wrist continues to improve. Are you now able to drive to your appointments Perpetua, or do you still need to rely on DH?

    Simon's Cat is so realistic. The video illustrates perfectly why we don't allow Šárek near the washing or washing machine, without human supervision :-)

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    1. Yes, February is guaranteed to go past more quickly, as you say, Ricky, but this one is being particularly speedy. :-) I'm glad its shortness coincided with this unexpected expense for you.

      I haven't driven yet, Ricky, because my hand and wrist were still so tender, but that is improving too and I don't think I'll need a chauffeur much longer, to DH's relief.

      You're right about the realism of Simon's Cat, this one being a particularly good example. :-)

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  12. Good old Simon's Cat, always makes me smile. That was a delightful cat-astrophe!
    It is lovely that you are back to the clarinet practice; one of the delights of music prac is that one gets better every day :) Same as with physio exercises, really. I know you will be looking forward to getting into your new garden this year, and will look forward to some pictures in the Spring. The little river you showed us must be spectacular with a few daffodils etc lining the banks. Happy Birthday to your DD - our DD also has a birthday in the next fortnight!

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    1. Isn't it a great little cartoon, Patricia? So well-observed. :-)
      I'm really enjoying being able to practise again and am working hard on some tunes to play with DD at the weekend. But, oh dear, I have a lot of ground to make up after such a long gap in practice. Let's hope that if I work as hard as I have with the physio, I'll see the same progress.
      I'm afraid there won't be any daffodils to be seen along the river this spring as the previous owners didn't plant any bulbs as far as I can discover. I'm planning a big bulb-planting session this autumn ready for next year. :) Happy birthday to your DD and I'll pass your greetings on to ours.

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  13. I'm glad to hear that the physio exercises are helping in the wrist recovery. By the time Spring is truly with us and the weather has improved you'll feel like doing some gardening. Meanwhile all the best with everything else that you're doing to settle into your new home.

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    1. Thanks, Linda. It's worth all the repetitive exercises to be able to use my hand so well now. I have some plants from the old garden outside in pots and I'm looking forward to getting them bedded in as soon as I can. In the meantime, as you say, I'm concentrating on getting the house sorted out at last. :-)

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  14. I think your amazing for fitting in blogging as well. Thank you so much for a wee dose of Simon's cat! :D

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    1. You're very welcome, DB. I always WANT to blog, but just don't always get round to it. :-)

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  15. Grr, 'you-apostrophe-re' I meant - not sure if that was autocorrect or just my brain getting ready for bed!

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    1. That made me giggle. It's always a battle between me and predictive text. :-)

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  16. So glad that your wrist keeps getting better and stronger and that you are able to do more and more.
    When I arrived at my daughter's house in MN last week, just a few hours before bedtime, my granddaughter said "Yia Yia, can we watch Simon's Cat again at story time?". She'd remembered it from last November. We did, but, not before I told her about the nice lady way across the Atlantic Ocean who first shared Simon's Cat.

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    1. Thanks, Penny, so am I. I'm really appreciating having two working hands now.
      You've made my day with that little story. I love the thought of being 'the nice lady way across the Atlantic Ocean.' :-) I think Kezzie would love this particular cartoon, with the naughty cat messing up all the clean washing.

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  17. I'm thrilled that your wrist and hand are well on their way to recovery. Sounds like you've got a lo on your plate recently - the bookshelves can wait a bit longer, keep them for a rainy day in March when things have slowed down a bit :-) Hope you have a lovely birthday weekend with DD. xx

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    1. Thanks, MM, I'm pretty thrilled too. :-) I appreciate having two good hands as never before. Life is usually pretty quiet for us over the winter, so this frenetic spate of activity is something out of the ordinary. It should all settle down again after the weekend, thank goodness, but first we have a birthday to celebrate...

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  18. Also glad your injury is healing and the therapy is helping.

    I often find February hard to get through, but this year, I agree, it is flying by.

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    1. Thanks, Betty. I've been amazed at recent progress - very satisfying. It's probably all the extra exercise routine which is making time pass so quickly for me, but it sounds like I'm not alone in watching February whizz by.

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  19. Yes, we are going to blink our eyes a few times and February will have completely vanished. I'm so happy for you that you are able to play the clarinet again. Are you able to knit yet?

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    1. It sounds like I've stumbled on a universal truth about this disappearing February, Kristie. :-) I am very much enjoying getting to grips with clarinet practice and will be starting knitting again soon. At present I'm using TV watching time to do more hand exercises and keep squeezing that sponge!

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  20. I'm so happy to read of your progress. You are right. Who stole February????

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    1. Thanks, Sally. The physiotherapy really has worked wonders. With your recent holiday in the sunshine, I'm sure February has simply flown for you. :-)

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  21. I'm glad you're making progress and getting back to your clarinet practice! I feel very much as you do--that someone came long and stole February! How can it be we are just "this close" to spring already! I hope you'll share with us your garden as your plans unfold!

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    1. Oh, so am I, thanks, Debra. I have so much lost ground to make up. I'm sure that for you your recent holiday must have made the time fly by. Why can't we slow it down when we go somewhere special? Yes, it does feel as though spring is just around the corner, but I'm not relaxing quite yet, as winter has a bad habit of coming back when least expected. At the moment I'm planning what bulbs I want to plant next autumn, as I can't find any sign that the new garden has any. After that I'll start looking at other things...

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  22. Dear Perpetua,
    so pleased that your hand is getting back to normal. Its been a long recovery for you.
    Its always exciting, when we start planning gardens. Wish you happy gardening as the weather gets better.
    xxx val

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    1. Thanks, Val. It's lovely to be able to so much more at last. It's three months since I fell and life is really getting back to normal. I'm really looking forward to be able to get on with some gardening once the soil dries out and warms up a bit..

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  23. I came over from Bonnie's blog!
    Feb is going by so quickly
    Good news on your healing ..

    Nice to meet you
    Smiles

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    1. Hello, Margie, and welcome to my blog. Yes, February is vanishing before our eyes, says she, just home from yet another meeting. :-) It feels good to be able to use both hands properly again and I'm grateful.

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  24. February has flown by and we have landed near the end and into a heap of blossoms. Spring is so early this year - makes me feel a bit guilty when the rest of the country is still shoulder-deep in snow.

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    1. Oh, aren't you lucky to have blossom so early, Pondside! We don't have mounds of snow like much of North America, but it's still miserably cold for the time of year here and the flowers are understandably reluctant to show their faces. Roll on spring...

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