Thursday, November 14, 2013

Ambition on the Rise

Since I spent so much time sitting around the last few months, nothing, and I mean, Nothing much got accomplished since August.  Now that my medication increase two weeks ago is starting to take effect, I've got a little more ambition.  My only worry about this med increase is what will happen as time goes on, since it takes a good four to six weeks to stabilize.  I'm not looking forward to going hyperthyroid, and am monitoring my symptoms like a hawk.

No hawks in this picture, but feel free to draw one in.

Every morning when I wake up I take a personal inventory:

I woke up.  Check.  (That's an accomplishment.)
Heart beating?  Check.  (Not too fast, ok, good.)
Breathing?  Check. (Lack of hyperventilation.  Good.)
Muscles aching?  Check.  (That hasn't abated yet.)
Time to get vertical?  Check.  (Sometimes that one takes me a little while.)

Even Carl says I have more ambition, so it must be true.  He's also been sneaking around with the camera lately, taking pictures for proof.  

Proof of my backside--yeah, room for improvement there.


I was working on Ernie the other day, trying to get some sort of floral arrangement for the winter.  I had all sorts of stuff I tried out, including a large bunch of hydrangea blooms and a tall metal trellis that actually didn't look too bad.  Of course, I changed my mind.

Hydrangeas and Ernie, and sigh, me.
It wasn't too cold out that day, but like usual, I was dressed for the occasion.  Don't you just love that yellow scarf?  And to think I've had that old friend in my wardrobe since the third grade....oh my.  Even though I look like a peasant woman, at least my head is warm.

I love that scarf.  Quit picking on me.  (At least my knee pads match my jeans, so there.)

My next decision was to haul the big grapevine ball back up for Ernie's Winter Display.  I think we'll need to make a new one next year, but it should hold up for a few more months.  Since I had a whole bunch of leftover Autumn Joy sedum blooms spray painted red, I decided to use 'em up.



It was at this point I realized I was being photographed.  I pulled the scarf off. Gads, I've gone gray!
Though Ernie won't be winning any decorating awards, it was really easy to simply stick the stems of the sedums and a few random hydrangeas in between the grapevine stems.  I'm not sure how this will hold up for the winter since Ernie gets his share of wind (and snowblower snow tossed at him) but it's something to look at, anyway.  For some reason, this chore reminded me of that old marble game with the sticks, does anyone remember the Kerplunk game?

 Ok, there's no marbles involved with Ernie's decorations.

As good as it gets this year for Ernie.

Maybe Carl can find some marbles around here somewhere. 

I seem to have lost mine.
 

5 comments:

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Dear Karen ~ I'm so glad to see you creating with your new found ambition. I love your dried arrangements and love those photos of you, Carl did a great job getting shots of you in action.

Love and hugs to you ~ FlowerLady

Alison said...

I'm just thrilled to see these photos of you being creative! What a lovely smile you gave Carl once you realized you were being photographed. As Red Skelton used to say when he was near the end of his life, "When I open my eyes in the morning, if I don't smell flowers or see candles flickering, I get up."

Anonymous said...

It is nice seeing you at work. I so loved your other urn planters and Ernie looks like he is puttin on the Ritz.

Junebug said...

I love Ernie with his new decorations. Also glad to see you outside with ambition and that pretty smile.

Unknown said...

Good to see you out and about. I bet Carl is glad, too. I find my sweetie sneeks up and watches me in my decorating moments and gets quite the giggle out of me fixing, standing back, fixing, (repeat).