June 11

Ok, 5 ½ weeks from stress fractured right arm—it’s healing well and I can use the arm except for carrying anything heavier than a full soda bottle (dr. agreed with this) bottle could be full of soda or other liquid—Also, I can’t lean on it at all. But my range of motion is really excellent. I didn’t expect that.

-I can drive again

-I can do my own laundry if I’m careful about the heaviness of items in the load.

During this time period d. and S. helped out a lot and one of my neighbors did, too.

After 2 weeks of way too hot temps for 2 weeks in May, our temps are now running between 90-100 degrees. We’ve had very overcast days and even 2-3 days of gentle intermittent rain in mid-May! We’ve had almost 4 weeks of these cloudy and under usual temperature days. It’s certainly very nice in the mornings and the AC doesn’t have to be on as much. I wonder how much longer it will last.

My food storage is depleted a lot since it was at the first of May that I fell and broke the arm and I usually make 2 trips at the first of the month to buy what I need. So, almost a month and a half has gone by without much except some daily trips to get what is absolutely necessary. Like healthy choice frozen dinners for a 2-three week period as a meal option. They looked best of all the possible frozen dinners at the time at the store in easy walking or driving distance.

-Friends helped me pull what I needed out of storage containers so I could have a small amount easy for me to handle to fix to eat as hand got better. This was on a weekly basis.

-Opening cans doesn’t work with one hand not working well! But an electric one wouldn’t have been any better. I have used those before. Friends had to open cans sometimes for me.

-Use paper plates/bowls! and of course, plastic utensils.

-Powdered milk is easier to use, measured out and then mixed with water for a glass or two, than handling milk containers of any kind.

-Soda bottles washed out are great for keeping water in the fridge, and easy to handle with one hand. They are light weight and don’t tip over as easily as glasses or heavier water containers. Also, Mariah (one of my cats) can’t drink out of them! She’s very fond of drinking out of cups or mugs. She always inspects what I’m drinking and sometimes drinks it herself (except for coffee)
-Have a store nearby you can walk to easily to get some things if you can’t drive! My store was only a quarter mile away one way. This also got me out of the house and it was easy to carry a few things in a medium to large tote bag. The first two weeks it was good for my spirits to do this if I could.

-Ended up adding to rechargeable battery supply on a shopping trip one day. AAA and AA batteries ins good supply now.

--Finally made appt with CFA I like at the CU. Goal: Move small IRAs now that the market has come up a lot from March lows I’m going to get everything out of equities that is left there! I didn't really plan to wait until the market hadn come up so much I've just been watching things as they've gone the past 2 months. I finally made the decision; this seemed a very hard decision to make.

Peace, Shamba

May 19th

Everyone–EVERYONE–should do food storage! Some kind of food storage.

2 1/2 weeks ago I fell and have a stress fracture in my right arm–I’m able to type today since it’s doing quite well.

Fortunately, the injury is not very serious and my trip through the ER went quite well and I expect to recover fully. I had cat food stored, food of my own and so the inconveniences of this whole thing were made easier by the supplies I had on hand.

I also had to get some frozen dinners to help out and someone had to open my canned goods and then we stowed them in the fridge for a day or so until I could use them with my good arm and hand. But I had the food on hand and hopefully in a week or so, after the dr visit tomorrow I will be doing much more.

Celery and carrots can be eaten raw by hand easily enough and bell peppers like apples, if you really need to.

Peace to All,
shamba