Making It Up As I Go Along #459

The Little Things

The little things can make you smile sometimes. It’s almost cliché to speak of the little things now. People say it with seriousness as if they are sharing wisdom that has never been considered before. The elder at the head of the fire as the young gather around, circling the heat, with the light of the flames flickering over their faces… “Remember children, it’s the little things that count.” Ended with a paused silence to allow the words to wash over the others… murmurs of accepted clarity follow.

That said though, the little things do often stand out.

I remember our old dog, laying contently under a backyard tree in the summertime… watching our backyard activities with a contented air about her. That was her last summer but when I’m home I’ll often look to that spot under that tree and remember our dog.

There are favourite spots I go. Particular nooks along the Signal Hill trail where I’ll want to veer off the beaten path to just be there again. Specific rocky outcrops along Cape Spear where I’ve sat over top of the ocean. They aren’t showy places. They don’t stand out beyond any number of other spots along the same trails and shore lines… but they’re among my little things.

Card games with family at the end of a meal. Walking over the Rideau River bridge with Karl on the way to lunch at Paddy’s Pub. The calming drive along the purple tinted road which takes you from the highway to Botwood… a drive done time and time again to visit grandparents there. And quiet drives with just my sister and me in the car, be it to pick a family member up or to head over to Trail to check out souvenirs on the last day of my visit. All little things that matter.

For the last few weeks, my writing has become a little thing. But that’s been to minimize the time my arms has been held out over a keyboard… an issue I’ve had to consider since my shoulder gave out.

But today brought another little thing. An accidental one. I sat in my big living room chair, laptop… well… atop my lap… and I went to stretch as I yawned. Without thinking, both arms came up in circular fashion, going from the side, up over my head.

As I was two thirds of the way through this habit motion, I remembered my bad shoulder… but it kept going… and kept raising upwards… until it joined my good arm over my head. Both arms raised as if celebrating a goal in the big hockey game.

I sat there almost afraid to move. My arms hanging over me. I wondered if the pain would shoot through my right once my body realized where it was.

And on the slow lowering, some soreness crept in. But it had happened. Another little thing. I’m still not able to lift my bad arm so high from the front, but it was good to get it up there for the first time in weeks. One way or the other, I had my arm over my head. And just as in the hockey games, it was a type of celebration.





MONDAY…
--- Up early on a rainy day. My shoulder has been at it’s worse by around 6:00 am most days. Makes for hard times. Not too bad this evening though… still can’t lift it but the pain, just sitting, is minimal.

TUESDAY…
--- Shoulder starting to feel better in a real way. Still can’t lift it as high as I’d like and need to watch how much I stretch it out… but the general ache that’s been there since Wednesday night is faded to little. And the gear shift in the car isn’t as torturous.
--- The townhouse across the street is for sale. A tempting thing… move by walking stuff across the street and have a big bath tub, a basement, a back yard, and a garage. We’ll see… we’ll see.

WEDNESDAY…
--- Physio. Good news in that I’m progressing. Bad news in that they’re wondering if I should have an MRI because they wonder about a possible tear to go with the tendonitis. To the doctor tomorrow to have his look.
--- After that, lunch with Karl. A nice time, he gets me a CD and pays for my meal for my birthday.
--- Shoulder is feeling pretty good in the evening. Like it’s loosening up. Still quite limited in motion compared to the left. I’m hoping it’s just clearing inflammation… will really not be happy if there’s a possible tear and my summer becomes void of sports… again.

THURSDAY…
--- Looked at the townhouse across the street and spoke with my real estate agent… don’t think there’ll be on offer on this one… but I’m going to talk with the mortgage people and see what options are in the near future.
--- Doctor wants an MRI on the shoulder. Seemed pretty quick with the plan after seeing how much my range of motion is (or isn’t). Looking like a quiet summer, sports wise, is possible. Pretty bummed by it. Frustrating stuff.

FRIDAY…
--- Shoulder continues to improve but it feels like, from my dealing with the medical world, that it isn’t going to be real good again for quite a while. I’ll discuss at physio tomorrow.
--- Looking at townhouses more online. And spoke to the bank about mortgages. This looks like something that may get done this year.

SATURDAY…
--- Get the news at physio that I don’t want… don’t play any softball this summer. Go home after that, a little bummed… watch some TV and have a nap and work on playoff hockey pool.

SUNDAY…
--- Checking out townhouses with Sarah. Some nice ones. Some not so nice. Out again tomorrow with the agent to dig a little deeper. Shoulder continues to improve. Can now lift it past shoulder height for the first time in a few weeks.