When the days are almost normal

Snow falling from the roof

Some days are almost like a normal day. Such as today, which consisted of yoga, running, reading, writing, dog walking, and talking to friends and family. Except of course that they aren't.

Because for starters, yoga was by Zoom. I guess that a positive side of it is that you can "race" in with not even a minute to spare because it's in the living room. I'm learning new things, and since that might be good for the brain, that's a good thing too. I never knew anything about Zoom, and now I know how to use it and to unmute myself to tell the teacher the audio isn't coming through well and to say thank you and hello to my classmates at the end. Corey, the model who my  mother painted, keeps me company from the living room wall. Maddie seems to know when it's the end of the class because she wanders in and lies down next to me.

Yoga teacher on coffee table

I didn't know about Instagram Live and now Nell's 12:30 story time is one of the highlights of the day. Ben and Meghan are doing a great job of keeping her connected to the outside world by doing things like this.

She loves it when her fans – and there are a lot of them – comment and send her emojis when she reads. Today she read from a watermelon book, and I sent her, drumroll, watermelons. It's interactive, almost as though she was in a class, because at the end she asks people questions, such as favorite colors from the story. She also has a special hello and good bye (friends and family) song. It has been so much fun! Did I tell you about the time I said I would never see my grandchildren? Yes I'm sure I did.

Backing up, I don't want to overuse the term PTSD, which I've already said I have, so I'll say "on edge" when it comes to house stuff. A week or so ago, when it snowed, I woke up in the middle of the night and heard a booming and crashing noise. I was only half awake. Part of me knew what it was, but part wasn't sure. I thought maybe it was another tree falling, or maybe Bigfoot. But I suspected that it was what it was: Snow sliding off the copper roof.

Storytime!

I haven't gone in any stores since doing it more than a week ago. It made me too anxious. I'm not even sure about getting take out but I think it might be OK. I did order pie from The Pie Bar, in Florence. They wrap it up and put it on a cart in front of the store. They also have drawn a line that is six feet away from the cart, so that people keep a safe distance. It isn't exactly mobbed in front of the store so I feel like it is a safe thing to do. It also helps local merchants and satisfies the urge for pie.


I also stumbled on exercise videos that Venus Williams is doing on her Instagram Live. I put some weights on the dining room floor and put my phone on the table. It was fun to see Serena join her in another frame. She uses water jugs and Prosecco bottles for weights. Sometimes her dog Harry says hello. It's a good diversion. But I think I felt a twinge trying to do some dead lifts. Then I remembered that a yoga teacher said not to do them if you don't have someone instructing you on good form. I bookmarked exercise videos that the Y sent so I might try to do those instead.

Also I have PT exercises to do and exercises that I still remember from my Livestrong class. The physical therapy exercises are supposed to strengthen my rhomboids, the theory being that the pain under my left shoulder blade results from a weakness in those rhomboids. I don't really get it, that's just what they told me, and so far it hasn't helped. It's a chronic problem. Sometimes it helps to put a therapy ball in the spot and lie down on the floor on top of it. Or get Katie or Joe to get at it. Massages make it go away but then it comes back. I have heard it's where a lot of people hold their tension.

I also have exercises from my Livestrong class to do. I'm like many people, I guess, in finding it easier to do exercises in a class. I can get out and go for a run or walk more easily than I can pick up weights. I might try to do a Zoom fitness class via the Y or try one of their "virtual fitness" videos. Since my kitchen is empty, I could use it as an exercise room and keep the living room for the yoga studio.