Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Update

This morning Bob told me, "You need to write something in your journal. You haven't written in a long time." I said I knew that I did, and that I would try to do it today. He said, "You can write about your anniversary present, and what you're reading, and how cuddly Dinah's been, and what's in your purse, and how your thumb is doing."

So. Our anniversary was Saturday. Bob's had a cold, and we've both been kind of worn out, and our normal anniversary place (Stephenson's Apple Farm Restaurant) went out of business, so we don't have a special place to go. So we didn't do anything. We went to the grocery store and bought a pie and a few little special things, and had dinner at home, although Bob was watching something on television that I didn't want to see ("V for Vendetta"), so he ate in front of the television and I ate in the dining room. Hopefully we'll get it together to go out sometime this week.

But we did have presents! He got me some beautiful rainbow topaz earrings, and I got him a headlight (not for the car, but one that you wear on your head when you're walking around outside in the dark). 32 years. Sometimes it's hard to get creative after that long.

Tonight I was getting ready to leave work at about 7:00, packing up my tote bag, turning out the lights, checking to be sure doors were locked. My phone rang, and it was Bob wondering where I was, if I had left yet. There was one other person still there, Kelsey, and I heard her on the phone, and when I turned back to tell her I was leaving, she was packing up her stuff, too.

She said, "I just got the 'where are you?' call from my husband. I said, "I just got one, too!" She said, "How long have you been married?" and I told her 32 years -- I think she's been married less than a year. She said, "So I've got 32 more years of those calls then," and I said, "Yep."

Dinah: Dinah has been a much better cat since Pyewacket died. She's sleeping in between us in bed now, where before she would never do that. She snuggles with Bob a lot, and of course she's always on my lap. I suppose maybe she was intimidated by Pye, and maybe was afraid she was going to get attacked or something; I don't know. But whatever it was, she seems to be doing a lot better. She still hisses at Bob occasionally, but less than she used to, I think.

My thumb: I went to a physical therapy appointment last week and got some instructions for exercises and "scar massage." I do the exercises when I think about it; everything seems fine. I have good range of motion, and it doesn't hurt to move, although the scar is still a little tender and can hurt if I'm not careful when I pick things up. But basically it's fine.

Last weekend I went to the knitting shop to pick up some needles and ended up buying several balls of sock yarn. I told the woman at the shop that it was hard not to buy it all -- I told her that I had recently had surgery on my hand and now I can knit again!

What I'm reading: Right now I'm reading Lost and Found, by Jacqueline Sheehan, and enjoying it a lot. It's a book that I had picked up awhile ago at the bookstore, and thought it looked good, but I was trying to be good about not spending too much money, so I didn't buy it. But it was on the clearance table at Borders a week or so ago, and I grabbed it.

It's about a woman who, after her veterinarian husband dies suddenly, gives up her job as a college psychologist and goes off to become an animal control warden in a small town. One of her first animal rescues is a big black lab who's been shot with an arrow. She takes him into her home while he heals, and in return, he helps her heal. She believes that he's grieving a loss also, and tries to find out what happened to him.

In the process she meet a lot of interesting characters, including the chief animal control warden who is also a minister, a body worker who has Synesthesia and sees emotions as colors, pain as shapes, etc., and a young girl with an eating disorder.

I haven't finished the book yet, so can't guarantee that there's a happy ending. The book is, at times, emotionally wrenching, but it's very good. As soon as I finish writing, I'm going to head up to bed and read.

And lastly, I leave you with this:


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8 comments:

Sharon said...

Willa, you earrings sound beautiful. Can you post a picture?

Joanna said...

That "And, lastly" photo is too much! I was just getting ready to drop you a line and ask how you were doing. Now, I don't have to do that! Thanks for the update.

Willa said...

She cracks me up. What a trip.

I didn't write about this, although I should have -- this month we also lost Simon, the Australian shepherd here at the office, Dave's dog. It's been a bad month. Hopefully things will turn around soon.

So anyway, Jojo's sad, too.

Jennifer Stumpf said...

willa! you're back. i'm so pleased to find a post with an update. glad your thumb is doing better.
too bad about your anniversary spot. isn't that how it is...
take good care of yourself!
xo

Anonymous said...

Yay thanks for the update, Willa!

I've been wondering: You used to BUY books - when did you stop? Also, do you still buy blank books for journaling? Do you still sit in your special chair and burn candles while you read?

...questions only a longtime reader might ask. :) I've been reading for nearly 12 years now, could that possibly be right?!

Teri said...

Bad month? You can't imagine. My husband of 37 years took sick, spent 2 weeks in the ICU and died. I sometimes feel like I will never get out of October. I would give anything for one of those "checking up" phone calls.

Willa said...

Oh Teri, I'm so sorry to hear about your husband. I looked for an email address for you, but couldn't find one. Sympathies and condolences.

Anonymous said...

How can you walk by that dog without hugging and kissing her repeatedly. I'd get no work done at all. lol Teri, so sorry about your loss. I hope he's in a better place and peaceful now. My mom just lost my stepfather and she is having a tough time. I don't look forward to the future. I want my husband to stay with me forever. Update again soon Willa.