Back in nature

I had a busy start to the weekend. I had to work Friday night into Saturday morning. (I will tell you the story behind that, but it will have to wait until this Friday.)

I got home early Saturday morning and found that though I was very tired, I couldn’t fall deeply asleep. I dozed off and on until it was time to feed Chase Bird about 6 a.m. Then I went back to bed and tried again.

Saturday passed in a blur of sleep, going out for a late lunch, reading, and more sleep.

Sunday I knew what I wanted to do. I had been eying some Queen Anne’s Lace along the street across from our house. I wanted to get some close-ups.

My camera has been sitting in its bag for much of the summer. I just haven’t felt the energy or desire to capture slivers of the world.

The Queen Anne’s Lace was my get-back-into-it bit of nature.

It felt good to use my camera to get out of my own mind for a while. And being out in nature reminds me—if I am mindful—that I am not the center of the universe.

That’s a pretty good thing to remember, don’t you think?

The boot is back

Yes, that is a picture of an orthopedic boot on my foot. I am back in it after reinjuring my foot.

Do you remember when I broke my foot last year? I broke the fifth metatarsal in my right foot in a break called a Jones fracture. It’s a break in a part of the foot that doesn’t have a good blood supply, so it is slow to heal.

Mine finally healed nearly 100 percent last year. I had to wear the boot for a little over three months, then an ankle stabilizer.

It was so nice to put that boot away in the closet.

Tuesday morning, I put on sandals to wear to work. They have a little bit of a heel, and no strap around the back of the foot.

I walked out the door to go to my car. I don’t know what I did to cause it. But I felt my right ankle roll over and a lot of my weight went on the side of my foot.

I wanted to cry, and not just from the pain. From fear that I’d broken the foot again.

I saw my orthopedic doctor Wednesday. He can’t tell from the x-rays whether or not I broke it again. He thinks it’s OK, but as a precaution, he wants me to wear the boot for three weeks, then x-ray it again to see if a break shows up.

Within those three weeks, if all the pain goes away, I can cancel the appointment with him and ditch the boot. Then I’ll wear the ankle stabilizer for a couple of weeks. That’s the path I’d like this to go.

So ….. I am trying to stay positive. It could be so much worse. Many people deal with a lot worse. This is mostly inconvenience.

I am bummed that I can’t go for a walk.

But I’m trying to stay active. Thursday I had some errands to run. It’s a hassle to drive in a supportive shoe, then put the boot on, walk around, go back to the car, take the boot off, drive, and repeat. But I made it. And I kept moving.

I can’t add “go for a walk most days” to my list of habits to develop, but there are many things I can still work on. I’ll just be thumping along in my boot as I do them.