Along for the ride:

Monday, December 26, 2016

Trying to Keep Up


Blogging is harder than it used to be. Technical issues ; such as blue-tooth connections to i-pad keyboards being unreliable or Blogger deciding it can't upload photos when needed; as well as less mental bandwidth for composition in a life, of necessity, filled with other things, have reduced Blogging from a fulfilling passion to a peripheral destination.
The year end season being a symbolic nudge to evaluate Life, I recognize that the changes are not all bad. That doesn't mean I don't miss certain things. Yesterday, on my way to visit a friend in Hospital, I detoured off the freeway and drove up the canyon, past the reservoir, winding up into forested hills to collect Bay leaves for my kitchen. Bay trees grow freely along the roadside, at certain elevations; where the oaks begin to give way to the redwoods. It's as wise to watch for deer as for cyclists, although on Christmas morning there were neither. I was returning to a known tree; a natural resource with a safe place to pull over; no Ravine and no Poison Oak.
When I cut the engine and got out of my vehicle I was flooded by memories of things I hadn't even registered that I had missed. The pungent scents of moist dirt and plants; The patent leather sheen of dark green Bay leaves catching winter sunlight and roiling waves of birdsong, personifying the movements of branches lifting and falling on the tides and eddies of wind-gusts.
I had to stop hiking due to arthritis in my knee. I have greatly reduced my dog fostering for that same reason and due to some things in life that meant I had to take up some slack caring for my husband and being engaged in a long commute every day, as house prices and rents became unaffordable in our area.
Funnily enough, having to relocate our business at the end of our lease, for the same rent tripling reasons, has been a gift, in terms of hours that are now returned to us for things other than stop and go traffic. It also turns out that same commute had inflamed my poor knee. I've gone a year without a cortisone shot, that I previously begged for every twelve weeks. Walking was always a time to enjoy sights and sounds. When my feet move, my brain does the same. Many years ago, when my parents were still alive, I'd fine tune descriptions of what I was seeing to include in the letters I wrote to them. Later, I'd write those thoughts down in my blog. I still revisit older blog posts occasionally, to relive a moment and refresh a memory. That's always been one of the best things about having a blog.

23 comments:

  1. Dieting helped me a lot with my knees (worn cartillage).Weight loss seems to be very beneficial to knee and leg issues.

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    1. Duta, that's also true. I lost 15 pounds due to being more active due to crazy work/move stuff and then getting Bronchitis, and it has helped.

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  2. Merry Christmas to you! My blogging has slowed way down -- and some days I consider just stopping. But, I've given myself permission to just write when I have the energy and something to say -- with our move up here, and my new job (interesting but exhausting), I just don't have time to ride or garden or write very often.

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    1. Annette,
      I always read your posts, just don't have the energy to comment.

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  3. I don't really blog anymore, and have considered deleting it, however, when the "dragon bike" done by my artist neighbor, was stolen, the pictures of it on my blog were apparently the only ones in existance. They were printed on posters and the bike recovered!

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    1. Sillyak,
      Why delete. It's like an old friend who you only rarely speak to. Memories still valuable

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  4. My blogging has resumed its frequency...for the very reason it began, to ease my mind while my husband is ill and I have to be within call.

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    1. Helen, blogging is/was a deeper connection and a supportive community amongst complete strangers around the World. I'm glad you have something to which to escape. Being a grown-up sucks at times, doesn't it?

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    2. Certainly does!
      The company of bloggers is a great help when I'm feeling in limbo.

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  5. I hope you'll find a way to continue at least sometimes. Missing your posts, sorry for all the changes but I've met some interesting folks and blogging is a decent antidote to most of the crap on Facebook. Cheers!

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    1. e, I'm not giving up. Thank you for caring. I find the Blog both intimate and private. Facebook is very superficial and I feel exposed there.

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    2. A number of my favorite reads have stopped, I REALLY don't want to lose another. Thanks

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    3. Silliyak, I also used to love new posts popping up on my blog list,on the home page. Checking gmail for posts is a chore and I often miss a posting.

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  6. Even though I don't see you here much anymore it's always nice to hear from you. I find my posting has slowed down quite a bit too only because I have nothing interesting to write about. Maybe in the New Year I'll lead a more interesting life, we'll see. It's still nice to visit everyone so I keep at it when I can.

    Hope your knee feels better when things calm down. I had a replacement years ago and it helped. I hope yours doesn't come to that though.

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    1. Grey Horse, I'm told I'm a candidate for knee replacement one of these days. When my knee was bad, I was impatient to sign up. now, there are days I almost forget about it.

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  7. Well, I "solved" the knee issue by having both of them replaced. It is not a 100% solution to discomfort for me--many other people end up pain free--but the difference is really positive.

    Stem cell therapy can help too, but insurance companies will not pay for it. Bummer. Synvisc injections can help too.

    Meanwhile, just being able to get out into the natural world somehow takes the mind off all the troubles and pains of "being." I can smell those bay leaves even from here in NJ. Talk about a calming and rejuvenating experience.

    As for blogging...I'm off and on myself. Sometimes I just need to say something for the world to hear, and sometimes the quiet is far more important.

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    1. Jean, you also have your book writing which takes work and creativity.

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  8. I blogged more when I worked full time, go figure. I had more to write about then, and also the blogging community seems to have lost some momentum these days, maybe due to Facebook. I don't know. I sure don't participate like I used to. I miss it. I am glad to see you! Sorry about the damn knee, but if you have it replaced you may find that you can do a bit of hiking again.
    Your description of Christmas morning is lovely. I can pick up the scent of bay leaves all the way from here.

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  9. Kerry, Thanks for stopping by. I'm going to make the effort to visit more blogs and visit those who leave interesting comments. That will open up new connections. Facebook can be blamed for much but my own "stuck in a rut" complacency is a factor. I must do better.

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  10. Thankyou for taking me bay leaf picking with you . I loved every second of it !
    Happy New Year ....

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  11. S&S, You're very welcome. The California Bay leaves are much stronger than those we were used to in France. We've adapted the quantities used accordingly.

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  12. Don't Feed The PixiesFebruary 7, 2017 at 12:39 AM

    I don't get on here as much as I used to either - but I still occasionally have a look to see what's going on. Good to see you still going

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  13. Thanks for your interest and comment to me the other day. It was appreciated. Hope all is well with you.

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