Sunday, October 25

a wonderful day

I've been feeling sorry for myself, and spent most of my day in a ball of misery yesterday - feverish, rashes, blazing pain - and the weather - it was frigid, ugly, and nasty enough to match my outer whiner self!
Today I woke slowly, grumpily, still in the thick of it, but outside was almost too perfect - the kind of autumn day imagined and portrayed in a Hallmark movie, but realistically just out of reach because it's a actually a movie set -
only it wasn't!!

The sun was shining, the air dry, crisp, warm, but not too - the leaves glowing, just beginning to turn orange, red, and golden. Porches are displaying pumpkins, and young families were out walking their dogs and strollers. It would have been thought hokey if it hadn't been what was really going on.

I was bound and determined to get myself out into the world. I haven't really been able to do that in a number of weeks, other than for doctor appts, and with autumn being my favorite season - as it is for many - I had to experience it. I've especially missed my favorite Farmers Markets, so my husband and I decided to make it our destination.
I did the things I gotta do if I'm going to leave the house for any length of time, and off we went to Rye's Farmers Market, where we stocked
up on plenty of fresh everything!
Continuing the Hallmarkesque vibe, Rye was celebrating it's 57th Annual Halloween Window Painting celebration, and the sidewalks were filled with families cheerfully painting ghoulish scenes!!
The main street was blocked off, and there was a band playing Beatles music while the young artists painted and others wandered, chatted, and enjoyed the fall air. There couldn't have been a better day to drag my gloomy self out for cheering up!
Watching all these creative budding artists work
on their autumn ritual was the best!



Last week we completed our biggest autumn ritual -
the migration of our plants, from outdoors to in.
It's repeated in reverse each spring, which is much easier.
It's all pretty easy for me - I mostly point,
this poor guy here does the hard work,
suffering the thorns and arrows...
Coming back indoors means removing many pine needles, spiders, mealy bugs,
and discovering a few surprise volunteers that I rush to protect!!
(those are sunflowers in the pot below on the right-
helpful squirrels? or messy birds?!)
We could call it, The Great (mostly) Cacti Migration...
and now they've all found their places, like pieces to a puzzle,
we somehow find the room to fit them all,
even as they grow and multiply!





and let's not forget that it's harvest time...
yup, pepper picking time.


This time we had two generations of peppers in one salad.
The pepper story started here but has all it's chapters scattered through these posts. We're coming up on the two year birthday of this happy fertile plant, my miracle plant, and it's busting all over with blossoms, ready to put forth a whole new bunch of sweet eatin's!

As you can see, I am typing, which is progress!! My hand has been improving. I still have difficulty gripping and can't write or do my art making quite yet. I start physical therapy tomorrow, for an added complication - frozen shoulder (or adhesive capsulitis), three times a week. It's also on my right arm, which helps put a damper to my creative expressions, but the therapy should keep me busy and help get me moving hand to paper soon again.

Thanks for your continued support and patience as I chug along!

23 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you had a wonderful day, Karin. It makes all the difference, doesn't it?

    And I love your army of potted plants and their annual migration. What a marvellous story!

    I'm continuing to send you best wishes for healing and that you get the care you need. xo

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  2. Glad you're feeling better, and managed to get out of the house...what a wide array of colorful images...

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  3. You've been in my thoughts all week,Karin. Great, that you blew the cobwebs away, going to the farmers market in the autumn sunshine and I see you still have the magic touch with those glorious peppers.

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  4. What a treat ! I am so very glad you got to get out there and soak up some of the good oldfashioned Fall fun. You can just feel how your soul has been lightened !
    I hope that the energy you received will help get you through the week ahead more easily.
    Welcome Home, Cacti !
    Big hugs, beautiful Karin.

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  5. Wonderful images, Karin, and so happy to hear that you've managed to enjoy the vibrancy of the season. Sending you bright wishes for wellness. Much love. xx

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  6. Yay! YOU ARE TYPING! so glad to check in on you and see this wonderful post! I am so happy to know your hand is IMPROVING!!! wonderful!xo

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  7. chug chug chug.......

    I am thrilled, when I first saw a good day but saw the painting I was like how can that be a good day, the painting made me almost cry by looking at it.

    I am so happy you got to get out. When I read about how you did all the stuff you need to do before you leave the house to get out, I'm shaking my head up and down, yes, yes, I get it.

    I love you Karin and anytime you have a good day I feel good about it.

    Love Renee xoxo

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  8. so glad to hear that you had a wonderful day!!! my weekend got a bit better too - thanks again for your support and help with angelo. thank god you were awake - thanks to john too! i love seeing your plants all inside - what great air you will have surrounding you this winter. we need more plants.
    love,
    jennifer

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  9. Karin,
    This is so fabulous...Good for you! I know how much courage it takes to get out the door when you're feeling so crummy...AND YOU DID IT ANYWAY!!!! Through out your post there were all these images of LIFE..children...creativity flowing...fresh vegetables...plants. Life continues and it's up to us to pay attention between the tears, pain and gloom...because no matter how crappy we feel from day to day...we are still part of life...no matter how grumpy we feel, we cannot truly separate ourselves from that flow of vitality. Good for YOU!

    I hope today you are finding small moments of bliss and resting too.
    Laura

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  10. YAY! You've made my day :-D

    So glad you got out for some Autumn celebrations ... and woo! your house looks like Arizona! What a green menagerie there! :-)

    Me, I'm cleaning the vacuum and replacing parts and am about to vacuum the SCUZZ out of our wee home. Icky job, and the cats are lying about as usual, watching their human do all the work ;-D

    Frozen shoulder = argh! I'm sending intentions of softening and warming ... xoxoxoxxo

    Love you! Bless you!

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  11. woo! i love all of this! my favorite photo is the one of the little girl standing in front of her paintings. now that's inspiring!! love all of these pics, though... very smile making. the more i looked (and read) the bigger my smile got. seeing all of your plants is VERY smile making. one big grin... they look very happy to be settled back inside again.

    beautiful week to you, my friend...

    xo

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  12. I can see you had a wonderful day and made the most of it :)

    Your last comment took me back. I read your posts about your hands but it never crossed my mind that you would have difficulty typing. Goes to show how much we take for granted... May the rest of this week be as good :)

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  13. this is such a wonderful way to take us along with you as you tend to the important business of healing those glorious hands...thanks for the walk!

    ...and the peppers look so happy hanging out with you in your beautiful space.

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  14. glad you had a sunny day, I brought my plants in this week to, and then washed them all yesterday afternoon to get off the layers of grime that accumulate on them from our busy street. Then I finally cleaned my bedroom, which doesn't sound like much of an accomplishment but it is so nice to have one haven of peace in my chaos/teen filled house!!

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  15. So happy you had a good day!! One day at a time right! You will heal girlfriend!! I'm sending you healing energy tonight and every night!!

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  16. True heart, is the good day continuing? Let it be so.

    Love Renee xoxo

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  17. Yes indeed it does Svasti! thank you for all the healing wishes and good thoughts - glad you enjoyed meeting my cacti pals! xox

    Thanks Jay - it really was a color filled day :)

    you know Robyn, i have to say, I think it's the peppers themselves that are magical!! i truly do - that and good window placement. Thank you for keeping me i your thoughts, xox

    hugs to you, too Kim! The day was like a big booster shot for the soul!

    thank you so much for the wishes of wellness Carol Anne - I truly know they help. Glad you enjoyed seeing the images from my day, too :) love to you!

    Hey Cat - yes, yippeee!!! I am making strides, and I've ordered Macspeak, too, to help even more - nothing's gonna shut me up :)

    Yeah, that image is an old journal entry from a few years ago Renee, but it fit perfectly for my Saturday mood - and the weather that day! Then I was bound and determined to clear that gray muck, and Sunday happened!!

    Thanks Jen - not to worry - that was still early for me :) I'm just glad to have been able to be of any help I could for you and Angelo. it's so hard when it comes kitty communication! I wonder how much/if the cacti help with air quality?! I did try putting the leafier things in the bedroom for better night time breathing! talk soon, xox

    Hi Laura, thank you for your understanding - I know you know exactly what I mean and what it takes. Being able to share it here has helped me to re-appreciate it all over again, too!! I can revisit the day and bring back the color, the smells, the sounds and those small moments of bliss! xox

    Thanks Jaliya!! bedroom cleaning - such a thankless job! but it's so nice once it's done, isn't it?! :) you're right - it does look like AZ around here - even before I ever lived in Arizona I looked like I lived there. Some of these cacti have been with me for 25 years - longer than my marriage, through 9 moves, 6 cities, and 4 different states - including a several week stay in a windowless storage space! They were ghostly pale for quite a while after that! much love my friend xox

    I know - wasn't she adorable Lynne?! when she realized I'd taken her picture she smiled and gave me a little wave, then went right back to work!! there were a lot of happy artists out there, free to go at windows? no restrictions seemed to be happening - it was wonderful! and yes, plants and house are happy to be settling in together :) it's always a good energy shifting boosting that happens! xox

    Hi Jasmine, yes, it was a wonderful day, thank you! yeah, the typing is a challenge - even answering these comments i'm doing over time, taking breaks, but it's gotten a lot better than just a week ago, and with the suggestion of a few folks I will be using a program to dictate into my computer and it will type for me!

    You're welcome D, it was fun to take you along :) yeah, them are some happy peppers!! and tasty, too!

    Oh, I know, ours were filthy, too Deb!! They look so much greener and the sheen is so fresh after they get cleaned off. I use paint and tooth brushes on the cacti, to get between thorns! We're on a really busy street, too - my husband always says "never ever a double yellow again"! We actually put in the water feature out back to drown out the sound of traffic - it works, sort of! we also cleaned the bedroom, last week though! we had to clean it and rearrange it so we could fit some of the plants :) sounds like a fall ritual shared by many!!

    thanks so much Manon - I'm feeling the healing :) xoxoxoxox

    Hey Renee, Monday was another gorgeous day, and I got myself out again when I started physical therapy for my shoulder, which went pretty well. I will be going 3 times a week :) I'm feeling it - working on finding the right balance, as i do what's right for my shoulder I gotta be careful not to hurt my hand and/or back... Today was rainy, but I kept my momentum going and did my exercises, and organized some of my studio - it was a good day :)
    thanks for asking my friend! love you, K

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  18. Oh God, do I ever know the drill. I have now convinced myself that I may have a blood clot in my leg as it has been killing me for days.

    It would be funny if it wasn't so ridiculous.

    By the way, I LOVE the book.

    Love Renee xoxo

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  19. So happy to see you posting! Karin, I am amazed at your strength which, if I might be so forward, I would compare to your beautiful pepper plant. It seems to come back stronger everytime I see it!

    As for my favourite phenomena, synchronicity, this week I brought in my three tiny cacti and I remembered your beautiful collection and wondered if you had to bring them indoors at this time of year...'nough said! Thanks for answering that before I even asked!

    Thoughts of warmth and comfort just for you, Karin. xox

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  20. Karin, I'm so glad for your improvement- getting out in the air and the light can make all the difference. Whenever I feel like all hope is lost, I remind myself how much things can change in a day. I hope you continue to feel better each day. I'm sending you energy and healing light, which, fortunately, is not constrained by time, space, or the internet!

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  21. Glad you went out and had a great day. Jasmin scented prayers from me to you ..
    Hugs

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  22. What a fantastic garden! This reflects all the uplifting growth you are doing and inspiring others along their own journey. Your energy vibrates through everyone.

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  23. Hey love, just to let you know I finished the book and loved it. What a surprise ending, I did not expect that at all.

    Hope you are doing okay.

    Love Renee xoxo

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