Pawprints From Space

So today was the follow-up appointment for the leg incident with the general practitioner. It is rather disconcerting when after you explain what happened to the doctor the comment you get is "well, that's bizarre". Bottom line? No one has ANY idea why my leg swelled up like that, if it is going to do it again and how to prevent it from doing it again. We've ruled out blood clots. We've hypothesized that it might be related the last knee surgery in 1982 - but the GP this morning thought that was rather unlikely or at the very least rather remote. He thinks it is more likely to be a hyper-allergic reaction to a bug bite/sting. Which might make sense if there was any evidence of such. No bump, itch, hole that I could find and true I didn't look all that closely, I was too busy freaking out. Adding insult to annoyance, I got a bill from the chiropractor today. Last month I paid the full invoice due of $295 and change. This month I get a bill for over $400. ...

So on Thursday evening I had the "pleasure" of traversing the local health care system. Upon arriving home around 9:30 p.m. I noticed that my right leg - and ONLY my right leg - was oddly swollen. It freaked me out as you might imagine. My leg all the way up from my foot was nearly twice its normal size. So I called the local 'Call A Nurse' phone line. After sitting on hold for more than 15 minutes the system hung up on me telling me they were busy and to leave my name and number and they'd get back to me "within the hour". So I did what anyone would do. I called my mommy. She told me to try the nurse line again and I did and this time got through. After playing 20,000 questions it was decided I needed to go to the ER and that I shouldn't drive myself. So Mom came over and off we went. I did get right back into the treatment area, got the whole temp and blood pressure thing and then off to a "room" a supposedly "fast track" ...

There is nothing quite so satisfying as planting flowers. Renewing the garden, watching for the first peek of the perennials up through the soil or out from under the leaves it brings a feeling of hope. Tonight I planted four hanging baskets worth of big purple pansies. Also put in two new floribunda rose bushes - crystal white ones - amid the lavender shrub roses. Really getting into roses lately (if lately is over the course of the last three years) but not the hybrid teas there are simply too many Japanese beetles for that to work out well as I refuse to spray chemicals all over my yard. Purchased the corner joints for taking the veggie plot up another level and ow have to get the lumber... followed by a whole lot of dirt. And the plants. The catnip survived the winter out there and is HUGE. The thyme also survived and needs to be trimmed back as it is creeping all over the plot. Somehow onion grass got in there and needs to be yanked out. But overall the veggie plot is ready to...

I have a LOT of fun going out on Fridays with the neighborhood gang, I really truly do. Tonight though I decided to stay home. After all, I have wine and jazz here too... just not the great food. Nearly 7:00 p.m. and I still have NO clue what to have for dinner. As I am sick of doing dishes in my quest to eat better (as in: fewer processed foods which means cooking everything) I will most likely say "screw it" and either go pick up a pizza (they don't take plastic at the door) or put something by Lean Cuisine in the microwave... or popcorn. Sometimes I just have to have a popcorn evening. As I had a floating holiday today I spent 90% of my time in the yard (cleaning the flower bed along the entire front of the house and hanging out laundry to dry - always smells so good). The other 10% was having the car looked at for its recall issue (window switch) and getting groceries - today at the store was bad enough, tomorrow will be insane. Besides I have to bake a pie tomorr...

Tonight is part of Holy Week. So tonight at Mass the choir sang and except for missing our entrance in the switch over from English to Latin for the Pange Lingua it didn't go too badly. So tonight we have the feast of the Lord's Supper. Tomorrow is Good Friday. Saturday the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday of course to complete the Triduum. And of course the choir is singing at everything. I can't be there for tomorrow's Mass but I sang tonight and will again on both Saturday and Sunday. This is supposed to be a time of reflection. There's a sort of darkness that falls on Holy Thursday and then hope springs forth on Sunday with the light (of salvation). I've never seen darkness. I see the light of hope and life and joy all the way through. Now I must admit that I've always thought "Good Friday" was a misnomer. I mean really, have you read the Passion in the Gospels? It's heartbreaking stuff and if you've seen Mel Gibson's film The Pas...