It's been HOT here! Today our home external thermometer said 113 for a high, but it tends to read lower than the official temperatures, which are taken downtown (even hotter).
I guess it's what we expect, given that we live in the Arizona desert and it's hot every year. But this year it truly has been special because it's officially the hottest summer on record for us (insert frowny face). Not only have the average high temperature and the average low temperatures been record breaking, but we've had a record-breaking number of days where the high temperature was above 115 already, and there are expected to be more.
Staying at home because of COVID has made summer in the desert slightly less irritating than it otherwise is. We really don't go out much. I'm just going to physical therapy and the grocery store. It did take me about 3/4 of the way through my PT appointment before I stopped sweating, though. That was the hottest day yet (I think it reached 117 that day officially).
Let's back up so I can catch you up on how I got a new Physical Therapist . . .
After the first shot into my ankle joint (which didn't help much), I saw my new doctor again. He gave me another shot, this time into two different places in my actual tendon(s). Ouch. But this time it seemed to make a difference. I had less pain and my ankle was more flexible. Though it didn't stick around very long, that response led the doctor to believe that the problem is mostly related to my tendons. We know I built extra scar tissue. We know I'm not moving properly. So I was sent back to physical therapy! But a new therapist, who will approach things slightly differently. We will be trying to help me make it through the rehab process with those shots as necessary to help me stay mobile.
I wish I could just be magically healed rather than needing to help heal myself, but this is the process.
The new Physical Therapist works out of a clinic inside the Ice Den, which is an ice arena - it has the Arizona Coyotes logo on it, and I guess they're our hockey team. I don't know if they actually practice there or not. I hoped it would be colder in there because PT usually makes me sweat a lot, but it wasn't actually near the ice.
My PT read my file and asked me a bunch of questions and had me walk and squat and try to rise up on my tiptoes and show her what hurts. Then she told me she thinks we can make progress and we should start by trying to decrease inflammation and break up scar tissue by dry needling. She said she wanted to start right away, but she wanted me to come back, so she'd wait until the next session. I was anticipating acupuncture, which I've had before and which I didn't mind, but she said, "This is more intense." That's a medical way of saying "painful."
She put the needs all along my tendon and then around the ankle joint in the front where I feel the pain most. Each needle is separately wrapped and has its own little button that launches it in, but then she twisted them each in farther. I did not like that. Then she hooked up little clamps and sent electricity to the tendon ones. I'm very glad she didn't do that with the ankle joint ones because that area was sensitive enough without any extra zaps.
Since then, my pain level has been higher, especially in the inner joint area, but I'm hoping that is a portent of something GOOD rather than something bad. Perhaps that's how it feels when scar tissue is breaking up! Maybe when there's been a lot of damage, healing is a bit sore. I have been doing my exercises (they're not much, but they are enough to make things hurt) twice a day so far and it's tiring. I require extra rest yet again. I'm trying to be kind to myself, but I'm not very good at feeling OKAY when I feel as if I'm not doing enough. I need the practice but I don't WANT the practice!
We are still home most of the time, as I mentioned, and the cats LOVE having us both here all the time. Intel has now told employees that they can work from home through June of 2021. It's surprising that we've already been sheltering at home for five months.
Allistair enjoying Daddy:
Allistair enjoying the "bumper" chair (massage chair):
Claude fell plumb asleep with her head down on her fluffy little arms last night during our TV time. She's feeling much better, by the way. We don't know what was wrong before, but she wasn't eating until we switched her food. Now she eats a separate food from what the boys eat and she has gained weight and is nice and fluffy again. She certainly has the will to live. She is 14 years old! That's the oldest any of our sweet babies has ever been. She still acts like a much younger cat, and we're happy she's feeling so much better.
Allistair likes to lie upside down in this corner of the couch and look out at the trees and the birdies in the fountain. There are pretty much always birds in the fountain when it's this hot. It makes me happy to provide them with a happy environment for living. We have lovely trees, lots of shade, a bird feeder I fill with seed each morning, and a fountain with clean water. We also don't have a lot of predators.
Stephen was very concerned on Saturday because our dear friends and neighbors Jordan and Amanda are moving to Idaho to pursue their dream of owning land and producing lots of their own food and being out of the city. They are cleaning up their house for selling and were throwing stuff in a big metal bin. It made quite a bit of noise and Stephen was nervous.
But he was able to calm down later.
Claude & Daddy:
Allistair had to go to the vet lately, too! He was having digestive troubles and we wanted to make sure he would be okay. A few years back he was diagnosed with likely inflammatory bowel disease (like my Crohn's!) Considering that I've been able to control my Crohn's by changing my diet, I started researching dietary management of IBD for cats. It turns out that cats can have food sensitivities, too, mostly to proteins. Most vets recommend a "novel protein diet," meaning a diet where the protein source is something other than what the cat has been eating up until that point. I decided on a food that didn't have any grains or any poultry in it, and Allistair's problems (and Stephen's - he was having some of the same difficulties, and it makes sense, since they are biological brothers - womb mates!) cleared up. I also started giving them a probiotic, but I think that stopped helping at some point and perhaps contributed to the current difficulty. We have now stopped the probiotic and Allistair is on the mend once again. He was exceedingly chatty in the car.
It's interesting to me that this is similar to what I did to help my Crohn's stay quiescent, too; I removed processed foods (chemicals and weird stuff) and changed the source of the protein I was getting (from animal proteins to plant proteins). Amazing!
He's getting lots of cuddles and love.
As long as we're talking about food, here's an example of a human "novel protein" meal.
These are corn tortillas (ingredients: corn, lime) with brown rice, black beans with tomatoes, and caramelized bell peppers and onions). I ate at least 5 of these little soft tacos that night. Yum!
They're easy to make and definitely easy to eat!
Back to CATivities . . .
Stephen enjoying a droop:
Me reading with two babies:
Claude looking sleepy:
I'm in two church Zoom groups on Tuesdays, so I spend about 3 hours on video chats in the evening each week. Usually Allistair sleeps on this chair next to me and Stephen sleeps on the bench at the foot of the bed in my office (which is also the guest room). It's nice to have that sweetness right there!
Look at this happy little face!
He's got a great life.
When it's hot, Allistair likes to stretch out with his belly pointed at the sky.
He's one of those cats who doesn't mind if you rub his sweet soft tummy.
They love their Daddy:
I water the plants in the backyard in the early mornings, and there are often birds on or near the hose as remnants of water drip out. Stephen watches them from the bedroom window.
Sometimes they get tired of the air conditioner blowing cold air on them and the demand that we make them tents.
The boys love to help me do yoga (and my PT exercises).
What have I been wearing lately, you ask?
I have documented some outfits for you.
On a trip to the doctor who helps with my thyroid and hormones -
blouse: Beall's
skirt: Rekucci (Amazon)
mask: Etsy
bag: Target
On a trip to the grocery store -
top: Charter Club (Macy's)
mask: Etsy
These are my favorite new masks! Look at that COLOR and the beautiful embroidery!
I found them on Etsy.
On a trip to pick up some bird seed at Walmart (NOT my favorite stop to make, though I think the color of the tile in the bathroom is pretty) -
top: Ross
skirt: Rekucci (Amazon)
mask: Etsy
bag: Target
During a visit to my Orthopedist -
top: Ross
skirt: Rekucci (Amazon)
mask: Etsy
For my Tuesday evening meetings -
blouse: Macy's
skirt: Rekucci (Amazon)
Isn't that a pretty color?
For filming (for my YouTube channel) -
blouse: Charter Club (Macy's)
skirt: Rekucci (Amazon)
house shoes: Target
I ended up not liking how this shirt fit and I'm not sure I'm going to keep it even though the color is a really good one for me.
Returning an online order to Macy's -
top: A New Day (Target)
skirt: Rekucci (Amazon)
mask: Etsy
bag: Amazon (gift from Mom & Dad!)
necklace: vintage spinning bird pendant (Etsy)
sandals: Sketchers (Amazon)
Even though it's been HOT, there is still beauty to be found!
We have had .1" of rain so far during this "monsoon". Last year the entire monsoon brought us only .6" of rain, and this year so far has been even drier. The one storm that came through so far brought these buds almost immediately, and then beautiful blooms in our backyard a few days later . . .
They almost look otherwordly.
I like looking at this pretty cactus from above to appreciate the spiral design.
The succulent in the corner of our yard got droopy and I had to trim off some arms.
Here's the After:
I planted the arms, but they are NOT HAPPY. I do not know if they will survive. I planted them along the north side of the house by the kitchen window and I think they get too much sun this time of year to survive. I will try to keep them alive, but I will try planting something there when it's a little cooler if they don't make it.
I have been for a few walks this summer, and I try to pay attention to the sky and the plants to remind myself of the unique beauty of the desert.
The wildfires in California make smoke that drifted here and made our sun RED for a couple of days.
I like this graffiti on the wall near the park! It reminds me to LOOK for beauty wherever I go.
I think I found an alien landing site! I'm not sure how they managed to keep the tree alive after landing here, however . . .
In the evenings we usually watch TV or a movie. I turn on our candles (battery-powered) and enjoy being safe and cozy and happy.
We have the perfect home for isolating and being comfy.
We even have a nice view and lots of greenery in spite of our desert location.
I can watch the sunset from my couch.
I hope you have a lovely evening and that you see beauty around you!
P.S. We just got an alarm for a dust storm warning for the next hour and a half. Hopefully the dust storm leads to RAIN somehow!
