A junkyard to some, most likely. Sometimes I pretend it’s an art gallery in the making. The other day, the Husband thought the yard looked like a cemetery. What do you think?  That’s how the backyard looked at the beginning of March before the rain kicked in. After years of drought, I’m enjoying this old-time rainy weather, the look, the sound, the smell. March delight! Here’s how it looked yesterday.  I disappeared again, I did. My last post was five weeks ago on the same day that the Husband’s triple whammy of sore and painful joints, a respiratory virus, and norovirus began. Not all at the same time, but pretty much overlapping each other. I had a 36 hour bout with norovirus, fortunately, after the Husband’s worse of his tummy woes were nearly over.  All’s well today, hurrah! Hope you are all feeling strong and with wonder! ❤️

My list of fun stuff that I want to create this year continues to grow. For this week’s  Thursday 13 , I  share the 13 new things I recently added to my list. Sew new curtains for L Studio. The above photo shows some of the fabric I’m putting together. Sew an iron board cover. Make bookmarks out of fabric scraps and beads. Reupholster Mama’s love seat that Mama bought in the 1960s. I love this ratty tatty love seat. Sew a garden apron with deep pockets. Grow dahlias. This year I started the seeds in eggshells and they actually popped up. I transferred 21 sprouts into individual tiny pots. So far, so good. Make a jar of pickled bamboo called atchara the way Mama did. Sew a dress of many colors. (This will be the year I do it, by golly!) Paint at least one mural on the fence. Make concrete steps for garage. Paint the garage door. Paint a wall mural in the hallway bathroom. Make Asian dumplings from scratch, except for the wrappers. To check out other Thursday 13   participants, click her

(1) True confessions, as opposed to false: If I don’t publish this post today, I will have two unfinished Thursday posts.   Keep on chugging along, Su-sieee! Mac.  (2) Do you have a day of the week in which you have a lot of physical and mental energy? Thursday is usually when I feel self-motivated, creative, and productive. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been the other days.  (3) This morning was quite fruitful. I pedaled my under-table bike for 10 minutes or so before breakfast, then later followed a short Qigong video. I must’ve unblocked some energy. The Husband found me dancing to golden oldies while getting ready for my physical therapy session.  (4) Today was my last prescribed PT session. Eight weeks, twice a week, 30 minutes, more or less. I don’t believe Sing 2.0 would be as sturdy and assured as she is today without a professional showing me how to stretch and strengthen her. (Sing is my left knee who got her joint replaced two months ago.) The surgeon, who I saw for a follow

(1) Be forewarned, I'm talking a lot about Sing in this Thursday 13 post. Sing is my titanium and plastic left knee joint. Yep, by golly, I am anthropomorphising (what a long word!)  my artificial joint. Sing a song of sixpence. . . . (2) Sing celebrated her sixth week anniversary yesterday, Wednesday, by revealing her name to me.  Whoot, whoot!  (3) I’m now up to 20 minutes of steady heel-toe, heel-toe around the neighborhood with a walking stick, no less. Knee-haw! There’s definitely a difference in my gait with Sing taking the lead. I feel like I’m walking stronger and surer. My right knee joint isn’t protesting too much, thank goodness.  (4) Spoiler alert: My future artificial right knee joint will be called Song. Hence, one day in the near future, with Sing and Song, I shall be hiking through meadows, crossing creeks, and climbing mountain trails. Ahhh. Delightful.  (5) Another milestone: I drove Sally Forth today. After our walk, the Husband and I jumped into the car for me

This week’s prompt for Poets and Storytellers United ’s Friday Writings  is: The Visitor. Here’s what I came up with, stimulated by today’s every-so-often visitor.   A Morning Caller She drops by from no where approaching silently,  stepping stealthily, suppressing giggles.  She whispers.  I didn’t know I had heard but here I am  enjoying her flash of inspiration, cleaning the microwave.  Yi-haw!    ♾️ I’ve a grand update about my Knee Joint Replacement Recovery Update. Happy, giddy news. I danced in the kitchen this morning to Creedence Clearwater Revival, Martha and the Vandels, the Hollies, Santana, and others. My new joint loved it. Knee-haw!  Off I go to visit other  Friday Writings   participants. Please, come join me.

Hi ya! Yes, today is Friday. Before I could publish this post yesterday afternoon, the Internet server went down. As was the cable, it turned out. Nothing until this morning. Without the iPad and TV, the Husband and I had a wonderful time reading, talking, and not falling asleep on the couch. Old-time doings, to do more often.  So, on with yesterday’s post. See ya. . . . This week, LeeAnna, hostess of I Like Thursday , asked participants if and how they make lists. Yep, I certainly do, especially when I have a bunch of things to remember or I need to seriously keep myself focused on task. Lately, except for writing things we need at the supermarket, I’ve an aversion to list making. Not much gets done when that happens.  So, today, I’m encouraging myself with a list of thirteen things to tell myself when I hesitate to try, start, do, and finish stuff. You can do it! Keep on keeping on. Onward and upward. Take one step. Take another. Now another. Breathe.  Center of the Earth within my s