I am now the lucky owner of a TENS Unit, a pain relieving device for my ankles. I put little electrodes on each side of both ankles, connect them with wires to a black box, and for 20 minutes, there is a tingling kind of sensation, which busies out the pain signals to my brain from my ankles. It is not predictable how long the relief lasts. Sometimes seven hours, aometimes less than an hour.. It all depends on what I do with walking and exercising. Ice still helps a lot, but nothing has helped this much except strong medicine, of which I am taking much less.

You may also have noticed it is getting dark earlier. The leaves have started to turn colors already, probally because of the chilly nights. It seems too early for Autumn. Soon daylight savings time will be upon us again, and after that, the chill season. The chipmunks and squirrels have decided my outside for the summer houseplants are great places to hide their acorns and nuts. I may have to repot some when I bring them in for the winter. Connie brought twine and staked up my rubber tree plant. She is so excellent an example of tha human species. What a wonder!

Wednesday of next week I have an appointment to have the scooter lift installed in my van. I am so excited at the prospect of being independently mobile I tremble with excitement! I will be able to go anywhere! Well, not anywhere, but lots of places!

All the paperwork is at the surgeon's office now, and they are submitting it to the insurance people for approval, and with approval, I will get a date for my gastric bypass surgery! I am excited, terrified, and generally fabulous. This is a great leap of faith for me. I am trusting that my body will become willing to help me get smaller, and that I won't be hungry all the time any more. I'm not sure how I will manage the supplement pills I take for iron and vitamin B, but I'm sure tiher patients have worked this out and someone will know how, even if it is just crushing and taking the powder in applesauce. Fortunately, I haven't to resolve all this just right now. And the Phebap is quietly chirping to himself on the windowsill. I love him. I won't get rid of him after all. He is too happy a part of my life. Hope you are having a good Spetember.

5/10/2004 1:03 PM
Today I saw a male cardinal defending his territory from a blue jay and when the jay tried to come back, the cardinal hid out under the balcony, on top of one of my bird houses until the jay was in range, and then sped off to chase the jay away one last time. The blue jay hasn't been back.

In the hedgerow out my windows 4/11/2004 1:40 PM
I'm north of Chicago, in a suburb which was a small town before everyone came out here. This morning I first noticed a female cardinal, soon joined by her mate. Then came the two pair of red winged blackbirds. I saw a downy woodpecker briefly, and I can hear him just out of sight. I have no dearth of common wrens and black capped chickadees. There are a bunch of doves, waiting patiently in the trees for their chance at the food on the ground, and, of course, the swamp sparrows. I saw a herring gull on the way home from church.