Playing Catch-up

Perhaps a weekly post published on the weekend is too ambitious

I had hoped to be able to publish a newsletter every weekend, but perhaps that doesn’t work for my life right now. That being said, I will likely just use Notes and do a monthly newsletter. I notice that every newsletter I publish tends to lose subscribers, so I am going to have to put more content, thought, and editing into the newsletters.

Last week was a busy one, and not only in a good way. Midweek, my daughter in law and I met up to scope out the storefronts where our artwork will be hanging in a monthlong village artwalk starting on 10/10. She has three paintings that will hang in a lovely little gift shop.

My single entry will be in a barbershop window. The owner won’t allow space for an easel, so I have to somehow lean it against the window on a 4-5” windowsill. I am not happy about it because my original entry seemed too heavy to safely sit there in front of chairs where customers waited—possibly fidgety children. I substituted in a smaller work that is not quite as heavy.

On the way home I was stopped in a long queue at a redlight, when all of a sudden BANG! and my head flew forward and rammed back into the headrest. I pulled off the road and the other driver appeared in my window. I said, “I am not getting out of the car until the police arrive.” He was a large middle aged man, and I am ashamed to say that I was frightened. I knew that if he was angry or confrontational that would send my heart racing even further. Luckily I was able to contact my daughter in law. She and my son were on the road nearby, and when he arrived I felt secure enough to get out of the car.

There was no damage to the car and my neck and shoulders felt ok, so we waited for a police assessment and printed accident report and went on our way. I was evaluated and x-rayed at the emergency room, given pain meds and a muscle relaxer before release. I was off the medication the next day and back in the gym on Friday doing my normal strength training routine.

I felt relieved but a bit angry that I now feel so old and frail at 68 that I wouldn’t get out of that car. I really don’t mind the cosmetic changes: the wrinkles the thinning and graying hair. In my head, I still feel so much younger, but the body does not lie.

• I have less energy

• I fear falling

• I don’t see as well in the dark

• My hearing is compromised

It’s Monday, time to reset and start a new week. I cranked out another postcard before heading to the gym. California this time. Sorry about the misproportioned hiker, I need years of practice in drawing and painting people. Hold that thought.

After the gym, I stopped by the library to see if they had opened the second floor yet. For some reason, perhaps lack of elevator service, they closed the second floor where the nonfiction books are shelved when a flood 14 months ago destroyed the basement level. I so enjoyed roaming the nonfiction stacks again. I returned home with some art books including one on watercolor florals and another on painting animals and people in all media.

Lifelong learning certainly makes me feel young and helps me forget about the ebbing of physical abilities that comes with aging.

When I sat down to page through my initial pile of books, I pulled out my sketchbook and attempted a bit of sneaky art. I think one of the librarians saw me sketching, so I tried to minimize the number of times I looked at them.

Monday can always be a day for a reset, for turning the page and beginning again.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be around on Notes and not publishing and sending a newsletter until month-end or early November.