A Little Exercise

 

I spent about an hour this morning weeding the plot next to my patio. Not strenuous exercise, but I did work up a sweat since I was in full sun.

Yesterday I took the Rolloy for a walk again. I went further this time. I enjoyed the beautiful peonies in bloom over by the Community Center. I sat down in the shade of a fir tree as I continued down the block. A rabbit crossed over right behind me, about 3 feet away. When I tried to get out my phone so I could take a photo, the rabbit hopped around the corner of a building. 

We are in for a stretch of really nice weather through next week. I hope to spend some time sitting in my rocker on the front porch enjoying the geraniums and the hanging pot of fuchsia.  No exercise in that, but it will make me happy. 

Hubby's Woodworking Projects

 

My husband's most recent woodworking projects have been building automotive vehicles using plans he borrowed from a friend. Above is a roadster with a jump seat.

Below is a vintage truck.

His current project is a bulldozer. He bought plans online from a toy company.

He is a skillful woodworker and good with small details. However, he has in the past built furniture and keepsake/jewelry boxes. 

He does his woodworking in a shop owned by our retirement community that is within walking distance of our condo. There are two other guys who use it regularly: another woodworker and a stained-glass designer.

 Right now, with our pleasant weather the overhead door is up. The workshop was previously a garage to which Grace Village added lots of electrical outlets, additional lighting and new flooring. There is air conditioning and heating so the shop can be used year-round. In the deep-freeze of January and February, the heat pump gets coated over sometimes and does not work efficiently. There can be some downtime then. 

My husband did considerable woodworking before retirement. It is nice to have a pleasant place to use and companions in retirement.

Rolloy Rollator

 

My back pain ramps up fairly quickly while standing and walking. I purchased a Rolloy rollator so instead of searching for a place to sit to get relief, I have my own seat with me. This is mainly to use outside or at large venues like museums or shopping malls. 

It arrived Wednesday; I took it for a spin this afternoon. I think it is going to be just what I need. It has wide wheels for stability. I tried it on some grass, and it moved easily. 

It folds up compactly so it will fit easily in the car. Some people use them at airports either putting them in the overhead bin or checking them at the gate. I will not have trouble navigating the aisle of an airplane so I would choose the latter option, having it ready to use after the flight walking throughout the airport. 

There is a "backrest strap" which I think would be awkward for me because of my kyphosis and curved spine. The backrest has to be removed each time you fold up the rollator.

It also has a bag that attaches at the front.

We are renting a cabin in Brown County Indiana in a few weeks, and I hope to walk some of the nature/easy access trails of Brown County State Park with this device. On the way south, we will stop at Newfields in Indianapolis. This is the Indiana Museum of Art, gardens, sculpture garden, and the Lilly house. I am not interested in the art museum this time around. I want to wander the grounds weather permitting. We will also try walking around Nashville, Indiana to look in shops. The Rolloy will get a testing. 

My surgeon told me last fall before my sacroiliac fusions that I would still have considerable back pain. The best thing that came from those surgeries was that my weak legs regained strength. For now, I adapt with a rollator for lots of walking/standing and with a stool in my kitchen to do cooking and cleaning. 

It was raining when I went to bed last night. Today it is gray with a few drizzles. A chance of rain tomorrow, too. I may have to wait until Monday to have a dry day to take my Rolloy for another walk. 

Beaucoup Blooms Inside and Outside

 

My house cleaner brought me what she calls "wildflowers" from her yard. She likes to share her spring and summer blooms.

However, I already have some other bouquets. Last Saturday while at Fort Wayne, I bought some blooms from Trader Joe's. They are in my sunroom.

Plus, the flowers I bought at Walmart over a week ago are still hanging on. They look a little worse for the wear, but I am keeping them because the two roses smell so delightful. The Joe bouquet has one red rose, but it has no fragrance. When the Walmart flowers fade away, I may take the white statice and add to the Joe bouquet to lighten it up a bit.

Also, I bought some geraniums for the front porch and a hanging basket of fuchsia

 

I don't have a green thumb, but I have had good success with geraniums on my porch. This is my first fuchsia. We'll see if I can keep it alive and thriving.

Flower enjoyment season.