WHO’S COUNTING?
(PART 2)
Welcome back! When we
last left off, I was trying
to deal with my hair.
Never mind that--now I’m having a
serious wardrobe issue.
I have daytime pj’s and night time
pj’s. In an emergency, I wear my
husband’s tee-shirts which I some-times
use as cleaning schmattas. If
I’m really desperate, they could also
be used as a house dress. He was
very tall so they come down to my
knees. I think he would be happy
about still being so close to me. The
shirts are great if you can get used
to the smell of the furniture polish,
which I can’t get rid of. I hate to
relegate them to schmattas again
after this is all over. Do you think
tie dye might work? If I have a food
delivery, then I really have to get
dressed. I tuck in my shirt, spray a
little perfume to hide the furniture
polish odor and put on a warm-up
suit that I bought over 20 years ago.
I knew if I saved it long enough, I’d
have a use for it.
During these terrible times I’ve
found some non-medical cures for
a “tsoura” or two. I’ve discovered
that wearing flat slippers makes
my back ache, so I wear my oldest
sneakers that I was ready to put
in a giveaway pile. Suddenly my
back feels much better. Or could it
be the two extra-strength Tylenol
kicking in? Hmm! Not sure…but
it’s working. I sleep with a furry
hydrocollator. No! It’s not an adult
toy. What? You don’t believe me?
It’s a medical device. Really, and I
put that on my achy knee. ! I heat
it up in the microwave for 2 ½ min-utes
and it stays warm until I fall
asleep (kind of like my husband). I
think it’s filled with kasha because
it says the filler ingredients are
groats. So, while I feel warm and
comfy each night I also dream of
kasha knishes. I’m not happy that
I drool all during my sleep, but It
could be worse.
I’m not exercising too much and
I feel it. I gave my neighbor across
the hall an envelope and when I
came back to my apartment, I was
exhausted. I’m thinking of using
disposable dishes because I can’t
stand too long, and because of that
I only buy food that I can reheat.
Being unable to stand too long
also goes hand in hand with not
sitting too long, so I lay sideways…
and now because I can’t stand too
long, I have to sit on the bench in
the shower. No more sitting and
splashing in the puddle on the
floor. And because I can’t stand too
long, I have stopped pacing while
I’m on the phone. That’s half of
my daily exercise! And because I
can’t stand too long, now I take
the garbage out once or twice a
week. Phew!
Sometimes there are exceptions.
On occasion, I am able to get the
right amount of energetic move-ment
I need when I have to creep
into the freezer for my ice cream
and cake with frozen berries and
whipped cream on top. I’m not
complaining, but I’m trying to
figure that out!!! It’s amazing! I’ve
learned by recent observations
(looking in the mirror) that every-thing
slows down with age except
the time it takes cake and ice cream
to reach your hips.
Last week I called my doctor
for a video conference. I couldn’t
believe he was wearing a mask
while we were talking. Is the virus
contagious through the phone?
*I think he told me to start killing
people. Well, not in those exact
words. He said I had to reduce the
stress in my life. Same thing really.
After we finished talking he told me
*I had to listen to what my body
was telling me and I’ll be fine. I
tried to explain – mine just points
and laughs.
I’m tired of talking to myself.
You know things are not good at
some point when you don’t like
the answers you are getting and
you are becoming upset. So, my
“bestie” friends and I have figured
out a schedule of how to stay in
touch. We call each other before
breakfast, after breakfast, before
lunch and after lunch and before
bedtime. Whether it’s in between
meals or after meals, in reality,
whenever you feel like it. It works!
I always thought you can’t talk
on the phone and cook and eat at
the same time. Actually, if you’re
persistent you can figure out how
to do it. I hug the phone by bend-ing
my head sideways to cradle it
in-between my ear and my neck.
You have to do it on the right side
one day and on the left the next
day or you’re going to get wrinkles
on only one side of your face and
a crick in your neck. Using my
method, left then right side of the
face, evens everything out.
It’s really important to call as
many friends as possible. I’ve
been calling friends for the last
few months. I always want to be
available, so *I keep my cell phone
tucked in my bra, this way I always
have it near me, but because of
my diminished hearing, sometimes
I can’t hear it ring from that far
away. We all want to talk. It’s
months and I’m only up to the
letter A in my phone book. It
works well even though I have to
charge each of my three phones
twice a day.
Getting back to bras, I once
heard somewhere that *A friend
is like a really good bra, difficult
to find, supportive, lifts you up
and makes you feel good and is
always close to your heart. For
others in your life It’s important
to forgive and forget….but keep a
list of names.
Like all of us, we have to keep
our chin(s) up, look forward and
know there are definitely better
days ahead.
Love you!
Gloria
*anonymous quotes
August 2020 ¢ NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER 25