Three Gifts Moving

April 26, 2020

With the quarantine in place, there’s not always much to talk about that would even remotely interest anyone outside the family, so when I can’t think of anything, I go back to the Joy Dare calendar that seven years ago got me started writing about gratitude. Today’s prompt was “Three Gifts Moving.” 

1. I am moving. I’ve had trouble with my left hip for a couple years now, and if internet driven self-diagnosis is worth anything, I have performance syndrome, where the muscle deep in the gluteus maximus that attaches the sacroiliac to the outside of the ball of the femur presses in upon the sciatic nerve. I’ve been stretching and working the area, but it still jabs me when I shift positions in a chair. But...I’m still moving. Linda and I spent most of yesterday doing yard work, and although I got out of bed a bit slower than usual this morning, I was able to get out of bed. Additionally, most of the time, I don’t even notice it. That’s more than many people my age can say. I am thankful to be moving today.
2. The bird feeders outside our back room windows are a source of continual amusement and pleasure for Linda and me. She is particularly pleased when the Cardinals show up. Two years ago when we started feeding them through the winter, there was only a single pair of Cardinals. This year, there were three, in addition to the finches, bluejays, sparrows, chickadees, and woodpeckers. And squirrels. The squirrels are quite acrobatic in their ability to get to the feeders, and the constant movement of fur and feather makes for some good geriatric amusement.

3. About a month ago, I found an antique wall clock advertised on Facebook Marketplace. We have clocks in the living room, dining room, and back room, but had nothing for the bedroom. There are clocks in the kitchen, too, but they are electric, one above the sink, the others part of the stove and microwave. Electric clocks don’t count. They have to be the old-fashioned wind up variety. I bought it and brought it home. It hangs on the wall on Linda’s side of the bed, where I can easily see it just by turning my head. Of course, I can’t see it at night; after all, it’s an antique, and doesn’t glow in the dark. But it does chime! Most old clocks have a mellow “bong, bong,” Not this one. It sounds like someone’s banging on an old dishpan. I told Linda I wouldn’t wind the chime again, but as luck would have it, I think it’s a 30 day wind! I haven’t touched it in three weeks, and it still chimes it’s “braaang, braaang” every hour. We both like the gentle tick-tock as the pendulum swings back and forth (moving, as tonight’s topic would have it), but I think we’ll both be glad when the chime finally runs down.