Little News and Dragons

No big news around here, lots of little.

I have worried so much about Jean falling, and Cathy and Julia and Jane falling that I forgot to take care of my own feet.

As they say "The fall wasn't bad, it was the landing that hurt."

Yep, went kersplat. Yep, right out front on the condo entry. Yep, Ian was with me. Yep, he helped me up, helped me inside, helped me get pain medicine, heating pad, feet up, and then went back outside to clean up the mess. We came in with him carrying groceries and me carrying restaurant leftovers, drinks and the books from the library. Yep, restaurant leftovers do make a splatty mess on the walkway. Yep, Ian is amazing.

My second fall in two months. Never, never, never again, NEVER. Although to be fair neither time was it my own personal bio-mechanics that failed. The first fall at Flathead Lake was due to an out of balance picnic table and down I went flat on my back. The only thing really hurt was my pride.

This recent fall was due to the adorable new shoes that I had won at work and the wet slippery walkway. Walkways due tend to get slippery after 37 hours of non-stop rain. My cute new shoe slid right out from under me and down I went. And when I go down a lot of mass is on the move. Splat, right flat on my back. No twisting, turning contortions, just a mighty SPLAT.

Nothing was broke, no one part of my body was particularly severely damaged, but I hurt from my head to my ankles. No broken leg, hip, shoulder, or arm, thankfully, and I am always grateful for those miracles, but my body was rattled. Everything was hurt. I'm still shaking and aching and afraid to walk outside. I landed flat on my back and my knee is killing me, figure that one out. My neck hurts, my head hurts, my arms and shoulders hurt, my pride hurts, and yes, my back hurts. I'm hoping a week off work will cure everything. I was freaking lucky with these two falls, and don't I know it, that I'm never going to fall again. Done. Been there done that. Finis.

Hum, adorable new shoes and slippery walkway, hum, I think that is how I also fell out there some years ago. I think only non-slip shoes for me from now on no matter how cute they are -- or become a recluse and never go outside.

Coincidentally, I'm the one teasing Julia about not falling, not hurting herself, not jeopardizing the Costa Rica trip. See if open my big fat mouth anymore. I apologize Julia. And I won't chide Jean or Cathy or Jane anymore. I will look to my own feet.


Or I could blame it on not smoking. I haven't smoked for almost four weeks. Did I ever tell you not smoking is exhausting. Exhausting. So far I'm sleeping my way through it/out of it -- maybe.

I am hopeful.


So, do you ever think about Dragons? How dragons are a part of almost every culture world wide? From India to China to Japan to Europe to South America even to Costa Rica? Quetzalcoatl is much like a dragon. Dragons in myth, stories, lore. All that dragon lore couldn't have spread from Persia, could it?

"There be dragons"

Dragons representing the unknown, the unknowable, the drop off the edge of the Earth, the place no man has gone before. Do dragons derive from lizards, iguanas, crocodiles? How have they become such a large part of mythology? The demon to battle, to save the damsel from, the adversary that needs overcome who is so much more powerful than ourselves. Smaug was eventually defeated.

Ancient cities had the North Gate, the Iron Gate and the Dragon Gate. That was a dragon that guarded something precious, another part of dragon lore. Protecting.

My mind be on dragons, conquering smoking dragons.


And our beautiful fall here in the Pacific Northwest. It hasn't been a spectacular fall like some we have had in the past, but a particularly beautiful one. It has been a soft watercolor kind of fall. Gentle fall reds and yellows, gentle falling leaves, gentle rains. Soft, albeit I guess that is getting ready to change with wind and winter storms approaching. And lots and lots of rain. The rain seems odd after such a long hot dry summer.


And winter brings holidays, lots of fun festive holidays, and glitter. The glitter season is upon us. You can expect glitter now through Christmas. Glitter wafting down from ornaments, bows, tinsel, trees, cards and other miscellany. Get your vacuum fired up. Instead of dragons it is time to battle glitter. Actually it will probably be glitter through January 22nd.


Roger and I were driving to the Fortener's to pick up Connor and Roger drove me past a concrete boat -- sigh -- what I don't know about the world, what I don't know -- sigh -- there it was sitting in an old barn looking somewhat spectacular, if somewhat forlorn. Before the sun went down I had to learn more about concrete boats. Roger had me something to study hours later. Concrete boats have been around for a long time and were quite common. Who knew? Actually it was an inexpensive building material, but not very fuel efficient. Not in fashion anymore. I still hurts the logical portion of my brain. I accept it, but it hurts. And this was before my head hurt from the fall.

Sometimes I am excited by everything.

Sometimes it takes me nine hours to get five hours worth of sleep.

Sometimes the creative play of others is inspirational. I was inspired, delighted, entertained and otherwise captivated by the shenanigans of the Costa Rica wedding. I can't remember the last time I saw so many smiles. Or glasses raised. Or lived so vicariously through the photos of others. Thank you for sharing.

The only thing missing from your litany of activities for the week long adventure in the jungle was archaeological exploring. Did you traipse around any ancient ruins? Trod any ancient byways?

Or play at any art museums?  Learn a local dance? Visit a cultural shrine?

I'm pretty sure you weren't shopping, were you?

Sometimes I wonder if Chris Daley is going to post a family reunion Greenleaf countdown update. That would be bald headed Chris. That would be "Cool Car" Chris. The "Chris" Michael snagged a ride from, or tried to, every time the Challenger moved.

Wedding special is over. Janice is having surgery. Holidays approaching. Cathy and Kenny traveling. As soon as I am brave enough to go outside I'm buying a cane, whether it is bio-mechanics or slippy shoes I am NEVER falling again.

The really sad sad part, I'm embarrassed to say, is I had just spent all my gift certificates on some really really cute shoes. Seven new pair of shoes and the first ones I wore threw me. Tell me life is fair. My friend gets paper cuts regularly not whooshing falls.

I'm ancient and my pretty pretty shoes are like pretty pretty dragons.
Beware "there be dragons there."