In our grocery store some lettuce is sold in packaging with the roots intact. This spring, after buying and eating this lettuce, Attila saved the roots and planted them in the raised bed between the strawberry plants. This head of lettuce was the first one to be harvested. It is much larger than the original purchased plant. Two and a half for the price of one! I think you could do this on a sunny balcony in the spring.
The weather has been nothing short of magnificent! The days are warm but not hot, there is a breeze, and we are getting rain at regular intervals. The garden is loving this weather even more than we are. Unfortunately the mosquitoes are loving this weather too.
With the wonderful weather the windows can stay open, and the radon levels remain low and acceptable. When the hot weather arrives things will be different, then more tweaking will be taking place.
We have been watching The Studio on the computer, just finished the last episode yesterday. All of characters are people I would find it unpleasant to be around. They are not particularly admirable. The program is an explosive display of wasted human energy, is bereft of ethics and balance, and is very entertaining.
Having finished watching the last episode of that program, I cast about to find another to watch. I chose Ted Lasso, not sure why, the series image appealed to me I guess. I did not anticipate liking it, because I don’t like watching sports. I loved playing sports, but have no interest in watching it. I felt the same way about the hockey themed book Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese. I couldn’t sit through ten minutes of a hockey game, but I couldn’t put that book down. Every character in the first three episodes of Ted Lasso (we watched three today, it is addictive) had the potential to be likeable, and the protagonist, Ted Lasso is quintessentially likeable, kind, and balanced.
By chance I chose programs featuring personalities at opposite ends of life’s spectrum.
One of the medical appointments I had this past week was a scan to track the nerves in my dominant arm. My pinkie finger went to sleep last August and never woke up. The tests show that there is an issue, that could be resolved by surgery, but might be resolved with even more lifestyle changes. I decided to go for the lifestyle changes first, to see if that works.
What this means is that I need an easy chair with no arm rests. And I have to devise a way to keep my arm straight while I sleep.
The easy chair I had been using was wonderful for the arthritis in my coccyx, sitting for short periods of time caused no pain. But that chair will not do, as the armrests are integral to the structure, and cannot be changed. I looked at chairs on the internet, but will not buy a chair I haven’t been able to test first. Then I thought of the wooden glider chair out on the back porch. We bought that at a thrift store for next to nothing, and it has been out on the porch and the hot afternoon sun year round for many years. It is pretty beat up. BUT the armrests are made of wood, and are not integral to the structure of the chair. I figured we could afford to lose that chair to an experiment. Attila sawed off the arm rests yesterday, and moved the chair from the back porch to the living room, replacing my much loved easy chair.
The upshot is that the glider fills the bill of a chair with no armrests. However, it is not nearly as comfortable as my previous chair. I can only sit for short periods of time (less than 30 minutes) before my arthritic derriere becomes numb, begins to throb, and then becomes painful. So far I can walk that out.
I do like the glider function though, and find I am constantly using it if I am seated in the chair. Another advantage of the glider is that my little work table, that I keep beside my chair, fits nicely in front of me while seated, very handy that. I am hoping for inspiration in figuring out how to make this chair more comfortable for my arthritis. If I manage to tweak this glider, I will sand it and paint it.
As for keeping my arm straight at night, I tried wrapping a towel around my elbow, and woke up the find the towel under my head. I am not really sure how that happened, but clearly my technique needs tweaking. The Specialist told me I can buy a specialized brace, custom I think, but I would rather not spend a lot of money on something that might not, in the end, solve the numbness issue.
The good news is that I do not have carpal tunnels issues in either hand/wrist.
Worldly
Weather
18°C
Date: 8:00 PM EDT Saturday 20 June 2026
Condition: Partly Cloudy
Pressure: 100.9 kPa
Tendency: Rising
Temperature: 17.7°C
Dew point: 12.6°C
Humidity: 72%
Wind: W 6 km/h
Visibility: 24 km
Quote
“The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings.”
Okakura Kakuzo
1863 – 1913
Hi Maggie. You know those long, flat paint stirrers they have in the paint section of stores? They’re flat and often made of smooth wood. Could you tape two of them together, side by side? You’d start with a stirrer that’s maybe 1 inch wide and end up with two that are 2 inches wide. Then each night put the taped stirrers on the inside of your arm across the bend of your elbow. Then use one of those stretchy arm bandages (ACE bandage or similar) and wrap it around your arm. The wood should prevent you from bending your arm. Tuck the loose end into the bandage or tie it off in some way. . Attila will be a big help here as I don’t think 1 person could wrap it well, especially with the paint stirrers. Good luck!
Thanks Sandy! I do believe life takes a village, and your suggestion is proof of point, I would not have thought of that myself. A great suggestion, and we happen to have at least one brand new paint stick from a recent purchase of paint, and Attila says we have more! Tonight I will give this a try! I am so lucky to have Attila here to give me a hand with this!
You’re welcome, Maggie. One of the kids I played with when I was young hurt one of his forefingers. There were 10 or so kid in that family so they didn’t have a lot of money. . The mom immobilized the boy’s finger with popsicle sticks and tape. (Variation on a theme lol) As long as it’s a strain/overextension and not a break it should work. Have a great day!!
Maggie, another thought about the arm, although my idea is more complex.
I’m picturing a thick fabric tube in which you’d slide your arm. To keep that tube in place, I’d get an oversized shirt (from the thrift store if you don’t have one handy) and tack the fabric tube to the sleeve. You could then modify the shirt to remove other excess bits (such as the collar).
My idea is that the fabric tube would be soft and the shirt would keep it in place.
Wendy, a great idea! The ideas are percolating in my brain now, I have two wonderful ideas to work with, play with, inspiring!