Flip Turns

Back and forth across the Poole, I swim. The sun causing refractions of light through the water. It is beautiful, the way it sparkles against the white floor. At either end, I duck below the surface, summersault so that my feet hit the wall, and kick off, propelling myself back in the direction I just came. For a solid year, I rarely did a flip turn. It was more important to not allow myself the luxury of propulsion, figuring in an open water swim, I'd be hard pressed to find a wall. But now, with no race pending, I flip turn at each time I approach a wall. Just like with all the other elements I've learned over the past year, it took some getting used to. And practice. Now, I can't imagine having wasted so much time, dawdling at each wall. With the flip turns I get in and get it done, maintain my rhythm, and learn to balance my breath.

Dad paces back and forth in the pool. He has gained strength and some agility. Somedays he can stand without his full weight pushing on the arms of the chair or table. His blood sugars are beginning to balance out, his highs are nowhere near the highs of when he first arrived and he is able to navigate them a little easier. We have both mostly stuck to our no sugar pledge.

There is a new and tricky thing that I have discovered about my father. He loves a good story as much as I do. So, the other day, I put on an audio book from the library and invited him into my sewing room. He sat with me for hours, listening while I worked. At one point, I turned to say something to him, he held his finger to his lips to tell me to be quiet and mouthed the words, "I'm listening." I was able to get caught up in my class and begin another project (namely a dressing robe so dad can cover himself when he goes to the loo. Will he use it? Perhaps). When JE got home around 10:30 from work, both dad and I were so invested in the story (Catching Fire), we hardly notices. I wandered into the bedroom a couple hours later to discover JE asleep, his ears covered with a pillow.

Sewed today, for JE. There is a really great toile print of 18th century people doing very the century things. On closer inspection, the people are fleshless skeletons. I used this print to make a cabana style shirt for JE, and used antique bone buttons with extremely large eyes as the closures. It's kind of awesome. I'v been sewing so much the past week. I'm not sure what has possessed me, but it feels good. I've also been really active, running, biking and swimming. I haven't missed a workout, but don't feel the need to put it all down on paper. I've been allowing my new circumstances take precedence over a steadfast plan. It is a needful alteration, but one that I'm hoping won't become permanent, it's nice to have a plan, a wall to kick off...

Gratitudes:
1) music, for when the story runs out and the next book isn't available yet.
2) good stories
3) the increase of Monarch butterflies I've seen lately. I need to go see where they sleep.
4) heavy, moist fog
5) dad got a great old car today, and drove himself to the family history center. No need to call for directions, he got it on the first try- home again too!
6) all the times I get to see JE, and how much I miss him when he has so much work.