44.Life in a Nutshell.
This poem popped into my head while on a walk one day. I had to pause and write it out:
Healing of Nature
Feels almost unreal
Spinning minds wheel
Special kind of zeal
Layers and layers to unpeel
It has pretty much become my jam; I get outside and walk, soaking up the sights around me. Seasons continue to change, and now in Minnesota winter has arrived. Unlike the mild winter we had last year, this one came in like a lion. It has been very cold and there have been slippery days. There is not a lot of accumulation in my neighborhood yet, but the forecast this week will be changing.
Along with the changing of the seasons, my writing has been changing. There are a few things happening I am not wanting to share at this moment, but that has occupied a lot of my time recently. The writing has not stopped, just been private processing. It has been helpful, and I am hopeful I will be more consistent with my writing here. Dealing with the other stuff has also caused me to fall behind in my reading, including the fantastic and beneficial words of my fellow writers here on Substack. Thanks for hanging around, friends!
Living here my entire life, I am used to winter. When I was younger, I loved being outside and participating in all sorts of activities. That is no longer the case. It is pretty and I have gotten so beautiful photos, but I do not want to be a part of this winter season for months. I would be happy to visit my family and friends that live here. I don’t love walking indoors and twice last week I had to do it because of the weather. I need to be outside in the fresh air and not fear I will slip and fall on the ice or that my fingers go numb. However, until we win the lottery or some offer that we can’t refuse comes along, here we are. Thank goodness for travel and a break from the cold.
Last weekend was the annual Gopher-Badger football game. It was typical cold weather and there was a light snowfall. Very pretty, like a snow globe over the stadium. Unfortunately, we arrived later than anticipated and were rushing to get to our seats before the kickoff. Well, my speedy walking was not appreciated by the slick ground, and I took a fall. Nothing horrible, no broken bones, just a beat and battered body. Thank goodness for all the layers of clothing, or it could have been worse. I bounced back up quickly with assistance from my husband, and we continued. As the game went on and temperatures dropped, the achiness continued to get worse. I love football and it was a great game. That was a good distraction. After the win, fans rush to the field, and I always partake in tradition. This time people were making snow angels, and I sadly viewed from afar. There’s always next time.
On top of the beating from the fall, I have had abdominal pain for months. It coincided with my menstrual cycle, so I thought maybe I had started perimenopause. I have been experiencing spotting and abnormal bleeding as well. At my annual physical I discussed with my PCP the pain ranged from a dull ache like menstrual cramps to a sharp sudden shock though my belly. This has been happening for months, and I kept thinking it would just go away. My PCP mentioned that my IUD may have moved, and I needed to get an ultrasound. It made sense, just curious as I have had it for years without issue.
I am following up with an OB-GYN this week. Ultrasound showed uterine polyps (have a history of those) and my IUD is migrating through the uterine wall. It feels as pleasant as it sounds. I will be having a procedure to take care of that issue hopefully sooner rather than later. Not excited but hopeful to be relieved of this uncomfortable feeling. I am unsure, and it appears unlikely that my weight loss had something to do with this but not finding much about what the cause could be.
An exciting update to my home office is that I now have a large monitor! I have wanted one for a long time and today my husband got it all set up for me. I love my laptop, but it is nice to have a large screen. My recent vision exam showed my eyesight is changing and progressive lenses are coming soon. I’m not excited about this, but it will be nice to not have to take my glasses off to read my phone anymore. One of many joys of being a middle-aged woman.... although most days I still feel like I’m in my twenties. My Spotify Wrapped age said I am 37 due to my love of early 2000s music so being half my age tracks.