And so it goes

Why can't I blog consistently these days?

No idea, though I have been busy (that hasn't stopped me before).

The online class I'm teaching involves some pretty heavy grading. I like these students a lot, and I do want to give them a good experience with the class.

My next article for In Trust has gone through a few more edits and drafts, but I think it is finally done.

Mr. Bean has been an absolute joy. Still worried that he might not socialize well with other dogs, but we are beginning classes next Saturday, so we'll have to see how that goes.

A setback with the broken toe. All was well, and I was walking a lot again, and then . . . pain. And redness. And it didn't look good.

What a lot of trouble just from stumbling on the stairs one night! Sheesh.

On the plus side, I stumbled (ha ha) across a gossipy web site that shows the foot problems of the stars. Many of them seem to have worse problems than me. Apparently money can't buy healthy feet.

On the plus plus truly plus side, a mama robin is sitting on eggs in a nest right outside our bedroom window, and I'm going to try to get some photos this weekend - and, it's a three-day weekend. So I will be walking around the block a lot this weekend with Mr. Bean, wearing sandals and a white bandage around my big toe, thinking about my students, thinking about flowers and robins and work and an upcoming trip to California for work and a Fourth of July weekend at the Delaware shore and . . . life is good.

I just have to blog more consistently.

Popcorn!

There's a new food vendor at 30th Street Station, and the aroma is just so tantalizing - you can smell the buttery popcorn scent even before you enter the station.

I wonder if they will be able to stay in business, selling nothing but popcorn. Perhaps the markup is very, very high.

The relocated Barnes

Visited Philadelphia's newest cultural sensation today, the relocated Barnes museum.

Fabulous.

I think I had heard of an artist named Chaim Soutine before visiting, but for some reason on this visit his work resonated with me. And I stood for quite a while in front of one of my favorites, Claude Monet's painting of a houseboat. (The little image that comes up at the link doesn't, of course, capture the effect of seeing the real thing.)

You are not allowed to take photos inside the museum, so I don't have any of those. Instead, I have a picture of the women's restroom, where you are allowed to take pictures (if no one else is around), and which is really rather interesting, since each stall is its own room, rather large, and behind a very tall door.

And you can take pictures of the lobby downstairs, which has a very late sixties-ish Mad Men vibe.

Postsecret

Speaking of other sites, this week's Postsecret has some good secrets (as well as the usual cringeworthy ones) . . . (which may be the most valuable, but still . . . . .).

The Sartorialist

This photo on last  Wednesday's Sartorialist is inspiring many, and so it should.

Twist and Shout

Oh frabjous day! Calloo! Callay!

Last night I slept without waking up once because of back pain (it's actually kind of butt to knee pain). Tonight I took Mr. Bean for a nice long walk, also without pain.

I think this is from doing sciatica exercises (you can Google those) - mainly stretching and twisting like crazy. Even during my commute on the train I was twisting around in my seat as often as possible.

I'm very fortunate that at work we have a private room people can use when they need a few moments alone, because some of these exercises look rather peculiar - and I was determined to do them several times a day.

Apparently I have to keep this up for the rest of my life.

It's a small price to pay.

Oddly, the only thing that now hurts is lying flat on my back. Just about every other position and activity feels fine.

Plus, another cause for celebration - Neil answered a job ad on Craig's List and has a full-time job. With benefits and a 401K and everything. Suddenly, out of the blue.

This was a fine week. Twisting and shouting over here.

Shakshuka and salvia

My experience blogging has, over the last few weeks, demonstrated the wisdom of Gretchen Rubin's advice: Do something every day.

That is, it's easier to do something every day than to do it now and then.

You'd have to read her entire post to get the gist of this, but I can just say that it's easier to post something every day on a blog than to post now and then - counterintuitive as that sounds.

When you post now and then, it seems like a big deal, and it becomes more difficult each day that you delay.

When you are in the mindset of "I post something every day," it's no big deal. Same thing with exercise. When I went to the gym every morning before work, it was no big deal. Once I got out of that habit, going to the gym was a big, big deal - and something I began to find excuses to avoid.

Sigh.

So, trying to get back into the rhythm of posting, I'll start with this weekend. Relaxing and productive.

First, I stretched. As I mentioned earlier, I have had an irritating but fairly mild case of sciatica over that last few weeks. Not so bad that I missed work, but bad enough to make me lose sleep. And limp a little.

It turns out that other people at work have been having the same problem. Three advised stretching. (One person gets traction at rehab, which is a kind of stretching.) So I tried this. I think it helped. But I want to emphasize that I am not advising anyone else to do this - this is NOT medical advice!!!!

So, most important, I feel better physically. I have great sympathy for people who are in physical pain, because I am a wimp about pain, and have so far been very fortunate in this regard. I do not take this for granted.

Next - Mr. Bean continues to be a blessing. OK, he looks a little suspicious in the photo below, but so does my son Tim, who is holding the Beanster.

Second, I made a pot of chicken soup today, which will become tomorrow's dinner. Made shakshuka (eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce) for dinner tonight.

Planted a flat of salvia in the front garden tonight, plus chives, rosemary, and Italian parsley. We'll see how this goes.

Bought three flats of impatiens, but I don't think I will get around to planting them till next weekend.

Graded as much as I could for my online class - have to submit midterm grades before tomorrow at midnight. Can't tell you how much I admire some of my students, who are working very hard to improve their lives.

And so it goes. Do something every day.

The Blue Woo

For some reason this has seemed like a long week. I am ready for the weekend.

Ready with protein pancakes with blueberries and a Blue Woo cocktail.