Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Grinity - OT meanderings

Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to talk about the rest of my life for a while.
Let's see - I sprained my ankle on Friday, and been in an ace wrap since Monday. It didn't seem to be improving until I got into see the Physical Therapist on Monday, but now it only hurts 2/10, except when I bang it - yuck!

DS11 is going to camp on Sunday - sleepaway for the first time, just a 'regular camp' although he'll be with grademates, so they will be 1+ year older. I have more socks to buy, and almost nothing has his name on it. I'm starting to think that my sharpie is going to get quite a work out on Friday night. Perhaps an all-nighter? I've got silver for dark colored, and black for light colored.

Srry I haven't been around much lately, first we traveled to the Davidson gathering without DH, then we returned and took off again to the beach with DH for the long weekend. Also I've been driving DH to summer day camps that are almost an hour a way, that's cutting in to my posting time. But it's good because these are 'build it' and 'do it' science camps. DS built and programed robots, and he built airplanes, and marble runs. He's loving it, and still moving around, and it's so great to see the light of love of learning in his eyes.

We saw 'The Love Guru' and totally enjoyed it. I expected it to be more 'off-color' but it was all jokes and references and no explisit stuff. There are plenty of ladies in bikinis but I think I got over that with the 'Nintendo Magazine' pictures when he was 7. He kind of knows that 'that's what sells.' And that 'when he's older' that will probably interest him more. He seems to know that IRL girls are a whole different thing.

I started a garden 'square foot garden' style - but that hasn't taken up much time - except for the research!
But I am spending much much more time cooking since I read, 'The Omnivore's Dilemna.' I'm excited because an IRL girlfriend is interested in going in on a grass-fed half cow with me for the freezer. I used to be big into 'do ahead' cooking. Anyway I'm trying to reduce my dependence on processed food.

Recently I got DS hooked on Orson Scott Card's Alvin Maker Series, and he chewed through all 6, enjoying them very much. I'm finishing Journyman Alvin. So touching! My stock went up so much with DS for the suggestion that I started him on my favorite from my 20's Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover Series
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darkover_series

It's such a pleasure to see him enjoying some of my favorite books, it even inspired me to go back and re-read Stormqueen! Talk about people having gifts that change their lives and affect how everyone treats them! The adults in that book make all the classic Sylvia Rimm mistakes with their young gifted female.

Frankly I didn't think that I would ever enjoy reading fiction again because I so much more enjoy chatting with you. I keep thinking it's weird that her characters don't have cell phones. But it is a treat to read in tandem with DS. We often end up in giggle fits over the pronounciations of some of her made up words.

Anyway - now that we have an off topic area, I figured I'd wave and report in. I love you all so much! This place in cyberspace is like having Laran (MZB's word for telepathy) so I can see into your hearts. How cool is that? I'm living in the world I imagined for myself in my 20's.

Love and More Love,
Grinity

Hi Grinity!

Thanks for the wave and the report and, or course, the love! Yes, technology is good!!!!!!!

Someone once told me that the 20's were solely for getting one's a$$ kicked! IE: career, relationships, financial security, etc.

I enjoyed the second half of my thirties so much more!

How fun that you and DS are sharing fine literature, what a cool bonding experience.

Your summer sounds very fun, it's going too fast, though, right?

We've been out and about as well, haven't posted as regularly. Although the last two days have spent too much time online here.

So are you going to be okay with DS's first sleepaway from home? Sounds somewhat daunting!

Sorry about your ankle, bit of a drag. Hope you heal well and soon!!!

Neato

Hi, Grin!

As someone who has sprained ankles more times than I can recall--LOTS and LOTS!, including one stress fracture from a bad twist--I strongly recommend doing ankle strengthening exercises when your injury has healed.

The best and easiest just involves standing on one foot and letting your body weight sway around a little so your ankle has to work to keep your balance. It has been amazingly effective for strengthening my muscles and ligaments and whatnot around the ankle area so that they don't just give way, like they used to do almost constantly. (Seriously, I could twist an ankle on a chalk line drawn on the pavement!)

The stronger your ankle gets, the bigger your swaying can become. But I do this in a small way even when standing in line at the bank or other public venues. Talking on the phone or when cooking dinner are other good times to do it.

Seriously, this was life-changing for me! You know how not-evangelical I am about stuff, but I AM evangelical about this. It's that good!

Hope your ankle heals fast!

Grinity,

What a list! Just reading that makes me tired You have been quite busy.

Sorry about the ankle. Ouch. I hope it will be 100% soon. BTW Use is as a nice excuse to spend lots of time reading and yeah Internet browsing

I am glad DS is enjoying the camp. Good luck with marking all the socks. The kids started camp this week. Yesterday DS4 came home with a different towel and today with 2 socks but only one of them is his

Ha! DS has 2 matching coats hanging in our hall right now for the same reason and we can't find the other owner.

Thanks for the update Grin! Sorry about the ankle. I actually did the same thing out hiking a few weeks ago and I'm still struggling a bit with it. So thanks for the suggestions Kriston.

Both my husband and I really enjoyed Omnivore's Dilemma! Good luck with the cow. I would love to do this, but need to invest in a chest freezer first (not to mention - find a spot for it). We are enjoying some beautiful CSA boxes right now though!

I love this place, too! It's great to find people who love the same books and games and have such interesting things to talk about.

I hope it works for you like it worked for me, kimck. I haven't sprained an ankle once in the 15 years or so since I started using the exercise. You have no idea how big that is! Really, I used to sprain my ankle nearly daily!

Really, really, a very, very big deal!

Grinity! You need to buy a grass fed(or finished) beef, not cow, hahaha. Have you checked out Eat Wild website ? It's got a lot of research regarding grass fed food products, and a directory of suppliers across the US.

Sounds like you're having a pretty good summer, except for the ankle. Take care of it, and it should heal up about the time summer is over!

Hi Grinity,

Best wishes with the ankle. I used to have an ankle problem. Now it is knees.

Sounds like a great summer for your DS. My DD is doing tennis camp this week, swim camp next and did a week of Space camp she really liked and then Rainforest camp. The other kids were about 1-2 yars older. Same with tennis.

Ren

Grin-

Glad to have you back. I'm sorry that we didn't see more of you and DS last month, but I guess that's the way things go at these mega-gatherings! There's always Splash! though...

I hope the ankle heals quickly. Injuries can be so frustrating! But sometimes, I think they can teach us to appreciate what we usually have, and encourage us to rely more on other people, which we Moms rarely seem to do.

The camps sound really fun. My guy will have a week at scout camp in August, and both he and "Artemis" are in a play this summer. I'm glad that I pushed him to audition for "Alice" way back when, as he has really taken to theater. And it is very cool to see my shy little girl getting excited about performing as well.

I'd say that we are taking it easy this summer, but our days still feel full and busy as can be.