Hello, everyone. Gee, I feel like I should re-introduce myself since my blogging has been on the down-low lately. But, yeah, I don’t really want to do that. While my blog is about me, it’s not entirely about me. Take from it what you will.

Firstly, there is better living through drugs. The Gabapentin I was prescribed does seem to reduce my neck pain to a more manageable level. I’m still trying to get away with as minimal a dosage as possible, mainly because I don’t like being drug-dependent, but then there is that quality-of-life thing to think about. Case in point: one of the “side effects” of Gabapentin is it reduces anxiety. To feel less anxious and more calm seems hard to come by naturally these days.

Although I don’t want to be drug-dependent, I’ve also started taking Excedrin first thing in the morning. The dosages of acetaminophen and aspirin do not reduce any of my arthritic pain (although it did do wonders when I recently had one of the worst headaches of my whole life). The caffeine does get me a slight boost when coupled with my morning tea, but here’s the real reason I take it: My 98-year-old mother has been taking Excedrin regularly for years. We had a little conversation about that.

Mom: “I got up about five-thirty and took an Excedrin and went back to bed. Then I was got up again and I took another.”

Me: “Why? Did you have a headache?”

Mom: “No, I just like taking Excedrin.”

Me: ?

Mom: “You know I don’t drink coffee.”

Me: “Oh. So, instead of having a cup of coffee in the morning, you take an Excedrin.”

Mom: “Yes, yes, I guess I do.”

Did I mention that not only is my mom 98, but she’s also the healthiest one in our family? Some might argue that there’s no causal effect of Excedrin on my mother’s health, but I’m taking it anyway.

Before I go any further, I want to talk about Ukraine … just a bit. Here’s some good news about ways people are helping. Maggie from From Cave Walls recently shared three stories which you can read here: https://fromcavewalls.wordpress.com/2022/03/25/watwb-comes-to-an-end/ John Howell also shares a heartwarming story along with a spot-on haiku here: https://johnwhowell.com/2022/03/25/friday-john-ku-aka-tgif-fri-yay-good-news-2/

Another source of support is coming from book publishers:

The Ukrainian Book Institute, now with the support of the Federation of European Publishers and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, has reiterated its request for help from the global publishing community to raise money to publish and distribute Ukrainian-language books for the several million refugees who have fled Ukraine after Russia’s invasion nearly a month ago. Donations can be made online.

Finally, friend and fellow blogger Luanne Castle has been sharing creative finds from Ukrainian sellers on Etsy. Etsy makes it easy to find beautiful downloadable art from Ukraine: https://www.etsy.com/featured/support-sellers-in-ukraine?slug=support-sellers-in-ukraine&ref=search_ukraine_collection

You know I love to knit so I was thrilled to find sock knitting patterns. Not only did I purchase a few patterns, but I think I made a friend. Vicky from DC13EcoFriendlyLife, located in Kharkiv, Ukraine, gifted me a free knitting pattern just because I bought a set of patterns from her.

Now the bike rides.

I went on two bike rides recently. One on my Peugeot road bike. It had been a long while since I was on that bike. I can only take it out on paved roads, not the rugged, rutty, stony, grassy trails of the refuge. So, after two days of steady rain, I jumped at the opportunity to go for a bike ride with my husband. We got a treat when we stopped at the St. Marks City Park.

According to my Merlin Bird ID app, these are “wild turkeys.” They didn’t seem wild to us as we were able to get very close to them. In fact, while we were admiring the birds, a hawk swooped down and startled all four of us. I imagine that, when he got close enough, the hawk realized that he couldn’t haul away a bird this size. But the drama was enough to make the birds head back to the safety of the trees.

On the way home from the bike ride, my husband (wanting to avoid rush hour traffic) suggested having dinner at the Wakulla Springs Lodge. We walked the grounds for a few minutes after dinner, enjoying the Golden Hour. I wish I had taken some photos but I only have this one:

A few days later, we went on another bike ride, this time to the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. I am so grateful for that refuge. It really is a heaven on earth. Wildflowers, lilies, and thistles were in abundance. Enjoy!