One Step at a Time

Today I am thankful for 1. Proof of progress as my walking stamina increases a little more every day 2. Bridges allowing beautiful views 3. Blooming plumeria 4. Outings to hidden places that spark creativity #day50 #proudofmy40minutemile #putonefootinfrontoftheother #drinkinginblossoms #iheartnature #bigislandbliss #thanksannette

The Much Needed Outing

I am oh so grateful for 1. Drives down old highways that lead to hidden markets 2. Shaved ice and 3. Accidental photos reminding me of surfaces my feet haven't been able to walk on in weeks. #day39 #oldmamalahoahighway #hakalaumarket #eatingshavedicetakesskill #bigislandbliss #iheartoutings #smallstepsforward #fresheyes #thanksannette

Back to the Drawing Board

I am happy to report that I am no longer confined to my back. Now have the ability to lay on my sides which opens up the possibilities for other forms of entertainment during the day. With mother's day and two birthdays around the corner, I decided to give watercolor pencils a try. 

And here are the results:

The Days Start to Blend

As the days start to blend together shining moments of gratitude appear as I fill in the spaces of coloring pages 2. Open the door to a surprise guest with treats and perfect timing and 3. Blend the old with the new as an app aides in my goal to learn Morse code. #day31 #adultcoloringbooks #thanksannette #morsecodemaycomeinhandysomeday #exercisethebrain

The Healing Power of Nature

I am grateful for an invitation from friends allowing a little self administered aqua-therapy in a pool while looking at the ocean. Magic. 2. Mint cookies (mint anything really) 3. Naps in nature #day28 #thehealingpowerofnature #gomintorgohome #iheartwater #thanksruth

A Reminder

Today I am grateful for 1. Rice cookers because they make cooking rice way too easy. 2. Water in all of its forms. I wouldn't exist without it. 3. A t-shirt that was given to me with a graphic of a spine printed down the back. I feel I am gently reminding my body of how it is supposed to be every time I wear it. #day25 #iheartjasminerice #waterisamazing #icepackrotation #spinewear #thanksruth

Passing the Time

Am thankful for...
1. The game Mastermind 2. FaceTime/Skype 3. The ability to play said game with my niece via said technology while existing on two different islands in two different oceans on two different days (she is 11 hours ahead and therefore lives in the future). 4. Mini binders because they can hold a tangible, organized file of information that is jumbled in my brain. #day23 #thewondersoftechnology #classicgamesneverdie #organizationhelpsputthemindatease #iheartmyfamily #halfaworldaway

Added Bonus

So thankful for 1. notes and surprise goodies in the mail from dear friends 2. Late night target runs to restock the pantry (I think I am good for the next 6 months) 3. Pineapple in my first bowl of oatmeal in 2.75 weeks. (Was able to make it myself) And 4. (Added bonus) The SmartKart. I know why the seat has a weight sensitive safety feature but there were times when I wish it didn't. #day23 #smartKartlicense #crossthatoffthebucketlist #acandybarshomeisinthefreezer #snailmailsurprises #hantronisthebest #targetafter10

I Am No Michaelangelo

When I decided that Promise would be my word for the year I would never have imagined that by Mid-April I would be drawing the word on my ceiling with fine-tip markers rigged to the end of a hiking pole. Yet that is where I am at on my journey- flat on my back constantly staring at a word that has the power to draw up hope. No one has promised me anything concerning my recovery. Uncertainty reigns. I have promised myself that I will work as hard as I can to get to 100%, clearing a path for possibility. I still believe my life is full of promise, for I can look back and see how far I have come. I understand setbacks are inevitable, but the unpredictable moments of the future can also provide space for small victories that can build into something more. For me, that thought alone only stokes the fire of hope and promise. #day22 #arttherapyisreal #ruthlesstrust #holdingontothepromise #ceilingart #Iamnomichaelangelo

Mind-Body Connection

Top three for the day: a. informational charts that blow my mind and get the old synapses firing. B. words like kerfuffle. C. Ice cream therapy. We all need it every now and then. Today was a much needed session. #day20 #...,--- /-.-.,---,---,.-.. #mindbodyconnection #iheartdairy #marillacuthburttalk

Entertainment

So, so thankful for the Hawaii State Public Library System! It feeds the mind and connects all of the libraries on all of the islands for even greater access to the written word. 2. Phone conversations full of promise (Yes I still use a flip phone. They make me feel smart) 3. Mini office supplies in origami boxes. The practical possibilities are endless. #day18 #wereadtoknowwearenotalone #thankyoutaxdollars #thewordboreddoesnotcompute #flipphonegettingthejobdone #iheartorigami

Easter

When I think about Christmas and Easter, songs from my childhood instantly come to mind. Secret Ambition from the album I 2 (eye) is not typically thought of as an Easter song. However when I watched the video on YouTube I was instantly thankful for key 90s fashion pieces (vests in particular), songs with guitar solos, and all artists out there that record music videos through the decades fully knowing that a video might come back to haunt them. (The things I love about this video are just too numerous to list.) I am also thankful for the darkness the back of my eye lids provide as my hours of sleep have been slowly increasing. And breakfast for lunch. Thanks Auntie Lyn! #day17 #ihearthe90s #kenspancakehouse #gotosleepAuntieHeathercloseyourlittleeyes #cantbeatasundaynap #dramaticsongsmakemesohappy

Talk Story

 

Shout out to Talk Story hours with friends that have hilarious shirts (something didn't feel right during exercise), who bring nature's healing fragrance in a gardenia blossom (natural aromatherapy stress relief). Visitors are always welcome! I am also grateful for the human body. Although mine isn't in the greatest shape at the minute I am still blown away by everything that it does and how it is constructed. And of course that an image like this is even possible. #day16 #L5S1pancake #Talkstorytime #thankssomuchforcalling #drinkintheblossoms #moreofmethenyouwantedtosee

My Sister

Top 3 gratitudes today: 1. Engineering ideas that actually work better than imagined (hiking pole + electrical tape + pill bottle cap + markers = stylus for ceiling art project). 2. Sisters, older ones specifically are pretty great. They were chosen to pave the way in life and had no real say in the matter. Mine is the best and am so glad she was born today, 2.25 years before me. 3. Quotes that help put the hard days in perspective. #day15 #thesunwillcomeouttomorrow #artisfun #embracethemess #sisterssistertherewereneversuchdevotedsisters

It's the Little Things

Today I feel a deep gratitude for the people who a working so hard to help me get better. Their kind words and gestures help soothe the deepest pain. I am too grateful for my past-self thinking of my future-self when my present-self remembers a peppermint candy in my bag that I just knew I would find refreshing after maneuvering with my loaned cane companion (which I am very thankful for as well). Lastly I am grateful for painter's tape. This blue non-sticky-residue tape allows crazy ceiling art projects to transpire while feeling secure that it won't fall on my face while I sleep. #day13 #arttherapy #tessaisstillthegreatest #iheartmint #ptkicksmybutt

Attitude of Gratitude

As I have learned while working at Pacific Quest, gratitude is so important in keeping things in perspective. As the mental challenge of my situation is getting tougher more that time passes, I have decided to dive into this attitude of gratitude. 

And so it begins...

Three things I am thankful for: the person/people who made the sunroof a reality. 2. Layers of clouds. 3. A Friend that comes out of Longs with refills of your meds, robin eggs, and chocolate milk. #Tessaisthebest #eastercandywillsoonbegone #outings #day12.5 #ceilinghandlesaresooohelpfultoo

My Current View

Well it happened. My first ride in an ambulance. On April 1, 2017 at 5:50am I was picked up off the bathroom floor at work, put on a bed with wheels, loaded into an ambulance. The pain I was feeling was no joke. It started the previous day. I was leading exercise as my job required. I felt something amiss as I was doing step-ups on a wall. I stopped. I tried lunges. I was loosing strength. I finished the group with arm exercises. I tried to stretch to get my body back into line. I went and laid down for 30 minutes and then stood up to find that my spine was no longer straight. My left hip was sticking out, and it would not go back. Pain levels increased as my ability to stand decreased.

"Heather you have to make it through the day," I told myself. "You have a job to do."

How I made it through is a wonder to me as I have hours now to think. I asked for help, and my co-worker's rose to the occasion. 8 days later with a second ER visit under my belt, I lie in bed thankful for my imagination. Getting to the bathroom is an experience I have to plan out. I have to make sure everything is ready and nothing is in my way. I am grateful I have no stairs to climb and only one corner to go around. I too am grateful for my housemate as she brings be food and makes sure all of my water bottles are full before heading into work.

I have high hopes that this will all be over soon. But then I realize the severity of my situation and pray that however long it takes, I have the strength to make it through one day at a time. For now, I will just have to get used staring at my ceiling.

Labor of Love

I spent the day with my friend Annette and her husband out on their property in the district of Puna. Over 10 years ago they purchased this piece of land and have been working in small increments to make it ready for a home. The picture above does not even begin to showcase all the work they have put into it. I can only imagine the hours they have spent clearing the jungle that is known as Puna. The thick foliage and the lava rock terrain have presented challenge after challenge. Still they press on. They know and see in their mind's eye what they final product will be. With each day they work, this land becomes more and more a labor of love. For they know that fruit they plant today is for the future harvest. And that future gets closer and closer with ever passing hour.

I am excited to see the final product and I have only invested one day. With the years they have invested, I can't even imagine how they feel.

Pololū Paradise

Valentine's Day

That mountain. This Island. Both have found a special place in my heart.