ADJUSTING LITTLE PARTS A LITTLE

 43 of #100daychallenge

I suppose there WILL come a time when a laugh track does not seep into my evenings at my desk. And for now, I shall be grateful that La Janette is still here. She was a total champ today at yoga, trying to work those terribly painful shoulders. And they are all so very game.

Joseph who has recently been diagnosed with what must be some acute form of diabetes is having a hell of a time, as anyone would, regulating his pleasure eating. At a family party where they served many carbs, sweets, and fruits, Joe likely did not adhere to his new regimen. At 11:00 he was in near toxic shock with his blood sugar crazy high. His son had to come over and make him drink water for four hours to try to flush his system. He seemed weak and chastened today, but was in there fighting. I offered to let them forego their meditation walk, but Joe, in particular, was insistent.

I have been working them hard on feet stimulation with a tennis ball, basic alignment, and using their quadriceps One of them said using the tennis ball was a blessing to him. Getting them to be able to stand up without using too much momentum (Janet, she rocks and throws herself forward), or using their arms exhausts them. I find this utterly fascinating. And wildly instructive as a teacher, to see those limitations and just what they can be. There are times when I have to remind myself to be first and foremost careful and compassionate as I am so interested in observing their physical conditions. 

I am so grateful to be teaching them. I can see what I need to work on in my next few classes before I start teaching "civilians." I can be quite informal and loose with the Domineers, but I will have to get tighter on sequencing and teaching breathing for my SFS class. I had a tb test this morning which puts me one step closer to getting my contract finalized.

Shelly came over to get a neck massage and chided me into looking into massage therapy programs. The first one I called was $17,000. I nearly fainted. There is no way I would, even if I were to qualify (unlikely) take on such a loan at this time. I would like to be certified so that I could have a small practice to help with SS income. I will continue to explore.

I am finding myself to be quite sleepy again. Janet has a doctor's appointment in the morning and then we are going to the memorial for KH's mother. The dishes are mostly done, the cats are all in and settled down, Janet is in the bathroom, so I guess I can give in. Perhaps I will take a bath and see if I can get in some reading.

Jimmy and I were speaking about living accommodations and what one could put up with. He said, "If the necessity is enough, there are no barriers." That's a perspective. 

LEAST ACTION

Is it vision

or the lack

that brings me

back to the principle

of least action.

by which in one

branch of rabbinical

thought the world

might become the 

Kingdom of Peace not

through the tumult

and destruction necessary

for a New Start but

by adjusting little parts

a little bit—turning

a cup a quarter inch

or scooting up a bench.

It imagines an

incremental resurrection,

a radiant body

puzzled out through

tinkering with the fit

of what’s available.

As though what is is

right already but

askew. It is tempting

for any person who would

like to love what she

can do.

— Kay Ryan, The Best of It: New and Selected Poems, Grove Press, New York, 2010