Getting My Ears On

My hearing aid is past it's warranty period and basically worn out.  I have needed a new one for the past couple of years but I have been putting it off. With Covid-19 restrictions I wasn't going anywhere anyway and really only had one person to annoy by making him repeat eveything. 

I found myself tuning into the radio news several times in a day to try to catch what was being said. I'm not sure if that's a hearing problem or if I have just lost my listening skills. I gave in last fall and went for a hearing test. That's when I found out things had changed. Not only had the prices gone up but the warranty period had dropped from five years to just three. You get a trial period with new hearing aids in case that style or model turns out not to be the right one for you.  But I still was not getting to places where it could be tested properly so I decided, once again, to wait. I saw no point in wasting my warranty period when there was little to hear anyway.

But hey people, dispite the fact that there is a new Covid varient speading rapidly normal life seems to be making a comeback. I have been to visit family and friends and attended both the Legion Senior's Lunch and the Ladies Club dinner this past month.  I couldn't follow conversations in any of those situations so I went back to the audiologist. 

My last hearing test had apparently expired so I had to do it over again. There was no change and though I felt like I was not hearing as well, I just need to learn to listen again. People think that comes naturally but really, it's a skill. I need to practice.

I will be getting my new aid just in time for an upcoming event where I may get to talk more than I have to listen. There will be a small crowd there and I expect a lot more noise than at the meals I have attended. This will be an excellent testing ground to see what adjustments will be needed to my new assistive device. I do expect I will still need some people to repeat things but maybe I will at least be able to watch tv without closed captions.  One can only hope....

Busy Ladies

I told you recently that I had not been blogging much in recent years because the pandemic put an end to my rambles. Well, it looks like things are about to change. This little tiny village now has a very active Ladies Club.  Last summer they formed a walking group, a kayaking  group and occasionally met for a meal. I joined the group during the summer but failed to take part in anything until now.

This past week I joined them for what will become a monthly dinner at a local restaurant. Fifteen of us gathered and got to know one another a little better by talking about our various hobbies.  The group now actually has 279 members (by the latest figures) but even among the small dinner gathering we found several things many of us like to do. 

In just this one short week, individual groups are currently in the planning stages.  There will definitely be a darts group, a knitting group and an art group. Spaces have already been secured at the local Legion and Library.  I, of course, will join the art group. I imagine it will be informal but some of the ladies have recently gathered to do a paint along and some paint pouring events that were also organized by members of the Ladies Club. I know there is also a lady among us who teaches card making so maybe there will be some actual lessons of one sort or another over time. I will happily encourage some urban sketching expeditions once the weather is suitable again.

There was also some talk of a story telling session, a trail walking group and a visit to a farm to see some mini horses.  I think the group is large enough that if there is anything anyone wants to do she will have no trouble finding others who will do it with her.

I am already looking forward to next month's meal. Who knows what that may spark.

 

New Beginnings.....Fresh Start....Again

 

Happy New Year!

As I turn the page on the calendar to a new year I am also hoping to turn a leaf or two in my life and get some fresh starts. I am not making resolutions but just starting over. There are many things in my life that I have fallen away from during the pandemic, and though that's not over, I have decided that it's time to try a little harder than I have been to get things done.

I don't tend to walk as much during the winter, but with all the treats over the holiday season, I now suddenly weigh more than I have for the past three months. I don't want to diet but I can pick up the pace with the walking. I am lucky enough to have been gifted a treadmill this past fall by a dear friend who is moving. The main reason I don't walk as much in the winter is that I have this tendency to fall on ice, so I avoid it. Now I don't have that excuse but over the holidays it's been rather hit-and-miss. I will pick a specific time of day, and if I don't go out, I'll hop on there.

I have not been painting as much in recent years either. I have been trying to learn to draw and I seem to take a lot of online courses. That's good because it actually gets me to practice my art, but I do miss doing my own. Also, when people ask to buy what I've done, I can't sell it because it's not really mine. I did sell a few small paintings this past year and had a commission, so I do think it's time to get back to doing my own thing. Step one is to unsubscribe from some of the artist newsletters I get. I can't even find time to read them all let alone try what they tell me about. I will join a couple of art Zoom groups where they work on their own projects and that will at least give me a scheduled time to paint.

We are about to put down a new floor in my office/studio so at the moment there are lots of boxes piled up in various rooms. I'm starting to feel like I'm living in a hoarder's house. I need to feel like I have some control over this mess so I have already downloaded a decluttering schedule and will start to tackle the chores on that. It starts in the kitchen, which is good as there are no boxes piled there, but my cupboards certainly do need sorting out.

I have acquired a large number of unread books over time and though I like to read, I seem to spend more time trying to keep up with my e-mail. Apparently, the art newsletters are not the only things I need to unsubscribe from. My Fitbit tells me when it's time to settle down at night so I'll be ready to go to sleep on time. I will make a point of reading for at least that half hour before I go to sleep. That likely won't dent the book pile much, but it's still worth doing. I especially feel the need to get the books I win read in a timely matter so that I can review them. The latest one that arrived a couple of days ago is called "After Its Over" by Hunter Chadwick. It is an apocalyptic story of what could have happened to our world after Covid if even more people had died and there was an even bigger supply chain problem. It was originally written as a series for Kindle Vella. That's kind of like the old radio shows where you tuned in on a regular basis to hear the next installment. I never knew they were doing that in a written form before Mr. Chadwick released his story in book form.

Another thing I really need to do is get back to this blog. I miss it. I didn't feel I was out rambling around enough to have anything to say. But hey, I miss just talking to those of you that manage to find me so I'll try to get on here more often this year. I have cat stories to tell you if nothing else.  We got a kitten this past summer and she's certainly different from any other cat I've ever had.

I need to pick up my usual daytimer like planner from Staples so I can schedule things properly. That could hopefully keep me on track, or at least tell me what it is I'm supposed to be doing each day. Wish me luck. 

Nice talking to you.