The Journey Inward

My hours are long during the week and the shop hours are short, so this is a recipe for a busy Saturday or Sunday running errands and doing the things that must be done. I started the morning by sending Valentines to my gal pals! Truth be told, those are my longest, most stable, consistent, and joyful relationships!!

I slept in a wee bit after staying up way too late last night talking to Jan. We only intended to talk for 20 or so minutes and missed that by about an hour!

I had a lot of paperwork to do and meds to figure out, but did not do anything about my taxes. Regardless, it was a productive morning.

Next, it was off to the salon. I decided to go with a darkening and a gray blending. It was a lovely time, especially the hair wash. Just under three hours and only $57.55, including the tip. In fact, when I said, Please add 20%,” Lelani replied, “You’re not in America anymore.” She put in a R30 tip instead. I enjoyed reading some South African magazines and chatting. I also walked around outside a bit and found beautiful purple flowers growing.

I stopped at Builders Warehouse to find a fastener for my bathroom mirror that is no longer part of the sink cabinet. No luck, but I love that place. I can’t leave without at least one healthy houseplant and one marked down plant that gives Charlie Brown tree vibes. I also found two cool plants for outside. And a bird feeder. And birdseed.

Before continuing on, I wanted a cup of tea and a bite to eat, so I stopped at Mugg and Bean, a cute little chain Cafe at an outdoor strip mall. It was delicious and the waitress gave me a single rose to commemorate Valentine’s Day.

The pharmacy was next because thanks to my blood work discoveries, I require a good number of meds and supplements. As it turns out, I have ZERO hormones of any variety, be it estrogen, progesterone or testosterone. To say my doctor was shocked would not do her face justice! She couldn’t believe how energetic, fit and healthy I am. I can’t access my iron stores and it turns out my hypothroidism that I’ve had for almost 28 years is actually Hashimoto’s disease, an immune disorder. I got everything filled and picked up except psyllium and Brazil nuts, so the healing begins.

Before grocery shopping, stopped into my absolute favorite boutique (both grocery stores, the pharmacy and this boutique are in the same strip mall, this one close to my house). I love the two women who work there. They always remember the details of our last conversation and ask me follow up questions, which I find so impressive. I bought some whimsical animal prints for my walls and bride and groom zebra tiles that can be used as trivets or in a stand as art as a gift for a wedding I’m going to next month.

I love how aesthetically pleasing the cart return lanes are! I know I’m settled in when I’ve got loaded birdfeeders! The birds have not found it yet, but I know it’s just a matter of time.

Some of you have asked about my neighbor, Sue, as we have not had any adventures as of late. She has been having a rough couple weeks emotionally and has not had the energy to get together. I dropped these flowers at her front door and WhatsApp’d her to check outside when she was up to it. She was so thrilled with the gesture and her voice text sounded more like herself than I’ve heard recently.

My walk that night had a beautiful sky and some pretty flowers, as well as two kitties. The other did not sit nicely for a picture. I have to laugh at this potted tree in my backyard…

When I got home, I talked to MJ for a bit. As expected, she has transitioned beautifully into her new role.

I hung some of my new prints. On my way upstairs, a teeny tiny gecko went running down the hallway. I tracked him into the spare bathroom and grabbed some toilet paper to pick him up with. He skittered away behind the toilet, and I was left holding his squiggling, wiggling little tail. I never did catch him!