One of my Instagram followers said it best, “You’ve been Mondaying hard this week.” Based on the snippets I’ve shared on Stories, I can see why it would look that way. Sunday afternoon I dropped my palette paint-side-down on the floor. Less than an hour later, I put a hoodie in the wash (because I got paint on it) and thought it was heavy because the sleeves I had already cleaned were wet. I learned about 15 minutes later that it was heavy because my iPhone was in the pocket. Miraculously, it still worked. I put it in front of a fan for a few hours and it’s been fine. So far, anyway.
Then, Tuesday night, I kept waking up because my left foot hurt. I couldn’t get it in a comfortable position and finally got out of bed around 5:00 to see if I could stretch it out. I couldn’t put weight on it. (FYI, this is my left foot, not the one I broke a couple of years ago.) The strange thing is I walked the day before and it was completely fine when I went to bed. I hadn’t twisted it or stepped on it wrong or anything. Anyway, after hobbling around and icing it for a bit without improvement, Jeff took me to the ER to have it checked out. They did an x-ray and bloodwork and weren’t able to determine exactly what was going on. Nothing is broken, it’s not gout, and it’s in the wrong spot for plantar fasciitis. There’s no bruising, discoloration, or indication of a bite. There was an indication of inflammation in my bloodwork, but nothing concerning. So, they are treating it like a sprain. It’s just the strangest thing! I had some swelling last night and is still swollen today, but I can put more weight on it so I’m getting around a bit better. It seems to be improving, so I’m expecting it to resolve and just be one of those silly things.
It does seem like a string of mishaps, but it’s actually been a great week despite the comedy of errors. I’m enjoying the Christmas season, decorating the house, and my work. I’m thankful for all of it.
what I’m reading
I grabbed a book off my stack when I knew I would be waiting at an appointment. I had the chance to read The Writer’s Garden and it’s excellent.
It highlights writers and the homes and gardens that were their havens and, in many cases, inspiration for their most famous works. It’s a mix of history, garden tours, and literature, so it hits a lot of areas of interest for me. It’s interesting how often gardening goes hand-in-hand with creative work.
what I’m watching
Jeff and I love documentaries if you haven’t noticed! We like well-told compelling stories and this new series by National Geographic is definitely that. It tells the story of the 2004 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. It’s shocking, sad, and difficult to watch at times, but this series also showcases acts of heroism, miraculous stories of survival, and how ordinary people remember the most tragic natural disaster in modern history.
what I’m loving
Some years, wrapping presents is drudgery and I don’t particularly enjoy it. I’ll keep putting it off and then there is an overwhelming amount to do. This year, I decided to wrap a few presents each day and stay on top of it and I’m enjoying it so much more. I’m putting ribbons on each package and handwritten cards. I know my guys think ribbons are a little annoying to get into, but I’m enjoying the process as well as how they look.
what I’m working on
I planned on painting more this year and having more original art sales, but I think I only had one sale this entire year! I do have some paintings ready to sell, but I never made a push to paint daily and put together a nice collection. So, I’ve been working on painting or drawing most days this month. Some days I just do an underpainting or a quick study and other days I work on commissions or pieces for my next sale.
I never know what creative work is going to capture most of my time, but I’m working on dedicating regular time to fine art.
19 Responses
Your foot made me think. Dear, have you bruised your hands lately with blue spots when you hold something tightly? If not, no problem, if so, you need to go back to your doctor. He/she knows what I am talking about. It is very impractical to hobble around with a sprained foot. Wild nights, eh? XD I love that you picked up painting again. Your paintings are so ‘koselig’.
No, there aren’t any other issues. It seems to be isolated to the ankle. It’s doing better today, so I’m hopeful it will resolve quickly.
What do you charge for an animal portrait? Thank you!
What a sweet bunny painting! You really are so talented. I think your dog paintings are my favorite. I enjoy the soft color palette of your gift wrapping. I have never been much of a traditional red/green holiday person. Happy and warm holiday wishes to you and your family.
Hi Marian! Just a thought, I had a similar issue that ended up being a tendon issue with my foot. Required 5 wks immobilized, then an insert and special New Balance sneakers I swear by. Pursue a visit with a good foot doctor!
The foot issue reminds me of my friend who took a medication which can definitely cause tendon issues. She has been suffering with the after effects for about 20 years.
She took a prescription for Cipro, which caused a fluoroquinolone toxicity syndrome. It effects the tendons in the feet, and memory loss . You can search #fluoroquinolonetoxicity for more details.
SO sorry about your foot. That documentary sounds amazing – how did you stream it? Glad you are making a point to do more paintings. You are so talented, and that is a great thing to do. Boat pics , one day I will own a MP original. I keep hoping, anyway. Do take care. Saying prayers for you.
Interesting they pulled out gout. Did they do a urinalysis?
I ask because I went five years(??!) and through three podiatrist before it was confirmed with that simple test.
I had random flair-ups, swelling, pain that lasted 3-4 days and I eat no animal products…often considered a primary cause.
One doctor sent me to physical therapy, one had my foot in a boot for months. I had xrays and even an MRI. I finally convinced the the doctor with photos I had taken over time and research I had done. That simple test confirmed my suspensions.
One additional hurdle is the standard range of uric acid results used by different doctors/Healthcare systems can be rigid. My personal practitioner said I was in the “acceptable” range. The new podiatrist disagreed and suggested a test with a standard medication. Within a short period she was proved correct.
That was three years ago and with monitoring and maintenance I have never had an incident since.
I hope whatever your situation that you are able to identify the source and get a successful resolution sooner that me! Lol!
Happy holidays!
They did a blood test to look for infection, gout, and any other possible underlying causes for the sudden pain. They tested my uric acid levels and those were normal.
I was sitting at my desk and suddenly my ankle started to hurt. I got up and walked around thinking maybe it needed to work out a bit. That didn’t help and it started swelling. I couldn’t see any signs of a bite of any kind. It kept swelling so I went to urgent care because I was concerned about maybe a blood clot. They really weren’t sure what was going on. After many questions asked, they sent me to the emergency room to rule out a clot. By this time, I could barely walk on it. They did an ultrasound on my leg. There wasn’t anything there. They sent me home. By the time I got home, the pain had eased up quite a bit but the swelling was still there. By bedtime the swelling was gone down and the ankle was quit tender but that was all. The next day the tenderness subsided.
Crazy! Sometimes things just can’t be explained
I love your blog by the way. I have been reading it for years.
I, too, have been Mondaying hard this week without knowing what to call it. Thanks to you and your follower for giving me a name for my string of mishaps! Here’s to a better weekend and week ahead!
Marian, I would just like to wish you and your family a very blessed Christmas holiday. Every day there you are on my instagram and it makes my day. Thank you for all you do. God Bless, Leoma
I love your new rabbit painting. I hope you put it on society 6. It would make a cute companion to your other rabbits. Feel better !
Marian –
Wishing you a speedy recovery. I wanted you to know that your upbeat attitude and positive outlook despite those setbacks is so refreshing and admired. Your work here on the blog is terrific but I think it’s your sweet personality that sets you apart. Hope you take some time to relax this holiday season. Merry Christmas!
I watched the first episode last night of Tsunami. What a tragedy! Thank you for the recommendation.
Same thing with my left ankle. Comes and goes. I think it’s Arthritis. Love, Love, Love your Bunny painting. So sweet!!!
I think the fact that your foot got better speaks volumes. If it keeps healing then likely it was something you moved and pulled in your sleep or something and since all tests were negative there is nothing to worry about. A happy holy Advent to you and your family!
I had a similar issue with sudden, unexplained foot pain some years ago, and my doctor determined it was sesamoiditis an inflammation of the sesamoid bones in my foot. This was after Urgent Care said it was gout without doing any bloodwork. I don’t know if that is your issue, but wanted to mention it just in case. Hope you’re feeling better soon.
Happy to hear that you are doing better.
Just wondering if you have ever painted a small donkey?