Cat ‘escaped’ last night

My black and white cat is very good at hiding. He’s not allowed out because he’s having treatment for his eye. It does mean that I have to let the other two out carefully. We are keeping the door between the kitchen and backdoor closed. Except when hubby forgets. Last night he was going to bed. I asked him to check the cat was upstairs. He shouted down he wasn’t (he’s got a couple of good hiding places). So hubby went out in the rain to see if he could see the cat. I stood and called at the back door. Hubby came back, no sign. But the cat usually comes when I call. I promised to whistle and shout for him every hour or so to see if he would come back. But all that happened was the other two cats popped in and out. After hours of not sleeping, but going to the back door regularly and calling and rattling food… At five thirty am he CAME DOWNSTAIRS! ate some cat food and fell asleep on top of the settee and I could finally rest!

Moving less

Steps… The last few days I’ve kept my phone with me and measured how far I walked throughout the day. Over the week since I pulled my calf muscle I have stumbled and ambled about and managed to walk around five thousand steps a day… Not today. I’ve had more pain in my leg and I was so tired I fell asleep for the first time properly in a week. I didn’t fully wale up fully at about 1pm today.

Being injured is a bit like house arrest. No images to take photos of. No sunsets, if I hadn’t been doodling I would not have any art to show. I’ve got things to do but I can’t. I was going to go to a portrait workshop today but I didn’t dare risk it. There is a problem with petrol supplies and it’s affecting all transport so I might not have been able to get a taxi.

So, life continues to be painful but hopefully things will get better soon. X

I’m still aching

When you pull a muscle don’t expect it to heal overnight. You can expect discomfort for several days or a few weeks. You start doing things, then, ouch, you over stretch or twist or lift your foot or knee up a little too quickly and that band of pain clamps on your leg again.

Don’t expect to sleep well. If you can’t get upstairs you could be limited to sleeping in an armchair or on a settee or sofa. My cats are most disgruntled that I’m sleeping in their warm spot.

Don’t expect to be able to do the shopping. If a friend helps that’s a godsend. If your partner does it, we’ll don’t expect what’s on the list. As long as he’s happy…. In any case it will be all over soon. My patience has been stretched to a twanging, tight rope, ready to snap!

Walking like a crab

Still sore😢 after pulling a muscle in my calf. I can’t climb steps so I slept in an armchair. I found it easier to walk sideways like a crab! When I overstretch it really hurts so I’m shuffling like an old lady!

Does anyone know how long this will hurt for? I have so much to do. It is extremely frustrating! I keep having to stretch my leg a bit to stop me seizing up but then it hurts again. I’m really tired.

Staying up too late

Been staying up to late to watch the Olympics. I went to bed about 4am, but woke up at about 8amso I’m shattered. What was I watching? The semifinals of the mens 10 meter diving. I could have got up at 7am to watch the final, but I was still asleep. I’m just glad they are only on every four (or five) years. Considering it almost didn’t go ahead, I think the Japanese have done a marvellous job as hosts. I just hope people stay safe an the covid levels reduce. The Paralympics are about to start. I wish all the competitors a great games.

Not enough heart points

Walking in the almost 30°C heat, in full sunshine is uncomfortable and tiring. I’m not used to those temperatures here in the UK. We are basically lucky to get a few days of tepid sunshine in the summer and it generally heats up more in August.

So anyway, I have a small challenge with myself to do 5000 steps a day or hopefully more, and to get up to 20 heart points by walking faster than usual. But by the time we had walked round the lake I’d done around 4000 steps and 8 heart points, but I guess the heat slowed me down.

Tell me not to obsess about exercise, but I can’t help it, I wasn’t doing any really two years ago….

In the canal

On our five mile walk today, saw this young bullock paddling in the canal! It proves how shallow it is. The temperature was up around 28°C and it was lucky that most of the walk was shaded by trees and hedges. We stopped off at the plume of feathers pub where we had booked a table and had a bite to eat. I was more interested in a cold drink.

I’m shattered but I really enjoyed it. I’m just a bit sunburnt now!

Tired

Just a black and white sketch of a face which I then did a small edit on through the photodirector app.

Yes I am a bit tired. But this is more about trying to draw emotions without a reference image. I can see a lot of mistakes, particularly where I’ve mirrored the image. The nose does not sit right, the shading is wrong. But I like using cross hatching. I like thin pens. I don’t think its too bad.