As The Spine Turns

I'm tardy in updating my blog, and thank you to everyone who's asked me when I would finally be doing it. It's nice to know that I have a few who actually read this little thing. I hate excuses but for now must give one because a) it's true and b) it's all I have to give right now. 

I've taken a while off because of two very good reasons. The first one is, I volunteered to foster ten tiny baby kittens. Have you ever done that? It's a full-time job. Lots of bending and stooping, picking up as you go, cleaning, feeding, scooping the poop (and these blessed little puffballs of fur are pretty much eating-pooping machines!) and more bending and stooping.

Which leads me to the next segment of Today's Excuse. 

My spine. 

Or what is left of it, and what will become of it. Because of all the bending and stooping etc. I've been doing, it's wreaked havoc on my lower back - specifically my last two vertebrae in the lumbar region, which have a nasty subluxation in them and pinches off nerves to my left hip and leg. But this condition predates the kittens. A few months ago we came back from the movies, and suddenly, I was literally unable to move. Could not lift my foot to take a step. I became a breathing statue in my kitchen, and was afraid I'd have to sleep like a horse, standing upright, if Mark would not have been as patient as he was in getting me down the hallway and up the stairs to lie flat on our bed (while I cursed and hissed and hollered in agony every step of the way). It was so intense I flirted with thoughts of dying as quickly as possible. Not to be a drama queen, but seriously, the pain was so incredible, I knew I'd not be able to live like that, day in and day out. My heart goes out to people who do live like that.

It's gotten somewhat better, but still, can be intensely painful if I sit still or stand on hard ground too long, and in spite of weekly visits to my awesome chiropractor which have helped tremendously, I still have limited mobility and  find it difficult to sit for long periods of time. Or even 10 minutes at a stretch.  

As a result, my sculpting/painting has taken a bit of a back seat... for the moment.  

Smirky Witch nonetheless has been s-lo-w-l-y but surely coming along. I was able to dose myself with a mass of Ibuprofen and sit long enough to sculpt her shoes (a fine pair of pointy, buckled, bewitching boots) and even the beginnings of her costume, which shall, for now, be secret, until she's completed. Then you'll see why she's been smirking all along... the saucy old girl!

Till next time, keep a stiff upper lip... and spine.