that is pretty incredible that you went back to work so fast....but I find that being out of stuff to do and knowing that work is out there I would rather be at work too....

Good for you on saving even on disability income...tough to do but doable....hugs bill

Good for you! That is wonderful that you are strong enough to go back to work even if its part-time. You continue to set examples for us all. It not only takes physical strength to go back to work, but mental and spiritual strength as well to make that choice. It would have been easy for you to continue to receive your disability pay a little longer and it takes courage to make the decision to go back when you are not 100% back to your normal capacity, Yet it was the right thing to do.
Congratulations again. Take care.
Toty

It was a good week and like you mentioned Toty, it is helping my spirituality to return.

I'm not a "clean freak" but I was never embarrassed or uncomfortable to have someone visit me in my apartment. The last six weeks, with hospital stays and general weakness, everything kind of went to pot.

This weekend, the laundry was done, the kitchen cleaned and the bed made. Just having a clean apartment has also brought new life to me.

Also caught up on all my financial papers. I used to do this daily, but again everything kind off stopped. All caught up, all bills current, medical files crossed checked and agree with my numbers. A very productive weekend.

One new thing I'm working on is my diet as far as it pertains to my Coumadin (Warfarin) levels. To work properly, a daily intake of Vitamin K is needed. Most green veggies are loaded with it, so I'm changing my grocery lists to fit into this new diet. Fresh veggies are a bit to expensive for me, but frozen packages aare affordable and quite tasty...

getting back to normal seems to be good idea...me I am going outside the box....I clean by meager measures...but I started a group here about helping with the housework to help me...see I got here after a group of squalor peeps with a website got too offended that I am male and have my own issues with cleaning....these ladies decided that I should be put on probation so I left their group and googled support groups and found DS....

Anyway today I worked on the fact that my bug man no showed on thursday....he had me remove everything from kitchen cabinets so he could spray for the german cockroaches I have on my counters lately....well cabinets needed cleaning....and I decided to use a can of raid Ant and Roach I found under the sink yesterday....so today I took the drawers and cleaned them removed some old paper lining from one and two shelves that had similar lining on them...then I put this cool rubberized webby shelf liner from Contact in to the drawers...had to cut to size...the silverware drawer has compartments...the other just had to cut to size from roll 14inX5feet....I got both drawers done and one shelf with removable shelving piece....there were three more of those and two longer shelves between two side cabinets and three bottom shelves one long and two smaller....so I stopped and bought two more rolls of the liner tonight....soon as that is in tomorrow I will run the dishes that I put into dishwasher just to reclean them as they were clean when they went in but some had some dust from lack of being used....then those go back on shelves with nice new rubbery webby coverings on them....which will keep them from touching the surfaces of wood....

That is so outside the box for me....but since the cabinets are clear since Wed night I have the opportunity and the efforts will make me feel better....

PS I do not make my bed like you suggested because most of my day is spent in bed with tv on or computer on chest...but today I put the clean sheets on the bed and new pillow cases on pillows....makes me feel good to do that every so often....I have dark color sheets....they don't get muddy footprints as clearly defined as white or light colors....

hugs good you are getting back to the housekeeping and business as normal!

There is something really special and very relaxing in a made bed. After a day of work, to walk into my apartment and to look into the bedroom and see the sun shining in and seeing a made bed, with a stuffed teddy bear in the middle just makes me relaxed and very much at home.

For me, the bedroom is for relaxing... nothing else. No TV in the bedroom, no laptop... nothing like that The only thing I do in bed besides sleeping is reading. These habits have made the bedroom a place of rest. Put my head on a pillow and I'm asleep in five minutes.

If I was going to use the bedroom as my main part of life, I would sell my couch, sell my computer table and tower and move into a studio apartment... that would be all I need.

Right now though I'll stay with a bedroom... it is my sanctuary

I am so very proud of you Bill! You have discovered the "do it yourself and save strategy". My parents really drilled that concept in me since I can remember. It is wonderful for the finances and the self esteem just grows. There is something about being able to accomplish a task and see the results that just makes me feel so good.

Messenger, I have to agree with you. The bedroom for me is for resting and I just can't leave the house without the bed made. In fact my husband has been spoiled that way, since I have made the bed daily for the entire length of our marriage (so far) 32 years. Now, if I happen to be out of town, he has to make the bed, he says that the entire house feels strange when the bed is not made.
You going back to work has inspired me to go back and accept a service job. I take a crochet/knitting class at the senior center that is close to my house. I had discovered a site Online that has over 500 knitting stitches, with you-tubes and written patterns for each stitch. I wanted to share that with the other ladies that are in my class. The room next to our classroom is a computer lab with 15 computers, I asked if I could use it for a few minutes since there was no one in the lab. The center manager, said yes, and I asked my lady friends that if anyone wanted to see the site to come with me to the lab. A few did, and I showed them how to use the Online feature. Shortly after that, a few more ladies joined. Once we had done that we went back to our classroom. As I was leaving at the end of my class, the center manager approached me and asked if i were willing to teach a computer class two days a week. I must admit that I panicked because even though that is what I taught at the high school level, I have been retired almost six years. The center manager said that he could not find anyone to come and teach for only a couple of hours a week and that I would be doing them a great service. I told him, I would think about it and get back to him.
After reading your post, I realized that God was talking to me through you. I will accept the offer tomorrow. Thank you for sharing your courage with us. It has helped me face my fear.
God bless you.
Toty

Thanks Toty,

When people ask me how a 12 Step program works, I first mention ESH... then the "how" comes in - Honesty, Openness, and Willingness.

The willingness, to me is the key. It makes all of us teachers as well as students.

As a teacher, I'm grateful to share my experience. As a student, humility shows me that I haven't learned it all. As a teacher, I'm still a student... and as a student I can also be a teacher...

Best of luck with your new job... I'm sure you'll do great...

cool toty to take on more duties...make some new people feel helped on how to use computers....

Messenger, thank you again for your words of wisdom. They are powerful.

Thank you and Bill for your words of faith and encouragement. I truly appreciate them.

Toty