Tag Archives: chiropractor

The Hana Chronicles: Month 7, Day 30

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Community, Education, Family, impediments, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

August 20, 2026- Hana spoke clearly-“Papa, you can do this.”, as I struggled with the safety straps on her newly-installed car seat, this morning. In the end, I needed some reminders from Aram, over the phone, but she was right, I did a thing-I got her safely strapped in and off we went to my chiropractor’s office for my semi-monthly adjustment. Hana was along for the ride, and was quiet, while I was adjusted and afterward, while I paid the tab. I got her safely strapped in for the ride home and the rest of the day was quiet.

My granddaughter is going through a growth spurt, both physically and mentally. She is nearly 30″ tall and almost 19 pounds. Her vocalizations are ever more understandable. She can project her voice quite well-and not just when she is upset. She also likes to get into mischief, and so has had some clear boundaries drawn, which she is slowly accepting without a whole lot of fuss. “No playing with food, or eating utensils” is my mantra at lunch and dinner.

HANA’S NOTE- I thought it was funny to open my mouth and let food fall out. Papa didn’t think so, and it was put right back on my spoon and back into my mouth. Oh, well, at least he plays around with me in the playpen.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-2003 I had a steady job for the 2002-03 Academic Year-as an elementary school counselor for a small group of Special Needs students. It was only for a year, but it gave me a chance to do what I do best, professionally.

That was about the only thing that approached normality in this most jarring of years. In late April, Penny felt faint, while waiting for a Memorial Service to start, in a treeless cemetery, in east Phoenix. She fell backwards and her head hit a cinder block. She said she felt fine afterwards, but we got her checked at an ER for good measure. Not much out of the ordinary showed on the brain scan.

Two weeks later, as she was prepping for an unrelated procedure, she again lost her balance and fell into a bathtub, hitting her head against the wall tiles. This triggered a long-dormant neurological disease. Gradually, she went from walking more slowly on her own, to needing a cane, By October, she needed to use a walker.

We moved out of Sierra Pines, in early September, having purchased a nice, cozy one-story house, in a fairly quiet neighbourhood, in midtown Phoenix, on the near west side. Moving was accomplished over Labor Day weekend. By then, I had secured a job as a mathematics teacher, at a middle school, three blocks north of the house. I could walk to work. Penny still worked at El Mirage, but had moved into a Special Education position. Aram was a sophomore at Cortez, despite having moved out of its attendance area.

My choice of jobs was another bad move. Though I got along with most of the students, and both of my female co-teachers, relations with the Team Lead and with the administrators were not good. Their thinly-veiled disdain for my disabled wife made things that much worse.

One bright spot, though, was a 75th birthday celebration for my mother, who had never had a celebration in her honour, alone, in all my years, anyway.. Most of her surviving siblings were there, along with a few of my Dad’s siblings and the oldest of her grandchildren. We spent the next day in Boston, taking in some of her favourite sites, riding around on a “jump on and off” bus. We ended the weekend with a large gathering in her backyard, with all the grandchildren present. Family can be healing.

Solstice Notes

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, distraction issues, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal goals, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 21, 2023- The woman I briefly encountered, yesterday, insisted that solstice was another form of equinox-and that there were four days per year, in which the amount of light was equal to that of darkness. Unable to convince her otherwise, I went about my other business. I hope she figures it out by December.

For the rest of us, Solstice was a day of fair celebration. Atop Solstice Mesa, many were gathered, with three barbecue parties going on, when I reached the top carrying my drum. I quietly tapped on old Bear, while gazing at the sunset.

Of course, the conversation among the group members was about the bear which mauled and killed a man, south of town, last Friday. I had met the gentleman once,about two years ago, whilst helping his neighbours, who have since moved into town. This was not the case of a rabid animal, and it appeared to have been otherwise healthy-just somehow deranged. Witnesses say the man was minding his own business and the bear caught him from behind.

Another conversation took place earlier, on the topic of intentional communities. These have been cropping up, all over the country, somewhat in reaction to the proliferation of housing units owned by Private Equity firms, which have no compunction about pricing housing out of reach of a good many people-singles and families alike. Intentional communities exist in Arizona. I know one small IC, whose residents were once friends of mine, but have seemingly closed themselves off from many of us. There are larger ICs, with one of the most famous being in the far northeast corner of Washington State. They have some similarity to the communes of the ’60s and ’70s, but there is a structure and purpose to their operation, thus the “Intentional” part of the name. See http://www.ic.org.

My chiropractor has found that spine and musculature are in vastly improved condition. He credits my activity-and the lost weight. I know how to maintain both now, so the check-ups will be every six weeks, rather than monthly. A set of medical lab tests, tomorrow, will hopefully offer further affirmation.

We now all await the monsoon season-with the forecast calling for two more weeks of dry heat, followed by a build-up of humidity and moisture, starting July 5. That is quite standard. I will be around, at any rate.

Opening Back Up

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Posted by on in Community, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

May 6. 2020-

I asked my friend, who owns a small natural foods cafe, how she was going to go about re-opening her dine-in area, after the go-ahead bell is rung, next Monday.  She will go with patio service only, for the time-being-as the ambiance of the establishment is “tarry awhile” and indoor tarrying would bother her sensibilities.

There will be several “return to normal” efforts, over the next few weeks.  I am likely to get a haircut, next Monday.  My monthly check-up at the chiropractor went on today, as scheduled.  Turning right, into his parking lot, off the main artery between Prescott and Prescott Valley earned me a tirade from the guy behind me, who doesn’t like the idea that there are turn-offs, along his route home.  Some things aren’t going to change, COVID or not.  In a couple of weeks, I will head down to Phoenix, for my four-month dental check-up and cleaning.

Several Zoom calls will last the rest of the month. June will bring a different set of expectations, but we’ll cross that bridge, when we get there.  The gradual lifting of the curtain will be enough and may feel like a century has passed, by the time Memorial Day weekend arrives.  I want to see people remain healthy, to the extent possible.  God knows, we’ve already lost enough people, these past three months.

I have felt closer to the night sky, during this period of upside-down, whilst still getting up at 6 a.m., as the joy of morning is still very much in place.  That short mid-day cat nap makes all the difference.

Flautist

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Inspiration, Social, Spiritual

March 25, 2018, Burntwater, AZ-

Kevin Locke is an accomplished flautist, a master of the flute.  He is also one of the Great Plains people who popularized the Hoop Dance, a Native American traditional dance which illustrates the oneness of Creation.  A complete, properly executed, Hoop Dance will produce a sphere, representing the Earth.  Kevin demonstrated this, in an afternoon presentation, after having taught several of us how to make and use a flute.

(Presently, I am unable to access my photo stock, due to a problem with File Explorer.  Please bear with me on this.)

Getting back to the flute:  There is a base, of either hardwood or plastic.   Six sound holes, and one air hole, are drilled into top of the flute base. A couple of sound pieces are fitted together, then placed inside the base, using a light dowel.  Then, an arrow-shaped fitting is tied to the top of the base, near the air hole.

Playing the flute requires a fair amount of dactyl dexterity (co-ordinated fingers), which is a challenge for someone like me, but I will practice a bit, as a means to produce a calming sound.  It will be a good stress reliever.

Finally, getting back to the Hoop Dance, Kevin invited several people to join in the dance.  I sat it out,as my right shoulder is being treated by a chiropractor, and I want to get this matter finished, before subjecting my faithful friend of 67 years to any more difficulty than necessary.  The recovery is coming along nicely, by the way.

We ended the afternoon with a Friendship Dance, in which everyone begins holding hands in a circle, then winds their way around in a spiral, eventually shaking hands with every other person in the circle.

It was a long day, and a long drive back to Prescott, but well-worth the visit with an old friend.