At the risk of seeming like a copycat, since Dawn at " Call Me Grandma Dawn" is retiring in less than a month, I've decided to give the idea of it at least a trial run.

I don't want to go on and on here about working conditions, or bore you with a continuing litany of associated aches and pains, but my recent try on the locked Alzheimer unit clarified a lot of things going on in my life.

Sitting here, searching for words to tell you what I struggle with, and have for too long a time, I see more of the bigger picture of it, and am more clear about what I've done to myself by working so hard for so long, and even more clear is that it's way past time I changed this.

I think back to last winter, when the driver's side door lock on my car somehow broke, and in correlating the mechanic's schedule, and mine, I had to crawl in and out of the car on the other side, and after a few weeks of that, wasn't surprised that new aches and pains especially in one leg had made their way into my life. For a while it seemed to be less of a problem, but never completely stopped. Because I'm so healthy, I don't pay much attention to things like this, unless they become extreme, and lately the hurting is much worse.

I've been doing some yard work, Weeding flower beds, and figuring out stuff that needs trimming, and thinning, and where to plant what. I was so eager and happy about planting a beautiful rose bush, but the digging the hole to plant it in, and all the other steps of it, and then puting tools and things away, bothered my leg a lot.

When I managed to get it all done, and got to the kitchen, to figure out supper, I had just turned some music on that had such a good beat, I couldn't resist a few whirls around the room all by myself, until I realized my leg wasn't cooperating with my mood. I was so upset that my leg was that much of a problem, I sadly turned the music off.

My daughters, Barb, and Bev will be happy that a few weeks ago I made a check-up appointment, to meet with whoever will be my new doctor. That's the earliest I can get checked out. So, even though I look longingly at rose bushes and other beautiful plants, I won't be dealing with any of them, except my killer tomato ones that have soaked up lots of rays in the sun room. I'm sure a son will help me set them out.

The waiting for appointments, and a few weeks of physical therapy after, if this unruly leg needs a new brake pad, will give me about a two month much needed break. I've read in Proverbs or somewhere, that he who tries to be his own physician has a fool for a doctor.

Millions of people in the world have problems much worse than I've ever known. But when I can't dig a hole in the ground to plant a rosebush or dance to the beat in the kitchen if I please, or get through the airport for boarding, and claiming luggage, and maybe changing planes at O'Hare, to visit Bev, then we must solve this problem that I started to say, is interfering with living. On the other hand, perhaps all of this is part of God's plan. How else would He slow me down long enough to show me where to plant more roses in my life, or to dance.