Tag: Holidailies

The One Who Lives

Today at the cardiology practice, the nurse and I discussed the thing that burns itself into every heart attack survivor’s mind: What are the chances of it happening again?

“Very low.”

Oh, “And you WILL get back to those big walks with your friends. Just be patient. You’ll do everything you did before.”

See, there is an ugly statistic that has had me on edge since it happened: 47% of women who have a heart attack die within 5 years (page e493 of the PDF)—nearly one in two. However, I suspected, and she confirmed, that the 47% are largely those who smoke and don’t quit, who don’t exercise, who need to lose weight but don’t (argh, stuck at 10 pounds, come on, just 12 more…), who don’t take their medications, who don’t eat right, etc., and also those who are considerably older than I am or have comorbidities like uncontrolled diabetes.

So I am relieved. I’ll always be mindful and careful, and it will always be something to consider in many things I do (i.e., choosing which foods, if any, I can have while out with friends), but I am ready to look at my heart attack as one step removed from a freak occurrence.

Here’s the tree in the lobby of the cardiology practice:

Purple Christmas

I’m feeling a little wiped out today, so here’s a Christmas tree from down the hill from me.

A Christmas tree

I love that the star is purple. That’s my favorite color.

One time, years ago, I went holiday shopping with a relative and we came upon some Christmas decorations and ornaments. They were purple and silver, and loving purple like I do. I picked up a set ornaments and my relative barked at me, “NO,” like I was a toddler in need of correction.

I looked at her and she said, “NO. Christmas isn’t purple. NO.”

I was in my 40s, long past the age of being told what to buy, yet I put the ornaments down because I didn’t want to hear her commentary. I thought I could just go back and get them later.

I didn’t though, and really, I should have. Who is anyone to tell anyone else what color their holiday decor should be? But I also knew that seeing those particular ornaments on my tree would have reminded me of her obnoxiousness, which would have defeated the purpose. I haven’t put up a tree in 10 years, but when I did, my ornaments were all secular and either belonged to my parents, were gifts from people I cherished, or were amassed over my travels, celebrations with friends, or other people, events, or things I wanted to remember. I didn’t want to remember her barking at me like that.

And yet here I am, 11 years later, being reminded of it. Well, this tree has a purple star, so Christmas can SO be purple. NYAHH!

Ode to Arlington

Tonight Holidailies asked me to describe why I love my neighborhood.

I live in the perfect spot as far as I’m concerned. Everything I need is nearby: parks, trails, grocery stores, drugstores, retail businesses, restaurants and night life, a public library, and several of my doctors, all within walking distance. It’s urban, but also has a lot of green space, including on the property where I live. The police and fire departments are top-notch, as are the schools, and there are two Metro stations nearby. I don’t even own a car.

The residents are pretty cool, too. They’ll leave an old TV out for someone to take, and the person who takes it will thank them.

A sign that says "Thank you for TV!" Signed "Neighbor."
I resisted the urge to read the writing inside.

But they won’t steal from local businesses.

Red chairs on the sidewalk in front of a restaurant.
These would be gone in 30 seconds flat in New York.

We have lots of Crows, too.

A Crow on top of street signs in front of an apartment building.
I love a good Crow silhouette.

Even the view from the ICU beds at the local hospital is lovely at sunrise.

Treetops and sunrise clouds through a window.
The most grateful moment of my life was seeing this from my bed–because I woke up and was alive to see it.

The only problem is that it’s impossible to buy around here unless you’re a bazillionaire.

A sign that says "New townhomes from $1.5 million."
That ain’t hay.

The rents are expensive, too, but between the green spaces, the public services, the things to do, the health care, and the general vibe of the place, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. After all, we’re consistently rated in the top five cities in the United States to live. This year, we’re number 2. I guess we’ll just have to try a smidge harder, heh.

Why do you love where you live? Or do you?