In like a lion, out like a lamb, right? Let’s hope so because two blizzards in two weeks are two too many! I mean, you expect snow in Maine in March, but it looks like February out there. ‘Course we shouldn’t complain because February looked like March.
Our snowstorm of a couple weeks ago dumped a foot or so of wet snow on Mahoosuc Mills, leaving the trees and power lines coated with heavy, white stuff. Not great for the power lines, but gosh, it’s was pretty darn beautiful the next morning.
Along with the second blizzard, my flu, which I thought was behind me, decided to reassert itself and set up a party in my lungs and nose. Bugger! I had to go to the doctor and make sure it wasn’t nothing bad like bronchitis or pneumonia. But it was the flu doing what it does. The doctor says it can linger for about a month, thank you very much!
Fingers crossed, I’m finally feeling like I’m on the mend, and am experiencing that thrill of realizing how good I feel normally. After going through my cancer treatment, I’m even more appreciative of my health, something I think I was taking for granted before. 
Even more exciting, I seem to be experiencing no side effects from the Arimidex, which is part of my cancer treatment. It’s an estrogen-suppressing drug I have to take for at least five years, and it works as an insurance policy in terms of reoccurrence of breast cancer. I figure one little pill a day sounds like a pretty good deal considering the alternative.
One of the side effects is that it may affect my bone density, but luckily I’m “firmly planted,” as my cousin Mikey says. My bone density has always been good, mostly because I’ve been doing weight-bearing exercise for most of my life: working at the A&P, walking the dog, carrying around an extra twenty pounds. So, I have the osteoporosis thing covered.
My niece Caitlin, who works down to Mahoosuc Health Food, has been doing research on cancer and says I need to reduce inflammation and I should cut out sugar. “You can’t be serious!” I replied. “It doesn’t make sense to me to give up something that makes me so happy, and I think being happy is an important part of staying healthy.”
“I hear you,” she says.
“I’ll hedge my bets, though. What are some other things I can do to tackle the inflammation thing.”
“Well, you could add in some supplements.”
“You mean like pills.”
“Yup.”
“I like that: easy and low impact. What do you recommend?”
“Let’s do some fish oil and turmeric.”
“Don’t know what turmeric is, but I’m all in.”
Well, I’m going to squeeze in a little weight-bearing exercise with my personal trainer, Scamp, before I head off to work. Since the last blizzard we’ve been experiencing some warm weather. When I say “warm weather” I mean warm for Mahoosuc Mills this time of year, so that would be high 30’s or low 40’s. All in all, it’s been a pretty mild winter. And I’m hoping March will be a lamb and bah bye-bye. I have a bunch of performances next week, and I’m itching to get back out there.
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
IDA’S PODCAST: Merry Month of March
Upcoming Performances and Book Events Winter/Spring 2018
March 27: A Visit With Ida, South Berwick Public Library 7:00pm, South Berwick, ME
March 29: A Visit With Ida, Gardiner Adult Education, 6:00pm, Gardiner, ME
March 30 & 31: I Married an Alien!, The Footlights Theatre, 7:30pm, Falmouth, ME
Upcoming Performances
April 10: Book Reading, Goodall Memorial Library, 6:30pm, Sanford, ME
Check out my full schedule here.