I had an important dentist appointment today, made back in January when we didn’t know yet that our world was changing. The appointment was to check my teeth alignment after fifteen months of Invisalign. I would have been fitted, if I understood correctly, for a retainer (worn 21+ hours daily). After that retainer, the next move would be to one worn only at night (probably for the rest of my life.
Instead, of course, my appointment was cancelled several weeks ago, and I will continue to wear the current shapers beyond their normal two weeks until the dental office opens again. Hardly a significant hardship when measured against my sister’s disappointment (dismay, anguish) at having her ostomy reversal cancelled as elective surgery (this at the end of a horrible year of surgery, chemo, radiation, setbacks, and two close encounters with near-death). Nor significant when I think of commenters here who recently received worrisome, even alarming, test results but cannot schedule the necessary diagnostic work or recommended surgery until after our health care systems reset.
Even less significant against the fears or losses of those whose loved ones are ill with or have died from this virus.
Still. . .
This is my blog, and this is what’s on my mind today, so I will tell you that after well over a year of wearing Invisalign, often very uncomfortable and inconvenient and sometimes embarrassing, I was really looking forward to moving one step closer to enjoying my newly straightened teeth without their current plastic covering. Especially since that plastic covering will not be replaced at the normal two-week interval. Instead, I anticipate that no matter how much I brush it and soak it in vinegar, it will be rather grungy by the time I finally have the appointment. I’m over it, but I felt it first. . . .
So . . . Pink blossoms to the rescue. . .
Taken on recent neighbourhood walks — I’m grateful we’re still allowed those, now recognized for the luxury they are. . .
And a small twig loaded with cherry blossoms, delivered to me by the Seven when she and her younger brother stopped by the other afternoon so that I could repair his handknit doll (he loves it TOO much! ;-). . . she assured me she found the twig already broken off and on the ground. . . . These visits at the curb outside our building are delightful but require discipline. “Oh Nana, I really want to give you a hug!” (I know, sweetie, I know. Me too. )
And I put the twig in the tiny white Coalport bud vase my mother gave me on a birthday so many, many years ago. So many. . .
And I finally sketched on proper watercolour paper again, in a mini Stillman & Birn sketchbook. I’m going to try for a little sketch each day until This is over. . . .
Oh, and since we’re speaking of flowers, might we check in on the Mason Bees? I posted a few photos and videos on Instagram the other day of a newly hatched bee moving out of the tube that had sheltered its cocoon all winter. One of those spirit-lifting tiny moments — I think you should watch it (especially the part when the new little bee grooms its antenna for the first time).
And before I go, more pink . . . .This is the photograph I should have sent to Sue (High Heels in the Wilderness) so that she could have included it in her delightful account of the International Gatheringshe hosted at Ottawa’s Chateau Laurier on the weekend. Perhaps you were there? Yes, yes, it was imaginary (which, in my opinion, is even better than virtual — Zoom has nothing on the power of the imagination to collect us to each other), but Sue describes it with such panache, such zest, that you will be able to picture yourself in that sumptuous setting, dressed up to visit with a lively group of engaging women.
My outfit is one I wore to walk my neighbourhood recently, needing to dress in something other than the daily jeans. The hoodie is not warm enough for Ottawa’s Spring (which, let’s be honest, won’t arrive for weeks and weeks), but it’s a twin to one Sue wore in a post last year, and I thought it would be fun to show up in it (plus Sue was wielding a magic wand to arrange the gathering, and I thought it might extend to erase practical considerations such as weather).
So there you go. If you ask me how I am, I guess I can say I’m “in the pink.” (You’ll probably have to repeat your question though — one of my hearing aids isn’t working and that office is only taking appointments for Essential Services. This Bionic Woman needs to get back to the factory š
And how are you today?
xo,
f
(i just can’t resist. Thinking about pink, I’ve tickled a silly childhood verse awake from the memory bank, and it wants to be shared. It’s one of those rhymes used to count playmates in or out of games, to decide who is “It” in tag. I’ll have to ask my grandkids if they use those anymore, and if they do, what rhymes do they recite. This one obviously dates back decades. . .
Pink, pink, a bottle of ink,
The top fell off and You Stink! (by the word “Stink,” of course, the “counting” finger would be pointing at the hapless child who was now “It”
If you can remember a counting-out rhyme from your childhood, feel free to share in the comments.
Totally in the pink mater…
BTW and a wee bit off topic but Your hair is looking so beautiful in that photo.
I feel sorry for those who have had elective surgeries cancelled it is a huge sacrifice…and your dental appointment too. Hopefully it won't be too long before you can reschedule.
You are very brave to do the Invisalign procedure. I was all set to go after retirement but I needed to have my jaw broken to correct the overbite. I was almost there but it seemed too extreme. My teeth are my least favourite part. There are so many really sad stories about medical procedures that are postponed. I have been doing a few sketches of birds and flowers. Time passes.
Did you do:
Engine, engine #9
going down the Chicago line
If the train goes off the track
Do you want your money back?
Counting in a circle: No, spells No and you are not it.
It's a symphony in pink blog post. How very springlike. Your outfit is perfect for this time of year.
So many people's operations are called "elective," but in reality are serious and necessary. It must be so worrying. The waiting for the Invisalign retainer is difficult as well.
I remember an old skipping rhyme that included the lines below:
"My boyfriend's name is Patty; he comes from Cincinatti: with a pickle on his nose and 48 toes and that's the way my story goes…" Brenda
Hostess: Thank you so much for the compliment about my hair! I'm enjoying the wildness of the curl right now — but I had an appointment for the 17th, obviously cancelled now, and I'm not sure how unruly the coiffure will be in the coming weeks (months? I hope not!)
Mme: Pretty sure I wouldn't have gone ahead if my plan had required a jaw-breaking surgery. Yikes!
And I'd forgotten that rhyme, but yes! We used that — funny we retained the American geographic reference. Wonder if there's a historical event it referred to. . .
Brenda: Now I'm thinking of your pink M&S coat, cruelly returned to the online shop by Customs? or Canada Post? The one that got away. . .
I'd never heard that skipping rhyme — it's great! Like something Dennis Lee might have written for Garbage Delight (except that he would have situated the boyfriend somewhere in Canada. . . what city could rhyme with "Patty"?
You DO look in the pink, and your hair DOES look marvelous, Frances. I remember that "engine, engine" rhyme. I love skipping songs and counting rhymes. Some of them are a trifle violent, little warmongers that we were as children. Ha.
Thanks for the link and the very kind words. xo
Sorry you are missing out on your dental appointment at a crucial step. It is good to recognize that the pain of others does not mitigate your personal disappointment. While we know others are in perhaps more difficult circumstances, this particular situation is one you are living with so it is healthy for you to acknowledge your dismay at the delay.
On a much lighter note–Joining others in saying you look mahhh-va-lous in pink and your hair is looking great. Long hair is a saving grace these days–just ask your short-haired readers whose haircuts are past their sell-by date.
The pink is heartening at this time of year, and never moreso than just now. Life as we know it is on hold. I can't imagine how the health system will ever catch up.
Your hair looks wonderful. I tried growing my curly hair but it started getting really annoyed with it so I cut it myself a few days ago. The hardest part was the back as I live alone there was no one around I could ask. I am fairly happy with it, a hairdresser would probably be horrified because I just cut bits with a small pair of scissors until it was the right length. I did have an idea and a photo of what I wanted before I started. I now have short, neat curly hair instead of a shoulder length mix of curl and frizz. When we are able to go to the hairdressers again I will get a proper cut but until then I will trim it myself. Maryann
That cancelled dental appointment would rank as very disappointing in anyone's book, so I understand how you must have felt. True, it's insignificant in the wider scheme of medical treatment, as you say. Makes us realise how fortunate we normally are to have things moving along on schedule. I would love to have my teeth straightened but I fear it would be too long a process and above all too expensive, so I'll just have to be a traditional wonky-toothed Brit for the rest of my life!
I love it that Spring has sprung in your wardrobe!
āApples, peaches, pears and plums,
Tell me when your birthday comes,
January, February, March….ā
Or
āTinker, tailor, soldier, sailor,
Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief,
Doctor, Lawyer, Indian chief!ā
Those cancelled appointments and delayed repairs are beginning to plle up, some trivial, some not. I read the "how we are going to re-open" plans avidly but it is certainly not going to burst forth like a magnolia. I too am drawn to pink and other optimistic colours like azure and marigold, who cares if they are not "my colours"?
"Hi, hi puddin' pie
Tell me which way you will fly
North South East West
She's the pretty girl who likes me best!"
We had a nun who made us add:
"Educated, educated, 1-2-3
I got an A, look at me!"
I can relate to the cancelled dental appointment. I am in the midst of getting implants, had the surgery back in October but because mistakes in getting the right size for them and having to send things back it was not completed. Then my dentist closed her practice. So here I am months later and no completion in sight. but this is a small matter. my Daughter had a suspicious mammogram over a month ago and her biopsy is scheduled for next week. she is being very upbeat and I don't make much of it when I talk to her but I am so frightened. I have not told anyone as I know she would not want me to but I figure she does not read your blog. I am about to venture out for food, first time in two weeks and cannot believe how anxious I am. I always read you blog and know that you inspire me. Darby
I had forgotten about my pink M & S coat that never arrived! Perhaps there will be a pink coat in my future. Right now I am trying to keep the side up by dressing from my closet and taking the time to put together comfortable but somewhat stylish outfits. It makes me happy and it makes my husband happy.I am also winnowing some clothes that I will never wear again. Brenda
I am definitely feeling the pink. I was just thinking the other day that for the first time in my life I feel better in pink than in blue. What hs happened!
Your photos are beautiful. Just what I needed right now. Thank you.
I empathize with your sister. My husband went through that about 10 years ago due to a burst colon. He was so happy when he was reconnected. I can't imagine your sister ready for the procedure and just waiting. My heart goes out to her.
Actually, here in New Jersey the Patty, Cincinnati rhyme was used here as a clapping rhyme and the Engine Engine number 9 and the tinker tailor soldier sailor rhymes were used in jump rope. Engine number 9 was yes no while you jumped till you missed. Tinker, tailor, etc was to find out who you will marry when you missed. Fun childhood memories.
Sue Burpee: There is definitely a dark side to many of those "innocent" childhood rhymes!
Mary: Thank you!
Lorrie: So many systems that will be hard pressed to "catch up." But perhaps the powers that be will be more cognizant in future of the dangers of cutting and cutting and cutting. . . .
Maryann: Brava on the short, neat, curly hair!
Linda B: I spent most of a lifetime resisting what I saw as "upselling' that appealed to a vanity I didn't have. . . even though we had "a plan" that would have paid a portion. . . But these last few years I have had some very clear indications broken teeth, collapsed old fillings, new cavities, gum problems, etc. that the straightening would make a big difference to dental health. . . If I get a better smile out of it, that will be a bonus š
Susan: Great, thank you! I know the second, but I've never heard that first one before
Duchesse: I imagine it will take some time before we begin to trust enough to be within that metre, risking infection. . . . That's a great rhyme — I do like that the old nun was trying to emphasize something that mattered for girls besides being pretty. I try to complement any compliments I give my g'daughters (and their moms before them) on their looks with references to other traits.
Darby: I'm sorry about the delay in your implant which might be small in the overall context but which is manifest right there in your mouth! Worrying about your daughter but not able to talk about it with anyone — that's even harder. I'll be thinking of you and of her, wishing for the best.
Brenda: It really stuck in my mind, both the coat and its high-handed return . . . I'll admit I've spent a few days in pjs or sweats, but I'm trying to up the game a bit, even if it's only for the two of us here.
Lisa: You're welcome š
KPD: Yes, I think it's a particularly hard condition to adjust to and the hope for re-attachment such a fervent one to have dashed. The rhymes are fun, aren't they? Ah, childhood, so far back now . . .
Love the watercolor sketch, and LOVE the small vase. I am drawn to small vases, but hardly ever remember to get them down and fill them. There's a Hawthorn tree outside our kitchen window (where my work from home office is now located) and it's still loaded with the dark red berries, which the birds and squirrels are steadily consuming, and now some green leaves opening up. Soon it will be covered by gorgeous white-with-a-tinge-of-pink flowers!
We all need La Vie en Rose…..
It suits you lovely (pink!) and your hair is so beautiful
Sorry about the dentist….
I'm sunbathing on the Riviera aka my balcony – without flowers this year,only little pines from the winter scenery…..
Dottoressa
It totally sucks that you couldn't get your braces off!! I've not worn braces (straight teeth are the amazing bodily thing I came with) but M's teeth were a MESS in so many ways. She wore a retainer at the age of 5 for 3 years before they could install braces! And if we'd told her she'd have to wait to have her braces removed, she would have LOST her mind. We're all allowed to grieve the zillions of ways in which our lives are being limited. But just think of how awesome it is, at this point, to be an introvert. I have NO issues staying home š
Just have to comment on how fab your hair looks! And Iām considering Invisalign (in my early 50s) but obviously something I have to put off … I think itās the accumulation of the small things that is difficult; not seeing people we love, not having our usual routines, not being able to go anywhere, not being able to execute plans … Lots of cooking, lots of knitting, lots of yoga whenever Iām not working – and I remind myself that I should feel grateful to be working full-time from home, given how many have lost their jobs.
Oh, I am so sorry that your invisalign upgrade was postponed. Those things do get grungy, no matter what you do. I did it a few years back, but did not finish ā we moved and Georgeās health was so precarious that it took precedence. I didnāt finish, couldnāt rtransfer mid procedure to my new location, and couldnāt leave long enough to go back for updates. I have considered starting over, but so far the thought makes me slump into myself more deeply than the idea of straightened teeth lifts my spirits. I too worry about friends with postponed procedures, not all of that all that āelectiveā.
Pink sounds good to me now. And I adore your unruly hair.
Adele: Oh hawthornes! I had a big old tree just behind the house at our old place. . . right next to the beach. The birds loved it, and so did I. Thanks for reminding me.
Dottoressa: At that Riviera you will also have your books and coffee close by š
K: You're so right! This introvert finally has an excuse!
Tiffany: Thanks re the hair! Although that was last week. There's a length at which gravity renders those curls limp yet does not very much about the frizzies, and my hair appointment to correct that problem was going to have been Friday. . . Time to practice my headscarf-tying!
Mardel: I didn't realize you'd started Invisalign and then had to let it go. That would have been tough, except that the context didn't give you time to think about it. I can absolutely see why you wouldn't be keen to start up again though. It's such a commitment.