March Review (Month 3 of Quests)

March 2016 Questing Report

Quests Completed

Quest # 23: Knee
Went to get my first consultation with a physical therapist. His report was that, although there may be some wearing down of the meniscus, the main thing that will help me right now is to strengthen certain muscles in the hip and along the leg. I've been doing the exercises that he prescribed, and I am on the mend!

Quests-in-Progress

Quest # 1: Biographies

March is Women History Month, and I was slated to read Bachelor Girl by Betsy Israel. HOWEVER, the library didn't have it in their stacks, nor did they have my second choice. So, I read a compilation of stories about 52 women scientists who have been incredibly influential in their fields and, the world, really. I was alternately excited and horribly frustrated - these women with their discoveries and various contributions were incredible! But... they rarely got much credit for their work. In fact, it was disturbingly common that the men they had to collaborate with at the end (to get their work published, recognized, and implemented, since often at that time in history, a woman just. couldn't.) ... those men are the ones whose names are on those procedures, vaccines, and discoveries. grr! White patriarchal society and its oppression of the masses....

Quest # 2: Finances

I've gotten into a good pattern for my bill paying. Next month I'm likely to go onto commission though, so that pattern may get disrupted.

Quest # 3: Tithing
Bit of a ... reserved month:
Time: Again, nada...
Money: My tithing went to my cousin and her mission trip to Haiti this summer.

Quest # 11: Photography
My morning routine - refill the fluids in my (lovable and otherwise trustworthy) Toyota, "Sir Walter." -_^

    

Quest # 13: Garden

I've started my seedlings and cleared out some space in the back yard! But... I'm starting to change my mind about having a garden in the yard: I don't know if I'll have time to care for and enjoy it. So, I may just wait until the pine pollen is finished coating everything in yellow, and then I'll populate the back porch with herbs.

Quest # 15: House Work
Deck: replacing the boards on the back deck (as well as replacing the door to the screened porch).
Bathroom Remodel - Started! Should be completed early April
Other: new mailbox, replaced a screen on the porch, replaced the porch door.
(All of these projects have been with the help of my friend Tim, and our favorite contractor/handyman and his "crew": Rick and Ken)

Quest # 16: Job Work

Swamped with work. Getting faster (but sloppier?). I guess after a while of going at a break-neck speed, I'll eventually be able to train myself to actually do a decent job at my work at the same time. Starting in April, I will now be on commission - so hopefully I'll start making surplus money. It'd be nice to be "in the black" for a change. Looking forward to appraising an equestrian center soon! That'll be an exciting challenge.

Quest # 18: Exercise

I've been consistently going once a week.... but then try to do at least on active thing (like the house work) during the weekend. Work's been keeping me glued to my computer. Thank God for the stand-up desk.. 

Quest # 20: Meal Plan

Nope. Nope. Nope.

Quest # 24: Floss

Been steady on this, three times a week.

Quest # 26: Friends

My little had her baby!!!!! I was able to see them the day they had little Landon, and he was so precious, I teared up a bit.
I also got to see Sarah - who was down from Boston with her boyfriend - and a bunch of university friends I hadn't seen or talked with in YEARS! I was nervous at first (I'm so bad at keeping in touch, I was worried how that would go), but it was really fun catching up with everyone. I loved hearing about their life news, upcoming events, where they are working now and what they're doing with their lives... how they've changed and grown and how they've stayed the same.

Coming up next:

Quest # 1: Biographies

The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson. Time to learn a little something about gender fluidity.

Quest # 13: Garden
Time to create an herb garden!

Quest # 15: House Work - bathroom remodel.
The bathroom remodeling should be done within the first full week of April. I'm so excited! It's coming along so beautifully (but... I'm starting to get a little nervous: what if everything comes together finally and there's something I picked that I can't stand??).

Quest #26 : Friends
A reunion of expats and our good friend Hailey - the owner of the cafe/pub we all hung out at, and the friend who got us out of all kinds of trouble - are gathering in New York City for shenanigans.

and... continue with the above Quests-in-Progress!
 
KJets

#1: Biographies: Headstrong, 52 Women Who Changed Science - and the World by Rachel Swaby

Quests in Humanities

Headstrong, 52 Women Who Changed Science - and the World by Rachel Swaby

I didn't finish the whole book, but I did read through 19 of the 52.


It's a compilation of mini-biographies which are just as fascinating and exciting as they are frustrating - how many times have women been written over, or simply overlooked in history? Their names forgotten in the discovery or invention in favor of the man who discovered her? I'm glad to live today in this time. Although I'm sure this still happens today, I'm sure it happens a lot less than it used to. For that, I'm very thankful, and was able to simmer down.

This book is now on my list of books to buy. A great collection of inspirational women to remind myself of what I could be capable if I put my mind to it - and a supplement to the history and science textbooks if I have children of my own some day.

Here are some samples of the women I read about this month, in honor of Women's History Month:

Anna Wessels Williams (1863-1954) was a bacteriologist who helped develop the Park-Williams 8 (now known as "Park 8" due to the ease of saying something with fewer syllables) bacteria. This bacteria was the most important ingredient in making the diphtheria antitoxin producible on a mass scale - which then enabled the once nearly-epidemic disease to be brought under control. 

She was also the scientist who brought the rabies vaccine to the United States, and helped make the production of the vaccine a priority. She also did extensive studies on rabies - what it does to the body, how it behaves - as well as many other diseases and viruses. Below are the first and last pages of her chapter.

Helen Taussig (1898-1986) founded pediatric cardiology; helped develop the Blalock-Taussig Shunt technique, a heart surgery which saved the lives of many infants; helped the FDA discover and block medicines which cause birth defects; received the Presidential Medal of Freedom; and "amassed the most comprehensive catalog of congenital heart defects and their indicators ever compiled." All this with a sense of hearing which started failing at the age of 30. Below is the first page of her chapter:

Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) was instrumental in pioneering the field of entomology (the study of bugs, basically). At a time when most other scientist did not see the connection between caterpillar and butterfly, she diligently documented and drew each stage of the transformation process, metamorphosis. Below are the first and last pages of her chapter:

Jeanne Villepreux-Power (1794-1871) invented the aquarium! 

She needed a way to study marine life, so she designed a glass box which could hold her specimen in, alive, while she learned about their habits and lives. Below is her entire chapter.

Hope you enjoyed the readings!

KJets

#23 : Knee

Quests for Health and Fortitude

I am seeing a physical therapist now, and I am doing the exercises he says for me to do (they're so difficult!! My baby muscles are screaming, but I guess that's how they grow up to be strong...)

Here's a sample of what I did my first week:

Every week he adds more exercises to the routine. I have noticed muscles growing, and at the end of each session with him, I am able to do more of a squat without pain in my knee. So, that's encouraging.

My mom went to him before I did, and I agree with her: he's funny, personable, and super knowledgeable with a healthy appetite for continued learning. If you are in the Triangle area and need a physical trainer, I highly recommend Matt at Dunn Physical Therapy (down at the Apex location):

My goal is to get it strong enough that I can do a 5k race in May (which would be a Boss Battle for my Live Active quest). And then to continue to do my exercises and be strong enough to get back into bellydancing (which then, my goal would be to eventually get my certification to teach).

Saw a doctor about the knee, and I'm actually doing what he tells me to do: Quest #23 Complete!

I'm getting more excited the more I get finished! Oh, the possibilities!

KJets

#13 Gardening

Seedlings are coming along!

Here are my tomato plants:

This, if I remember correctly (I forgot to label!), is a pea plant:

It looks like maybe I'll be only raising a few food-plants this summer, and mostly focusing on an herb garden (which will be bought after the pine pollen abates). So, this is definitely something like an herbalism skill, not a cooking skill.

  

These are the only seeds that sprouted. The tomato seeds are organic, but the rest are the cheapest available at the grocery store. I thought that was a good idea, since I figured I wouldn't be able to grow them anyway... As fate would have it, because I chose such poor-quality seeds, they aren't growing. The organic seeds have a much higher rate of success. Lesson learned! -_^ 

KJets