I'm back - but slowing down and walking more!

Summer break is over, health matters are in hand and moving and I'm about to resume blogging again - and I'm very nearly 70!

Study of bodily proportions by Albrecht Durer
British Library Treasures Exhibition

I've made a lot of progress with my health issues which were causing concern....

• I've had my hips x-rayed and endless blood tests
• I've had my pre-treatment chat with the physio and start early October
• Plus I've also got an appointment in early October to see the Orthopeadic people at the Surgery Centre about the hip - and then we'll work out whether it's going to shoulder replacement and then hip replacement or hip and then shoulder. (The shoulder replacement got 'bumped' in 2020 when I chose to do the ankle fusion first!)
• plus a couple of lengthy chats with my GP about the results of various tests and we're getting other issues sorted as well
• and I'm on new medication!

So steady progress and fewer worries on the health front. (see I need to take a break - before my hip does!)

I'm also very, very committed to my long walk every day - as it's the only time I feel normal (as per NICE recommendations for those with osteoarthritis).This might sound very odd for somebody with severe osteoarthritis. However, exercise helps enormously with both functionality and mobility and keeps my musculature etc in good nick for the next time I'll be relearning how to walk. No matter how much your skeleton falls apart, the bits that actually keep you walking are the tendons and ligaments!

I'm now averaging over 6,000 steps a day - which can take a long time depending on the route I take and what I stop to see en route

Average steps from my daily walk

One day this week my walk comprised walking 

• from the David Hockney Auction Exhibition at Phillips in Berkeley Square (the auction was held yesterday) 
• down to the Green and Stone Gallery on the Fulham Road in Chelsea for a PV for the Amicus Botanicus Exhibition (which is on until Saturday) 
• through Mayfair, Hyde Park, along and through Knightsbridge and into Chelsea.

The key thing is to keep finding places to walk to with interesting things to look at!

However I'm still as STIFF as a board in the evening and extremely unsteady on my feet after about 8pm - which continues to be very worrying. I'm thinking about installing grab rails at key points....

So, in terms of going forward....

• #1 priority is getting health matters sorted - so I can continue to enjoy life. 
• #2 priority is a steady unrelenting focus on keeping mobile - to keep me safe and avoid becoming even more decrepit
• #3 priority is I'm 70 next month - and I've decided I'm going to become more choosy as to how I spend my time
• #4 priority is writing about art - but more selectively.  Some posts might become more picture oriented which can be quicker to do.... I'll certainly still be writing about
• annual exhibitions of national art societies
• major art competitions - including those on television!
• #5 priority - is to mine what I've written in the past and make it available one way or another. This blog heas nearly 20 years of archives!! I'm thinking about 
• resurrecting past posts via Facebook - as I've been doing recently (and maybe Instagram) and 
• maybe writing ebooks - based on past projects and talks.
• maybe doing more Zoom talks.

How about you - how are you prioritising matters as your life progresses?