Tiny Golden Daffodils

Heal me with a smile, darling pretty
Heal me with a smile and a heart of gold
Carry me awhile, my darling pretty
Heal my aching heart and soul
- Mark Knopfler, Darling Pretty


I mentioned in yesterday's posting that the tiniest yellow daffodils have come up in our yard. While they were part of my little "Tiny Snowmenz" photo shoot, they were not featured in the shot I selected to represent that day.

So I decided the little flowers deserved their own posting. Here they are, looking oh so springy and uplifting. I posed them against some pretty stationery and boosted the saturation to give them more zip. And look, there are their shadows, neatly lined up at their feet.

In other, less happy, news, I did something (not sure what) a few days ago that has caused excruciating pain in my lower left back. It started to hurt pretty impressively late Sunday. It's mostly fine when I stand or sit or lie down, and am completely still.

Transitioning from one to another of those positions, however, is rather mortifying. You should see me try to get up out of a chair; or pick up the cat. Bending over is difficult. So is putting on socks in the morning. I do not like it one bit!

I know there are people who live with constant pain, and I understand that it impacts their daily lives profoundly. I am not planning extra, fun things; I am merely trying to make it through, doing only what I must until it feels better.

No, alas, there'll be none of my customary leaping, crawling, or bounding for photos until this is done. I have become something lesser than my usual, bouncy self. I feel suddenly, surprisingly, quite old.

Experiencing such an episode for a few days has given me new empathy for those who suffer ongoing pain. When it is gone, I look forward to doing all those things I took for granted. Like standing up without grimacing. But for now, I'll glory in the tiny, simple pleasures: like itty-bitty, golden daffodils.

The soundtrack: Mark Knopfler, with Darling Pretty, whose lyrics appear above.