Chimneys in the Sun

At the moment I live in a world of pain.
I hobble and limp around as though I were a lady of more advanced years than my already advanced years.

The cause, since you are so kind as to ask, is a bad bout of plantar fasciitis which has plagued me for several months now, and which I ascribe to carrying heavy boxes of books from car to Dower House when we moved in September.

This affliction seems to be running wild in the family at the moment with one daughter similarly limping and another newly recovered.

I've read the internet instructions about stretching calves etc, I've taken the ibuprofen, I've sold some family silver to invest in a set of orthotics and I'm still hobbling.

Never before have I been similarly disabled despite many years of marathon running and walking and so you can imagine what a cruel blow it's been to the image I like to portray of being a lady of youthful activity.
All I need now is a stick and the picture will be complete.

The limping daughter who is after all an orthopod and should perhaps have cures at her finger tips, assures me that the condition is self limiting, probable duration about 5 years, maybe less, and that if I'm absolutely desperate, I could get a steroid injection which might or might not work, but to which she is unwilling to succumb knowing as she does, too much about the needle handlers.

Well five years is a finite amount of time which may not amount to much in the life of someone of lesser years but five years to me may be the rest of my life. ( OK, daughters 1-5, I jest....... hopefully!)

Rest is the answer, I'm sure, but there is of course no rest for the wicked in this busy life and so there is nothing for it but to get back on my bike now that the roads seem to be safely free of snow and ice and cycle absolutely everywhere.
Yes that's the answer.