Hip Story CONTINUTED...

I'm still here.  Been a tad ill this week.  Last week The Hubby got a nasty head cold with a horrible cough.  Don't worry, he was tested and it wasn't Covid.  Wasn't too worried anyway because we are both vaccinated and boostered.  Yes I know we can still get it but it would not be as severe, but he was tested.  I thought, THOUGHT, I was bullet proof but think again.  Friday I walked by his fire of burning leaves at the cabin and got a lung full of nasty smoke and almost immediately my throat was irritated.  I thought, yes, thought again, it was an allergic reaction but by Saturday morning I knew in my gut it was not.  He was sick an entire week and I showed no symptoms, at all.  So by Monday morning my throat was still sore and my voice was gone. Absolutely no fever for either of us, which was good news.  He actually went to the minor emergency the last Monday and got a cough syrup and antibiotic.  Now nearly two weeks later and he is still coughing. He's better but this thing is very slow to shrug off.  I was so bummed, first because I haven't been sick in two or three years and second, Monday morning I was to have my first visit with yet another hip doctor, a new one.  I had found a female doctor and was excited to go and get this show on the road!  Well, I had to call and reschedule for tomorrow (Wednesday) because they did not want me in there being sick.  Still have not much of a voice.  I thought by Wednesday I would be better, NOT!  I don't feel bad, not at all, just sound horrible.  I would not be able to mask (LOL) my illness.  When I called to reschedule I was informed she was pregnant and this was her last week and then off till the first of December.  Hmmm, well, okay.  Today, as I was contemplating rescheduling yet again tomorrows appointment my phone rang.  It was her office.  She is having her baby tomorrow!!!!!  So December 6th I reschedule.  Yes I could go to one of the other doctors, the one who wanted me to lose 20 pounds but I really wanted to have a female doctor.  So I'm totally okay with this decision.  I'm still having a hard time getting around a bit but maybe I should take this time to lose more weight!!!  It is what it is and I'm good with that.  Soon hip, real soon now.

Still painting.  This is my latest.

"Season's Changing"

16x20 

oil on linen panel

 

Moving Forward

Lots on my mind lately, weight loss, pain, family, possible surgery, retirement...

Yesterday was my baby's birthday, #36!  Somehow I do NOT feel that old but guess what, I AM!  I am 65 years old now and on MEDICARE!  Who let that time machine continue on and make me old.  In my heart I am still in my 30's at least but my body is certainly betraying me.  Last night I hurt, absolutely hurt.  My leg, not necessarily my hip but my leg hurt.  I think it has to do with the sciatic nerve and because my leg is shorter than the other one the muscles don't work as well and they are atrophying.  I honestly was in tears last night because it hurt all the way down my leg through my knee and just above the ankle, where I broke it at age 11.  Wondering if that nerve is caught there or something.  I finally got up and took a couple of Aleve and was able to dose back off until the alarm went off at 5.  Miserable, absolutely miserable last night and today is a bit rough because it even hurts to walk a bit and I have a lot to do because I'm having company tonight.  I have got to clean my kitchen and make some pie.  ARGHHHHHhh! 

This little recipe I developed after reading a few other recipes.  

(Oh, and the scale has been up because of TOO MUCH birthday celebrations but as of today it is back down to a loss of 16.8 pounds!!!)

Chicken Curry Salad (single serving)

Boneless/skinless Chicken breast

1/2 tsp (or more) Curry powder

1 tsp olive oil

Salt & pepper

Celery stalk, chopped

20 seedless grapes, halved

1 Tbls toasted pecan pieces or halves

1 Tbls mayonnaise

Preheat oven 350°. Rub oil over chicken and season with salt, pepper, and curry powder to taste. Roast 25-30 minutes till meat thermometer registers 165° internal temperature. When done let it set to cool a bit and chop celery and halve grapes. Toast pecans in 350° oven about 3-5 minutes. When chicken cools chop and add to bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Adjust seasonings to taste. Enjoy.

On to other things on my mind and it does relate to my age again.  I've been entering all these art competitions and shows trying to get in and all I'm doing is wasting my time and losing a lot of money because all I am getting in return are RED "X'S".  Turned down over and over again and it starts taking a hold on my mental health.  Then I begin to think I am going to quit this merry-go-round of entering and just give it up.  I watch a lot of artists do it, they paint, get in the shows, ship the paintings off and sometimes attend the shows but honestly, because of how my physical body is working I am not inclined to participate in that stuff anymore.  I really don't want to give up that desire but I am not seeing light at the end of this dark art tunnel.  I have tried and tried to no avail.  Don't you want to be accepted with your peers?  I certainly do, my art peers, but the constant denials are slapping me in the face and I'm too tired and in too much pain to deal with it right now.  Have I waited to late in life?  I'm afraid I have and that is such a sad thought for me.  I look at my art studio, which is a mess right now and don't see a point in continuing it all.  I'm just creating a lot of paintings that are gathering dust because I can't seem to sell much either and since the pandemic shows have stopped, local stuff.  If there are some I am just too sore and exhausted to try to schlep my stuff to the show.  It takes a lot of energy that I just don't have anymore.  I don't trust myself to be able to walk, let alone carry paintings to a show.  It's all I can do to get groceries inside the house.  

Plus we are still working, not me so much, but I am going into the office when needed and the job I do is needed.  I do invoicing, payroll, deposit checks, accounting...I am needed there and we are so close to being able to end it.  I don't have time to have hip surgery yet.  I need my hip done, my knee and I think my shoulder and none of it am I looking forward too, but it all may become a necessity, especially after last nights painfest!  The Hubby has set the end of the year for the closing our business doors, one way or another.  We find a buyer or we just close it down.  Originally it was June 1 of THIS YEAR, but obviously that didn't happen.  

Update(s)

This lady, oh my dear sweet mother-in-law, she has been through it and her life as she knew it will never go back at this point.  She has no function on her left side although The Hubby said her left leg was moving a bit and that might be encouraging.  She hasn't opened her eyes but is responsive and tries to answer questions.  Yesterday they put in a feeding tube and the tech told The Hubby he hated to do that to a 93 year old but she is so much with us.  He told The Hubby to punch him after he was done and that is exactly what he did...of course not hard but it took a bit humor to deal with all that is going on.  The three boys, her boys are splitting their time staying with her.  They don't want her to be alone and I think that is very admirable and loving.  She has always been their rock growing up, there for them through thick and thin and it is appropriate that they are there for her during this time.

This photo was taken last year or so I believe.  This is how I want to remember her as a strong vibrant special woman.  It's hard to believe she was having such a good time with the family she loves so fiercely and the next she was down.  Kept me awake most of the night last night.  Not sure why it's bothering me so but it's probably because we lost Daddy not so very long ago.  

Another update on me and this blasted hip.  I went to yet another hip doctor on Monday and he pretty much told me the same thing, I'm FAT, but, he was much nicer than the last guy.  He said that I needed to lose 20 pounds in the next 2 months and then we will be able to proceed.  The other guy just walked out of the room with no hope at all.  So Monday afternoon I found this diet book that The Hubby and I did a few years ago with success called The 100 by Jorge Cruise.  It counts sugar calories not food calories.  I had forgotten a lot of it but decided to do the menu plan that is pretty restrictive at first to kick the fat body in gear.  I ordered stuff from Fresh Market right then and it was delivered in 2 hours ready to start up yesterday.  The Hubby is on board to eat ANYTHING I put in front of him, will do anything to help me.  I am grateful for this from him.  I know I'm in trouble health wise and it is so needed, not just for my hip.  I even have been getting on my stationary bike and leaning back like a recumbent bike and that seems to work.  I will, I MUST do this in order to get my life back.  I think this at the crisis point in my life and I need to wake up and deal with it and not keep my head in the sand.

 

Boy, That Was A Rant

Well, the last post was certainly a rant wasn't it.  Honestly, I'm feeling much better just getting that out of my head.  Yesterday I went to my second visit to the podiatrist and I so love this guy.  He verified that my left leg is 3cm shorter than the right leg and actually showed me the x-ray's.  No doctor so far has done that.  He put a lift in my show the last time I was there and this time increased it a bit more.  I now need to find some better shoes that fit higher on my ankle so that I don't turn my ankle.  I HATE shoe shopping and I honestly hate shoes, being barefoot most of my younger days, but that is all a thing of the past.  I can hardly be in the shower barefoot because of the discrepancy in my stance.  It's incredibly hard on my back and my balance is wonky.  He also verified that I indeed need to get my hip replaced sooner than later because it could collapse.  So my main objective this next month is to sign up for Medicare and find another doctor that is willing to do the hip replacement, even though I am scared to death to do it.  I just need to have a better quality of life.  He also said I need to have the knee done too and that my case is a special one because of my right knee and left hip discrepancy.  It may be a bit more and I will probably end up shorter in the long run.  RATS!  The good news is that I'm actually down 2 pounds since the last time I saw him!!!  And my blood pressure is back to normal.  For some reason when I saw him 2 weeks ago it was pretty high and it has not done that in several years.  Kind of scared me a bit.  So, I have got a lot to focus on and get ready to possibly have parts replaced.  

Thanks for reading (listening) my friends as I continue this life journey.  Just being able to dump here helps me carry on with my life in my constant journey to find the happy that sometimes hides from me.  A little bit of spring this week, seeing buds on trees and the trees looking a bit fuzzy with a tad of green is helping.  Although today is yucky, gloomy, extremely windy and has the feel of winter I will ignore that and have my massage today, read a bit and just relax.  I thought about going to the studio but I've been there for several days now and I need to let my project dry a bit.  Definitely a day at home.  

 

Not What I Thought This Would Be

 Good Friday Morning!

This will be  ramble as it has been awhile since I have shared.  Just going to spill....WAIT........


OH MY GOSH....It is 7:09 a.m. and I am sitting at my office desk.  I started writing this post at home and The Hubby came into my sanctuary room to let me know that "he forgot" to tell me last night that one of our guys needed panel schedules for a job that had an inspection today.  Our guy, Ben, is leaving the office to get to the jobsite by 7 each morning!!!!!  That means I HAD to be at the office and typing before 7.  Thanks a lot The Hubby.  So I rushed into the bedroom, threw clothes on, tossed hair into a ponytail, or Snicklefritz calls it,  a "Pony-Pony", wash face, brush teeth and flew out the door.  I also had an 8 am appointment with the yard people (it got rescheduled at 7:30 this morning) and then to the grocery store before I get Snicklefritz for the weekend.  I did NOT want to drag her through the store with me.  I'm having some hip-hip-flexor issues that make walking almost impossible sometimes.  The thought of just walking through the store makes me wince.  I am TERRIFIED that it's my hip and a hip replacement is what I'm might be looking at.  Vowed to not have that done after all that Daddy has gone through.

I started water aerobics last week and not sure if they are helping or hindering right now because of the hip...we'll see.

I have been at least painting up a storm lately.  One of my "fans" sent me this picture of her bird wall, the paintings I have painted, she has purchased....WOW!  How very exciting to see my art hanging and being loved.

Been working on these little jewels this week...

What's cool is that the cars have spurred an old friend to contact me to commission a car photo for her husband!  SCORE!

"Robbie's Ride" 9x12 oil on canvas panel

"Three Stooges"  11x14 oil on canvas 

SOLD

"Rob's Work Truck 1976" 9x12 oil on canvas panel