Life Update

Sunday, 7 weeks out from surgery I went to the grocery store. You might think, "So What!" But, since the Covid pandemic AND the hip pain I wasn't physically able to walk in the store. It has been over 3 years since I actually set foot in a grocery store. It was honestly scary because of ALL that has happened the past few years. I walked in and was thrilled to see fresh veggies I could touch and pick on my own. It was almost sensory overload to see all the stuff, all bright, shiny and fresh. I've relied on others for 3 years to pick my groceries and now I can do it all by myself. So exciting! I feel like my life can begin again. This was a huge step in my life.

I also drove to the cabin and was planning on staying by myself for the first time in probably 9 months. We have to go downstairs to the garage basement to turn on and off the water, hot water heater and a couple of breakers and I could not do that, BUT now I can! The Hubby ended up coming later that night because his dance plans were canceled. It was a nice weekend hanging with friends and reading. The weekend before the entire family came to the cabin. Both weekends were fabulous.

See the big black dog, that is Vance and his sidekick beside him is Vinnie.  This past weekend sweet crazy Vance had a terrible accident.  Friday afternoon Snicklefritz was at her friends for a sleepover and her daddy had driven to OKC for the night to play music with friends.  That left Bri alone with the dogs.  It was feeding time and Vance is absolutely crazy dog when it is food time.  He was outside and was running to the sliding glass door for dinner, jumping up and hitting the glass as usual but the glass in the door was very old and not safety glass.  

Luckily Bri was out of the splash of splintering and flying glass as was Vinnie and the cats.  But poor Vance was not.  His back leg was sliced very deep, cutting a large vein.  Bri said there was glass and blood everywhere, kitchen, down the hallway, it was a miracle she was not hit.  She called her hubby who in turn called their friend and ANGEL!  She called everyone else to come HELP!!! Vance is a huge and heavy dog.  The Angel showed up at her door very quickly with an armload of towels and helped her to get Vance in the back of his pickup truck with her holding him and they were off to the emergency vet.  Over $700 later he had surgery to stop the bleeding.

The Angel!

Sadly the stupid expensive emergency vet did not do what he was going to do during surgery, put in a drain.  So when they woke the next morning the bleeding was still happening and they had to load Vance in yet another car to go to THEIR regular vet and he had another surgery to put in the drain.  

This poor guy does not understand why he has to stay in his kennel for the next couple of weeks.  He's a wild and crazy guy and a puppy, yes he's a puppy, so this has been very trying.  

The Angel just so happens to be in the construction business, specifically windows!  So he was quick to be able to get the plywood to fix the door and is getting them prices for a very expensive thing that was not in their plans.  Who knew that these old houses had those plate glass doors like that but now I know and they know.  I told her she needs to contact their homeowners insurance and see if they will pay for it all.  

One another note I've been going through my music.  

I REALLY have a problem, I LOVE music, so I own tons of CD's. For years I've purchased CD's & taken the covers & CD's out of the cases to put in CD books. The attic had boxes full of the cases & I felt it time to reunite cases with CD's. I've spent countless hours sorting & searching to accomplish that task while healing. But now I've found that I have about 50 CD's & no cases & about 40 cases with no CD's. Think I might need to have "someone" visit the attic again. I've taken the music to my studio because that is where I listen to it while I paint. Think I need to purge some of the CD's because I can't figure out WHY in the world I bought some of them. I like every kind of music from classical to heavy metal. The only kind I DO NOT like is country. Occasionally I will hear a song I like but that doesn't happen often.

I've taken it all to the studio because that is where I listen to music. I'm also purging a ton of them, like Dixie Chicks. Why in the heck do I have 3 of their CD's. Yuck.

6 Weeks!

Tomorrow will be 6 weeks since surgery and I am pretty much back to normal.  Still doing out patient physical therapy that will end next week.  This morning I was able to get on my stationary bike here at home.  It is a recumbent bike and the PT girl wasn't sure but said to try it.  It is great!!!  Monday I will start doing about 30 minutes each day on it.  I am making a pledge...(hope I can keep it.)  

Last Friday it snowed YET AGAIN and I had to be in the office to make a big deposit.  So yet again The Hubby had to drive me there.  RATS!  Luckily it all melted by the next day.  It also messed up my/our plans, my siblings and I, for lunch.  We haven't seen each other since December and I miss them terribly.  This Friday we will try again and the weather will cooperate!  

Saturday the girls (all 4 of them!) came over and they cleaned out our entertainment center, reorganizing our photos.  It looks awesome.  Friday I also brought back home the mountains of recipes I had at the office that I had been scanning.  I decided I didn't like doing that.  I wanted to purge more of the piles of them.  I had originally had three large index card files FULL of them and more that had not even been put on cards.  I purged more and more and MORE until I am now down to one box!  It feels really great to be able to do that and not have any regrets.  I know that the ones I trashed I can find on the internet.  I did find a lot of the older ones like these that you probably can't find.  

ESPECIALLY the school cinnamon rolls and the bean chowder that used to be such a staple in school.  I posted them on Facebook and everyone went nuts for the recipes.  

I also have Momma's recipe box and Granny's and I believe at one time my mother-in-laws.  Those recipes that are very old, yellowed and well used or loved I have kept in the small wooden boxes that I will never purge.  I did label them for the girls to know who's kitchen they came from.  My plan is to also cook them just like the recipe states and then possibly revamp them at some point.  That is my plan...hmmm.  There were also a lot of handwritten ones in pencil that were mine at a very young age.  One time I followed my Greatgranny around the house with cards at the ready and pencil in hand while she rattled off the ingredients for the various recipes and I wrote furiously as she walked and talked.  I want to cook those too to see if they are accurate.  I remember one time when my great grandparents still had a wood stove in the kitchen and watching Greatgranny whip egg whites by hand and make an angel food cake and bake it in the wood burning stove.  AMAZING to see it all work.  They eventually got an electric stove but that wood stove was so very cool.  I love to cook, I'm a good cook and hopefully one day I will have a lot of these recipes in print form.  

Week 5

"Max" says GOOD MORNING!  

I finished this little guy on Monday for my aunt, a commission.  I really love painting dogs but DO NOT want to be known as a pet artist really.  It was a pleasure to do this for my favorite aunt!  

I'm still healing and tomorrow will mark 5 weeks since the surgery.  Time flies when you're having fun...lol.  Now if I can get the knee to feeling a bit better I would be good.  I'm still doing out patient PT and after tomorrow only 4 more (2 weeks) left of that.  Life seems like it is back to normal, pretty much and I'm so ready.  

I'm ready for spring, ready to purge more crap out of my house, ready for Easter with family, ready for SUMMER!!!

 

Every-Other-Friday-Payroll

Another Every-Other-Friday-Payroll and we found ourselves at the office early this morning.  Even though the employees haven't worked since Wednesday I still had to do payroll.  A couple did make it in this morning but went home because all we've got for work is outside.  But, by goodness, their paychecks were done.  I tried to talk The Hubby out of going in, saying it could wait till Monday but he didn't want to, so in the truck I found myself waiting and watching.  He has a huge box of salt so started there, letting it begin to melt, which amazingly enough worked very well.  I was enjoying the scenery, different from the four walls I've been looking at for the past three weeks.  The truck was warm and I had a heated seat, I was content.  

One of the employees gave a quick hand to smash and scrape away the ice until it was pretty dry very quick.  Payroll is done and I'm now at home waiting for the final in-home physical therapist to come.  Then I don't have anymore for a couple of weeks when I will go to the place for the therapy.  I sooooooooo hope that is very short-lived.  I'm getting around extremely well now but know there a few things I will have to be shown yet to progress the mobility of my body.  

Monday Morning Ramble

Good Monday morning all.  Yes still rehabbing from hip surgery but it's close to seeing the end of this ordeal.  Physical therapy was here bright and early this morning and she had me already sign that I would be released from PT on Friday!!!  That's exciting.  The Hubby seems to think I'm going to have a ton of outpatient PT but she said normally that happens on knees not hips!!! Wednesday, before all the ice that is supposed to be here, we go to my post-op where they will take out the stiches and I should be released to drive!!!  She said that the stiches are very ready to come out.  I looked at it today and the scar is really nice.  There are 14 stitches and they are quite pretty.  I'm moving around very nice and will probably continue to use the walker a bit more just for the stability, mainly because my stupid knee is giving me fits.  I was on arthritis meds during the first part of this and felt great but now that the prescription has run out for that my joints are hurting.  My knee, my elbows, my hands, my SHOULDER which I have to sleep on.  Can't wait to be able to sleep on the surgery side.  I'm hoping she will extend that prescription and if not I see my general doctor in a couple of weeks who may prescribe it.  I want to keep being able to move, move, move and it's difficult when the knee is screaming.  I'm not ready to have it replaced, yet.  

We were able to toddle off to the cabin on Friday, a welcome relief to different four walls.  I'm spending a lot of time here at home by myself and it's quite boring now.  I've read two books, started another, napped, watched a LOT of TV, binge watched the second season of Sweet Magnolia's and I'm need something else.  The cabin was nice.  Fire roaring, friends over for drinks on Friday afternoon, it was nice.  The weekend wasn't without a bit of drama though.  Saturday night we went to John & Lesa's for dinner, beer can burgers, yum!  While there one of the ladies, who is a sports FANATIC to the MAX was of course going on about OSU basketball, then while we were beginning to watch a movie she wanted to watch the Olympics instead.  Okay.  Then she said she was recording it (then why are we watching it) and that she would watch it later at home.  I popped off and said, "You're recording it to watch later?!"  She replied, "that all the talking we were doing she didn't want to miss any of it."  I verbally did an glach sound to which she said that wasn't very nice.  Sorry girl but you force me EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND to watch damn sports, whether it's football, basketball or whatever and now Olympics, no matter who's cabin we are at.  It just takes me back to being a child and my father only watching the crap and us not allowed to watch anything (one television in the house.)  I have hit the point of total resentment to her on this crap.  

Then the evening took another dark turn.  One of the other ladies wanted to have a discussion (mind you a bit of bubbly was on board for some) on a news story in the headlines.  She was just curious what we thought, posed a question about the Elizabeth Holmes-Theranos scandal.  She posed what/who does it benefit that she go to jail for 20 years - since the trial began she had a child that will never know it's parent for 20 years.  She was just curious and want some feedback from what she thought were intelligent women.  First mistake there.  The sports fanatic would not let her even get the question out, the story.  Every time she would start sports girl would interrupt and say guilty, send her to jail, or give a thumbs down, to the point that the questionier was then in tears and walked out the door.  Sports gal was so smug in her answer even though the question had not even really been asked, no discussion could be had.  It made the evening end on such a sour note.  The first time I met sports fanatic I thought she was so nice and sweet but over the years my opinion has certainly changed about her and definitely not in a good light.  So we will skip next weekend for The Hubby to dance and that will be okay with me.  I need a break from the STUPID drama.  

 

Day 14 - 2 Weeks of Recovery

Today is day 14 of this hip recovery.  Two weeks to the day and nearly same time of surgery and my life heading to the better.  Everyday is a new day and a realization of getting better and better.  I am moving around very easily now, with the walker and really would like to ditch but hey, it's only been two weeks.  The body heals in a timely fashion and I am willing to wait but dang it I want to just get on with life.  I'm pretty proud of my self, able to shower and dress myself, even my socks and shoes.  It feels good to be clean and dressed everyday.  There are still things like after the shower I have to have The Hubby dry off my legs because I can't get down there to do that.  In the first few days you know true love because I could not do ANYTHING on my own.  Example, the toilet thing.  You know true love when your other half can, does and willingly wipes your ass when you can barely twist your body in fear of dislocating said new hip.  He is johnny-on-the-spot to fill my water bottles, feed me, help me in the shower and that toilet thing.  Now I'm pretty much self-sufficient in most of that regard.  I've even been to the office twice now and that was one of my major fears is getting my work done, payroll, bills paid, etc.  I'm hoping that next week I will once again be in the kitchen cooking.  Our meal train thing ran out on Tuesday so last night was BBQ and I think tonight will be KFC, which I'm okay with that.  We still have some yummy spaghetti and meatballs for tomorrow nights meal and Saturday burgers at the cabin!!!  Yes I said cabin.  We are going to the cabin, physical therapy said it is okay, and enjoying beer can burgers at one of the cabins.  Luckily it has very flat entry.  The only thing is we do have steps to get into our cabin but once in it is basically flat and they were okay with it.  I've got this walk thing down really well.  My only issue is my right knee that I had arthroscopy on 10 years ago is really giving me some fits.  In fact a couple of times when I sit on the toilet, when I stand it locks in a bent position and has to pop out for me to stand and THAT IS PAINFUL!  Gosh, I do not want to have my knee replaced, yet.  The Hubby said maybe look into doing that in 6 months...uh....NO!!!  Not ready to go through this stuff again for awhile.  I want to have some normalcy for a bit first, enjoy the summer.  

Last week was a lot of company of which I so welcomed.  This week not so much and in fact I have been on my own a good part of the week.  He comes home for lunch and feeds me and sometimes stays a bit but it's been a bit lonely.  I really don't have much to do but read, journal, watch TV and may cat-nap a bit but I don't want to do that all day. 

Oh on Monday Af brought a friend over who is a hair stylist and I had my hair all cut off, not short short, just to the top of my shoulders.  My hair was driving me crazy with breaking off and falling out by the handfuls, hormones.  I love it and will probably keep it this length for a bit.  

Another biggy is sleeping in my OWN BED!  The thing is that I can't sleep on THAT side yet but I can sleep on the good side.  I tried it last week but was just too painful (no pain meds since day 5) so every night I sleep in my new Relax-the-Back chair.  We purchased it the week before surgery and it was delivered the day I came home from the hospital.  I do NOT know what I would have done without this chair.  Some cabin friends encouraged The Hubby, actually insisted we purchase a recliner of some kind for me to sleep, they knew I would need it.  It has been a game changer because when my food swells I can get it above my heart and it has a heated seat that is just yummy.  Nothing like a warm butt!  I've wanted to get back to my bed because I don't want to have the chair to become more of a favorite place to sleep.  Don't get me wrong I sleep quite well in this chair but I so miss my bed.  So night before last I was able to stay in bed for about 3 hours but not being able to switch from back to good side I had to get up and come to the chair.  Last night I decide I was going to do the side thing and I ended up with 4-1/2 hours in bed and figured out I could switch back and forth, back to side myself quite easily.  Yipee.  This will also come in handy because going to the cabin tomorrow I will not have access to the recliner but bed or couch only.  The couch thing I would have to step down in the middle of the night and I do not want to do that so I NEED to master this bed thing tonight.  I'm having a bit of trouble getting my mind to shut down to sleep in the bed because I am worrying too much and that is making it hard to sleep too.  It will all work out in time at some point.

Next Wednesday I go back to the doctor for post-op and will have stiches (14 of them) removed and will be released to DRIVE!  So very excited about that, not that I have many places to go, but it would be nice to be able to go to my studio again.  I brought supplies home with the idea that I would paint at home but I just have not wanted to get it all out and my mind was not in the place to be creative.  So I'll have The Hubby bring all that stuff back to the studio hopefully next week and I will yet again be painting.  

Day 10

It is now day 10 of hip healing and it is going very well.   It is amazing how every single day is better and better in this healing process.  I've had almost constant company so The Hubby could work from daughter #2 and her little Mini.  Yesterday daughter #1 and Snicklefritz came while he had to run to the cabin.  I'm good now spending time by myself but he is not too keen on my getting up to use the bathroom unless someone is here.  He's just cautious.  Friday evening he went briefly to a dance and I invited Snicklefritz to spend the night for company and just in case.  We chatted and visited, watched the Olympics and played several games of UNO. 

So far every task or goal the physical therapists set I far exceed and they have to step it up more and more.  I so want to ditch the walker soon and I know all in good time.  I've doing a lot of sponge baths because my doctor's protocol said NO SHOWERS!  But we did read that I could if they kept it under the waterproof thing after the aquaseal was removed.  Luckily on Friday the aquaseal was removed and a new kind of waterproof but on and until it left to air dry I can now shower.  I was okay with the sponge baths and we started washing my hair in the kitchen sink which was a huge help.  But...TODAY...I go to have an actual shower.  The Hubby got shower chair (our shower is ADA/wheelchair accessible) and we both got in and SCRUBBED!!!  Goodness that felt so good.

There have also been a steady flow of friends bringing food and some will stay and have a nice visit.  The Hubby's best friend and his wife brought food from one of our favorite restaurants and we all dined TOGETHER!  Having friends and family add the physical healing of my body to make me whole again.  Onward to week two of staying home then to a half week and hopefully cut loose to live the rest of my life without PAIN!  

Anniversary, Friends and of course...COVID!

Today is our 46th wedding anniversary.  We've been going to Flemings to have dinner and celebrate since 2016, tonight it's the same.  It was a really nice dinner of steak and wine and love.  Hard to believe it's been 46 years, really hard to believe.  

It was a nice weekend too spending time at the cabin with each other and a small select group of friends.  Saturday evening we had two couples over for HEAVY appetizers for dinner and homemade lemon cake (I did not make, Lesa did).  It was wonderful with the guys outside sitting by the new porch fireplace sharing cigars, drinks and lots of guy talk.  We three girls stayed inside around the fire chatting and having a nice evening.  

Also got news that the oldest granddaughter, Snicklefritz, has Covid.  I was so worried about her last night but she is already doing better.  She has been vaccinated, two shots and so far only fever the first day, still sore throat and sniffles but all in all she's doing well.  I will steer clear as I do NOT want to get sick this close to the surgery, February 3.

Thursday I did my pre-op and it went smoothly until the dang lab tech took blood and not in a good way.  She was young and babbling, somewhat scattered.  The first thing she said was that they didn't have the butterfly thingy's and that she would have to use a straight needle, bigger. Then she proceeded to poke and prod in the edge of my inner elbow area, not even in the middle, where there are obviously veins, large veins.  It hurt and when she could not get it in she decided to try the left arm.  I looked at my right arm she just beat up with the needle and told her it was going to bruise and from this photo I was truly right.  Before she started in on the other arm she hem-hawed around then went out to find another nurse, thank GOD.  The other lady came in and said oh I hide the butterflies and dug around and came up with one to use, thank goodness.  It went in perfectly and 6 different vials were filled.  I didn't notice the bruise until yesterday morning when I was getting into the shower.  OMG I was shocked.  It didn't hurt but it is quite ugly.  

Anyway it is done and I am ready to git-er-done!  The hip book I have to read kind of scares me and there is a lot to do.  There is a lot to do with this and work and home.  Time is ticking away...Here's to my new hip and and feeling better.  

10, 9, 8...The Countdown Is On

Are we ready yet.  Christmas is just a few days away and I think I'm ready.  Honestly it's all been pretty easy this year, mainly because I'm giving smaller presents, homemade presents and money.  I just couldn't go out and shop, but that's okay.  I did have my book club last week for dinner but there were only 4 of us.  I set my table and it looked so pretty.  Today I'm going to set it yet again for Christmas Day dinner.  Since Momma passed we've (my siblings and I) always gone to Daddy's to just have a quick brunch and just be with him.  Last year, by this time last year he was gone along with the house and we just didn't get together.  This year we three did have lunch last week.  We've tried to hang onto that once a month and we really enjoy that.  Just trying to hang onto sibling-hood.  I know my girls wanted to all of us to get together but with the pandemic and all we just can't really.  Besides we all were just together for Thanksgiving (without Bro this year.)  Maybe next year with a new hip and hopefully pandemic gone we will again be able to get together.  Anyway, this year it's my girls, their families and brother-in-law.  His hubby is headed to be with his father as his mother just passed.  I know how very hard that is.  It's also The Hubby's and his brothers first year without their mother.  So much loss this past year but we will get through it.  

The countdown is on for my new hip and I'm nervous, anxious and excited all at the same time.  I am so ready to not hurt every time I have to go to the bathroom, go to the front door, just movement in general.  As long as I sit I'm good, but that is just not healthy.  Hopefully I will be able to start walking again just in time for spring.  Looking forward to spring at this point.  The hip will be in and spring will be peaking.  It will be a good thing for recovery for me to see green and flowers, it rejuvenates me.  I also have a plan for summer at the cabin.  I'm hoping to maybe on Saturday's to have a painting class at the wigwam with anyone interested in painting, whether they are old hands at it or new and wanting to learn.  I am NOT a teacher but I can help anyone to begin.  I think it will be great fun.

"Cruella" 18x24 oil on linen 

Speaking of painting, I've just completed a commission.  A high school friend of The Hubby's contacted me a couple of weeks ago and asked if I could paint their dog who just passed.  I said I would try.  She didn't inquire the size or cost.  I went ahead and tried my hand at it.  Cruella was a standard poodle and I knew a tiny little canvas would not do to capture her so 18x24 it was.  I was quite please to finish it yesterday and I think it turned out really good.  I sent her a snapshot of it and she immediately texted back "I LOVE IT!" Good deal for me.  She asked when she could pick it up and I told her Thursday and then she asked how much.  I was conservative in my pricing but not cheap and she said, "PERFECT," to let her know what time to get it.  Wow!  When she sent me the photos to paint from she said the dog was mostly black on her head and she wasn't kidding, but, I told her that when painting black dogs, black is not always all black.  There are reflections of light, blues, greens, amber gold...lots of different colors in the "black."  I was very happy in how it turned out.