Weekend Happenings

The weekend began fairly early Friday with me doing payroll and then off we went.  First stop was Grand Lake for The Hubby to do a bit of electrical work for a friend and his newly purchased house on the lake.  Little did I know I would nearly lose my breakfast on part of the drive.  There is a reason we do not have a place on Grand Lake as a good part of the houses are on BLUFFS!!!  EGAD, we drove and drove and finally got to the drive we were directed to and suddenly we were nearly straight up and down driving to his house on the bluff.  A panic attack was almost had by me.  I didn't even want to get out of the truck but managed to after I calmed down and went inside.  We ended up staying there for HOURS, and I mean hours.  I had my IPad and Kindle and read a bit.  There was little to no cellphone usage but I was okay with that, had to be.  I mostly sat as far from the window that looked out to space and water and waited as The Hubby and his friend fixed outlets, the microwave issue, etc.  It was much like in the early years as I watched him work on anything.  After awhile the friend fed us a sandwich at about 2:30 and then it was back to work.  They then went to the dock that was on a mechanical lift down to the water while I waited again.  I drifted off to sleep while they were gone, nearly an hour.  The wife was on her way from Tulsa so I was by myself and my thoughts for most of the day.  Finally she arrived and we visited a bit and then we were off to the cabin.  

The day was mostly cold and dreary so the drive was too, mostly.  They sun popped when we were nearly there and I was able to snap a few photos, hopefully to paint.  I love the clouds.

The weekend was pretty quiet as our crew we hang with were either in Portugal or just busy.  I did have a drink with Lesa Saturday afternoon before the big bonfire and weenie roast on the creek for the entire club.  The weather warmed up nicely and it was wonderful to see everyone.  Tons of peeps were in attendance, some I haven't talked to in probably a year at least.  We had yummy hotdogs, a bit of drink, enjoyed the creek and the fire and mostly the friendship.

Sadly, too soon we were headed back to Tulsa for at least 3 weeks.  Next weekend being Easter and other stuff happening. When we finally get back to the cabin I can't wait to hear from the travelers and their trip to Portugal.

Sunday Babble

It is Sunday morning, nearly 9 am and I am enjoying the quiet of home.  We stayed in town this weekend because he danced Friday night and last night we went to a dinner celebrating a friends retirement.  Friday night we were supposed to have sweet Snicklefritz spend the night, and she did come and have dinner with us and helped me bake oatmeal raisin cookies for The Hubby...but...  When she came in I could tell she was just not up to par.  She was quiet and you could tell in her eyes she was really tired.  She laid in the living room floor, wrapped up in a blanket and I thought she was going to sleep and this was before 5 o'clock.  I thought maybe it was because she was tired from a week of school, getting up early, etc.  She ate a big plate of 3-way and was back to the floor wrapped up in the blanket.  We began making the cookies and she said she had a sore throat and had it since the morning.  UH OH...I thought the throat looked a bit off and texted her momma to let her know.  There was no fever but I was not set up for a sick kiddo and still a bit afraid of any infection with the hip.  I thought, if she is sick then she might feel better hanging at home with Momma and Daddy.  I didn't have any meds for her to take.  So sadly I sent her home where she really didn't get much worse.  I should have kept her but you just never know when the wake up in the middle of the night fever would happen.  Next time for sure.  Miss that kiddo.  

Last night we went to the dinner for our friend.  I actually put makeup on, curled my hair and put on my nice cowboy boots I haven't worn in a couple of years.  The Hubby came home from a day at the gun show still very much obsessed with a knife he bought, etc.  I felt kind of pretty dolled up with makeup on and my hair curled and wearing my fancy cowboy boots I haven't worn in a couple of years.  He was absorbed in his laptop researching knives and what-not and I finally asked him if he was going to get ready soon as it was 4:15 and we were to be at the dinner at 5. He never looked at me as he got up to take his shower and asked if I was going to shower and get ready too.  WTF...This is why I call him Captain Obvious.  

Now on to other minutiae of my brain.  

The beautiful spring sun is shining through and it makes me very happy.  I actually slept in till 6:30 this morning, not usual for me.  I LOVE to get up and see the sun come up and feel the warmth (not yet) of the day beginning.  It rejuvenates me.  It also makes me want to spring clean like nobodies business.  I've been doing it a lot at the studio which has so needed it and I can now.  Here at the house I've been purging my recipes and now that's done I've started pulling books off of the shelves to get rid of.  Some I had planned to read but just never got around to it and now don't interest me.  B has gone through some of them and read them encouraging me to give them another try.  I'm still going to purge ones I have read.  This morning I actually made a list of stuff I need to do around the house, today and this spring.  

Today I am going to clean Frenchie's cage (my parakeet), put the recipe stuff up, go through some music that is a pile 3' high (some mine, mother's and my grandmothers) and A will go through it too.  She had actually planned on doing that yesterday but granddaughter #2 is sick also, probably croup.  Poor baby sounds horrible.  

I started a spring cleaning to do list for later:  purge dishes (i.e. Christmas dishes, extra Desert Rose dishes, baking dishes, just kitchen crap in general.)  My closet of shoes, clothes I just squeeze into and the faded old stuff that is disintegrating every time I wash them.  

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.

Family Weekend

I'm now closing in on 7 weeks of healing and I couldn't feel any better.  Last week my Bro, Sis and I were finally able to have lunch.  We had not seen each other since before Christmas.  I really loved that and it means the world that we love each other so much.  

The weekend started with us heading off to the cabin.  The oldest had already been there with little Snicklefritz since Wednesday and their two dogs, Vinnie and Vance.  WOW, they are full of energy, especially Vance (the very large black guy who is 11 months old.)  We got there with the youngest and little Min in our truck.  Their respective hubby's would arrive on Saturday.  

It has been two years since we had a family photo taken, before little Min was born.

Vance seemed to think he was a lap dog.  He's really such a sweet boy and can he jump and LOVES to chase squirrels...you go boy!

There was a bit of coloring and a bit of reading done during the weekend.

Hiking as a family, not this girl but the others...

and of course little Min wanted to try her hand at fishing like Little Bear, her favorite show.  She spent more time dangling the worm out of the water.  

It was a most perfect weekend on the screened porch with a small fire in the new fireplace, music, and talking about families long past, some never met.  Family time is absolutely priceless.

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!!!

 

For Ukraine

 

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.  

A Sleeting We Will Go

Ice, Ice, Baby...

Goodness this stupid weather.  First was the morning of my hip surgery and the snow we had to travel through at 5 am to get to the hospital.  Yesterday it was again another iffy drive for my post-op.  It was sleet and a lot of it.  Honestly that drive wasn't as bad but this morning is a lot worse.  In fact we shut down our business because the employees didn't want to drive in (don't blame them.)  It's the same story this morning and will probably be the same tomorrow.  Tomorrow I have to go in though to do payroll.  Hmmm, well we will see.  

Back to my post-op.  We did make it!  So excited to have the stitches OUT and permission to drive, when this stupid ice is gone.  The doc is very pleased with how this new hip looks and me too.  I was disappointed that I have to do out patient.  Really didn't want to but it could last 1-4 weeks so I will be a good patient and get it done. 

Last nights dinner, yes I cooked again, was what I could dig up out of the pantry/freezer since grocery shopping is not happening via hip and weather.  I found frozen shrimp in the freezer and a jar of marinated artichoke hearts.  I googled those ingredients and came up with a shrimp & artichoke bake.  

Shrimp & Artichoke Bake

(What I had:)

Frozen shrimp (about 14)

Small jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained & cut up if too big

Red pepper flakes

1 tsp Kerry Gold garlic & herb butter

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 Tbls shredded parmesan

Preheat oven to 400°. Saute drained artichoke hearts in non-stick skillet with butter and pepper flakes for about 3-5 minutes. Take out and put in small casserole (I used deep dish pie plate.) Put shrimp in skillet cook till pink turning once, about 3-5 more minutes. When done put on top of artichoke hearts. Top with the mozzarella cheese and parmesan. Bake in oven 10-15 minutes.

I would have loved to serve it with fresh broccoli or spinach but fresh pantry is bare.

It was quite yummy.

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!  

NEW HIP Installed

The day came and went without a hitch.  That morning we had to drive through a snow storm to get to the hospital but it all went well as not many were on the road and the snow was really pretty dry.  We arrived, got checked in and after a time trying to find a vein for my IV it was ready, set, go!

I was able to go home the next day and now I just heal and try not to fall at any point.  

It is a very slow process but I will get through with a lot of sponge baths and a lot of food from friends.  

It's Nearly HIP DAY!

 

Okay, I need good vibes, prayers, ALL the good luck I can muster for tomorrow.  We have to be in Broken Arrow by 5:30 am for my hip replacement surgery at 7 am.  I have to tell you I'm excited and nervous and anxious.  I can handle all that, BUT, mother nature decided to throw a wrench in the plans.  It is snowing to beat the band right now and they are predicting 4-8 inches.  My gut is absolutely in knots right and I KNOW my blood pressure is up, I feel it.  

Scared, Terrified, Fearful

Next week I am to have my hip replaced.  I'm not going to lie, I'm scared, terrified and generally almost on the verge of calling it off.  I haven't been able to put a finger on why I have this terror.  I know tons and tons of people who have had it done with absolutely no problems.  One of my fears is infection because I've had MRSA before and that always looms over me.  After I heal there is always a chance of rejection and infection, i.e. my Daddy.  On that note I started thinking about my fear when it occurred to me that I have good reason for this fear.  First of all is the whole thing that Daddy went through with having the infection, having surgeries to clean it out and then living WITHOUT the hip for six months before they re-did the hip.  That was ABSOLOUTELY  horrible for him and for us to live through.  Then I remember my granny, when she tripped on a concrete parking thingy at Wal-Mart, fell and broke her hip.  She was so scared to have the surgery because she had friends that were never the same, mentally from the anesthesia.  She was never the same after the replacement but hers was because back then they didn't have physical therapy and she didn't use it like she needed too and it atrophied.  The worst was Momma, who fell in the nursing home two weeks after we had to put her there.  I was the one who got the phone call in the middle of the night.  I was the one who had to sign for her to have surgery.  She didn't make it a month after that.  She was gone.  So you see I have well founded fears that are nagging me in the back of my mind.  I AM SCARED SHITLESS about this whole ordeal but I know it must be done to get my life back.  Damn body.  

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.  

Grands, Puzzles and Life Junk

Good Sunday morning all.  It's been a rather lazy week with a bit of art thrown in.  Of course I had to head to the office Monday morning and do a bit of bill paying and filing (I kid on the filing, that is NOT my bag.)  I didn't have to head back there until Friday for payroll.  I did post about 3 of our employees being out sick, 2 with Covid and 1 upper respiratory (we still think Covid despite the negative test.)  That was a challenge for The Hubby to juggle the jobs/customers that were counting on them to work, but he made it all work out.  THAT is what he is so over now, the juggle. 

I also got a couple of days of studio time and started applying paint to the latest self portrait and hopefully this week will be able to spend a lot of time there.  The only thing pressing this week is our friend Patti's funeral on Thursday.  Those kind of things really make me nervous partly because of the Covid numbers rising and because it is so hard for me to go into places with my mobility issues now, BUT, I have to go for her husband Jim.  

Friday evening Snicklefritz came to spend the weekend with me and while her Momma was here little Mini and her Momma joined us for a bite to eat and to FINALLY store the rest of Christmas back into the closet.  Christmas 2021 is finally a memory.  Oh these girls.  They both have these little toddler three-wheel bikes powered by feet and they were roaring around the house giggling, chasing each other round and round.  It just makes you smile and laugh watching them have so much fun together.  They are cousins but are probably as close as sisters and always will be.  

Yesterday Snicklefritz, her Granddad and I had a big breakfast.  I fixed her scrambled eggs, which she says I make the best, two blueberry waffles, orange juice and bacon.  The Hubby and I had over easy eggs, bacon, juice and toast.  She was up early even though she didn't go to bed until nearly 11 the night before.  After breakfast we hit the jigsaw puzzle hard.  It is a Charlie Brown Christmas puzzle, 1000 pieces!  I absolutely LOVE Charlie Brown.  When I was a kid I was always saying, "Oh Good Grief," so Daddy started calling me Charlie Brown.  It is a wonderful memory.  We didn't last long on the puzzle.  Starting one is sometimes so hard.  After a bit she was bored and wanted to play with her dolls and watch TV.  Honestly the only thing on was Patti's Mexican Table on CreateTV and she was quite happy to watch it.  It has a lot about Mexican culture, food, landscapes and is very interesting.  I chose to read a bit and kept dosing off.  Must have been the snow that started to fall.  That also kept her pretty occupied watching it gracefully fall and melt away.  Not much stuck and she took a couple of strolls around the yard to check it out.  There was enough to even make a snowball but it is pretty.  Oh goodness last night we played Monopoly.  We only been playing Jr. Monopoly for over a year now and the last time she honestly broke me and the bank.  Well last night we got the big dude out and set it up, carefully reading the rules.  She was a bit confused but got the hang of it quickly.  GOOD GRIEF Charlie Brown!  This girl or maybe it was my bad luck.  I kept getting hit with paying luxury tax or stuff to her or going to jail or rent to her.  I was down to $35 and she had all these properties, kept receiving money for various things (mostly from me!)  She was raking in the dough and had a stack of $100 you wouldn't believe.  The bank only had one left in it.  After nearly 2 hours I said I was done and she needed to go to bed.  It was again 11 pm.  It is now a bit after 8 this morning and she is still in bed.  She needed to sleep.  When she gets up I'll fix her her usual breakfast and then she's going to take a bath.  The Hubby and I woke up at 6 this morning and both had our showers and breakfast and he's already out the door to the office to spend his day tinkering.  After this post I will do a bit of reading until she awakes.  

Have a good week all, maybe I'll be back sooner than next week.

Cold, Virus, Waiting Game

Good morning all.  The weekend has passed with us jaunting off to the cabin for some much needed R&R.  I had planned on having a bit of day-drinking with my friends but this DAMN COVID messed that up yet again.  One of the ladies husband had come down with the virus on Friday and I couldn't take the chance with my surgery so close to being possibly exposed.  Even though she works in OKC at the Capitol and hadn't even been around her man it was just to iffy for me.  I've already had a close encounter in December and dodged that bullet, I don't want to stretch my luck.  

So we hunkered down with most of my view this from our bedroom.  

Plus the fireplace kept us all nice and warm during the nasty cold snap.  I accomplished not much more than reading two entire books and feeding us.  We didn't take my walker so I only had my cane to get around.  It's funny that as long as the temperatures stay about 45 I get around pretty good but if it is freezing, OH MAN!  It's like my joints are like concrete.  It just hurts so bad to try and even go to the bathroom.  It tells me that a lot of my inability to just move is a lot of arthritis, but this hip replacement surgery cannot come soon enough.  Time is ticking away as the time approaches and I am getting a bit nervous.  

There is just so much I must get done before with work and home, plus I'm having a joint replaced!!!!!  That is a lot scary for me.  It's the end of 2021 at the office and for personal tax stuff.  Since the surgery is February 3 that means I will also have a pile of bills that will need to be paid at the first of the month.  I HAVE to stay up on that stuff and also payroll is in the middle of this.  I will play it by ear and do the best I can do.  I might need the help of my girls for sure to pull this off.  

Work wise it has been not good this week.  We have a total of 6 employees and 2 of them have Covid and one has an upper respiratory virus NOT COVID! That means half of our staff is off.  You know we have gotten by for nearly 3 years without this so we've been pretty lucky.  Also lucky is that I don't see any employees most of the time.  They go straight to the jobsites, whew!  It does make The Hubby groan and gruff around a lot of the time in the mornings.  He gets jobs all set up with the customers and this many out makes it tricky.  Thankfully they are understanding.  Oh well, I guess this is life in the new world of Covid.

 

Food and Mania

DIFFERENT Stuffed Peppers

I totally saw this recipe on Insta and made it tonight. I am not a huge fan of peppers but the red peppers were yummy. Simple...

Slice peppers in half, clean out seeds and put in 350° oven for 30 minutes. While they cook, or get a bit tender saute sweet Italian sausage in a non-stick skillet. When that is done I add a block of cream cheese and a can of Rotel tomatoes. When the peppers are ready, fill them with the mixture. Then top them with a sprinkling of shredded cheese then put them back in the oven for 10 minutes.

OMG, these were very tasty and very different.

On a different note, this past week I've been watching, actually the whole world has been watching, the deterioration of an artist friend, mentally on Facebook.  It has been absolutely shocking to watch her posts ranting about her husband and rambling in these weird one line statements that honestly don't make a lot of sense.  This morning I then see that she is living in her car and we are having the coldest temps in a year.  It's so sad to watch one of her daughters plead with her to call them, to come home and then I saw that the daughter and husband of 42 years even went to the court system to try and get her committed.  You can clearly see that she is having a manic episode.  I've been in tons of art things with this lady and it is just so shocking to see it happen.  I'm not friend friends with her, only an art associate, I have no sway with her but feel like I need or want to help.  I can't even imagine what her daughters are going through with all this.  It's heartbreaking.  

 

Happy New Year 2022

Decided that yesterday was the day to delve back into the self portrait thing. This is more than practice, it takes you deep into the YOU. I've done several of me in different stages of my life, all the while contemplating those times, eras, in the evolution that is the person that is, Carla. Today I look into the now 65 year old me without apology. It's charcoal, but will soon have paint to top it off. I think this is an important exercise at this time in my life. Of course the biggy is that I turned 65 and have jumped on the Medicare wagon. But I've also lost my father, my dear mother-in-law and yet another dear friend. We are at those crossroads in our lives, the inevitable journey of death. This is not maudlin, it is reality, hence a self portrait in the reality of me, of life, of my life.

Last night little, I should say big girl Snicklefritz spent her New Year's again with me.  We watched Harry Potter movies, played Old Maid, Go Fish and Connect 4 and drank sparkling cider with frozen blueberries.  We did indeed stay up past midnight and rang in the year (can't believe I was able to stay awake!)  The Hubby decided to head to the cabin to give a bid and check on a generator job we're getting ready to do there.  He was planning on staying till Sunday, but, I informed him that I had planned on cooking a cornish hen with our black eye peas and he said he would be home...HAHAHA.  Snicklefritz will go home today after she helps me do the laundry and we start dismantling Christmas.  I think I can do a lot of it but need assistance getting it back in the closet.  Hopefully if I get all of it done I can go to the studio tomorrow and if not then on Monday, as we are closed.