Ahh, and a day at home!

This last week, I went to the pool on Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and again on Saturday!  Then to the celebration of life for Joe, home for a bit, then to my niece Becky's house for a gathering to reminisce about her mama, my sister Cheryl.  Emily so nicely drove me home, and helped me out to the car, when it gets icy, ugh.  

So this fine morning, I did not leave the house.  No one came over, it was a snowy-ash day, and I did a few loads of laundry, got on the bike several times, vacuumed, puttered.  Dishes, ect.  Paul left and did some work on a house, then stopped at Aldi.  We had burgers for dinner, and a nice salad, and some pickled beets.  I didn't like the pickled part much, but I do love beets.  

We watched the end of the hockey game, it was fun to see the USA win against the Canadians!  It's just that hockey is their thing, and we won!  :)

We are only getting a few inches of snow tonight, so I should be able to make it the pool.  The tricky part is managing to get down those deck steps.  The weather warmed up, so we haven't been able to bring the car up to the front porch, and walking down the sidewalk is treacherous...oh, I exaggerate, it's slippery though, and bumpy.  The deck steps are not too bad when they're clear, but they get icy too.  So we'll see.  Now that I drive myself, I want to make sure it's safe.

The days are ticking by, my trip is getting closer!  Oh, I wish I could walk better, but wishing is a monumental waste of time, unless it leads to working harder.  I am looking forward to and dreading this trip, if you know what I mean.  I do have an aisle seat on the plane, but not one of the nice ones where you can stretch out, no - I'm in the back of the plane with the regular people.  It's a night time flight, and I should sleep, but I am planning to stand up and move every hour or so, if I get too stiff I won't be able to walk at all.  

It'll be fiiiiiiine.  Worrying and fretting won't help.   

Ah well.  You have a good evening!

ahhh the weekend!

Yesterday, I went to the pool.  It sounds like such a simple sentence, but it's packed with suffering ha.  I figure I have to surge forwards as much as I can, and even if I'm taking mincing little old lady steps, I'm getting steadier and stronger, although it's very hard to see in the midst of it. 

I came home and made a batch of chocolate chip cookies, tried to keep moving.  I find alternating between taking a rest with my feet up, going on the exercise bike, vacuuming a little, sitting down...it helps.  If I were to just plant myself, I'd be so stiff.  Getting back into the swim class makes me aware of muscles I forgot I had!  It's so nice though. 

Miss Char and Miss Cam worked yesterday, then left for a weekend in Ottowa, Canada.  Paul and I went over to Kathryn and Darius house for smoked wings...and sliders, and Evelyn's homemade Mac and cheese, salad, and cookies... Emily and Mariel were there too, it was quite fun.  

This fine Saturday morning, we went to the rec center, again, Paul to the gym, me to the pool.  There isn't a class on Saturday morning, so I just walked forwards and backwards and moved, for a half hour.  It's not as daunting anymore, although I don't love hobbling back up the ramp...the water shoes have been amazing though.  

We're leaving in a little while to go to a celebration of life for our friend Joe.  He passed away the morning after my sister did, he was the same age as my parents.  He's been a church friend for 40 years, he had such a good heart, a father's heart.  

It's too quiet here, but Kitty is on the arm of my chair, where she belongs.  When I got back from the pool, I went in to get some laundry, she was underfoot every step, into the laundry room, I got her more food, more water, she was still underfoot, purring, corralling me to my chair so she would sit here and purr.  I am definitely her person, not that she has too many to choose from anymore, but she likes me.  

Anyway.  You all have a good day!

and what did today bring?

 I saw a post that said, "The day after leg day", and a guy got a spoon out of the drawer, dropped it, looked at the one on the floor, opened the drawer and got a new spoon.  I feel like that most days, like it's the day after leg day.  Yesterday was a doozy, going to the pool then PT later.  I have learned to keep moving after the pool, to keep things loose.  

This fine morning, I knew I had to get out of the house, it was a mild day, not snowing.  Sonja was wanting to get out too, so she came and picked me up.  I made it down the deck steps, and into her car...then off we went to Target.  She so nicely dropped me off at the door, and I hobbled in with my cane.  I got a cart, and she brought Kaia in.  Lil Miss K. got to ride in the seat of the cart for the first time!  She was bundled with a blanket, then the seat belt, and she liked it for about half the store.  I understood, I was sort of done by halfway through too.  

I walked slowly.  So slowly.  But, the knee didn't buckle until one little time right as we were leaving.  It was a fun shopping trip.  I got some Valentine's day Skittles and Hershey Kisses for 70% off.  I bought some fake tulips, and a new green gingham table runner, a salad kit, a package of chicken drumsticks, and some undies for Jamison.  Oh, and a few half price toys for the grandkids.  

We stopped on the way home to get coffees, then again for me to switch and drive so Sonja could ride in the back with little Miss, who was crying.  

Sonja and Kaia came in for a bit when we got home, we watched the long programs of the figure skating.  That gold medal winner Alysa Liu was fantastic, but I was a teeny bit shocked at what came out of her mouth. "That's what I'm f---ing talking about!  Holy s--t! " I know, she was excited, but dear me.  She was phenomenal!  Poor Amber though... And shh, I have said s--t myself, accidentally, when my knee has buckled, and back when my hip was giving me such random grief.  

I have tried to keep busy here at home this afternoon too, but jeepers it does feel like the day after leg day.  I might call my ortho and try to get an injection in the "old" knee before my trip, which is two weeks from yesterday.  

If you are tired of hearing about my knee, scroll right by...but.  I figured something out.  When I went in for one of my post surgical check ups, I was still using the walker and explained to the surgeon how the knee randomly buckled.  He told me I had a hinge knee, he explained how it bent so easily, and I just had to be patient, it was normal, ect.  Well.  I didn't know that a "hinge" knee is not a standard knee replacement.  

This explains some things to me!  

Anyway.  
Enough about the knees.  This fine afternoon, Sonja so nicely got out some of my spring-y decorations.  It's not spring yet, but we needed some sprucing up around here, it still looked so naked after we took down the Christmas stuff.  Some fake flowers and fake plants and pink candles...does wonders.  

Our dinner tonight was taco meat I had cooked up and froze, so easy.  Just fry up a baggie in the iron skillet, and make some corn tortillas...add some of the salad from the salad kit, and you have some simple taco tortillas.  I like lime juice on mine.  They're great with peppers, onions, olives, cilantro, but not too bad without all of it, too.  After dinner I had some Hershey Kisses with almonds, which are my favorite.  

I am hoping to get my rear in gear and get to the pool again tomorrow.  I am feeling immense pressure to get moving, as my trip is coming up soon.  I did buy some compression socks from Amazon for traveling.  

Anyway.  Not much else to say on this fine evening...:). Have a good one!

it's the teeny tiny little things....

 This fine morning, I did something new:  I went to the pool, all by myself.  ALL BY MYSELF.  Yes, I walked down the deck steps, to the car (to be fair, Paul did move it to the front of the driveway for me!), and drove to the pool.  I could have gone around back and parked close, and called the desk, they would have unlocked the back door for me to come in, but I got a nice close parking spot, and decided to walk down the long sidewalk.  

This was the first time I was actually there during water aerobics class, since before the surgery.  It was so nice to be back!  I was able to do some of the things, but also was walking back and forth, just moving.  One of the nice ladies in class walked with me back down the sidewalk to my car:)

Next time, I'll go in the back door!  It has stairs, but it's a much shorter walk.

Now, since I've been home, I had a second coffee and sat here in my comfy chair.  Then I got up, took care of my wet swim stuff, put in a load of laundry, went on the exercise bike a little, just to get the stiffness out...then I vacuumed my room.  It had been way too long.  Of course I vacuumed for like ten minutes before I realized the vacuum wasn't working well, someone (probably me) had vacuumed up a big plastic bead.  Behind that bead:  dog hair, fuzz, dust, crumbs...ugh.  

Anyway.  I still need to vacuum the rest of the house, but I took another break.  I have to leave here in just a little while for PT, which is gonna be killer, after going to the pool, but I didn't want to call last minute and reschedule, AGAIN.  

Oh dear, it's snowing out!  Big fat flakes!  It was raining when I left the pool...I hope it doesn't get too icy.  

And, here it is, four in the afternoon, and I'm home from PT.   They tried a new thing, had me lie down with a bolster under the knee, and hold it up and tighten the thigh muscle, while the therapist poked and prodded around the knee...it's supposed to wake up the brain-nerve connection.  Well.  I proceeded to do the other lovely things that I do in PT, bike and balance board, leg press, leg lift thing...but they were nice and didn't make me do the stair stepper, since I had been to the pool.  Was it worth $88?  ha.  not really, but I don't feel ready to walk away from it yet, since I can't walk yet ha.

I came home from PT, checked the things in the dryer, made an afternoon coffee, then was walking to my chair, feeling pretty good about my busy day, when my knee...sort of buckled.  I didn't fall, but it is so disconcerting.  It seems to happen more when I'm really tired, and it does happen less and less, so that's good.  But dang!  

It's like it's saying Don't you get any ideas about saying things are going so much better!

Overall, I have no complaints.  Except for this:  Today when I was getting the vacuum cleaner, I had the thought to tell Cheryl about swim class, because she knew the lady who walked me out to my car, and it hit so hard, I felt a sudden flash of strong anger.  I didn't dwell in it.  I am not mad that she died.  But I partly am!  I do not like it, not one little bit.   I know that's the selfish part of me speaking, but it is what it is.  I miss her terribly.  Of course I do.  You don't love someone and care about them, and go on adventures with them, and do fun things with your kids together with them, coupon shop, and make the same dresses with the same patterns and collect the same toys for your kids, and laugh about the same things, sit in the sun together and solve the worlds' problems for years and decades, then boom, it ends and you're not sad!  I still am here, I am still alive, but I'm not whole anymore.    I can't imagine the days ahead without her.  

The depths of despair...that's what Anne Shirley told Marilla in Anne of Green Gables.  Cheryl and I liked to use that term.   I am not wallowing, no, I won't stay in those depths...but it is a process, and I do miss her like crazy.  My son Samuel always likes to say,  "Two things can be true at once", and in this case yes, I am sad and I miss my sister, but I am also very happy and thankful, if that makes sense.  

Ah well....it's What Are We Having for Dinner O'Clock, and I am envying all of you meal planners right about now...have a good evening!

joy!

 So yesterday after my big trip to the pool, I puttered around here, and tried to keep moving.  We had a ham in the refrigerator, a nice honey ham, spiral sliced.  I told the girls I was going to put it in the oven, make red-skinned baked potatoes, and some roasted Brussel sprouts.  Char was dubious, a ham, just for the four of us?  That got me thinking...so I put the menu out on the family chat, and offered anyone who wanted, could come to dinner...

Emily and Mariel ended up coming!  It was so very nice!  We ate dinner in the manner of young adults these days, in the living room all cozy, watching the Olympics!  I also chopped up six apples, put them in a baking pan with a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon, and baked them up.  I had some with one small scoop of vanilla ice cream, when still warm from the oven...oh dear, so good.

We had such a good time, talking about things and critiquing the snowboarders.  We have a dear friend from church who passed away in the morning after Cheryl.  We're having a remembrance/celebration of life on Saturday, so we're planning for that, and remembering visits with him.

The younger girls are going on a trip to Ottowa for the weekend. When they're gone, it's a stark reminder of what's coming in the not too distant future.  We will be empty nesters.  Now, some older people count the days...we are not them.  The house comes to life when they are here, with their silly movie quotes and belting out Stevie Nicks.  They do their homework, then take a break with home made vodka pasta at two in the afternoon.  

I think I'm hanging on for dear life, to these days of still having "kids" at home.  I love them all dearly, of course, but these two younger ones are so lively and fun.  I know we aren't going to die of loneliness, because thankfully the older kids still come and visit and the grandchildren burst in the door and fill the house with fun.  But it's different.  

We have eighteen-going-on-twenty grandchildren all of the sudden!  8 boys, 12 girls.  The oldest is 12, then the rest are 8 and under.  Richly blessed, how did we get so blessed?  

So this fine morning, I decided today shall be a Pot Pie Day.  Chicken Pot Pie, to be exact.  I made four butter crusts to make two pies with tops and bottoms, then started on the filling...I chopped celery and carrots, and peeled six or seven potatoes, cubed them up.  I put chicken breast in the crockpot with rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, pepper, onion powder, minced onions, a dash of garlic.  I added all the veggies, and a little bit of water, then 32 ounces of chicken broth.  The pie doughs went into the refrigerator for a while...then later, I rolled them out, thickened up the filling with corn starch and flour, and made the pies.  On the tops:  salt, pepper, rosemary, then onto baking sheets lined with parchment.  

Sonja and Oscar came for dinner, and we watched some ice skating and half-pipe snowboarding.  Kaia is sitting up now!  She is also spitting up, but that is a whole 'nother story, ha.  

Now they've gone home, the kitchen is all cleaned up, and I'm tired.  I did my stair-stepper this morning, for 5 and a half minutes, and got on the bike several times.  My walking is still rusty, but getting incrementally better...I do not see the increments but I know they are happening.  

Tomorrow morning, pool again, then PT in the afternoon, this sounds rough!  Two weeks until Norway, two weeks from tomorrow!  You all have a good night!

this glass is half full!

 I just thought I would share that I went to the pool this fine morning, (and it IS a fine morning, sunny and 25 degrees! (-3.89c)).  I walked down that sidewalk without one knee buckle. I won't exaggerate and say it felt great, but it was smoother and not terrible.  (The funny thing was, Paul was walking with me, asked , "What's preventing you from just walking?"  well.  You tell me, then we'll both know.  ha.  I thought I was doing splendidly, too!)

Anyway.  I talked to lots of ladies, and I realize how much I've missed that part of going to the pool.  I was there before my swim class began, and leaving when they were arriving, but talked to different people there too.  

I put in a load of laundry when we got home, and now I'm sitting here with my feet up.  I am going to get on the exercise bike in a few minutes, so I don't get all stiff from the walking and swimming...if you could call it swimming:  I did kick my legs a little.  I mostly walked, forwards and backwards.  I swung my legs up and down and to the side and just moved.  It did feel better this time.

Charlotte Claire is doing an order pick up for me after her classes this morning, but I don't have a meal plan except for to use the chicken we have in the refrigerator.  We also have a ham I need to use.  We do have everything for pot pie, and for stir fry, so maybe we'll do both of those this week.  

I may have forgot to report that Paul took me out to dinner on Friday night!  We went to a place called The Angry Smokehouse.  He dropped me off, I crossed the road and was making my way up the little sidewalk toward the door, while he parked the car.  The maitre'd/host/seater-guy came right out and held the door for me, so I had to step up a step holding my cane and the door frame...I felt like SUCH and old lady.  I hobbled in, and he sat us down right at the first table, and it was super nice!  

In case you're wondering what we had, Paul had a burger, and I had a French dip made with beef brisket...it was ridiculously good.  Darius can smoke a better brisket though.  (yesterday he did indeed smoke a brisket, he brought me some, hot from the smoker, is there anything better?)

Anyway.  Today Paul has to bring his iPad into a shop, it's not turning on, so I'm going with him for the drive, getting out of the house is nice.  

You all have a good day, and thank you for visiting me here, to read the same old same old!

so...

 on Saturday morning, we did get to go to the Rec. center!  Paul drove me around back, and my good friend Janette unlocked the back door for me, so I had a shorter walk into the locker room!  There are stairs, but stairs aren't as daunting as a super long possibly slippery sidewalk.  

Into the locker room, teeny little cane-leaning steps...painstakingly slow.  One lady in there asked what I had going on, then replied, "In November?!  And you're walking like THAT?!"  yes.  yup.  mmm hmmm. She was actually quite nice, she had a knee replacement herself a few years back, and the recovery was so quick and easy.  Yas.  of course it was, ha.  I hobbled all the way across the pool area, then down the side, because like I grumbled about before, the entrance to the ramp going into the pool is at the exact opposite side of the huge-0 pool room as the locker room exit.  Walking down the ramp is no picnic, but the beautiful black five dollar water shoes helped, gave me some traction, thank you for the suggestion!  

I walked in that pool, forwards and backwards.  I lifted my legs up sideways and front ways, and I paddled a little.  Here's the honest and sad truth:  it didn't feel great.  The new knee just feels jangly in the water.  I want it to feel smooth and painless, but not yet, I guess.  

Then, I walked back up the ramp, feeling even heavier than on the way down, ha.  Back into the locker room, a shower, got dressed, and made it back down the stairs out the back door to the car...ahh, I did it.  There isn't such a triumphant feeling when you know you barely did it!  But, I did it!

Sam and Grace stopped over on their way home from a two day little vacation, and stayed until after dinner.  Margaret and Adrian came over with their little ones, and Kathryn came over with hers.  Evelyn came, and Sonja with Kaia.  12 grandchildren in one day!  They had their corn dogs, and we made the ice cream sundaes:  Sam scooped the ice cream, I put the brownies on the plates, Wulf put the squirty whipped cream and chocolate sauce on, Grant manned the sprinkles and mini M&M's.  (Then the two boys got to make their "masterpieces" for being such good helpers!)

We had our stew for dinner, and there was just enough, although Emily came over later, and I'm not sure she got much in her bowl. I always try to gauge how much to make for dinner, and I ask ahead of time who is going to be there, and don't always get a response from everyone.  It's my kryptonite, my weakness, what I have bad dreams about:  not having enough.  I think it stems from having 16 children, and having to feed them dinner every single night, ha.  I wasn't always the best planner, and standing there with the refrigerator door open, trying to figure out what I had enough of...

Anyway, like the fishes and the loaves, everyone had enough to eat.  The stew was super good, in my humble opinion.  Beef prices are ridiculous, but I just crave a hot bowl of beef stew in the wintertime.  The kids brought fresh bread, some heart shaped cut out cookies, and other snacks, and drinks too.  

So this fine morning, it was time to get ready for the baby shower.  I don't have many pictures, but it was lovely.  

Two little helpers, cousins Rhys and Ruth, delighted in Aunt Rosi's baby gifts.  

Margaret's cookies!

Mariel's cookies!

Camille (and my) cake!  I didn't get a pic of the brownie bites...they were super good though.  

Ah well.  Today's walking wasn't the best quality, but I did manage to get from one place to another...tomorrow is another day, and we're planning to go to the pool again!  ugh, but...yay!  Does that make sense?  Have a good night!