Starry night on the prairie

Another quiet day after a hard night.  I broke down and took pain pills last night.  My feet were sensitive and throbbing.  Both were a bit swollen, especially the right one which is the one I just had surgery on.  I looked back at my blog from when I was seven to eight weeks out from having the left one done and the same thing had happened then.  It must be part of the healing journey.  That helped me relax about it.  They are a bit better today although they still hurt.

We ran errands mid-day.  Took recycling material and dumped it off, delivered a tub full of prayer shawls to the church, went to the grocery store and picked up the stuff out of Jim’s old dark room.

When we got home I took a short nap.  Felt better when I woke up.  All day I have been foggy and not with it.  It is a side effect of the pain pills.  It finally has cleared.

The sons and a girlfriend came over for tacos tonight.  It was an easy to fix meal and everyone seemed to enjoy it.  We got the kitchen cleaned up and put back together and are relaxing for a bit.  The sons were both meeting old friends tonight.

David can’t tow my Prius with the car they are driving so will have to figure out another way to get the car to him.  I’ll put off buying a new car until we can figure out a plan.

My teacher/mentor called me today.  It was good to talk to him.  I hadn’t talked to him for over a year.  He calls periodically to check in with me to see how I am doing. I appreciate that.  He used to come to KS once a year to teach a workshop but didn’t do so this year.  Hoping he will come next year so I can see him and his beautiful wife again.

Nothing on the calendar that has to be done tomorrow.  We haven’t made any more progress on working on the house so hoping tomorrow we can get back to that.  I like days where I can see that I did something.  I’ve had too many lately where I can’t say what I did all day.

I’ll be glad when the holidays are over and things kinda return to “normal”.

Grateful my mentor called me today, grateful for pain pills, and grateful for naps.

It has been a quiet, lazy day today.  Not sure I accomplished much of anything today. I slept for three hours last night than was up most of the night.  Finally got back to sleep around 5:30 and slept until 10:00.  When you get up that late the day goes by quickly.

Cleaned up some of the clutter that was made yesterday and did some knitting.  Didn’t even go for a walk today.  It was a bit cooler out today and I felt cold inside all day today.  Sure hope I’m not coming down with something.  When I woke up in the middle of the night I didn’t feel very good.  Have felt better today except for getting the chills off and on.

I might be selling my Prius to one of Jim’s sons.  There car is about to die and I am ready to get a new car.  Mine is almost seven years old.  It will make a wonderful car for Jim’s son and I will get a new one.  They came over and test drove it today and will let me know tomorrow if they want to drive it to CA when they drive home Saturday or if they have decided not to take it or They may wait and fly out and drive it home.  Either way works for me.

I am going to look at several cars but think I want a Subaru Outback.  I haven’t driven one yet so may change my mind.  Jim likes to buy cars so he can help me.  I learned when I got the Prius to not just buy the cheapest one on the lot.  I want a few extras and will pay extra to get them.  I don’t need all the bells and whistles though.  We will have to go to Oklahoma City to find a dealership as there isn’t one in Stillwater.

Trusting tomorrow I will find some energy and get something done.  I don’t like days when I don’t do much.  Jim did some computer work this afternoon and didn’t get outside as he had planned to.  It is to be cooler tomorrow but we need to get something done.  The to do list is long and we can’t waste everyday by being lazy.

Ellexia texted me a couple times today and we FaceTime for a bit.  When she gets bored she reaches out to me and I help her kill some time.  She had cleaned her room and showed it to me.  Wish I could have been closer I would have gone and gotten her and spent some time with her.

Grateful for a lazy day today, grateful for my granddaughter Ellexia, and grateful for getting a second sleep this morning.

 

Jim asked me to marry him last night.  I said yes!  Not sure when we will do the deed but probably sometime this summer.

The candlelight service at the church was lovely.  They sang some of my favorite Christmas carols, served communion and ended it with Silent Night and Joy to the World using the candles to light the church.

Today was a beautiful day in Oklahoma.  It was over 70 degrees out and sunny with bright blue skies.  We took a one mile walk this afternoon after we wrapped all the presents.  Felt so good to get out and walk again.  My feet haven’t felt up to walking lately.  We picked up a lot of cans and bottles along the sidewalk.

The sons came over late afternoon.  We opened gifts and have dinner cooking now.  Waiting on the girlfriend to get here and than we will have dinner.  The sons treated me very nicely and gave me some nice gifts.  Jim spoiled me as usual and gave me some thoughtful gifts.

Jim and one of the sons are sitting out on the back porch waiting for the other one to come back with his girlfriend.  Loving this spring like weather for Christmas.

It has been a very pleasant, relaxing day.  I like the low key atmosphere and the love shared between us all.

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and trust your day has been wonderful.

I’m grateful Christmas is over for this year though.  I truly am blessed and excited for 2020!

Grateful Jim asked me to marry him last night, grateful for the visit by his sons, and grateful for the beautiful day!

Had a wonderful dinner with Jim’s sons and a girlfriend last night.  The food was good, the company awesome and the conversation was lively.

My foot was sore and swollen when I went to bed last night.  Both feet complained most of the night.  I finally got up around 6:00 and took another hot bath and took some more ibuprofen.  I finally got about four hours of sleep after that.

Today has been a quiet day.  We did run to Walmart to go to the grocery store to get supplies for tomorrow evening’s Christmas dinner.  The store wasn’t as crowded as I feared it might be.

Put the Christmas tree up this afternoon and got it decorated.  Still need to wrap the rest of the presents but we have the rest of the evening and tomorrow early afternoon to get that job done.

Cleaned out the refrigerator when we got home.  Way overdue task!  Found room for the things we purchased after we threw out the stuff that was way past its useful life.

Went out to the back porch and laid down on the swing.  It was almost 70 degrees today and a great day to get some fresh air.  I fell asleep and slept for an hour.  Making up for the sleep I didn’t get last night.

Tonight we have to be at the church at 10:00.  The midnight service starts at 11:00 but Jim sings in the choir and they have a quick rehearsal before.  I’ll take some knitting and knit while he is in rehearsal.

Tomorrow the boys will be over late afternoon and we will all fix dinner together.  Ham, scalloped potatoes, bean soup, roasted vegetables and a green salad is on the menu.  The boys both like to cook and are good at it.  We should have a nice feast.

Traffic is finally starting to slow down on the road in front of the house.  It has been unusually heavy today.

Still doesn’t feel like Christmas to me.  Not sure what Christmas feels like but I don’t feel like I have found my Christmas spirit this year.  Good thing it will be over tomorrow.  Some years it doesn’t find me and that is OK.

Mindfulness is my word for 2020.  I want to be mindful of the words I speak, mindful of the food I eat, mindful of the thoughts I think, mindful of my friends and family, and mindful of my footprint I am leaving on their earth this trip around the sun.

Grateful for a quiet day at home, grateful for naps, and grateful for family.

We got as much of the floor done that we could do using the power nailer. The rest will have to be done using finishing nails. We returned the power nailer and air compressor. Stopped by Lowe’s to pick up some more wood.

Jim has been working on finishing the floor since we have been back from the hardware store. The floor has gone much faster using new wood. We did find that the pieces were not a consistent size. Once we figured that out and used the same sized pieces in a row the project moved along much faster. The inconsistency in the size of the pieces really made what should have been a simple project a real challenge.

Before Jim left to pick up Thomas he got the washer and dryer moved back into place and hooked up. Still have about 12 more boards to lay and the floor will be laid.

We took the sander back without using it. We decided to finish the back room floor and than remove the linoleum from the kitchen floor and get that floor cleaned up and than we can rent the sander again. Ran out of time to get all that done this weekend as the floor took much longer than expected.

Jim’s son got in from CA last night. The other one is flying into Oklahoma City from Washington, DC this afternoon. Jim will leave in a bit to go pick him up. Both sons and a girlfriend are coming over for dinner later tonight.

While Jim is picking up Thomas I will get the house cleaned up. I haven’t finished my detailed cleaning project yet but it looks much better now than when I started. I also want to dip some pretzels in white almond bark.

I fixed a pot of vegetarian spaghetti sauce for dinner tonight. I have a spaghetti squash to roast later and will fix traditional spaghetti noodles too. I also have the stuff to fix a big green salad and garlic bread. It will be fun to see the sons again and meet the new girlfriend.

I finished my Christmas shopping today. I had two last gifts I wanted to pick up for Jim. I got one when we went to Lowe’s for the additional wood planks and stopped and got the last one while I was out going to the grocery store. Traffic is really heavy in Stillwater today. Glad I found what I was looking for and my shopping is now complete. I might get some things wrapped while Jim is gone this evening too.

Tomorrow we don’t have plans except to go to church tomorrow evening. Jim has to be there at 10:00 for choir practice and the service is at 11:00 pm. I’m looking forward to going to Christmas Eve services.

Wednesday the sons and girlfriend will come over mid afternoon and we will have dinner together. They need to decide tonight what they want to eat so I have time to go to the grocery store tomorrow to get what we need. Jim is more of a last minute planner than I am. Makes me nervous to wait this long to get groceries.

Jim just called. He has been stuck on the turnpike for 30 minutes and hasn’t moved. Lots of ambulances and rescue trucks ahead. He is going to be late picking up Thomas and dinner may be at 10:00 tonight. Good thing it is spaghetti and it can wait. Frustrating for us yet sad for those that are injured and hurt.

That will give me more time to get some cleaning done. May get the pretzels dipped and a few presents wrapped too.

Still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Christmas is Wednesday. It was in the 60’s here today – felt more like spring than Christmas. I’ll be glad when Christmas is over. It is not my most favorite time of the year.

Grateful the floor is almost done, grateful my shopping is done, and grateful both sons will be here later tonight.

I have spent the afternoon helping Jim lay a wood floor.  My job has been to use the nailer gun that is powered by an air compressor.  We are about half way done and Jim had to run to the lumber yard to get more wood planks.  We need to get this job finished tonight as the air compressor needs to be returned in the morning.  May be a late night.

We have figured out how to make it go a bit faster.  The wood Jim got was seconds and several have been warped badly.  If we cut the long pieces into two or three smaller pieces they fit better and it doesn’t take so long to fight with them to try to get them straight.  Once we figured that out the project has moved along a bit quicker.

I think I am going to be sore tomorrow.  I’m using muscles I forgot I had.  Jim has had the hardest job though as he has been on his knees pounding the planks together and than having to get up and cut them to fit.

It is interesting to me to learn how to do a project like this.  Yesterday Jim finished laying the underlay board.  Tomorrow he will sand the floor and apply the first coat of polyurethane.  It will take three coats to complete the job.

After the floor gets done we need to Sheetrock the ceiling and walls.  One of Jim’s son will probably help him do that project as I’m not sure I am strong enough to be of much help.  They may choose to work on a different project too.  We have plenty of projects to choose from.

We went to church this morning.  Every time I go I meet more people.  Haven’t gotten all the names figured out yet but am working on it.

We went to Walmart after church as Jim’s car starter needed new batteries.  We got a few things for the stocking stuffers while we were there.  Not sure we have everything we need but we will find some time and sort it all out and see what we still need.  We still have two days to shop.

I made taco soup this morning and put it in the crock pot.  Sure made the house smell good all afternoon.  I had a bowl while Jim went to Lowe’s.  He said he would eat later.  I don’t like to eat very late at night and he prefers to eat late.

It will be nice to see Jim’s sons.  One of them is driving in from CA today with his girl friend and the other Jim will go pick up at the airport in Oklahoma City tomorrow late afternoon.  Not sure when they will be over to see Jim other than Christmas Day evening they will be over to have dinner with us.

Tuesday night we will all go to the Christmas Eve service at the church at 11:00 pm.  Both sons will sing in the choir with Jim.  I look forward to attending a Christmas Eve service.   It is one thing I have missed since I stopped going to church years ago.

Jim will be back any minute now so best wrap this up so I am ready to go back to work and get this project done.  Maybe by midnight the floor will be down and ready to be sanded tomorrow.

Grateful for this new learning experience, grateful my body is allowing me to do physical labor without complaining too much, and grateful Jim’s sons will be here soon.

It has been a slow energy type of day.  Neither one of us had a lot of get up and go.  We both managed to get some things done but at a turtle pace today.

Jim dropped off a load of recycling material while I went to the grocery store.  The store wasn’t as busy as I feared it might be.

I detail cleaned the bathroom today.  Hung a new shower curtain in it.  Feels good to have that room done.  Still have more rooms to clean but didn’t have it in me to do more than one room today.

We worked on clearing out the back room so we can start laying new floor tomorrow.  Still need to move the washer and dryer and than Jim needs to put the boards on part of the floor that the new floor will be laid on.  Hopefully it will be ready for us to start laying floor after church tomorrow.

We still have a stack of Christmas gifts to wrap and stocking stuffers to buy.  We still have three days – right?

I fixed baked chicken breast for chicken.  I used a new recipe and it was some of the best baked chicken I have ever had.  You brine the chicken in salt water for 15 minutes before you bake it.  After you bake it you let it rest for 10 minutes.  It was really juicy and tender.  I printed the recipe so I can use it again.  I found it using a google search.

I made the Rollo pretzel bites today.  Still need to dip the pretzels in white chocolate.  May do that yet tonight or else wait until Monday.

My feet have quieted down and not been so cranky today.  The outer part of my right foot hurts. Not sure why it hurts there.

Have been knitting on a blanket – it is almost half done.  I’m surprised it is going as fast as it have been as I haven’t knitted this pattern for a long time.  Brought enough yarn to make four blankets but not sure I will get them all made up.  Also have some tea towels to work on if I need another project for my hands.

I’m tired tonight.  Never felt like I woke up all the way today.  Hopefully I will go to bed early tonight and find more energy tomorrow.  We have a lot to get done tomorrow and it would help if I could move a bit quicker.

Today was Winter Solstice.  I listened to a solstice meditation this morning.  I still need to choose my word for the year and set my intentions for next year.  I’ll try to remember to do that when I take my bath tonight.

Grateful for Winter Solstice as it means the light will start to return, grateful I got one room detailed cleaned today, and grateful for a new recipe that was delicious.

We are back in Stillwater.  Got going earlier than I anticipated this morning and we arrived in Stillwater before 2:30.  Jim went and picked up a sander and a wood floor nailer thingy from the rental place.  Tomorrow we are going to lay a new floor on the back room and than possibly remove the linoleum from the kitchen and sand the wood floor in there.  We will see how much we can get done.  It will depend on what type of unknown issues we run into.  When you remodel a one hundred year old house there are always surprises in store.

Lots of traffic on the Turnpike this afternoon.  We each drove a car down.  I hate to caravan on the highway so we didn’t try to do that.  Jim had to stop twice and I stopped once for gas and to go to the bathroom.  Most of the time I was able to maintain my speed and the trip took the normal three hours.

I brought a lot of stuff this time.  I will be here for three weeks this time.  Brought yarn to work up, extra clothes and Christmas presents.  Both cars were full so it was a good thing I decided to drive my car too.

It was nice to be back on the prairie for a few days.  My heart is full and refilled from being back on the prairie.  The moonlight on the snow was beautiful and I reconnected with Mother Nature through the sunrises and sunsets.

Tomorrow is Winter Solstice.  The light will start to return following tomorrow.  I am so ready for it!  I need to set my intentions for the coming year tomorrow and decide what my word for the year will be.  Several words are rolling around for me but I haven’t found the correct one yet.  I’m sure I will by tomorrow.

My foot has been a bit better today although it is still a bit cranky.  It is hurting on the  little toe side of the foot today.  Not sure what is up with that.  I think both feet are adjusting to me walking “normally” on them and they have to reset their old habits.

We have a big stack of Christmas presents that need wrapped.  One of Jim’s son will arriving Sunday evening and the other Monday evening so will need to get them wrapped before they come over.  We don’t have the tree up yet either and I need to finish the house cleaning project.  It will be a busy weekend for sure!

I started knitting a blanket last night.  I haven’t used my big needles for several months.  I have been knitting baby blankets that use size 6 needles.  My hands will have to get used to the big ones again.  The pattern is so engrained in my memory that it happens without thought.

Need to put together a grocery list and go to the grocery store tomorrow.  We have stuff for bacon, eggs and hash browns on hand so that will be dinner tonight.  The hardest part about cooking is deciding what to fix.  Once I know what to fix the rest is easy.

I have two or three more presents I would like to go get sometime before Wednesday.  No big deal if I don’t get them though.  We do need to get some stocking stuffer things for the sons and a girlfriend that is coming.  When we need a break from doing the floor we will run out and take care of that.

I bought some pretzels and white dipping chocolate and want to get those made tomorrow before we have to move the stove so we can do the kitchen floor.  I also got Rollo’s and pecans to make that treat for the sons.  I love those things.

It felt like I had come home when we got here this afternoon.  Both houses feel like home.  They couldn’t be much more different from each other but both feel like home.

Grateful for a safe journey home today, grateful tomorrow is Winter Solstice and the light will start returning a bit more each day, and grateful progress is being made on the remodel project inside the house.

Remembering with much love my son-in-law Chris who transitioned on this day three years ago.  He taught me one never knows how much time one has left and I need to make the most of everyday I have as I don’t have the promise of a tomorrow.

The kids came out for a nice dinner last night.  Tagen wasn’t feeling very good but Ellexia was a ball of energy.  It was nice to see them and spend a bit of time with them before I leave again for three weeks.

I had made a list of things I wanted to take to Oklahoma with me and have been gathering stuff up.  I have almost finishing packing.  The car is going to be fully packed.  I have another doctor’s appointment in three weeks so will be back for a few days in case I forgot something.

I worked on finishing up my tax prep work.  Have almost all of it done now.  Just waiting on a few last December bills to come in so I can record those amounts.  Next time I am home I hope the tax prep packet will be ready and I can get it to enter in all the data my accountant needs to do my taxes.

Baked Jim a batch of cookies this morning so he will have cookies for the next three weeks.  My kitchen here is easier for me to bake in than his is.  I have more counter space.  Ran out of Crisco and oatmeal so only could do a single batch.

Did three loads of laundry today.  Need to do a bit of cleaning and than will be ready to leave again for three weeks tomorrow.

Got the results of my blood thyroid level back.  It is 2.8 which is right where it should be.  MD Anderson recommended I keep it between 2.0 and 2.5 but the doctor in Topeka wants it closer to 3.0 for heart health protection.  I will have it checked again in May when I go see my Endocrinologist for my annual visit.

My foot is hurting today.  It is a bit more swollen this morning than it has been.  I have been trying to stay off of it more today and give it some TLC.  I’m sure I overdid it a bit yesterday.

It is almost 50 degrees out today!  The moon was so pretty on the remaining snow last night.  I saw the sunrise again this morning and it was spectacular.  I love the colors in the sky during this time of year.

Winter Solstice is Saturday.  I am ready for the light to start to return and for the days to get longer each day.  I did some deep inner work this season and feel ready to get refilled with light and love.

Grateful for the live of Chris and the lessons and love he taught me, grateful for good blood test results, and grateful to be almost ready to leave again for three weeks.

Had a productive trip to Emporia today. Got my hair cut, had a blood draw to check my thyroid levels, went to the bank, got dog and chicken feed and went to Walmart and got groceries. We were gone almost three hours.

The Plumber came out this morning to check the water softener. Evidentially it melted a gasket which was the dirty stuff that ended up in my bath tub last night. The plumber doesn’t work on water softener although he installs them. He is going to try to find someone to come fix it. It is only three years old and unfortunately no longer under warranty.

I messaged my neighbor that is on the same water district I am to see if they use a water softener. They do not. I will see if it can get fixed and if not I won’t replace it at this time and see what happens.

When we got home we put the groceries away and Jim loaded up the chicken feed into the containers I use to carry it down to the coop. We did chicken chores together and than scrapped the sidewalk and deck so when the kids come tonight they won’t slip and fall.

My foot was a bit swollen this morning and is rather tender this afternoon. I have tried to remember to stop and prop it up off and on during the day. If I remember I will put some ice on it later.

Michelle, Tim and the kiddos are coming out for dinner tonight. They wanted cream chicken and biscuits so that is what is on the menu. I have the chicken cooked and the potatoes peeled. It is an easy meal to fix.

Last night I sorted through my yarn totes. Found one tote full of prayer shawls that I am going to take to Stillwater and donate to Jim’s church. They have a prayer shawl ministry. Threw the contents of another tote away. Gathered enough yarn to make five blankets that I am going to take to Stillwater to work on this winter. Still have too much yarn but am working my way through at least part of it.

I am working on my list of things I want to take to Stillwater when we go back Friday. We will be back in KS in three weeks. My surgeon’s office called this morning and said the surgeon wants me to see the PA in three weeks. He didn’t mention that to me when I was in his office yesterday. We will probably come back on that Wednesday and than return to Stillwater the following Saturday. Hopefully that will be the last appointment I will need.

When I got up this morning and came in the dining room I noticed the sun was rising. The colors both in the east and to the west were breathtaking this morning. I enjoyed the sunset last night too. They are reminders to me why I love living here in spite of all the water issues.

Grateful to have worked my way through my errand list today, grateful the kids are coming out for dinner tonight, and grateful for my plumber that comes when I have issues.

NO MORE BOOT!  The Doctor was most impressed by how fast I heal.  I don’t have to wear the boot anymore.  I am to take it easy for another two weeks and not walk miles.  He didn’t even tell me to ease into not wearing the boot this time.  He didn’t order any more physical therapy but if I think I need more I am to call his office and they will order it.  Going to wait until next week to decide if I need more or not.

I am to go back in six weeks if things don’t continue to progress.  He said to continue to expect it to swell at times but that I should see gradual improvement over the next  six months.

We stopped at a diner in Newton for lunch and than drove home.  The roads were all clear except for my driveway.  I didn’t have any big snow drifts in the driveway so we were able to get into the garage without issue.

Went downstairs to check the booster pump.  It appears to be working properly.  Checked the water softener and found water where the salt should be.  Damn it!  Fix one thing and find another thing broken.  I called the plumber and left a message.  Hopefully we can get it fixed before I leave Friday.  What is it about this house and water issues?

The prairie is so pretty with it’s blanket of snow.  The sun is shining today and it is a beautiful day to look out over the prairie.  When I have been gone for a bit it feels so good to get home and have this view to look at.  I forget every time how much I love looking out my windows at the prairie.  I can feel my soul being filled this afternoon with all the light and beauty around me.

Got through my mail.  Only found one bill that needs paid and found two checks that will need to be deposited.  I notified the post office to temporarily forward my mail to Stillwater starting Friday.  Hope things find me and don’t get lost in the mail.

I had ordered a few things and most of the things were here.  Still waiting on another package or two to come in.  Trusting everything will arrive tomorrow or Thursday.

Tomorrow I am going into Emporia at noon to get my hair cut.  Am having my thyroid levels checked since I will be gone for several months.  Have a long list of errands to run while I am in town tomorrow including going to the bank and getting critter feed.  Also need to pick up a few groceries.

The house is quiet this afternoon.  Jim’s house is fairly quiet but it is near a major road and one can usually hear traffic noise.  It is nice to be back in the quiet.

I will run down and see my chickens and than find the dogs and cats to give some attention to later this afternoon.  They love my house sitter so don’t think any of them even noticed I was gone.

I had trouble falling asleep last night and had to get up early this morning.  May go take a nap this afternoon.  I can sleep in tomorrow morning as I don’t have to be in town until noon.

Grateful for a great report from the doctor and getting out of the boot, grateful to be back on the prairie, and grateful the booster pump is fixed.

I went to physical therapy today.  The therapist was much gentler on my foot today.  She tried to work some of the swelling out of it.  Did the normal stretches and balancing therapies.  She said she could see an improvement – not sure I noticed much of any improvement.

After PT we went to Five Guys for a hamburger.  I had never eaten there before.  The burger was huge and very good.  I had them use a lettuce wrap instead of the bun as I don’t eat flour.  It was a six napkin burger – juicy and messy.

Other than PT I didn’t do much today.  I have worked on some knitting to keep my hands busy but haven’t done any more cleaning today.  I still may get something done but am not counting on it.

We have to be on the road in the morning before 9:00.  I want to allow a bit extra time in case the roads are still slick.  My appointment is at 11:00.  It spitted snow here today but not enough for any accumulation.

We will probably take the turnpike on into Emporia tomorrow as the turnpike is usually easier to drive on than the small highways.  If we go through Emporia we will stop and get groceries and maybe critter feed so we won’t have to come back into town on Wednesday.

We are coming back to Stillwater on Friday so won’t be home very long.  The kids are coming out for dinner Wednesday night so I can see them one more time before Christmas.  Not sure when I will get back up to KS so wanted to see the kiddos this time.

I have been working on the tests I have to take before I qualify to do taxes.  Some of them require I enter the information and I can’t work on those as I don’t have a password to enter the site yet.  I’m almost done with the others that I don’t need the system to do.  I have my first tax meeting on January 9 and than the full training starts January 13 – 15.  We will probably start doing taxes around the first of February.  I look forward to doing them again.

When we get back here Friday we are going to lay a floor.  Jim arranged to rent the equipment he needs to lay the floor while I was at PT.  After we get the floor down we will put up Sheetrock on the ceiling and walls.  I learn a lot working with him and it is usually fun to do so.  His sons will be here next week and hopefully they will help a bit too.

Sure trusting I can fit into my jeans tomorrow.  I have been wearing sweat pants since surgery and feel like I have gained at least five if not ten pounds.  OUCH!  Time to get back on the wagon and get them off.  I’m disappointed in myself I allowed that to happen again.  I had hoped I learned from last time.  At least I was able to get it off before I gained it back again.  I absolutely do not want to buy new jeans if they are too tight.  I’ll have to wear my sweat pants for another couple of weeks if they don’t fit while I take off the extra pounds again.

Looking forward to going home tomorrow.  It is hard to live in two different worlds.  The good thing is both worlds fit me.  I do look forward to mainly staying here for the next three to four months.  Then we will mainly be in KS for three months or so.  Maybe that will help us decide which house fits us the best.

Grateful physical therapy is over unless the doctor orders more tomorrow, grateful the forecast is for sunny skies in KS tomorrow, and grateful I will get to tend to my chickens tomorrow afternoon – boot free!

As feared I didn’t sleep well last night.  That is what I get for taking too long of a nap yesterday.  I didn’t take a nap today so trusting I will sleep well tonight.

We went to church this morning.  They only had one service today so had to be at church at 9:30.  The choir didn’t sing today so actually got to sit with Jim today during the service.

Came home afterwards and after lunch did some cleaning while Jim sorted through several totes of books.  He condensed them and has a big pile to take to the library for the book sale.

This evening we went back to church for a chili feed and carol sing.  Jim led the carol sing.  It was an enjoyable evening.  I am getting to know more people and ran into several people I have gotten to know.

Tomorrow I have physical therapy at 2:00.  It may be my last session.  I’ll see what the doctor says Tuesday.  My toe bends up easily but not so good down.

Tuesday we go to Wichita for my last doctor’s appointment and than on to Strong City for a couple of nights.  We will come back to Stillwater on Friday.  The first of Jim’s sons comes in Sunday evening and will be here for a week.  The other one comes in Monday.  It will be fun having them around for a bit.

When we are here I can envision myself selling my house and moving here full time.  When we are in Strong City the same thing happens!  Guess we will keep both houses for a bit and continue to go back and forth and see where we end up long-term.  It does feel like we live in two different worlds though.  Not sure I want to do that permanently.

I have a list of things I need to get done when I get back to Strong City.  Not sure when I am returning so need to plan for not returning for a month or more.  I’ll have to do a feed haul while I am home so that the critters all have a month’s worth of food on hand.

I hear the prairie got a cover of snow today and more snow is predicted for tomorrow.  We got a light sprinkle this morning here but no snow.  Trusting the roads will be clear by Tuesday morning.

Need to remember to pick up and bring my address book back to Stillwater as I want to send a few Christmas cards next week.

Grateful for a church family that accepts me and welcomes me, grateful the time in my boot has almost come to an end, and grateful for libraries that will accept used books.

Got a private message on Facebook yesterday asking me if I used to be a foster parent.  Turns out my second foster child was adopted by this lady.  Wow!  That was way back in 1989.  I had the daughter for six weeks.  I had picked her up at the hospital when she was two days old.  I remember meeting the adoptive parents but we only spent about thirty minutes with them.  She is going to send me a picture she took that day and a current one of her daughter.

That stirred up lots of memories for me.  I originally went into foster care to take care of infants that were waiting adoption.  We had two infants and then the agency we were fostering through stopped that program.  We than began fostering older children.  I loved taking care of the infants.

Had a nonproductive day today.  Did some knitting this morning but was lazy and didn’t do any cleaning.  After lunch decided to take a nap and slept for almost three hours.  Must have been more tired than I realized.  Trusting I will eventually sleep tonight.  We have to get up by 8:30 so we can go to 9:30 church tomorrow.

Fixed a new crock pot recipe for dinner.  It had boneless chicken thighs, green salsa, and spices in it.  Served it over rice.  It was good.  I was afraid it was going to be too spicy but it had lots of flavor but wasn’t hot spicy.  I’ll fix it again sometime but not sure I would want to eat it everyday.

My foot is feeling better tonight.  It woke me up a couple of times last night but has been quiet today.  Hopefully it has gotten over the fit it was throwing for being manipulated in therapy Thursday.  Hopefully Monday the therapist will be a bit gentler with it.

So looking forward to Tuesday and getting permission to quit wearing the boot.  It is time to retire permanently my boot.  I keep thinking about walking pain free come spring time.

Tomorrow we have church in the morning and again in the evening.  They are having a chili feed and than a Christmas carol sing that Jim leads.  I love Christmas music so should be a good time.

Grateful for Facebook and the new connection that was made, grateful for Saturday afternoon naps, and grateful a new recipe turned out great.

 

It has been a beautiful day in Stillwater today.   No wind and the temperature was in the low 60’s.  We worked outside most of the afternoon.  Have two more sets of windows ready for the storm windows to be put back up,  We are making slow progress.

Jim has a laptop that he hasn’t been able to print from.  I worked on that for a bit this afternoon and got it working.  I also got the printer connected to the new router.  I always feel more than satisfied with myself when I figure something like that out.  Ever so grateful for Google and finding how to instructions.  Now I need to figure out how to get my wireless printer at home to work.

Did some more detail cleaning today.  Making slow progress on that project too.  The house is starting to take shape with clean windows and being cleaner inside.

My feet hurt last night.  They didn’t like anything touching them and woke me up to tell me so several times during the night.  They are better today although they both are still complaining a bit.  Decided not to push them and skipped taking my mile walk today. Sure trusting that by tomorrow they will stop complaining and I can get a long walk in.

Need to take a trip to Walmart either tonight or tomorrow.  Kinda hate to go tomorrow as I bet it will be filled with Christmas shoppers.  I need some more tape to wrap my foot with and have a list of other things I want to pick up too.  I might chicken out and not go and just get some tape at the grocery store and call it good.  The other stuff I need can wait until next week.

Sunday we have church at 9:30 and than again at 5:30.  Maybe we can get to the movies Sunday afternoon.  It was too nice outside today to take the time to go this afternoon.

I have felt a bit achy all over today.  Tagen is home sick with a cold.  Trusting I am not getting something.  I think it is just my feet hurting and spreading their discontent all over my body. My balance was a bit off when I was outside today.  Just one of those days I guess.

If I think about it I might pick up some Christmas cards when I go to Walmart.  I haven’t sent cards out for several years but the urge is hitting me to do so this year.  We will see if I can get my act together enough to actually get some mailed this year.

This weather is throwing my off.  It feels too warm to be mid December.  We are to get some snow back home Sunday and Monday.  There is a chance for freezing rain here.  Maybe that will help me find some Christmas spirit.  Each year it gets harder and harder for me to get into the spirit of Christmas.

Grateful for beautiful December days that I can be outside most of the afternoon, grateful to have solved some computer issues for Jim, and grateful progress is being made on our to do list around here – even if the progress feels turtle speed slow.

I had physical therapy at noon today.  I was at the clinic for over one and one half hours.  At the end my therapist stretched my toe and bent it against it’s will.  OUCH!  I have much more flexibility in it now and I also have a lot more pain in it.  Hopefully it will calm down soon and maintain the new flexibility.

We went out for lunch after therapy and stopped at the grocery store for a few things.  Jim is now outside working on windows.  I have been inside doing some cleaning.  We only have ten more days before Jim’s sons come home for Christmas and the house isn’t ready yet.

We don’t have anything we have to do tomorrow and Saturday.  Sunday we go to church in the morning and again for a special hymn sing in the evening.  Monday I have physical therapy again and than Tuesday we go to Wichita for my last doctor’s appointment.  We will go to Strong City for a few days after I see the doctor and than come back to Stillwater next Friday.

Finally feeling more like myself today.  This has been a tough week for me for some reason.  It is good to be feeling good again.  I hope I don’t have to take a pain pill this evening as they depress me and drain my energy level.  I keep reminding myself this foot journey is almost over and to hang in their just a bit longer.

The window project has taken much longer than expected.  Hoping we are getting close to finishing that project so we can move on to the next one.  The list of projects is long and each project seems to take longer than planned.  One of the hazards of home repair I guess.

The internet worked great this morning.  The new router seems to have increased the internet speed.  Grateful I was able to get the router installed and up and working.

I tried getting hold of Ellexia yesterday to wish her a happy birthday but she didn’t have her phone turned on.  Trusting she had a fun day and the clothes I ordered for her fit.

Picked up my training material so I can start studying for my tax tests I have to pass so I can do taxes in Oklahoma.  As I read through the exercises I just have to shake my head.  None of the cases come even close to the reality of the type of cases I actually do.  Wish they would let us spend our training time on real world cases instead of unusual cases that we will not see.  I’ll have to start studying the material.  My classes are in the middle of January so have lots of time to get through it and prepare myself.  I’m so grateful the lady in charge in Stillwater reached out to me and will let me do taxes here this winter.

Feel a bit like I am living in two different worlds.  Both feel comfortable and like I am at home.  Not sure I would want to live like this for a long time but am managing it OK for now.

I had a fun time at the choir party last night.  I have gotten to know several of the people that were there and had some good conversations with several of them last night.  They are all nice people and interesting to talk to.  Most are associated somehow or other with OSU.

Grateful for more flexibility in my big toe, grateful for friends of Jim that accept me, and grateful some more cleaning got done today.

Woke up to no internet this morning.  It happened yesterday and the internet company was able to trouble shoot and get it going.  This morning they discovered the router was bad.  We went to Best Buy to get a new one.

Came home and installed it.  Had a bit of trouble.  It was the first one I have installed using a cell phone instead of the main computer.  Had to download an app and work my way through.  It didn’t install the first time.  After some frustrating moments I discovered the new router has an on/off button.  Duh!!!  Once I turned that on things went better.  Took about an hour to get it up and running but by golly I did it!  Technology isn’t Jim’s strong suit!

Painted a beam on the back porch this afternoon.  It required some ladder work.  It felt good to have something productive to do.

Made deviled eggs to take to the choir party tonight.  They are something I can eat so that may be my dinner if there isn’t anything else there I can eat.  I know several of the choir people so it will be a fun evening.

Tomorrow I have physical therapy again at noon.  I want to go see the new Mr. Rogers movie in the afternoon or evening tomorrow.  If it is a nice day we may have to wait and go in the evening so we don’t miss outside work time.

Got a phone call today from the Stillwater AARP tax person.  I found out when the meetings are to get certified to do this year’s taxes.  I’m excited she called me and look forward to doing taxes again.  They don’t do them in the evenings and are going to try doing them on Saturday’s this year.  I hope they can use me several times a week.

Christmas is two weeks from today.  We need to get a tree up at Jim’s house so we will have it when his two sons come for Christmas.  We still need to go get stocking stuffers and wrap the gifts we ordered and than we should be ready for Christmas.  Not sure what we are fixing for dinner but have time to sort that all out.

This year seems to have flown by.  So much has changed in my life and I anticipate even more change for 2020.

Ellexia turned 10 today!  My goodness it seems like it was only two or three years ago when she was born.  She is so bright, creative and fun to be around.  She also has a huge heart and is a kind soul.

Grateful for Ellexia and her presence in my life, grateful I heard from the tax people so I can be in service doing taxes next year, and grateful to have had a painting project to do today.

One more week before I should get released from wearing my boot.  I am ready!

Walked a mile tonight.  Adding 1/4 mile each time I go out for a walk.  Uneven surfaces still challenge me a bit but they are getting easier.  Neither foot complained during or after our walk.  Felt like pushing it a bit and going even farther but resisted as I don’t want to set myself back.

Got two storm windows inserted this afternoon.  They are old windows and they don’t like to move back into place.  I learned how to use a caulking gun and placed the caulking on the storm window frame than held it in place while Jim screwed the frame back on.  Hopefully the weather is nice again tomorrow and we can get at least one more set of windows done.

Have felt a bit sad and disconnected for some reason today.  Thinking it is the effect of the full moon that happens Thursday as well as the last two weeks before Winter Solstice.  Allowing it to be what it is and remembering not to resist the sadness.  And this too shall pass!

Tomorrow night Jim has a choir Christmas party to go to.  I get to go too.  We have to take some food so will need to go to the grocery store tomorrow and fix some things to take.  Still not sure what we are taking.

We made chili this morning and put it in the crock pot for dinner tonight.  It was really good and the house smelled really good all afternoon.

Thursday I have physical therapy again at noon.  Hopefully it will be my next to last therapy session.  I will find out Tuesday if I need more or not.  We are going to KS Tuesday and staying until the weekend so if I need more I’ll have to see if the place in Emporia can fit me in next week and than schedule more the following week in Stillwater.

The full moon Thursday happens on 12/12 and the moon will hit 100% full at 12:12.  I looked up the significance of the number 12.  Wow!  Maybe that is why I have felt a bit out of sorts the last two or three days.  Looking forward to the new energy that the full moon brings in.  I’m ready for some calm after this storm of emotion I have been feeling.

Grateful for being able to walk a mile relatively pain free, grateful for the range of emotion I can allow myself to experience, and grateful two windows are put back together again.

Spent the morning not doing much.  We worked on straightening some cords and eliminating extra ones behind the desk.  Other than that it was a quiet day at home.

I had physical therapy this afternoon.  They were busy and it felt a bit chaotic at the center today.  They had me wear both tennis shoes and do some balancing exercises.  I was able to do them easier today as compared to last week.  I’ll take that as progress. My toe was a bit swollen and I didn’t think it was moving as well as it had been.  All part of the healing process I guess.

We don’t have anything on our calendar for tomorrow.  Jim has a long list of things he wants to work on.  It is to be a bit warmer tomorrow so hopefully we can get outside and get some things done.  We really need to get the storm windows back up before winter hits.

I slept for about three hours last night and than woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep until 7:00 this morning.  Woke up at 8:30 and couldn’t sleep any more.  Sure makes for a long night when I don’t sleep through.

I brought a couple paperback books with me this time.  I finished one of them and am almost through a second one.  I also started knitting another baby blanket yesterday so have that to work on when the mood hits for me to do so.

I feel like I have gained five pounds this week.  Not sure if that is true or if I am just bloated.  When I don’t wear my normal jeans I can’t gauge my size.  Hope the jeans fit when I finally get back into them.  I am not eating flour or sugar but am having trouble keeping portion size in check and have been snacking occasionally.  My body has been telling me enough with the cheating.  It really does function better when I stick to foods that it likes.  Maybe the motivation to go back strictly on plan will find me soon.

I need to call and get a haircut for the time I am home next week.  All of a sudden my hair has gotten long and unshapely and badly needs cut back into shape.

Feeling a bit better today.  The last two days my energy level has been really low and I have felt like a slug.  Had more energy today although I am tired tonight.  I was starting to think I was coming down with something and am glad to realize I am not.

Grateful for physical therapy and my improving balance, grateful for quiet days at home and grateful to be feeling better today.

Just woke up from a short nap.  I didn’t sleep very well last night and needed an energy boost to get through the rest of the day.  Jim had to be at church at 8:00 this morning so he was tired too as he didn’t get to bed until close to 2:00.  I love Sunday afternoon naps!

I didn’t go to church until 10:00.  While Jim was gone this morning I started the deep cleaning project.  I didn’t get a lot done this morning but at least the project is started.

The lady that sat with me last time I was in church sat beside me again.  She struggles to stand up so I remained seated with her again today.  She put her gloves on at some point during service as she was cold.  I wished I had thought to take my gloves as I was cold during service too.

We don’t have anything on our calendar until Wednesday evening.  I do want to go see the new Mr. Rogers movie sometime over the next two or three days.  It is showing here in Stillwater.

We got the last of our Christmas shopping done last night.  If everything comes in as ordered we should be in good shape.  I have a few things at my house I need to remember to bring back with me.  I will still need to wrap things when they come in but Christmas shopping is done!

I have been cold all day today.  It is in the low 60’s outside but I got a chill this morning and can’t seem to warm up.  Sure hope I am not getting sick.

Being at Jim’s house without my normal things to do still feels weird to me.  I don’t have anything to do to feel productive.  It is forcing me to relax and remember being is enough.  Sometimes that lesson is still hard to sit with.

Grateful for Sunday afternoon naps, grateful my Christmas shopping is done, and grateful for my life lessons.

 

Last night I fell asleep on the couch watching Rachel Maddow.  I finally woke up around 11:00.  Stayed up until 1:00 and than went to bed.  I had trouble falling asleep but managed to get another couple hours of sleep before I got up at 7:00 this morning.

It has been a lazy day for me today.  We went to Lowe’s to pick up a few things Jim needed and than stopped by the grocery store.  I had a headache when we got home so laid down for a bit.  I didn’t sleep long but felt a bit better when I got up.  I still have a bit of a headache but it isn’t pounding like it was before.

Walked 1/2 mile down the sidewalk today.  It felt good to get back out and start walking.  I will add some distance each day until I get back up to a couple miles a day.

Talked to my real estate partner today. The people that wanted to rent the house have four big inside dogs. We decided that we weren’t going to proceed with discussions with them. They live in a RV. How do they do that with four dogs?

It is in the mid 50’s here today but the sun is shinning and the wind isn’t too strong.  There is a bit of nip in the air though and it feels like it might get cold tonight.

Tomorrow Jim has to be at church by 8:00.  The choir is singing at both services.  He is going to come back and get me after the first service is over.

I dropped my pill box this morning and spilled out all the pills on the floor.  We keep finding more pills.  Thankfully I found all my thyroid medication which is the only one that is really important I take each day.  I hate when I do something stupid like that.

Texted with Ellexia for a bit today.  She and her daddy have been in Kentucky visiting family.  Sounds like she is having a good time.  She was mad though as her student teacher brought her dog to school on Friday and Ellexia had to miss it.

Last weekend Ellexia and I went on-line and she picked out her birthday present.  It is to arrive via mail Monday or Tuesday this week.  I hope the things she picked out fit.  She likes to shop.  This way I know she will get something she likes.

We have been working on scrapping and cleaning windows to get them ready to put the storm windows back up.  Clean windows are so pretty!  Makes me want to go home and clean all of mine.

Feeling a bit scattered and lost this afternoon.  Part of it is because I don’t have tasks to do while I am here.  Jim did give me permission to clean his house this afternoon.  I want to do a deep clean on it while I am here.  He keeps a pretty clean house but it needs a woman’s touch.  The woodwork needs washed, etc.  While I am up in the mornings and he sleeps I will get started on it.  It will feel good to have something productive to do.

The Winter Solstice is two weeks from today.  This last two weeks of darkness before the light starts to return is always hard for me.  I’m always more than ready for the light to start to grow in length each day.  I need to give some thought to the intentions I want to set for the coming year.  I choose a word for the year that reminds me of something I want to focus on.  My word for this year was “We” to remind myself to lean on others and not isolate myself.  I have used balance, movement, and pause in past years.  Not sure what I want to use for 2020.

Grateful for naps and lazy days, grateful for a cleaning project to give me something to do, and grateful for the light that I draw my strength from.

We went to Best Buy and Lowe’s today to pick up some items. Didn’t find what I wanted at Best Buy and got overwhelmed with all the choices. Jim got some supplies from Lowe’s. He then took me to the local kitchen store and I got a good cookie scooper.

After lunch we went outside and scrapped the old silicone off a few more storm window frames. Ended up with two small cuts on my fingers from hitting unexpected rough edges on the frames. Ouch!

I need to fix dinner in a bit. Not sure what I am making other than we have some chicken thawed and it needs to be used up.

My thighs are sore from doing squats at therapy yesterday. Man! I am out of shape. When I get back here after my short trip home in two weeks I want to join the Y in Stillwater for three months and start working out. I am not doing well working out on my own at home. Maybe I can stick with it for three months if I go to a gym.

Haven’t heard from the people that might be interested in renting my house for three months. Not sure if my business partner spoke with them or not. I have a back-up plan in place in case they don’t come through. We will see what happens.

No plans for anything special to do tomorrow. We didn’t get much done outside today as we started late and lost daylight. Maybe tomorrow we will get an earlier start and get something done. There is lots to do inside too so maybe we can do a project or two inside tonight.

We do need to do some on-line shopping so may get that done tonight. I will be able to relax and enjoy the spirit of the Christmas season when all the gifts are purchased and have arrived. I only have four more gifts to get and I will be done.

I slept hard for about four hours last night and then didn’t sleep well the rest of the night. I almost took a nap this afternoon but went outside instead. May be another early bedtime for me tonight.

For some reason this week the days of the week don’t make sense to me. Having trouble remembering this is Friday. Not really sure what day of the week would make more sense though. One benefit of being retired is I have lost my old relationship to dates and time. Although I occasionally have appointments where I have to be some where most of the time I don’t. The days kinda run together after a while.

My foot is holding up well today. I didn’t use my crutches at all today. So far neither foot is cranky although last night they both were. I could tell the temperature was dropping and changing. It was only in the mid 50’s here today instead of the 70’s like yesterday. It is to be even colder tomorrow. I like the 70’s better!

Grateful for sunny skies today, grateful for this time with Jim, and grateful for what sleep I did get.

Went to physical therapy in Stillwater today.  I have the same therapist I had last time I was here.  She is impressed with where I am so far.  She is going to help me strengthened my core and work on my balance on uneven surfaces.  I set up three more appointments with her which will take me up to my last appointment with my surgeon.  Then I will find out from him if I need additional therapy or if I am done.

We stopped and got some groceries after physical therapy.  It was a beautiful day here today with the temperature hitting 70.  We worked outside scrapping windows and storm window frames.  I was able to navigate the yard fairly well.

Jim had a library board meeting tonight.  While he was gone I fixed dinner and washed the dishes.  We had a nice dinner when he got home.

The temperature is to drop a bit tomorrow and only be in the mid 50’s tomorrow.  We may have to work inside.  We have plenty of work projects inside to do too so I’m sure we will find something to do.

Got a call from my real estate partner.  Someone contacted him about potentially renting my house for three months.  My partner was going to call them and get more information and do an initial screening and if they pass that he will have them call me to schedule a time where we can meet and they can see the house.  That would be a load off my shoulders if I can find a renter for three to four months.  We’ll see how this plays out.

I was able to sleep about five hours straight last night – an excellent night of sleep for me.  I’m tired this evening.  Thinking I am still recovering from all the Thanksgiving and Christmas busyness.  It has been good to relax here and not have lots of things I feel I have to do each day.

My foot is a bit cranky tonight after the workout the therapist gave me today.  I walked most of the day without my crutches so it is getting used to that too.  Hopefully it will calm down when I take my bath and not be yelling at me all night.

Grateful for a beautiful December day today, grateful for physical therapists, and grateful for my real estate partner.

 

We rushed around this morning and got everything on my list done and were on our way to Wichita a little after 9:00. I got released from using the crutches today. I am to use them if I walk a long distance or on uneven ground. The x-ray looked good and the incision has healed nicely. I go back for my last check in two weeks when I should get released from using the boot.

She gave me orders for two more weeks of physical therapy but said I didn’t need to do all of it if I decide against it. I have an appointment with the therapist in Stillwater tomorrow at noon. I’ll see what the physical therapist here recommends in terms of how much longer I need to go.

I tend to stay off my foot more at Jim’s house than at home so it should continue to heal well the next two weeks.

After we left the doctor’s office we stopped at the New Balance shoe store and Jim got a new pair of shoes. I was going to get some but they recommended I wait until I am out of the boot so both feet can be fitted.

We went to a dive for some tacos after the shoe store and than headed for Stillwater. It was a familiar and uneventful drive here. The cats were glad to get to go outside after being cooped up inside for two weeks.

Jim has choir practice tonight so I will have a quiet evening alone. We are both a bit tired so I may take a nap while he is gone.

I called the plumber this morning to find out what is up with the booster pump. They came out shortly after I called. They finally figured out what the problem was and got it fixed. They found a problem and have ordered parts to fix what broke. My house sitter is to let me know when the parts come in so I can have the plumber back out to fix what broke. Glad this problem is almost resolved.

Before we left this morning I trimmed the hair under Sophia’s collar. Her fur is so thick it blocks the shock collar from shocking her unless I trim her hair. I cut enough off that I was able to tighten the collar one notch and could have cut a bunch more off. I am always afraid I will cut her skin so don’t get too close to her skin.

There was a fairy egg yesterday in the egg bucket Jim brought up. The hens are slowly starting to lay again after their fall break.

It will be nice to relax and not have anything I have to do for the next two weeks. Once I get out of the boot and we come back mid December I have a list of things I want to do here. I am so looking forward to being able to move easily again. Two more weeks!

Grateful for another good report from the doctor today, grateful for another safe journey to Stillwater, and grateful my booster pump issue is finally getting resolved.

Finally got the Newsletter material around 2:00. Jim and I stuffed envelopes from 2:15 until 7:00. Lynn and Kay came to help. We got them all stuffed but not all of them are sealed shut. Lynn will pick them all up in the morning and finish them for me.

We got slowed down a bit as some of the letters were out of order. They also had reverse collated the envelopes but not the letters. Made it a bit more challenging and take a bit longer than it should have to match letters with the right envelope. My back is sore tonight from holding the same position for too long this afternoon. I really wanted to get them all stuffed so I didn’t take breaks. Big mistake! My hot bath will feel really good tonight.

Have been working on crossing things off my to do list to get ready to leave tomorrow. We are coming back to KS for my next doctor’s appointment December 17 so I don’t have to take as much as I first thought I would have to this time. That makes packing this time easier.

I baked a batch of cookies this morning. Jim is a bit of a Cookie Monster and his supply was getting low. It is easier for me to bake at my house than his so decided to get them made. My ovens are starting to bake very unevenly and inconsistently. May need to replace them sometime next year.

Anticipating I will get released from needing to use crutches tomorrow. I have already been off them illegally for almost a week. I will still have to be in the boot for at least two more weeks. The end is in sight!

This surgery was easier than the first one but the accumulative effect of the two is starting to wear me out. It seems like a long time since I was able to move around easily and walk for as long as I wanted to without pain. So looking forward to spring when both feet are completely healed and I am good to go.

It was a beautiful day on the prairie today. I’m sorry I was stuck inside this afternoon stuffing envelopes and I didn’t get out to enjoy the day. Jim didn’t get the sanding on the steps done as he helped me with the newsletter instead. Hopefully when we come back the 17th for two or three days we can get the steps done then. We won’t get the rest of the painting done until spring.

Haven’t heard from my plumber about the booster pump. I hate to leave with it not fixed. I sent him a text and asked for an update but didn’t get a response. I will try to remember to call him in the morning and see if I can find out what they are doing.

Grateful the Newsletter is all stuffed, grateful for help with the Newsletter today, and grateful for ibuprofen for my sore back tonight.

Another busy day on the prairie. I had physical therapy at 1:00 in Emporia. We left a little early so I could drop off some fudge and New Year’s Cookies to Chad. After physical therapy we stopped at the bank to cash two checks. We than went to Walmart to get cat food. I picked up a prescription at CVS and we headed home.

Shortly after we got home the Pella Window Guy showed up to install the seal in the window they had replaced several weeks ago. It didn’t take him very long. He forgot to put the screen back on but I knew how to do that so I didn’t have to call him back.

I have hamburger soup in the crock pot cooking for dinner tonight. It sure makes the house smell good.

The Newsletter isn’t done yet. It still may get done so I can work on it this evening. If not, I won’t get it until mid morning tomorrow. I won’t be able to get it all done for them but will get as much as I can done.

I need to start pulling out some things to pack. I have a doctor’s appointment December 17 so we plan on coming back here for one or two days either before or after that appointment. It will give me a chance to pick up anything I forget so packing doesn’t feel so overwhelming right now.

We still need to go drop off a big pile of recycling. I have been dumping my containers and storing them in the garage so have about three normal trips worth of stuff to take. Jim was going to take it but decided to wash his car instead. We will take it when we pick up the Newsletter either tonight or tomorrow morning.

Got my first electric bill since I had the solar panels installed. It was only $43. A normal bill would have been well over $125. Trusting this summer when the sun shines longer I will see even more savings. My minimum bill each month is $35 regardless of how much electricity we generate. Didn’t need much of their electricity- I like that!

Got the bed Tagen used made up today. Still have some more cleaning that I would like to get done before I leave Wednesday morning and the house sitter comes.

I checked all the critter food supplies this morning and all I needed was the cat food so we didn’t have to make a big feed haul today. Will need to check it all again the 17th and see what we need then.

It has been a beautiful day on the prairie. Mid 50’s and sunshine and the best part has been little to no wind. It is to be nice again tomorrow so Jim hopes to finish sanding the steps and get them painted. I will be working on the Newsletter so he will be on his own to get them done.

My foot continues to improve. I got to 15 with my toe extension today. You only need 10 to walk comfortably, My balance was good this time – last time my balance was really off after surgery. Not sure if that is because I am left handed and that is my strong side that was operated on the first time. Whatever it is I am grateful I didn’t lose my balance so easily this time.

I start physical therapy in Oklahoma on Thursday. Will probably have two to four more weeks of therapy to do. He has been working a bit on my left foot too as it still gets stiff and sore. I can see progress with both feet.

We are going to stop at the New Balance store in Wichita Wednesday after my doctor’s appointment. Jim wants a new pair and I need to see if I can find a pair that will be comfortable for the next six months. The pair I have now I have worn non-stop for almost a year and they are starting to wear out. I have to continue wearing my tennis shoes for six more months before I can start wearing cute shoes again. Good thing I don’t really care what I look like – I totally go only for comfort these days.

Grateful for soup cooking in the crock pot for dinner tonight, grateful my errands got finished, and grateful for this beautiful day on the prairie.

Recovery day for me today. I even took a nap!

We lost power this morning for over three hours. Sure glad it happened today and not yesterday when I was trying to bake a turkey and make dinner. We had the fireplace on in the living room and stayed nice and warm until the furnace came back on when the power returned.

Tagen spent the night. He didn’t get breakfast before the power went out but found snacks to eat. Ellexia came out around 11:00. Michelle and Tim are at the Chief’s football game. The kids had macaroni and cheese for lunch.

They each got new books so we have been reading aloud this afternoon. Tagen is downstairs watching the football game. Ellexia is on her iPad. It has been a quiet afternoon on the prairie.

I am going to fix them dinner tonight and then take them into town to go to their house. I’m not sure when Michelle and Tim will get home. This way the kids can get their showers and get to bed if their parents are running late.

Ellexia and I went shopping on-line this afternoon and ordered her birthday present. She wanted some more clothes. She did a good job picking some things out. They are to arrive on December 11 which just happens to be her birthday. I had them shipped directly to her so she will get them. I won’t be home until December 17.

Tomorrow I have physical therapy in the early afternoon. I have a list of errands to run either before or after therapy. The Pella Window guy is coming back late morning to replace a seal on the window he had replaced. I hope he is done before I have to leave to go to town. If not, I will leave him here alone.

I am hoping the Pioneer Bluffs Newsletter will be done tomorrow afternoon so I can get started on it. Not sure I will be able to get the whole thing done before I leave Wednesday morning for my doctor’s appointment but hope to get a good start on it for them.

Cleaned the living room, dining room and kitchen floors this morning. Found lots of dirt. I can’t remember when I had last moved the furniture and gave the floors a good cleaning. Need to do a bit more cleaning this afternoon. I also need to strip the bed Tagen used and wash the sheets. Always something that needs done around here.

My feet have both been cranky today. I have tried to spend more time with my feet propped up today than I have been on them. The wind is still blowing and the temperature is starting to drop. I’m sure my feet would feel better if the sun would come out and the wind would calmed down. The wind has worn me down.

Grateful the grandkids are here for the day, grateful I got some cleaning done, and grateful for reading time today!

Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family is done! Eleven of us gathered and had a huge feast for Thanksgiving. Luckily all the food turned out beautifully and everyone ate their fair share. We had way too many left overs!

We had a grab bag gift exchange after dinner which was fun. You never know what people will bring – the gifts range from gag gifts to practical. Sure makes Christmas more fun for me not to have to buy a gift for everyone.

I got rid of most of the candies and cookies. It is good to have that stuff out of the house. Tomorrow I need to clean out my refrigerator and see what is left in it. It is still way too full and needs reorganized. I won’t have to cook for several days as we have plenty of leftovers.

Tagen is spending the night. Ellexia went home but will be back out to spend the day tomorrow. It is only 7:00 now but it feels like midnight to me. It might be an early to bed type of night.

I’m afraid I was on my foot too much today. I’ll have to stay off it most of the day tomorrow. It is rather swollen tonight. There is a weather change coming in and that is making both feet bark at me.

The wind is sustaining at 25 MPH and gusting up to 40 plus. I might need to put in ear plugs tonight to dull the sound of the roar. It is forecast to blow all night and most of the day tomorrow too. It can wear on my last nerve sometimes.

I love having all my kids home at the same time. I am pleased that Craig and his new wife Nancy joined us today too. It was a wonderful time for all with no drama. Lots of laughter and love in the house today!

I think Jim was a bit overwhelmed at times but he fit right in. He has two grown sons but neither of them are married so he is used to a much calmer Christmas. It was rather loud at times here today – but loud in the best way possible in my opinion.

Grateful for my family, grateful Christmas is over for this year, and grateful Tagen is spending the night.

Had an early start to my day as I had to be in Emporia at 7:30 for physical therapy. My therapist pushed and pulled my big toe and rubbed and stretched my foot. The extension on the big toe has moved from 6 degrees to 13. You only need 10 to walk properly so am making good progress. I go back Monday for my last visit with him. If needed I go back to the Oklahoma physical therapy place on Thursday. I’ll find out Wednesday if I need to continue to go. Thinking I will need a couple more weeks of therapy.

Stopped and got a few groceries after therapy and than came home. My two guests were still here so got a last chance to visit with them for a bit before they left late morning. It was so good that they were able to come Wednesday night and we were able to have a good visit. We called a mutual friend that lives in Ecuador and had a group chat. Fun!

After my friends left Jim and I gathered all the sheets from the five beds that were used and started laundry. I had two loads of my clothes that needed washed too. Worked on and off all afternoon and put the four bedrooms that were used back into order.

Jim went into Emporia to get parts to fix a blocked faucet and a broken door sweep. While he was gone I took a short nap. I didn’t sleep well last night and had been up since 4:30. I woke up hard after my nap. Think I am running on empty right now. Have spent a quiet afternoon and evening working to refill myself to get ready for the family coming tomorrow.

I laid out all the pantry stuff for the food I am making for tomorrow. I wanted to make sure I have what I need to make everything. Haven’t found anything I have forgotten – yet! I broke the bread into small pieces for the dressing this afternoon. Not much else I can do ahead of time. Craig and his wife are bringing pies so I didn’t have to bake those this afternoon.

I will put the turkey in the oven around 8:00 tomorrow. Need to make a timeline for myself for the rest of the meal. We are eating at 4:00 tomorrow so need to figure out what to do when. We usually eat at 1:00 and I know the timeline for that. 4:00 just worked better for all the kids schedules. It is hard to find a time when two of the kids work shift work.

I’m glad we are doing Christmas tomorrow. It is my least favorite holiday and I will be glad it is over. Maybe I can enjoy the spirit of Christmas better this year knowing our Christmas is done.

We are in the last 21 days before Winter Solstice. It is always a hard time for me as the days continue to have less day light. After tomorrow is over I will take some time and practice good self care and get some extra rest and quiet time. I feel the remnants of old stuff inside that need love and care so they can break off and be released. That takes energy and intention and quiet for it to happen. It tends to make me feel a bit exhausted and weepy. Grateful we are getting Christmas out of the way so that won’t be a distraction for me.

Sunday the grandkids will be here all day which will be fun. Monday I need to start packing for my four months in Oklahoma. Need to make a feed run and load up on chicken, dog and cat food. I also need to clean the house so it is ready for the house sitter Wednesday. I may have a newsletter for Pioneer Bluffs to work on so am starting to run out of time to get done all I wanted to get done. It will be good to get to Oklahoma and slow things down again.

Grateful for my friends that came to visit, grateful for my physical therapist that is helping me to move naturally again, and grateful my family will be gathering tomorrow.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner today. Fourteen of us gathered to feast together. The meal was delicious and the conversation at the tables was rich. I appreciated all that came.

It has been lightly raining, snowing or sleeting most of the day. At least there was no wind today. It was in the low 30’s today.

Tomorrow I have to be in Emporia at physical therapy at 7:30. Afterwards I need to stop and get a few groceries. I think I will go to Aldi’s instead of Walmart as I don’t want to fight the crowd at Walmart.

Tomorrow afternoon I will start fixing food for our Thanksgiving dinner Saturday. It will be a bit more work than the dinner today as I am fixing more side dishes. I look forward to having my family together so it will be fun!

Tagen wants to come back out tomorrow and spend the night. Both grandkids are spending the night Saturday night as their parents are going to the Chief’s game Sunday. It is always fun to have them out for the night.

Maybe after Saturday I can start to get myself organized and make a list of things I need to take to Oklahoma. Don’t think it has sunk in I am going away for four months.

I may have a Newsletter for Pioneer Bluffs to work on tomorrow evening or sometime on Tuesday. If I don’t get it until Tuesday I won’t be able to finish it.

It will be good to go to the surgeon’s office Wednesday and hopefully get released from having to use my crutches. I must confess I haven’t been using them much today and my foot is a touch swollen tonight as a result. I’m sure it will go down overnight. I’ll try to remember to use them tomorrow and give my foot a rest.

Grateful for my friends and family that joined around my table today, grateful for a successful meal today, and grateful for all the help others offered me today.

It has been a busy day around here today. This morning I started my Thanksgiving Dinner cooking. Made a loaf of banana bread, one batch of fudge, eclairs, and a pecan pie. Still have pumpkin pies to make tonight and a cherry jello salad.

I have five people coming for dinner tonight plus Jim and I. I have a batch of homemade spaghetti sauce cooking. I will fix a big green salad and some French bread to go with it. I will also roast a spaghetti squash as well as cook traditional spaghetti.

Did three loads of laundry and a bit of cleaning. My house really needs deep cleaned again but it is too hard to clean when I have to use a crutch. I’m afraid I haven’t used my crutch as much as I should have today. It is so hard to bend over with a crutch. So far my foot doesn’t hurt so I don’t think I have over used it.

Jim woke up not feeling well this morning. He is taking a long nap this afternoon. He was feeling a bit better before he laid down. I trust what ever was wrong will pass quickly and he will be able to enjoy the company that is coming tonight and tomorrow. It is no fun to be sick on Thanksgiving.

All five of my guests coming for dinner are spending the night. I love having a house full of people and will enjoy this evening and tomorrow. I’m fixing waffles, bacon and eggs for breakfast tomorrow morning.

My brother and part of his family are coming for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow at 1:00. I still have room at my table if anyone wants to come join us. I am fixing a ham instead of a turkey this year. I have plenty of food so come eat with us!

The wind blew like crazy last night. It finally calmed down early morning. Today the sun has been out and it has been a beautiful day on the prairie although a touch cold for my liking. The high was only in the low 40’s. Too cold to paint today.

Tomorrow I will fix the ham, cheesy potato casserole, and a green bean casserole. One of the guests coming is bringing veggies to bake and another is bringing yeast rolls. We will have a feast for sure!

Got the last of my Christmas presents for Saturday wrapped and ready. Nice to have that done. I will have Friday to get myself organized for Saturday. Saturday I am fixing a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings. We will celebrate Christmas after we stuff our faces with turkey and dressing.

Remembered to do my foot exercises this morning after I took my shower. I had forgotten to do them yesterday. The big toe is moving fairly well already. The left foot feels more stiff than the right one. Both are sensitive to touch, especially when I am trying to sleep. My feet get cold if I don’t cover them but the covers bother my feet. What is a girl to do?

I am missing my daily trip down to see my chickens. Jim has been bringing four to six eggs a day up. Their timing was good to start laying again as I have been using lots of eggs for my baking needs.

After Saturday I need to get myself organized and think about what I will want to take to Oklahoma. I will be back in KS Dec 17 – 20 but than I will be in Oklahoma pretty much until the middle of April. Hard to think what to take. I can always come back home if I need something important.

Grateful the cooking has gone smoothly so far, grateful my foot is allowing me to move around without the crutch all the time, and grateful Jim is feeling better this afternoon.

Had a much quieter day at home today. It was nice to stay home all day and slow things down a bit. The next five days are going to be busy and I needed to get myself mentally ready for the company that is coming.

I made a double batch of New Year’s Cookies today. It always feels good to get that job done. I had never tried making a double batch before. It maxed out the limit of my mixing bowl but it worked. They look light and good so hoping that is how they taste.

I took a nap when I was done. I didn’t sleep very well again last night. Both feet were cranky – thinking it is the weather change that is happening that caused them to complain all night long.

It never did warm up as much as it was supposed to today. The sun kinda came out this afternoon but there is a fog cover. It sure feels and smells like snow outside tonight. The wind is to change to the N NW soon and blow hard all night long. Trusting the power won’t go out.

I have one more batch of fudge to make and all my holiday baking will be done. I need a sunny day to make fudge so may not get it done. I have one batch made so we may need to make do with that.

Tomorrow I have five guests coming for the night. It will be fun to have them here. I am fixing spaghetti for dinner for them. After dinner Tim is going to help me make pumpkin pies and eclairs for dessert for Thanksgiving dinner Thursday.

I still have room at my table for several more people. If you don’t have a place to go for Thanksgiving Dinner please come. We are eating at 1:00 and there is no need to bring anything. Come join us!

Jim got some more sanding done this afternoon but it didn’t warm up enough to paint. Still hoping early next week will be warm enough we can get the steps painted before we leave Wednesday.

I may have a Newsletter for Pioneer Bluffs to work on Monday and Tuesday next week. It went to the printer today so not sure when they might get it done. I will need help with it as I have to leave Wednesday morning and won’t be able to work on it after that. Anyone want to come out and stuff Newsletters the first of the week?

Tonight I need to do a bit of housecleaning. Good thing the guests coming are family and close friends that won’t mind if I don’t get the whole house cleaned.

Anyone like to do Black Friday shopping? Walmart has a 40 inch TV for sale for $98 that I would love to have. I can’t handle crowds though so need a surrogate shopper. Any takers?

Grateful for a nap today, grateful the New Year’s Cookies are made, and grateful for a warm house tonight.

This has turned into a busy day. We took Roxy to the Vet this morning. She had a dew claw that grew too long and was growing into her leg. They were able to cut it out without surgery. Roxy is on pain pills for three days and an antibiotic for seven days. She tolerated the visit well but seemed very happy to be back home again.

When we got home the plumbers were here trying to figure out what is going on with the new booster pump. They were here for over an hour checking everything out. They finally decided the pump is defective and were going to call the manufacturer and than let me know what they were going to do.

Had to go back into Emporia for physical therapy at 2:30. The guy that works with me was impressed with how much progress I am making. He is thinking I will be off crutches next Wednesday when I go back to the surgeon. My foot is a bit cranky tonight from all the manipulation he did to it today. I go back Friday for another physical therapy session.

I called the therapist in Stillwater and got an appointment with her for December 5. I’m sure I will need additional therapy and wanted to get back on her schedule and not miss a week without therapy.

We stopped and got some more groceries since we were in town. I think I now have everything I need for both dinners this week.

I made bourbon slush when we got home and have it in the freezer. It is a family tradition that we have bourbon slush for our Christmas. Jim helped me pick out the right bourbon for it this year.

When we got home a guest that had stayed with me for several weeks called and invited us out to dinner. We met him at the Grand Hotel in Cottonwood Falls at 6:00. We sat and visited until 8:00. It was good to see him.

Jim got a bit of sanding done when we got home from my physical therapy appointment. As of now we plan on staying home all day tomorrow so might get some painting and deck work done then. It is to warm up to 64 tomorrow but be very windy.

I picked up what I need to make New Year’s Cookies. I may try to get them made tomorrow. I also want to make one more batch of fudge and then my Christmas baking will be done. I got some more packages wrapped today and solved an Amazon problem I had with a missing package.

Best Buy called me twice today to reschedule the delivery of the dishwasher that was installed Saturday afternoon. They really need to get their act together!

This has been one of those days where I feel like I didn’t get much done but had no free time. Trusting that tomorrow will be a bit quieter.

Grateful Roxy is on the mend, grateful for guests that become friends, and grateful Jim was able to chauffeur me around today.

Another night of little sleep.  I was just getting used to sleeping most nights and now I have had four nights in a row of little sleep.  Sigh!!!

Made a batch of fudge this morning.  It looks like it turned out just about right.  It probably could have cooked for one or two more minutes but I would rather have it just a bit soft than a bit too dry.  Jim helped me beat it after is was done cooking.

After the fudge was made we made a double batch of sugar cookies.  I got light-headed for some reason and was having trouble standing to roll out the cookies.  Jim took over and rolled and cut most of the cookies.  When over half of them were baked I made a big batch of frosting and sat at the table and frosted while Jim finished rolling and cutting. We managed to get them all done.  Have over 200 sugar cookies made and frosted.  Glad they are crossed off my to do list.

When we were done with the cookies I was a mess.  I had flour and powdered sugar all over the floor and on my pants.  Jim didn’t have a bit of flour on him.  Guess I should have watched him closer and taken lessons.  I do know how to make messes in my kitchen.

Sat outside and watched the sunset until I got too cold and had to come in.  It was a perfect fall evening on the prairie tonight.  I love the orange and turquoise colors of a Kansas fall sunset.

After dinner we sat on the couch and both of us fell asleep for a short bit.  It isn’t even 9:00 and I am ready to go to bed.  Decided to wait until at least 9:00 before I take my bath and than go to bed.

Tomorrow I need to call the Vet in the morning.  Roxy has an ingrown toe nail that needs attention.  I also have to go into town to go to physical therapy in the afternoon.  Not sure if we will make two trips to town tomorrow or manage to get both things done in one trip.  Jim wants to get some sanding done and I hate to take him away from that project to run me to town twice.  He helped me with cookies today instead of sanding.

I had forgotten about New Year’s Cookies and Bourbon Slush so need to pick up the ingredients to make those two things sometime this week.  I am trying to avoid going to town on Friday except for physical therapy.  I avoid the stores on Black Friday.  No bargain is worth fighting the crowds.

Still having trouble thinking we are celebrating Christmas this year with our Thanksgiving feast on Saturday.  I have my shopping done but need to wrap a few more presents.  Glad I got most of the wrapping done before surgery.

I still have room for more people for Thanksgiving Day dinner if you want to come join us.  We are having a ham dinner at 1:00. No reservations needed – just show up.  I will have plenty of food!

Managed to use the crutch most of the day.  I did take more steps than I should have without the use of the crutch.  It is so hard to do much without a free hand.  My foot is fairly quiet tonight although both of them were cranky last night.

Grateful for a successful batch of fudge made, grateful the sugar cookies are done and grateful Jim helped me with both!

My new dishwasher is installed although not without some drama. I received a text message saying the guy was on his way at 9:00. His boss called at 10:00 to see if he was here. He was not. I was to call the boss back at 11:00 if he hadn’t shown up by then. I called the boss at 11:00. The boss told me the guy wasn’t answering his phone and he didn’t know where he was but that he would show up today.

The delivery guy finally called at 1:30 saying he was on his way and got here at 2:45. I took a nap so Jim had to deal with him. I guess he was competent and did the job correctly. Not sure I will want to deal with Best Buy again though.

The best news is the light above the sink no longer blinks on and off when the pump to the dishwasher turns on. One problem solved!

The booster pump continues to cycle every 15 seconds. We unplugged it and checked the water meter and it doesn’t run when the pump is turned off. Starting to think I have a defective pump. The plumber is to decide what to do on Monday. We are leaving the pump unplugged except when we shower or do laundry.

Made peanut butter balls and dipped the Ritz crackers with peanut butter sandwiches. Jim helped me make the balls and he did most of the dipping. My foot got tired of me standing so long. It was nice to have help. Still need to make a couple batches of fudge and a batch of sugar cookies.

I posted a picture of the chocolate goodies and my nephew asked about New Year’s Cookies. I had forgotten about those. I may try to get some made before Thanksgiving and send them home with others then. I also need to get stuff to make Bourbon Slush. Trying to cut back this year and not make so much.

We didn’t get out to work on the deck today. It was in the mid 50’s but the wind was a bit nippy. Maybe tomorrow we will get out and get some painting done. Jim decided not to go to Oklahoma Monday so he will be around all week to get some work done on it.

My nap was seriously needed today. I didn’t sleep much again last night – third night in a row! I am finally in a better mood this evening. My foot has been cranky the last couple of days. I think I have put too much weight on it so have been trying today to keep off of it as much as possible. I have used the scooted since my nap and don’t have the boot on so I won’t use it at all. It still is cranky tonight but not as swollen.

We watched some TV last night. First time I have had a TV on in this house since I have moved back in in January 0f 2016. I need to get a bit bigger TV for the office upstairs. Nice to have the option to watch TV but doubt that I use it much. The commercials have not improved much since I quit watching years ago. Lots of drug ads these days.

Grateful the peanut butter balls and made, grateful for naps, and grateful for a new dishwasher.

What a day! I’m not sure much of anything has gone according to plan.

Best Buy called me twice this morning to confirm they were coming this afternoon. 30 minutes before they were to be here they called and said they didn’t know Strong City was an hour from Manhattan and they weren’t coming. WTF? I told the driver to have his supervisor call me. The driver called back 30 minutes later and said he would be coming tomorrow. I told him I needed to talk to his supervisor. The supervisor finally called. I expressed my disappointment in their service. They are sending me a gift of some sort to make up for the miscommunication. What really upset me the most was the driver was full of excuses. If he had said he screwed up and we need to reschedule I would have let it drop. He didn’t. It felt like he was trying to blame me for living where I live. Any bets if they show up tomorrow?

The Dish TV guy has been here since a little after 1:00. He said it would take two hours and he is going on four hours and not done yet.

The Dish guy had the door to the furnace room open as that is where cable runs into the house. We heard the booster pump cycling on and off every 15 seconds. Jim checked it out and it was displaying a warning light that there is a leak in the system. We called the plumber and after going back and forth for four phone calls the plumber decided to come out. I have a leak somewhere but we can’t find it. The water meter is running slowly constantly. We are to keep an eye on ceilings and floors and see if the leak makes itself known. I am to call the plumber Monday and report and he will come up with Plan B at that time.

The company that fixed my screen doors sent me my bill which I ordered a check to pay it. Then they sent me three estimates to replace my garage doors which they had replaced two years ago. When I called to ask about it the lady told me the guy had told her to send it to me. She was to talk to him and find out what was going on and call me back but hasn’t yet.

Oh my! I must have been on the let’s see what we can throw at her before she cracks list today. And this after a night of pain and little sleep even though I took a pain pill. Tomorrow will be better!

I haven’t gotten my peanut butter balls made today yet but may still try to get them done. It has been snowing off and on today and is cold outside. Good day to stay in and bake cookies.

Grateful Jim was here today to help me through the trials of the day, grateful for my plumber that came out on short notice, and grateful this day is almost over.

Had a tough night last night. Had trouble finding a comfortable position for my foot. I took it out of the boot and that helped for a bit but the incision site is very tender. Covers hurt my foot and it got cold when it wasn’t covered. I did get four hours sleep before I couldn’t sleep any more.

Went to physical therapy today. He was gentle on my foot and iced it when he was done. It is a bit tender and sore tonight but not bad. Hoping that a warm bath will make it feel better and I will be able to sleep tonight. I will take a pain pill if not.

Ordered Dish TV today. I almost gave up during the process. The first person I spoke with I had trouble understanding. She transferred me to someone that had trouble understanding why I was talking to him as evidently she transferred me to the wrong person. He finally transferred me to someone else that got a bit of information from me and than transferred me to a fourth person. That person was able to get me enrolled! They are coming tomorrow to get me up and running. I hope this initial process is not a sign that I shouldn’t have proceeded.

My new dishwasher is being installed tomorrow afternoon too. It will be good to have both of these things taken care of. Jim is a news junkie and misses listening to the news in the evenings. The trays in my dishwasher have lost their wheels and loading the trays is not for the faint of heart right now.

We stopped and got groceries after my physical therapy appointment. We took my scooter and I used that instead of crutches at the grocery store. Way easier for me to get around. The PT guy taught me a new way to use my crutches – the new way is much easier for me but I have to stop and think how to do it each time I start walking. Hoping it will become automatic for me soon.

Starting to make a list of things I want to take to Stillwater when I go back on December 4. I will be back to Strong City on December 17 through the 20 but than plan on staying in Stillwater until mid April. We may come back every six weeks or so if I need to pick up mail or medication, etc. Not sure what I have that I will want with me. Weird to think I will be gone for over four months.

It is to be very cold tomorrow so we won’t get any deck work done. Hope to get my peanut butter balls made with Jim’s help and maybe one batch of sugar cookies. I need a sunny day to make a couple batches of fudge and that isn’t going to happen tomorrow as it is to snow tomorrow. I have a week from Saturday to get my act together and get ready for our family’s Christmas. I have my gifts purchased – just need to finish wrapping and than get my baking done. I am also fixing our Thanksgiving feast for that day so have a busy week ahead to get everything ready.

I think I got all the groceries I need for Thanksgiving and our Christmas meal while I was shopping today. I’ll have to do one last check to make sure I didn’t forget something. I keep changing the menus and am not sure I have everything.

I need to get my tax stuff out and see what else I need to finish that project up. I did most of the prep work a month or so ago. I’ll need to take that stuff with me so I can have it to get to my accountant. I got the tax receipt for the new solar panels so I can start using the tax rebate when I file this year. Luckily the rebate rolls over from year to year until I use it all.

I was a bit cranky today from a bad night’s sleep. It is so hard to get around. Everything seems difficult and takes longer than normal. I am more patient this time around than last time but still get frustrated when I can’t do something that should be easy but isn’t. Four to six more weeks and things will be back to normal. I think I can! I think I can!

Grateful for my physical therapist, grateful my new dishwasher will be here tomorrow, and grateful another day is done and I am one more day closer to being off crutches.

Got up early and left Oklahoma by 9:00 this morning.  Went to Wichita for my surgeon follow-up appointment.  They took the dressing off and the steri-strips and clipped the end of the stitches.  They then wrapped my foot with the stretchy tape and put me in my boot.  The wound is healing well with no signs of infection.  The toe is nice and straight and there is no bunion bump.  I have three screws in my big toe – the same as my left foot.  Good to keep things in balance!

After we left the doctor we headed for Salina.  Ate lunch at Martinelli’s Little Italy.  It was as good as I remembered it to be.  We than went to the train track and waited to see the Big Boy come into town.  There were lots of other people standing around to watch it come in.  Jim got some good video of it.

We headed for the hills and got back to Strong City around 4:15.  Got the car unloaded and are enjoying a quiet evening at home.  I have some ham and beans in the instant pot cooking for dinner.

I am tired tonight.  Lots of sitting today and some pent up anxiety about my foot.  Glad to hear that it is healing well and everything looks good.  It is very stiff and the big toe doesn’t move much.  The lower part of my leg has some atrophy in it that will need to be rebuilt and strengthened.  It is amazing to me how fast you can lose muscle when you don’t move a body part.  Physical therapy starts tomorrow afternoon.

The guys finally made it out today to replace the screen on the south facing screen door.  It only took them three weeks to get here!  Glad that can be crossed off my to do list.

Snow is back in the forecast for Friday.  Might be a good day to make my peanut butter balls if we can’t be outside painting.  We will see how this plays out.

Tomorrow after physical therapy I need to go to the grocery store and get some groceries so we have stuff to eat for the next few days.  I also want to get most of my Thanksgiving groceries.   Jim has to go back to Stillwater Monday and will be back Wednesday afternoon.  I can’t drive yet so need to get my groceries while he is still here.  Even if I can get groceries I’m not sure how I would get them in the house as I am currently using two crutches.  That doesn’t give me a free hand to carry groceries in with.   I had forgotten how limiting crutches are.

Friday my new dishwasher is to be delivered.  It will be good to have another thing I can cross off my to-do list.

It is to warm back up this weekend so may spend the weekend outside painting.  Jim only has five more steps to sand and than I can get the rest of the steps and deck painted.  I won’t get all the black iron work downstairs painted as it requires ladder work but I will be happy if we can get the steps and landing done.

Grateful for a good report from the doctor today, grateful to have my dressing off, and grateful we got to see Big Boy today.

 

One more day until I get my walking cast! Yay! We will have to get up early in the morning so we can be on the road before 9:00. My appointment is in Wichita at 11:00. After we are done at the doctor’s office we are driving to Salina so Jim can see the Big Boy train engine. We won’t spend much time in Salina before we head back to Strong City.

It is supposed to rain tomorrow and there is a chance of snow on Friday. Thankfully it is to warm back up by Sunday and Monday so there is still a chance we can get the deck painting project finished.

Jim worked outside finishing a window painting job this afternoon. It was back up in the low 70’s again and beautiful out. I stayed inside and knitted a dish rag and watched a movie on my iPad. I wasn’t as restless as I was yesterday.

I get to park my scooter tomorrow! One more step in the healing process. I will be able to put half weight on my foot while it is in the boot. Not looking forward to being on crutches again but I should only have to use them for four to six weeks. Making progress even when some days feel long.

We ran some errands this morning. JIm took me to a local kitchen store that was really nice. I got a new butcher knife. Trust it will be used. I have learned how to use Jim’s knife and have really liked using it.

Grateful I get to put half weight on my foot tomorrow, grateful for another beautiful fall day, and grateful for all of Jim’s help.

This has not been one of my better days. Feeling very confined and restless today. It is so beautiful outside today and I wanted to take a long walk. Finally went to bed this afternoon and slept for two hours. Feeling a bit better now. Two more days and I will regain a bit of my freedom to move around.

Jim has been working outside all afternoon. He is scrapping and fixing the outside of a window sill. Wish I could be out with him to help.

I finished knitting the baby blanket last night. I brought some tea towels to work on but they haven’t captured my attention yet. I also have some yarn I can knit into dish rags. Maybe something will call to me later and I can actually get something done today.

Saw something on Facebook today that reminded me Winter Solstice will be here in 33 days. The last 30 days of Solstice can be hard for me as I get closer to the darker parts of myself inside. It isn’t always easy to look within and see those parts of myself I would rather keep hidden. Each year I peel the layer back a bit deeper and allow myself to heal more deeply within. The light starts to return in 33 days! It is about the same time I regain my full mobility. The timing has a wonderful synchronized timing to it for me this year.

Not much foot pan today. The first foot I had done has hurt more last night and today than the other one. So looking forward to being able to take a proper soak in the bath tub Wednesday night and not having to use a caster protection bag. TWO MORE DAYS!

Grateful for 75 degree temperatures today, grateful for naps, and grateful for this time to go within and face my own demons.

I took a long nap yesterday and was able to sleep last night. Not sure why I am needing more sleep and able to get it right now but am rolling with it. Someday I may understand what makes me sleep and what prevents it but I’m not there yet.

We went to church this morning. A lady was in the pew in front of me and turned around to talk to me. When she realized I couldn’t stand up she moved to sit by me as she said standing was hard for her but she felt she had to do it. We decided my pew was going to be the sitting pew. That was sweet of her to join me.

I am knitting a baby blanket and made a mistake about six rows back. It was a big enough mistake I had to tink (rip) it back. I rarely bother to fix mistakes but this one was a big one. Finally got that done and am back to knitting. I only have about 18 rows to go before I am done with this one. Still not sure what I am going to do with the pile of baby blankets I have made since I have had my bunions fixed but hoping I will find homes for all of them sooner or later.

Matilda has behaved herself and I haven’t had to take any pain pills for several days now. Gertrude is bruised from me running over her with the scooter. I am looking forward to Wednesday when the dressing goes away and I can start putting some weight on my foot.

It is to be over 70 the next two days in Stillwater. Wish I could get out and take a long hike. Jim has some outside projects to work on. It is too hard for me to scoot over uneven ground so I am stuck inside. I need to find something to do as I am going a little stir crazy.

We went to Walmart today so I got some exercise pushing the scooter. Guess I will take exercise when I can find it.

Wednesday Jim wants to go to Salina after my doctor’s appointment in Wichita. There is some sort of steam train engine coming through Salina and he wants to go see it. It is supposed to rain Wednesday so we will see if we end up going. Thursday I start physical therapy.

Grateful for naps and sleep, grateful for kind people in church, and grateful for little to no pain for the last couple of days.

I forgot to blog last night. We got in late to Jim’s house in OK and I was tired. We stopped and had dinner at Chipotle before we got home. My tummy was full and I was sleepy.

It was a beautiful day on the prairie yesterday. It warmed up into the 60’s so we decided to get the deck landing painted. Jim worked on finishing sanding it while I started painting. I managed to plan my painting so I could butt crawl back up the steps when I was done. Still need to do the lower stair case and finish the railings and backstops. Almost done with this project. I have lots of ladder painting to do so might not get it done before Christmas as I won’t trust myself on a ladder until I am out of my boot.

My weekend house sitters showed up before we left. We had planned on leaving by 2:00 but painting delayed us. It was good to see them. They have house sit for me before so they were able to make themselves at home. They are having their Thanksgiving feast this weekend. I trust they will enjoy the prairie and the critters.

We don’t have big plans for the time here. It is to be in the 60’s here today so I’m thinking Jim will be outside this afternoon. He wants to get his storm windows put back on. I will work on cleaning the inside of the windows he has been working on. It is hard for me to move around on uneven ground right now so I won’t be very helpful helping him outside.

Last night we sat on the couch and untangled a ball of yarn I am knitting with. That is the one thing about knitting that drives me crazy! This ball of yarn I am working with has not been behaving itself almost from the beginning. We finally had to cut it and managed to get most of it saved. I don’t have lots of extra yarn for this project so hoping I have enough to finish the blanket I am knitting.

There is a home football game in Stillwater today. OSU is playing KU. Lots of extra people in town and extra traffic on the road in front of Jim’s house. We need to go to the grocery store sometime today but will need to plan our trip so we go during the game to avoid the traffic and crowds.

Four more days before I get the dressing off and get put in my boot. It will be good to be able to be partial weight bearing so I can get around a bit easier. My dressing is looking a bit rough and dirty. Looking forward to being able to clean my foot and soak it in my bath. Not looking forward to physical therapy though.

Grateful for safe travels yesterday, grateful for my weekend house sitters, and grateful for the healing my foot is doing.

I went to a retina specialist in Topeka today. I really like him. They took lots of pictures of my eyes, dilated them and gave me some IV contrast stuff and than took more pictures. When the doctor finally saw me he knew immediately what was wrong. I have Macular Telangiectasia. The blood vessels in my eyeball are twisted and impair the reflection of light properly. I have a blind spot in my left eye as a result. The good news is my condition has been stable for a long time and he doesn’t see that changing. It is actually present in both eyes but only the left one is impaired.

There is nothing that can be done to fix it. I am to mention it to my doctors if I ever have a head trauma as that can cause the blood vessels to swell and bleed. They can treat it with steroids to reduce the swelling and hopefully reduce the potential of vision loss.

This first started happening in 1989 and I had been to several eye specialists over the years and no one had ever found a cause for it. Glad to know what it is and that it is nothing to worry about now (not that I was worrying).

The Doctor had walked the Camino so we had a good conversation about that. He had walked from Leon to Santiago and than went back and did the Portugal route. He like the St. James Way better and wished he had repeated that walk from a farther distance out.

My eyes are finally closing back up a bit after being dilated. I kept them closed most of the way home as they were extremely light sensitive. I was grateful Jim took me to Topeka so I didn’t have to drive home. The contrast medication made m

e a bit sick to my stomach but luckily that passed quickly.

We didn’t do anything in Topeka other than go to the doctor. There are some nice museums I would like to take Jim to but today wasn’t the day to do so.

Tomorrow we are going to OK until next Wednesday. I have a list of things I need to do before we leave. Not sure when we will get gone but it will probably be mid to late afternoon. I have several loads of laundry to do tomorrow and need to change the linens on my bed. I haven’t started packing yet. Good thing I don’t need lots of clothes – it won’t take me long to pack once I get started.

It was another beautiful day on the prairie. Wish we had been home to paint this afternoon as it warmed up enough we could have done so. Hopefully when we come back next week we will have a few nice days to get some painting done.

Did a bit of gift wrapping today but still have a bunch more presents to wrap. I had forgotten how much I dislike wrapping gifts.

My foot was a bit cranky last night and this morning but has finally quieted down and behaved itself this afternoon. I am so looking forward to next Wednesday when I can get this dressing off and start putting a bit of weight on my foot.

Need to knock off a few things on my to do list so we can get out of here at a decent hour tomorrow. The change of scenery will be good for both of us. With my limited mobility we both have a case of cabin fever.

Grateful for a diagnosis today, grateful to meet a fellow Camino Pilgrim, and grateful my gift wrapping has been started.

I am still in my pajamas if that tells you how my day has gone. Just didn’t feel like getting dressed today. I put some sweat pants on this morning when I got up and never felt like taking them off to take a shower. I didn’t have any where to go today so declared it a PJ day.

Cleaned the master bedroom and bathroom today. Got on my hands and knees and scrubbed the floors. Actually I was more on my butt than my knees. It is much easier getting down to the ground than it is to get back up again. Also got the kitchen floor hand scrubbed. Found way too much dirt! My floors were about as dirty as I ever let them get. Still have more to clean but am finding I have to stop and take breaks more often right now.

Didn’t take a pain pill last night or today although I probably could have. My foot has been a bit cranky today. I bruised my good foot with the scooter so both feet have hurt today. I am so over cranky feet! They both need to grow up and get over themselves.

One week down and six to go before I am cast and boot free. So looking forward to that!

Tim found me a 25 pound turkey and brought it out to me today. Sometimes the big ones are hard to find. I so appreciate him finding it for me and hauling it out here.

Two friends let me know they are coming in Wednesday night before Thanksgiving and will spend Thanksgiving with us. I still have room at the table for more so if you don’t have a place to eat Thanksgiving Dinner come join us on Thanksgiving Day at 1:00. We are having a ham and several side dishes.

Just got a box delivered from UPS. Time to start some gift wrapping. I’m doing a special thing for the two grandkids this year and it will involve lots more wrapping than I normally do.

The wind was strong again today. It has finally calmed down this afternoon. The wind can wear you out after a bit.

Grateful for a beautiful fall like afternoon, grateful to have gotten some cleaning done, and grateful to have my Thanksgiving turkey in the freezer.

Had a much better day after having had a tough one yesterday. I had to take a second pain pill during the night last night. My right foot finally calmed down early this morning and has stayed fairly quiet today. My left foot hurt more than my right surgery foot did today.

Another day of marking time without doing much. I worked on the puzzle today and did two loads of laundry. That is about all I can claim I did today. Still not good at doing nothing but some days go by faster than others and today went by fairly quickly. I didn’t even take a nap today!

It got down to 7 degrees last night and warmed up to 33 today. Tomorrow it is to reach 49 – a real heat wave! Maybe tomorrow I can get outside and get some fresh air. I have a strong case of cabin fever today.

I watched the full moon rise tonight. Shortly after it made it all the way up it slowly rose up into a cloud cover. Fifteen minutes later it rose again out of the cloud cover. It is a beautiful but cold night on the prairie tonight.

Decided on another gift for each of the grandkids and got them ordered today. I think most of my Christmas shopping is done now. Still need to get a few more presents but won’t need them until Christmas. My family is gathering November 30 for Thanksgiving and Christmas combined so needed to shop early this year. Love on-line shopping – especially when I have limited mobility.

Nothing on the calendar for tomorrow. Thursday I have an appointment with an eye specialist in Topeka in the afternoon. It will be good to get out of the house to go to it. Friday we are going to Oklahoma and won’t be back until next Wednesday. It will be a change of scenery for me although I still won’t be able to do much. The 20th I go back to the surgeon and get this dressing off and put in my boot and will be able to put partial weight on my surgery foot.

Marking the days off the calendar. Tomorrow will be week 1 done – six to go before I can resume normal activity.

I am humbled by my mobility issues. Sure makes me appreciate my health and the ability to move around at my pleasure.

Grateful for the beauty and promise of a full moon, grateful for on-line shopping, and grateful my mobility is only temporarily limited.

Cold, windy day on the prairie. The wind has blown between 20 – 30 MPH since last night. It was a bit of a restless night listening to the wind blow all night long.

Pain woke me up during the night. I should have taken a pain pill but decided not to. Finally took one early afternoon. I don’t like the side effects of feeling drugged and sluggish. Took a long nap this afternoon and still feel tired and foggy.

Made chili for dinner tonight. It was OK but not exceptional by any means. Chili is not something I have learned to make well.

Haven’t gotten much of anything done today. Knitted a bit on a baby blanket I am making and worked on a puzzle. Not motivated to do anything on this cold, winter Ike day on the prairie.

Tomorrow it is to warm up a bit and not be quite so windy. At least the sun is to shine most of the day tomorrow. The moon is beautiful tonight – tomorrow is a full moon. Thinking part of my pain today is due to the full moon as well as the wind.

I’m grateful I didn’t have to step foot outside today. I have alternated between being too hot and too cold all day long. Can’t seem to find a comfortable temperature and maintain that today.

Glad this day is almost over. Not one of my better days but know tomorrow will be better.

Jim continues to take good care of me. He is so patient and understanding with me even when I am having a bad day. He took a quiet day today too. He wrote some letters, did some reading and made some phone calls. It is good to have a quiet day once in a while.

Grateful for pain pills even though I don’t like the side effects, grateful this day is almost over and grateful the wind has calmed down a bit.

Another beautiful day on the prairie but the weather is a changing. It is dropping fast this evening and the high tomorrow is to be in the mid 30’s and the low in the teens. I kinda liked our two days of fall better.

Jim worked on sanding steps again today. Around 3:00 I was able to paint part of the top staircase. I sat on the steps and painted and did OK. I butt crawled down to the bottom of the other staircase and Jim drove his car around to pick me up to take me back up to the house. What a pain limited mobility is. It felt so good to actually get outside and get something done though.

We met Tim and Ellexia at Bruff’s for dinner tonight. I needed a few groceries and we hadn’t been out of the house since surgery day. Felt good to get out and go into town. I used my scooted and got along fine. We stopped at Walmart and picked up a few things after dinner than came home. We saw a big deer on the side of the highway but luckily it was just standing there and not trying to cross the highway. It was good to visit with Tim and Ellexia.

My foot has behaved itself today. I haven’t needed to take a pain pill again today. I can see part of my big toe and the next two toes. They are all starting to turn a pretty shade of purple from the bruising from surgery. I’m grateful it hasn’t been painful today.

Only took about a 20 minute nap today. Maybe tomorrow I will make it all day without needing a nap. It takes a bit to get all the drugs out of my system from surgery day. Hopefully most are out by now and I will get back to my normal sleeping patterns.

Not sure what we are going to do tomorrow. Doesn’t sound like it will be a good day to be outside working on the steps. May get the laundry room painted. I also have some weather stripping that needs to be done to prepare the house for the coming cold weather.

I do need to get downstairs tomorrow and get the bedroom put back together again. I may have a guest coming in tomorrow night. He is to let me know tomorrow if he is coming. He has stayed with me before and it will be good to see him if he makes it out.

Grateful we got a bit of painting done today, grateful Tim and Ellexia met us for dinner, and grateful for another pain free day.

What a beautiful day on the prairie. Mid 70’s, no wind and bright blue skies. I was able to sit outside and enjoy the beauty of fall on the prairie.

Jim worked hard all afternoon sanding the steps and landing. Still has a ways to go but hoping to be able to do some painting tomorrow. The weather is to turn winter-like on Monday and Tuesday so only have tomorrow to do some painting. We will see how far he gets.

I have been cranky today. It is frustrating to not be able to do much and be limited in my mobility. Matilda hasn’t been cranky today – just me! Did get several loads of laundry done and bake two loaves of banana bread. Made Shepherd’s Pie for dinner. Had to take a nap again. I am amazed how fast I get tired right now.

We saw a bald eagle flying over the back yard this afternoon. Stood out and watched it for about five minutes. The sun was reflecting on it’s head. So beautiful!

Looked back over my blog from my first bunion surgery in August. I didn’t have a cranky day this soon last time. Guess I am ahead of schedule!

May try to get out of the house tomorrow and go into Emporia or out to eat tomorrow night. Maybe that would help me get over being cranky. This too shall pass! Just not one to not do much and sitting is getting old already.

Haven’t taken a pain pill today. My foot really hasn’t hurt at all today. I have ice on it now as the toes feel a bit warm. After three days I don’t have to ice it unless I think it makes it feel better. Don’t think it hurts it to get iced – not sure it helps it either though.

Need to get downstairs tomorrow and make up the guest room. May have a guest coming in Monday evening. Jim will drive me around and I will go in downstairs from the sliding glass doors. Steps are not my friend right now.

While I was looking at my blog from August I realized I got put in the boot one week after surgery last time. This time they aren’t having me come in for a one week appointment so it will be two weeks before I get put in the boot this time. The boot is heavier than the dressing and I had to be non-weight bearing with the boot so guess I am better off with the dressing. With the boot though I could start moving my foot around a bit and it doesn’t move much with the dressing.

Grateful this day is almost over and tomorrow is a new day, grateful for all the the work Jim got done today on the steps, and grateful for the beautiful fall day on the prairie today.

Broke down and took my third pain pill since surgery after lunch today. Then went to bed and slept for two hours. Matilda is feeling better now. The pain really hasn’t been bad this time. Occasionally though it hits and I take a pain pill. I don’t like the side effects of the pain pills and really try to avoid taking them.

Jim is outside working on leveling the ground from the retaining wall rebuild project. The drainage was bad before the wall was rebuilt and he is working to fix that issue. When he gets a bit more done on that he wants to start sanding the steps. We are hoping to paint tomorrow as it is going to be in the low 70’s. I sure would love to get those steps done before winter sets in.

Checked with my regular house sitter and if I can’t find someone to rent the house this winter she will house sit for me so I can spend most of the time between December to mid April in Oklahoma. I so appreciate her! This way Jim and I can be together and get his house ready to rent. I plan on coming home every couple of weeks for three or four days so I can see my grandchildren and check in on the animals, etc.

Got my first physical therapy appointment for the 21st. I am planning on having to do physical therapy again and wanted to get the first appointment set ahead of time. They will work me in for the rest of them. I’ll start physical therapy in Emporia and may have to go back to the place in Stillwater to finish it up. Both places do a nice job.

Finding it a bit hard to sit and do nothing again. Don’t really have anything that has to be done but it is hard to sit all day. Have been knitting and working on a puzzle but both make me a bit sleepy – especially since I am still taking pain pills. Marking days off the calendar and learning to be patient with the healing process. Almost three days down and 57 to go until I am cast and boot free.

My arms and hands look like I was in a cat fight. All four IV sites are black and blue. The one on my mid arm is especially colorful. They don’t usually have trouble getting one started on me. They sure did Wednesday.

My guest has been very quiet and staying downstairs most of the time. I heard her go outside this morning at sunrise time. She is pleasant to be with when I see her but hasn’t wanted to sit and visit. Found out she is an author and a professional photographer. She just did a two year book tour promoting her book. She showed us a copy of it. Wish I had time to read it before she claimed it back.

Figured out how to take a shower using a folding chair in the shower. A shower sure feels good. Managed to take a bath last night using a plastic end table as a prop for my foot. That felt good too! Water is very healing for me.

When I got up this morning I pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a sweater over my pajamas. When Jim saw me after he got up he started laughing. The sweat pants are pink and purple, the pajamas were black and red and the sweater was dark green. I was not very color coordinated but I was nice and warm. Sometimes that’s the best I can do!

Grateful for pain pills that work when I need them, grateful for my house sitter, and grateful for the healing and relaxing power of water.