Yellow sorrel and anaesthesia fog

 This morning, I noticed these new flowers

On the patio, yellow wood sorrel. I'd thought yesterday that if I could bend, I'd pull it, to tidy up. Now I'm glad I didn't. It may be thought of as a weed, but it's my weed and it's pretty.

Recently, texting has been a comedy of errors, between tiredness and many texts from many people. 

I thought I'd notified my son about the office visit, and got quite technical questions in return. Surprised, but I refrained from making fun of him, and replied seriously with the answers. Then I discovered I was texting my PT. Oh. 

Last evening I was trying to sort the many medications I needed to take and when, and I couldn't seem to find one of them.  Then I figured it was upstairs, because it's a late evening thing. Went upstairs. Not there either. 

I texted asking if it was on the table, could Handsome Son check again. And found I'd asked my friend down the street! Good thing I noticed and said, no, disregard! Wrong recipient! before she came to the house to help, which she would.  Tried again this time to HS, who located the med right where I'd been looking, doh.

It's the anaesthesia, it is. Anyway for the foreseeable future that's going to be my go-to reason for any dopy mistake. Just sayin.

Happy day everyone, find a good alibi! It works.

Signs of healing

One sign of healing  I noticed yesterday was that I'm all set to winnow out my sewing supplies to share with the Lakota ladies of the Pine Ridge reservation who need them.  I'm up for thinking about other people, good. 

Also I'm wondering if they'd like hexies and stars to use as decoration or as projects themselves. I have quite a few stitched components they might enjoy incorporating into projects. Anyway, that's on the agenda. I just need a box.

Tatter has a great current offering, online, coming up

Get in touch if you want to sign up.  They have great offerings, in person in New York and online.

Food today, no pictures, was the rest of that roast chicken with roast potato dice. Very good, with a couple of changes. I used avocado oil instead of olive to roast the potato dice, much lighter and crisper. And I roasted it on a bed of spinach, which also came out crisp and I'm definitely doing that again. I seasoned with a dried basil salt mix I made ages ago and finally remembered to use. 

Today's PT involved walking down the street, yay me, plus some table exercises. Followed by reading, well, full disclosure, sleeping, outside on the deck listening to birds. I heard the first redwing blackbird starting up. I love that sign of summer.

Textiles and Tea was about Klaus Anselm, retired doctor now an acclaimed tapestry weaver. He emigrated from Germany, eventually retired from medicine and discovered weaving. He's lived in the southwest, now in New England. You'll see the landscape of the southwest in his work, blocky shapes and colors.

He loves contrasting strong colors, using cotton warp and wool weft. His works are large for tapestry, up to 40" x 30".  Well worth visiting.

Happy day, everyone. Handsome son will soon wind down his stay now that I'm getting stronger, and he agrees we'll both like our space back!  

And speaking of space, the azalea which has struggled for years with the competition of the pachysandra, finally seems to be getting established. These blooms appeared today.

Rubbish Pet Portraits and latest medical bulletin

 This is a new find for me

They're wonderful abstractions of pets, funny but really good as art. People send their pictures for him to draw from, and the proceeds go to pet charities. He has thousands on his waiting list!

And my ten day post operative check-up went fine. The joint is fine, and so am I, just need to work on strength. I can drive! I can throw away the compression stockings! Free! 

I walked quite far in the building to the examining room, a test in itself. X-rays done and instantly available.  It's all good and I feel as if I should ring a bell or run up a flag or something, yay me!

Seriously, yay blogistas, too. Your encouragement was huge in keeping my spirits up through a scary time and i thank you all.

Happy day everyone, I'm having one.

Words in comment sections are very strong.

Stuff and its perpetrators

Handsome Son has been living here for just over a week, and I'm beginning to understand how his condo is so full of stuff. 

He's basically catering for himself, since his everyday taste in food is very different from mine, other than seeing yogurt as a major food group.  

And his food, packages and little boxes and containers have packed my fridge. He's leaving one top shelf available for me, easy for me to reach, and the rest is jammed!

It's really interesting to see that he packed more clothes and doings, including two laptops, different purposes, for a few days here than his parents did when they emigrated across the Atlantic!  Mutts says it here.

Same with his surroundings. I feel totally minimalist in comparison to all the things he totally needs around him. My own bits pretty much fit on a little side table, and he, in contrast, has to be careful to keep the floor clear of obstacles to my progress across the room.  

These are just bemused observations, not at all critical. He's been so wonderful, basically putting his life on hold, that it would be churlish to fuss. But it does make me wonder about a passing thought we had recently,  that, if the economy really plunges, we could sell the condo for the income and share this house. Hm. 

Anyway, just passing thoughts. Meanwhile I did make it up to my regular bed last night, and it was a  tricky thing. I hadn't expected a resurgence of pain, making me wonder about the whole idea. Evidently this aging body wasn't happy about the  change, and needed more pillows and ice to make the bed tolerable. 

Eventually all calmed down and I could sleep.  So I think it's okay.

I need to get going again with the crocheted top, mainly because my hands are stiff with disuse other than gripping Walker Two-step and Carol Cane. Time to move my fingers. 

This period has brought me face to face with age, I think. All my life I was always by far the youngest in family groups, and I think that feeling of youth has persisted, long after it was no longer applicable. 

Just now, being treated as a nice little old lady, emphasis on little and old,  seems to be having its effect. Reality dawning. But no complaints here, considering the alternative. I still have a lot to enjoy. 

Happy day, everyone, enjoy whatever's there. Reclaim our flag and restore, and expand, its meaning. Inclusive rules.

Happy day, progress

Friday day was a great PT session, during which I got clearance to walk with or without cane or walker, however I wanted, to do stairs alone if I feel up to it, and to sit outside, since my patio chairs will be okay.

It's largely up to how I feel. 

So I hotfooted it outside because it was warm and not buggy, and watched the sky, the birds and Billy the Pup.

Friday morning I roasted chicken cubes for sandwiches, and this, with spinach and trail mix, was lunch.

Complete with C's handmade card, to dress up the tray. Usual complement of pills at every turn.

Friday plans to sleep upstairs in an actual bed, the excitement!

Happy day everyone, doesn't take much to thrill me!

ANZAC Day, and less significant matters

April 25, ANZAC Day, is when we remember and pay tribute to the young soldiers from Australia and New Zealand who crossed the planet to fight in World War I, and who were tragically lost in combat, also the few survivors who made it home.

Thank you,  blogistas from New Zealand and Australia who are descended from these brave young people, and thank you to those more recent residents who honor their memory, and to you if you're a veteran.

This year I haven't been able to make my ANZAC biscuits, as near as I can get with the ingredients available to me, but I'm there in spirit.

And speaking of spirit, I'm cooking again! Roast diced chicken breast, with umami seasoning, cayenne and turmeric. Ready for sandwiches. 

This morning, after I'd roasted the chicken, done the dishes and a couple of things, I was done for. Not enough energy for pictures, even. My ambition is a bit ahead of the available energy. I plan a nap before Emil visits this afternoon.

Happy day everyone, try to plan better than your humble blog writer. 

Here's why getting back to cooking is significant

Mail call and Misfits

Awake again at dark o'clock, and I went to get ice, then on the way to the kitchen, noticed a piece of mail in the basket above the shoe rack. Evidently brought in by Handsome Son and put down for a minute! 

Anyway I found and opened and love it. Handmade! Lovely. Thank you so much, C 

In a place of honor on Walker Two-step's tray.

And this morning HS put out the bags and icepack for Misfits pickup. 

I've been doing well on the food I cooked ahead and now I'm ready for a change of pace. 

Here's Kareem arriving with the box

Handsome Son brought it in and I unpacked and washed the produce 

More of the small gala apples I have midmorning, a bag of trailmix to share with HS, yogurt to go with blueberries, a freebie can of pineapple chunks, also to share, wholegrain bread because my energy isn't back up to baking yet, diced tomatoes for all sorts of use.

All set now. I was tired after prepping the food and putting it away, but it's good to get back into ordinary tasks. 

Speaking of ordinary I had an accidental adventure this morning. I was distracted by something I needed to take care of, unrelated, amazingly, to Hippolyta, and  needed something from the kitchen. 

And absent-mindedly walked there and back completely unaided, forgetting about the walker, till I got back. It felt okay but I trust I didn't do any damage. I'm officially not walking with even a cane without company, so this was a black diamond run. Doh.

Gary has made a bedside step for me, and I hope Emil approved, so I can start sleeping in bed. My back will be happy to get off the sofa. 

Happy day everyone, have you ever managed something successfully, because you didn't know you couldn't?  

Ted also sez, keep on including our trans siblings 

Bit of a dip, but Clatterford helps

Today a wise friend, retired nurse, nurses rule, messaged me to remind me it's not unusual to have a little dip in energy and rise in pain about now after surgery. She's right, so I'm just not pushing myself.

I did my exercises, practiced walking with a cane with HS escorting me around the living room, and did the stairs, same escort. Lasagna for lunch. 

Now it's Clatterford and Mma Ramotswe and ice. 

Happy day everyone, I think we all have a bump in the road now and then. 

Sez Ted