spring puttering pleasures

I'm glad I bought this beautiful orchid for a bit of spring cheer yesterday...

because this is what we woke to today.

Granted, it was only a few inches and light and fluffy, but still disappointing to see in mid-March.

Thank you all so much for the kind comments and support on my last post! I am feeling good and no longer use crutches, though I do use a cane here and there. That helps alleviate the limping. My knee is still quite swollen and feels tight and stiff, despite doing gentle physical therapy exercises at home and elevating and icing several times a day. I start formal PT tomorrow, so I know this will be a big help in the healing process. I've also been doing a lot of walking...I'm pretty much back to my usual home care routine and I even went grocery shopping by myself yesterday, including making several trips into the house to carry in the bags. I've been having some calf pain, but I think it's from too much walking. I had my post-op appointment this past Friday and the doctor thought perhaps I had a blood clot. I didn't think so - I had a blood clot in my other leg/calf after a surgery in 2001, so I know what one feels like - but the doc sent me to the hospital for an ultrasound just in case. Thank God, no clot.

One thing I really missed while being laid up was puttering around the house and playing with decor. Now that I can (slowly) walk up and down the stairs again, I'm able to go to the basement to dig out some spring decor. Nothing fancy, but I put some lighter colors in the china cabinet...

and fresh flowers on the mantel.

I made some other simple vignettes, too. I love using these mini Limoges teacups every spring.

I just bought this shamrock plant at Trader Joe's. I'll transfer it to a pretty planter after St. Patrick's day. I have another shamrock plant that I bought several years ago and it's lush and full of white flowers. The secret is a south-facing window and giving the plant a thorough saturation only when it starts to wilt a bit (about every 5 days).

Time to bring out the spring birdies...

Of course, it's also time to bring out the bunnies and Easter decor.

Since Mother Nature is still in winter mode despite the spring decor, I'm trying to keep this proverb in mind:

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.

shuffling along ~ doing just fine

I've gone over and re-written this blog post several times. I finally decided that instead of ignoring the ugly parts and basically saying, "Oh, I'm doing fine." 
"Everything is just fine."
(the most ambiguous word in the English language), I'd be open and honest about how things are really going. 

Not that I am not truthful on my blog; just that sometimes it's easier to just paint a pretty picture and not leave yourself open and vulnerable. Well, hell, I'm vulnerable and at the mercy of others after having surgery anyway, so I may as well go all out. And be forewarned: this is a wordy post. Get comfortable.

Mind you, I do not want this to be a whiny, looking-for-sympathy post either. What I'm going through after knee surgery is nothing compared to....well, a lot of things. My several girlfriends that have cancer right now (mostly breast; one uterine) immediately come to mind. So does my cousin who recently had a kidney transplant.

It's now six days after knee surgery and I'm pretty much bored out of my gourd. I'm still on crutches, so have to rely on Brian to fix me food, help me shower, bring me a book or magazine (you can't carry anything when you're on crutches - though one time I carried a book between my teeth - you get inventive when you're on crutches) and do the housework and laundry. And, of course, since I can't drive - heck, I can't even get out my front door because of steps - Brian has to do the grocery shopping and other errands. Being at the mercy of another - even your husband - sure is humbling.

Since my leg has to be elevated a lot due to swelling, I spend a lot of time in bed surrounded by kitties and reading material. I've watched so much HGTV and Food Network to where if I never see another episode of Love It or List It, it won't be too soon. I've even watched the Price is Right several times. Talk about desperate! At least I'm not resorting to soap operas. Yet.

 I thought about starting a new series on Netflix, but nothing appealed to me. Plus, while the TV is on, I'm not really watching anyway. I'm usually reading or on my laptop at the same time. A Netflix series would actually require me to pay attention. So maybe lying around doing nothing sounds dreamy for one day, but after that...boring. Let me tell you, it sure makes you realize how "freeing" being mobile truly is. 

The first few days were rough. I had a fair amount of pain and one evening had severe nausea to the point where I hyperventilated. I'm assuming the nausea was from the pain killer (Norco). Another nasty side effect of pain killers and general anesthesia is constipation. No one talks about that - except for your doctor. They told me ahead of time to take Dulcolax. Which I did - three times a day. And still, it didn't help. I upped my fiber and roughage by eating prunes, apples, salad, flax and chia seeds and extra veggies. Still didn't help. It took five days before things umm..."moved along". Funny thing is, I've had two previous surgeries and this hadn't happened to me before, so I wasn't prepared for this little side effect. Just hoping this info helps someone else out there!
*Later edit: forgot to mention that drinking a lot of water helps, and so does coffee.

 I don't have pain anymore; just a lot of pressure, swelling and "uncomfortableness", as I call it. I get up every hour to walk around the house on my crutches. I'm able to put weight on my foot/leg to the point where I'm hoping to graduate to a cane by Friday when I see the doctor for my post-op visit. Then I'll be starting physical therapy next week. I've been doing a couple of very gentle PT exercises at home in the meantime.

Brian doesn't like to cook - it's just not his forte. But, we gotta eat. And there's only so much take-out we can rely on unless we want to eat unhealthy every day - which we don't. One dish he can handle is meatloaf. He did have a little help with suggestions from me, but he pretty much made it on his own by using both ground beef and pork, onions and celery, eggs, panko bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, seasoned salt and pepper. He then made a sauce for topping using organic ketchup (no high fructose corn syrup!), mustard, vinegar and a little brown sugar. He glazed the top of the meatloaves, wrapped them in bacon, then added another layer of glaze. He also made baked sweet potatoes. Dinner was delicious! PS - Brian's been pretty much a saint; although he's had his crabby moments, which I don't blame him. He's probably looking forward to going back to work. ;-)

Another thing I've learned is, that you will be surprised who checks in with you, who sends cards, who offers to visit. What's more surprising is, those whom you would expect to, but don't. I remember from other difficult circumstances in my life - the worst of course, being the passing of my oldest son, Philip back in 2009 - that the most thoughtful, generous people were the unassuming ones.

When Brian went to Trader Joe's a few days ago, my favorite employee sent this bouquet of flowers home with Brian for me. He had remembered that I was having surgery and actually asked Brian how I was doing. Isn't that incredibly thoughtful?

And yesterday, I received two cards in the mail (one from a blogger friend), which totally made my day.

This book also arrived in the mail, but it was a present from myself. ;-) I'm sure most of you are familiar with the author, Elizabeth Berg. If you follow her on Facebook, you will know that she posts uplifting snippets of everyday life. Posts that make you smile and give a little pick-me-up. There were several FB readers that asked her to compile some of these short essays into a book. This is the result. I haven't read the book yet, but I plan to today. Even the cover makes me smile. I have a feeling this book would be a great gift for anyone who is feeling down or is physically ill. 

Now go out and make someone happy, starting with yourself. And when asked how you're doing, remember that the word "fine" is not in your vocabulary.

after surgery

Thanks for all your well wishes on my knee surgery yesterday. Brian took this photo of me in pre-op. The nurse from the hospital called me the day before and told me the doctor's schedule had changed. I had to be at the hospital at 6 a.m. and I was first in line for surgery at 7:30. Fine with me - I wanted it over as soon as possible.

Good news was that the surgery itself was only 24 minutes and all went smoothly. I remember dreaming while I was under general anesthesia, but couldn't tell you what the heck the dreams were about now. They had me up and walking (with crutches) in a couple of hours. Then I was able to go home.

I felt fine all day yesterday. No pain, just a little discomfort and more tired than anything. Animals are so perceptive. My three fur babies stayed with me on the bed pretty much the whole day.

Today, day two, has been a little different. I felt OK this morning, but then the pain hit around noon. I can really feel it in the front of my knee where the incisions are. I guess I shouldn't be surprised - I think with any surgery that days two and three are usually the worst, from what I remember. The nurse called me today for follow-up and told me that I need to be up every hour, walking around for about 5 minutes. I am using crutches and walking verry slowly, but able to put some weight on my foot with every step. Otherwise, I've been propped up in bed with my knee elevated and icing it every few hours. And this sweet boy, Zippo (who will be 18 in May) has loved being my constant companion.

Other than that, I'm in good hands with Brian off work and taking care of me. And my mom stopped by this morning and brought us a big pot of her beef stew. That was so appreciated. We'll all have a wonderful dinner tonight. Thanks again to all of you for your good thoughts and prayers. I am looking forward to complete healing, but I know I have to be patient and just remember it's one day at a time.

xoxo

two more days

My arthroscopic knee surgery is in two days. March 1st. I wish I could push a fast-forward button to March 2nd. My anxiety has been really bad today and I have a headache. I've tried everything: talking to friends, praying, yoga, telling myself positive thoughts. But those of you who also have anxiety know how well that goes (said sarcastically). It's like another entity takes over. *sigh*

In my heart, I know things will go well and that I'll be fine. I've had surgery before (two of them, as a matter of fact.) It's more fear of the unknown.

If you are inclined to pray, please do so for me, OK? I'll also take any good thoughts sent my way. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I truly appreciate it. I will write a post-surgery post as soon as I can!

(Wish I could be as peaceful and calm as Monkey!)

eating my words, weekend fun, and monday at home

In my Valentine's Day post, I spoke about how I don't receive flowers on Valentine's Day anymore ~ but that it didn't matter because true love was more than that. Turns out, the joke was on me. Brian came home from work with roses! I was so surprised, I blurted out, "For me?!"

The weather here in northern Illinois has been gloriously and amazingly warm the past few days, with temperatures in the 60's and lots of sunshine. Normal temps this time of year are 30 degrees - and we usually have snow, too. Walking around the yard, I spied tiger lilies already coming out of the ground. A month early. Exciting, yes - but also scary, as this warm weather won't last, of course. I'm afraid the returning cold will kill the emerging plants.

The middle of February usually finds me, my mom and aunt taking our annual winter trek to the antique mall by my house. It's a great place to spend a fun day while escaping the winter doldrums. Instead, we spent the day in another town that we love to frequent in the nice weather. We spent hours outdoors, walking up and down the main street, popping into our favorite shops and then having lunch at our choice Mexican restaurant. Of course, everyone else had the same idea and the sidewalks were crowded with young and old alike - and a lot of friendly dogs, too. 

 (me and my mom)

(my aunt and my mom ~ sisters)

I bought a couple of inexpensive things while we were shopping ~ found this cute teapot in a resale shop.

And bought this little ceramic heart in another shop (not resale, but only a few dollars). 

Today was a full day spent at home. I was going to run a few errands and then I remembered the kids were home from school today as it's President's Day. I knew the stores would be crowded. So, I decided the errands could wait until tomorrow. I don't have many days where I'm home the entire day, so this was actually a treat. I got a lot done in the house today, including washing the living room windows inside and out, and then cleaning the wooden blinds that cover the windows, too. I also vacuumed, dusted, cleaned bathrooms, did laundry, baked mostly-healthy brownies, made a veggie stir-fry, loaded and emptied the dishwasher twice, and brushed all three cats outside. I also did my yoga practice and PT exercises for my knee. (I have a torn meniscus.) Speaking of my knee, I'm finally going through with the arthroscopic surgery on March 1st. I was originally going to have the surgery in November, and decided to wait 'til the end of winter. Only nine more days - yikes! Though I'm at the point where I just want to be past it and on my way to healing. 

I had to move the spider plants that were on the ledge in the pass-thru to a safer spot. Mr. Monkey - sleeping on left - decided spider plants were fun to chew on. I replaced the spider plants with two different ones. For whatever reason, Monkey doesn't bother these. I'm probably being too brave with putting glass candle holders in the middle. Crossing my fingers that the cats will be cautious if they jump up there.

While I was rearranging stuff, I changed the decor in the nook above the microwave. Keeping it real with the pans left on the stove.

With spring weather on my mind, I've picked up flowers at Trader Joe's the past two times I've been there.. I know I've said it before, but their flowers are the best. They're inexpensive and they last a long time. This little bunch is leftover from the original bouquet that was 1-1/2 weeks old. Still going strong.

And here's another bunch that's five days old. The Wintry Blend coffee hasn't been used much lately. ;-)

These are the mostly-healthy brownies I made. I tweaked Nigella Lawson's flourless brownie recipe seen here by using 3/4 cup organic pure maple syrup instead of processed sugar. Guess that was a mistake because even though these look good, they don't taste so great. They're very grainy because of the almond meal. I bet the almond meal would've broken down more by using the granulated sugar. However, I don't eat processed sugar (as much as possible)...so I put the brownies in the fridge and will eat one here and there if I have a chocolate or sweet craving. 

Wishing you a joy-full week!

knee update and antiquing

Hello friends ~ so much day-to-day busyness going on here and doing my "homework" (research) on meniscus tears so that when I met up with my orthopedic doctor again today, I'd be prepared with questions. Long story short, my tear does indeed require surgery - unless I want things to get worse and develop osteoarthritis. (I was hoping I could get away with just physical therapy.) It's a degenerative lateral tear, meaning the tear is on the outside of the knee where there is no blood supply. This kind of tear is uncommon; the more common ones are medial tears - on the inside of the knee. Brian and I actually had a little chuckle about me having the uncommon kind. That's pretty much been the story of my life with my medical history. Anyway, the surgery scheduler will be calling me in the next few days to schedule surgery, so I'm hoping to have it by the end of the month. I'm admittedly scared, but I also want it over so I can move on to healing. I'm in a lot of pain right now.

On to better things. One of the great things about fall in my area is the abundance of activities and fests to choose from on the weekends. This past weekend, a couple of local antique stores were having a fall harvest sale. These little stores are only a 20 minute drive from my house, but yet I'd never been there. It's in an area that I never just pass through, so I always thought "some day". Brian and I met my aunt and uncle there for some treasure hunting. 

I loved this pumpkin planter, but priced at $35, I had to pass it up.

Not an antique, just a homemade planter, but charming nonetheless.

I spy some pretties...we need to go inside.

Stepping inside...I love antique stores like this, where there's so much to look at. I could go back over the same area a few times and find something I hadn't seen the first go-around.

Whaddya think ~ is this hat "me"? ;-)

Here's what came home with me (NOT the hat) ~

A vine and twig pumpkin...

A trio of crocheted acorns...

A couple of crocheted pumpkins...

and my favorite bargain, a pair of Le Creuset petite pumpkin cocottes!

 Before I sign off, my obligatory maple tree photo:

I think we can all use a little bit of peace and beauty in our lives right now.

Blessings to all.