Friday bliss

This morning's heavy wet mist has given way to patchy blue skies and sunshine with temps in the mid 50's. A steady afternoon breeze is rushing through the treetops, shrubbery and neighborhood foliage creating a side to side wave-like rolling effect.
We've already napped this afternoon. Jeff is sipping a cup of afternoon coffee while working on an art project.
I'm reading Bird Cloud, a memoir of place by Annie Proulx, a perfect read for this afternoon.

Today has been a day of what ordinarily seem minor, but what are HUGE accomplishments for me. I was able to (for the first time since surgery) step into the shower without assistance.
And, when reading in the master bedroom (with Kyoko next to me napping) I was able to bring my right knee completely up and bend it until I was ready to change positions. These are major. I have to be independently mobile before Jeff returns to work- which will be the week after next. This makes me feel more confident in my ability to be more independent.
This morning over coffee we watched Scandal on the DVR-- an intriguing new TV political series.

Now it's time for my afternoon snack... I'm thinking salsa and corn tortilla chips with iced Tiki punch...

Finding my Thursday groove

I seem to be operating in super slo mo today-- I don't even think I have a reverse gear, and the rest of the gears are so very NOT fully operational this early in the AM and may not even kick in today. That's okay.
Late yesterday afternoon Jeff and I drove down to celebrate Amanda's 26th birthday with her in Copper. A lasagne dinner followed, with of course, a cappucino triple fudge birthday cake for dessert.

While there I tried out her treadmill. Again, my right leg loved it, the left, not feeling the love at all. In fact it was down right hostile, go figure. It seems to be about a week behind my left in healing and doing the same things, mobility-wise.
After Jeff returns to work (week after next) we'll be walking in the AM before he goes to work on MWF while on Tuesdays and Thursdays I am going to be working out (at my own speed) in Amanda's exercise room as part of my physical therapy. Physical therapy can be pricey, but knowing this, you can speak to your physical therapist and ask for an exercise regiman that you can do at home. They will give you drawings of exercises, with the number/reptition you need to do-- I have a stack on the tray, in our master bedroom, for quick reference.
Later today, and thank goodness it's later, I have an appointment with my dentist for a small filling and cleaning and that should bring me up to date and I can call my dental hygiene good and move on...
While at Amanda's Sam had left her this freakishly large egg he had found in the chicken coop, we posed it next to a regular sized chicken egg. Looks kinda like a Fred Flintstone sized egg, 

Speaking of eggs, I am in search of food-like substance and am in need breakfast...

A Wonderful Day In The 'Hood...

It's a perfect spring morning. Blue skies, sunshine, a soft breeze and temps somewhere in the mid to upper 50's. My neighborhood sounds are birdsong and the low throaty sounds of roaming quail, who are quite vocal this morning. An occasional dog bark. At the moment a siren is roaring down Main street. An elderly couple are out for a morning walk and just passed our master bedroom window.
I'm propped up in our master bed, surrounded by pillows and comforters in multi-colored damask fabric with pinstripping and floral designs. In aubergine (eggplant) sage greens, lavender, heavy creams, faded burgundy. So comfy. I have my laptop on a pillow on my lap. I can see the leafy green branches of our oak trees in the front yard, through my open windows.
Gracie, who came in a moment ago, is with me having her breakfast in her kitty bowl on the glass topped dresser bureau (don't ask) while alternating between looking out the window and jumping onto the master bed and walking up my laptop,nudging it, to jumping onto the pillows behind me to say hello. She is a very happy girl this morning. I like happy.

It's 6 weeks today since my bilateral knee surgery and today marks my first official day of kinda getting back into the real world. I have an afternoon appointment with my dentist for a routine checkup. Not my fav thing, but returning to participating in normal everyday life activities. Jeff will drive me over, it's just down the street and around the corner... but driving isn't something I have returned to yet, but in a week, or so... it's game on.
I enjoyed yesterday's marketing adventure at Save Mart and getting around the store much better than my 1st try a couple of weeks ago.
It's funny because when you have this surgery you really don't know what to expect when it comes time to being able to walk again-- which happens on the day after surgery. My experience with this has been intriguing. It's not at all what I imagined or expected. For me walking has felt like I have 2 tightly wound invisible tourniquets wrapped around my knees. One below my knee cap, one above the knee cap. As time has gone by they have loosened and now the normal feeling of walking is slowly returning.
And for those of you, who think, gosh must be rough writing on her laptop in bed... here is a glimpse into my real world. I had just finished writing the above paragraph when I told Gracie to get down. Which she attempted to do... however, in the process, she landed on my side laptop table, that I had my European oversized coffee cup on... the table is rickety at best, and with Gracie's added weight, it began to sway violently which then caused the coffee to spill over. Next my brass floor lamp tumbled to the floor, first hitting the table, spilling more coffee, then landed on the floor with a loud crash, the light bulb came off, shattering, then the lamp harp flew off, followed by the lamp shade that came loose as it hit the closet. A very slowing motion domino effect. Seriously???
Jeff and I cleaned up the damage while Gracie had returned to the bureau to finish her breakfast. While I watched her it dawned on me that the lampshade to the brass floor lamp would look much better on my Japanese floral ginger jar lamp, in front of the window (next to the bureau and club chair). And, that shade would look better on my floor lamp. So, I switched them. Maybe Gracie is a decorating genius after all, wonder if I should change her name to Genieve?
Welcome to my world....