The socks are gone!

YAHOOOOOOOOOOO - the white, tight, to the thigh (if you are tall, but being 5'2" that meant folding it over and over) socks are gone! The doctor visit went well - I have a back to work date - Physical Therapy is extended a few more weeks - all is going well.

Today is the day

I go to the doctor today and will find out when I can return to work. I'm guessing in mid to end March or early April. Life is slowly getting back to normal - spending most of the day away from the bedroom thank goodness - I'm so sick of that bed that I could scream.

Our friends, Jim and Jan, spent the week taking every piece of paper in their house and sorted it and threw away and filed. I am inspired! I am hoping before I go back to work I will have a major dent made into the same project.

We have a new Flex Spending Account at work - wow - mine is gone already! I wish we could have put more into it this first year. It did help a lot - I didn't have to pay for our deductible and now I've reached my limit of copays for treatment - so for the rest of the year I'm taken care of - now I'll be healthy until Jan 1 right?

So - anyway - that's it - I'm going to sort papers!!!!

OK OK - I've learned my lesson - I think

Way toooooo much yesterday. But really - it was the first day I felt normal (no smart remarks from the peanut gallery on that one!)I am exhausted today - most of the day will be in bed.

We keep waking up very early - so we went for a ride to see the sunrise - it was beautiful - sometimes we drove past groves of trees and the sun would travel through the trees while we drove past - it was spectacular. We drove towards Vassar and actually drove past our friend Terry's house - but - we thought on a Saturday morning we shouldn't just show up at sunrise on her doorstep!

Then to Robbie's bowling - we watched 2 games - it was fun. He is doing VERY well. I was so happy to hear that they took his Grandpa's bowling ball and had it filled and redrilled for Robbie - what a nice way to remember his Grandpa.

Then on to two estate sales - bought a few dishes at each. One was right near Jim and Cindy's so we stopped to say hi there.

I know sitting at a desk all day will be difficult - I will need to walk a lot in between doing payroll I think when the doctor says I can go back - but all in all - it feels good to be back in business again!

Small Steps

YAHOO - I could go all the way around on the stationary bike. At least at home. I think maybe the seat is too low at PT so I'll see if changing the seat higher makes a difference there. One of my PT therapists has been telling me there is NO REASON why you can't go 100% all the way around on the bike. I told him to shut up on Wednesday. I do have a reason! My legs are short! If I can do it at home I'll be able to do it there today, cross your fingers!

The weather is supposed to be fabulous today and tomorrow - sunny - high 30's. We are going to go on a road trip and see how far we get! Maybe Mt. Pleasant and a few thrift shop stops.

There are a couple of estate sales going on this weekend, too. Maybe I'll be back in the groove! I sure feel okay today - but it always seems the day after therapy I spend a lot of time in bed with an ice pack!

Happy Birthday, Larry

I'll be calling you today - I just want you to know I'm thinking about you - this is a big one brother dear - YEAH!

I'm feeling much better. Still need to rest a lot - but I no longer have the cane - so I'm walking on my own. PT is still going good - painful but good. I don't think I can sit at a desk all day long yet so I'm guessing the doctor will keep me off next week when I go in for my checkup.

I've cut out the Advil and now will only take it if the pain is bad. I'm tired of taking medicine all the time and my stomach has had it, too.

Went to Ash Wednesday services at church last night - it was very heartwarming to go back to church - I've missed it since I've been recuperating. I'm glad to be back.

Over the worst I think

So - I'm feeling much better today - already today is better than this past weekend. I think PT helps a lot - by the time I left there yesterday I was exhausted but my knee felt much better. And I had a pretty good night sleeping so how can that be bad?

I told Pat we need to go out some this week - I need to move around and get out of the dreaded bedroom. I don't feel realy comfortable sitting in the living room in any of the chairs or couches - so I've been spending a lot of time upstairs - but I'm getting cabin fever.

I can see a shopping trip to Michaels coming up soon!

Worst Day

Well - yesterday was the worst day I've had since surgery. I decided to go off the pain meds and rely on my old standby Advil. And I'm at the end of my Lyrica so I think that may have something to do with the problems yesterday. Thank goodness for Patrick who rubbed my leg every couple of hours. I can't say that the problem was pain as much as feeling "raw" all up and down the leg. It seems a lot better today - we can only hope so since Pat went to work and Caroline won't be over til later on today.

We went to Meijers for a walk and to pick up a few things. It was two hours until I could take my Advil and I thought I better get my mind off watching the clock. Then on the way home Cindy called to say she and Jim were parked in the driveway - I told her we were almost back home. They stopped to bring me a rose valentine and some homemade bread. It was nice to see them and they only stayed a little bit.

So - now I'm waiting for an email from Basic to request documentation for a bill I paid to the hospital with my FSA card - so I'm thinking it will get here this morning. I know - I need to get a life!

Another Week Done

Last night was a long night - I couldn't remember if I took my pain pill at 10 pm so when I awakened at 1 am in pain I didn't feel as if I could take a pill for an hour - so that hour was not a good one. I ended up taking a shower at 2 am after taking the pill and I finally settled down - but not until I disturbed Pat enough for him to wake up. GGGRRRR.... I tried to be quiet but I dropped the remote. I was turning off the TV hoping to be able to fall asleep. Well - we both fell back asleep until 5:30 so it was okay.

I bought a new bead tote in case I ever feel like going for a long ride - although that still seems to be a LONG LONG time away. It hurts a lot to ride for more than a few miles. But anyway - I love the new tote - I'm starting to sort my beads by color into it this morning. That should keep me busy - or I'll get tired and have to put everything away to take a nap!

This getting better stuff takes a lot of energy! Whew!

YEAH - another PT down

I did lots more at Physical Therapy - it actually feels pretty good to do all the exercises and stretches - a few hurt but that is to be expected. I'm quite tender today but I've already done my exercises one time today.

It is not comfortable to ride in the van - We actually thought while I was recouping we could go on some rides in the van - NOT - I'd rather lay in bed all day and after a few weeks of that you know I don't want to do that either.

I have to wear these white TED socks to help prevent blood clots - as happy as I am to get them off every night to go to bed I am as happy to put them on each morning - they are a pain in the butt however they seem to keep some of the tenderness from my knee - I have to wear them until my doctor appointment in a couple weeks - we'll see if I still feel this way next week!

I'm starting to think about doing some beading - I'd like to get a head start on the Christmas season - you know how many times I ran out last year and we can't have that with more shows scheduled for this year. That's all for now.

Survived the first PT

Well - it wasn't easy - but I survived the first Physical Therapy on Wednesday and I go again today. I was very tired yesterday and very tender and sore on my knee. But things are getting better every day.

I've put in my confirmed dates for shows for 2010 - beginning in June - I also hope to be at Grandy Farm but will have to call for the date of that open house. I'm looking forward to another great year of selling plates and knives.

I'd like to say I miss work - but I don't - just some of the people. (That means you - you lurkers out there!)

OK - that's all - time to go take a nap.

Sunday Morning

Well - I think there is a turning point today - I slept very well and did not take a pain pill until I got up at 3:30 - 7 hours spread - and after being in the machine for an hour - still feel very good. YEAH! My first adventure out will be this week when I go to physical therapy - I'm a little worried because it hurt to get in the van when I came home from the hospital - but - I'm moving my knee much more now and it should be okay.

I just finished putting together a really cute item for the fund raising "Art from the Heart" for the Mid-Michigan Children's Museum - It is a covered glass cake plate with 4 glass plates, 4 forks and 1 serving piece wrapped in red glass beads and silver metal hearts. I hope someone bids big for it!

And just for the record - that is probably the last item I will ever wrap in bed while recovering from anything at all. Beads kept spilling out of tubes, hearts fell on the floor, I kept misplacing my scissors and pliers and it was generally a pain in the buttola. But worth it because I love doing this for the museum.

Getting Better Each Day

Well - I'm feeling okay - it has been a difficult 2 weeks but I can see already how good this surgery has turned out. I have a long road ahead of me when I start my out patient therapy next week. I am exhausted by the exercises and CPM machine that I do now at home each day so I can imagine I'll be really tired.

A few phone calls from work yesterday while I was in the CPM machine made the time go faster - it's nice to help out from home. I do miss writing my COGNOS and EXCEL reports but this way I make the people who need the report do the work with my help as they go along - so really - this is much better for them.

My CPM machine makes my knee bend and go straight - my range of motion is now 90 degrees for my bend and -7 degrees going flat. I think my goal by next week is 125 degrees and -10 degrees. So seeing as I started at 60 and 0 when I came home I think I'll make it!

Caroline is coming over this morning to be with me while Pat goes to work - even though I can get in and out of bed now I cannot get into and out of the machine and when I do go up and down the stairs I need my walker taken up and down too. So it will be nice to chat with Carolina Moon Keeps Shining this morning.

Good Morning!

13 Days with a new knee - and doing well. It's been a hard couple of weeks - but with Pat's help we are making it through. I don't know what I would have done without him. So first things first - a grateful heart for a wonderful husband.

Everything went better than I expected. The pain is the worst part of it but managable with drugs. I am now just taking Tylenol so hopefully that can be discontinued soon too.

I had wonderful staff at Covenant - good food - even got to sleep some. My physical therapy is going well here at home and hopefully that dreadful limp is a thing of the past - I seem to be walking okay without one at the momemt! Yeah!

I had the best night sleeping so far last night - so I think things are on the mend. That's all for now.

Fabulous Finds Has Moved in Tawas

Julie called to say they have combined the two stores into one - you will now find my serving pieces at Finders Keepers - located in the same parking lot but in the back part of the lot.

I have been in this store - bought my end table that I love there - it is wide open spaces with lots of beautiful antiques - I am excited about the new store and I can't wait to go up to see it.

Snow Snow Snow

We just got a couple of inches of snow - it cleans everything up and makes it all bright and pretty outside. Robyn at work wanted 4 feet - thankfully - her wishes didn't come true yet - Pat says it is still snowing outside so we will see tomorrow.

OK - where are you?

OK my dear lovely nieces - and sister - who talked me into blogging - where are you? No one has updated since about October or November - I'm really missing all of you - Ellie you have an excuse with twins and even you caught up your blog the other day! So the rest of you - I'd love to hear what you've been doing. Aunt ME

Christmas is Done Today

Our last Christmas visit was yesterday - with Lillie and Anna and Mary - Bruce had to work! Lillie is taller than Nana! Oh my goodness. It is amazing. Anna talks, talks, talks - she is a sweetie. Lillie is quiet and reserved and so into swimming - it was fun to have Caroline and Lillie and Anna compare swimming stories. Caroline played golf and bowling with them and had a great time. We made panini's for lunch and then our visit was over. It was so nice to catch up.

Today we are putting away the Christmas tree - I actually think I am putting a trash bag over the whole thing and keeping it decorated - we'll see how that works next year!

We have been shopping the sales for dishes - oh there are some really beautiful ones that are white with gold swirls. I had some similar to those this year and they sold out first. So we are going shopping today to see if we can find some more.

It was a quiet Christmas this year - we stayed under budget and it was spread out enough so neither of us felt rushed. Looking forward to a quiet beginning to the year after my knee surgery. Hopefully I will get everything caught up at work (I know you are reading this Robyn and you know I will!)

Day after Christmas Drive

Pat and I went up to Boyne Falls to buy one last Christmas Gift - so we decided to go over to Mackinaw City for Lunch. On our way we stopped at several Goodwill and Thrift stores - only one dish found - I thought there would be lots more. I keep forgetting how expensive the west side of the State is - I don't spend that much money on my plates. At one store I saw a plate that I have two of here at home - the plate was $15 - so when someone buys my plate with a knife for 2/$15 they are REALLY getting a deal!

We stopped at the Keyhole Bar and Grill in Mackinaw City - as you know from previous posts one of our favorite stops. We had a great perch dinner and headed home. Both on the way to Boyne Falls and back home to Saginaw there were some snow showers that looked as if it might get bad but we really lucked out because the storms were all around us.

I called my brother, Larry in Arizona to see how he is doing and he sounded good. We both said we have to start exercising - I told him if I have to go into rehab after the knee surgery then he should start his hiking again. He said he'd think about it!

So - on to our last day of Christmas vacation. It has been a wonderful week.

Christmas with Pat's Family

We had a really nice Christmas with Pat's family on Christmas Day. It was amazing how many people fit in our duplex. We missed Bernie and Bonnie from Colorado and David and Paula from Lansing - Paula is recuperating from a short hospital stay and we are all glad she is feeling better. Cathy and Martin came from Lansing, Dan and Augie and Matt came from Almont, Mary and Ben from Ann Arbor stayed overnight at Grandma and Grandpa's and brought them over from Midland. Marge from next door stopped over to talk art with Pat's Dad. Joanna and Robin and Sheala and Robbie stopped by for a bit before they went to Robin's Mom's house for Christmas. Jesse and Caroline and all of their troop didn't come over because Christmas is Jesse's birthday and his wish for that day - to stay in his pajama's all day long - I heard he did and he had a wonderful celebration.

Then we all waited for Kellan and Jason to get here from Toronto. She almost didn't make it because she couldn't find her passport. Thankfully at the last minute she remembered it was in a book! They ran back into their home pulling books off the shelves and they found it. It was so good to see them and get hugs from everyone.

It was a delightful evening.

Merry Christmas Everyone

Merry Christmas to all from the Clifford house!

We had such a nice Christmas celebration on Monday - we went to the Family Fun Arcade at the Bavarian Inn Lodge. My sister, Kathy and most of her family were there - Bryant was missing because he had to work. My brother and his wife, Jim and Cindy came with Michael and my cousin Mary Lynn. Then all of our clan was there. The kids had a blast playing in the arcade and the rest of us talked for hours. We really enjoyed it. It was good to be all together for a few hours. We missed Jane and Chris and Larry.

Pat and I went over to St. Peter and Paul's and helped decorate on Tuesday. We had a very nice time and everything looked so festive.

Today is baking day. I'll be in the kitchen for a few hours. But worth all the work I am sure. Best wishes for a very merry Christmas this year.