Another Day

brought downstairs this 3 year old Christmas Cactus.

Red one still on loft is just forming blooms.

Purchased 3 years ago, so tiny and the blooms last a long time.

Beautiful sunny week after Thanksgiving.

Enjoyed my family so much and so many missed in other states and countries.

The girls
love Callie and really spoil her on their visits...

and image shared
given to oldest young granddaughter

grandma
thinks he is a winner...

Thanksgiving

First time ever
my girl's brought dinner.

My two youngest

so good to have family with me

Continuing onward
trying to find out more information....

TWO POSTS THIS DAY

Sharing dreadful gel shot procedure
done  hours ago

a lot of fluid drained off of knee
which added to pain
and shot
not as painful as other procedures I have had in the past

told I responded very well.....

walked back through parking lot with cane in hand
Jamie by my side

told my pain tolerance high

told carry on with life
no restrictions
no elevating or icing
move and rest

will return next 2 weeks to finish shots
a mystery how long pain relief lasts ( conversation with lady in waiting room
said hers lasted 6 months.....and had 2 other times.

thankful it is over

tonight I will sleep
with the dread of this procedure over

knee almost looks normal
where it was twice its normal size

I had read of so many horrible painful tales of this procedure
my girl said
"mama you need to stop doing all this research"



So ever thankful
and thankful to my girl
Jamie - who never lets me down - Bless her
and sleep I must tonight.

thankful for many thoughts going my way....

This Morning

Because you asked :)

Computer working once again
thankful to special son in law and Cheryl at Mouse Calls Computer in Nashville, Tennessee.
Working but it seems slow
but at least I can write once again, look at mail and research what is going on with knee

Appointment at 1:00 for injection of jell and have read way too much about this procedure.
Some it helps and others it does not.   Painful but had bone marrow biopsy 2 years ago
and that is supposed to be the most painful and I survived.

The pain in swollen knee has been horrible, sleepless nights, nauseated, etc.

So will see what today brings.

Thankful my Jamie is arriving this morning after taking her children to school.

The independent one all of her life, doing things her way, always successful it seems now
it is different. 

Guess a part of the last years on this beautiful earth even with a good mind
you need help, help you can depend on and your children have their lives
and it is way it is suppose to be.   Just not the way it was in my past years.

Without being diligent in doing everything I know to do and much thankfulness and prayer
do not know of anything else to do.

If I am not a candidate for knee replacement and pain is unbearable
guess some type of pain medication I will have to take and have not wanted too.

Enough shared, a beautiful sunny morning is arriving, will do the mat and breakfast.

Received this morning from son in Thailand
a walk leading to a special place he goes too.

So beautiful.....

Wha Else Can Happen

My AOL desk top has disappeared.

It is AOL Gold, have tried to contact and a wait of 20 minutes for them to install and will charge me.

On my blogger site I can write and post but cannot email to family or forward other special items
Guess it will give them a rest....
This happened last year and when paid a sum for a year of AOL all was replaced :(

Knee is so swollen and very sore, called Orthopedic office and told first appointment was next
Tuesday and Jamie will go with me.   Gel solution will be injected, fluid removed and told if
it was to painful to wait until then to go to ER.

Sad and disappointed, nothing like it was for years when I made a call and was immediately able
to go to the doctor's office.   Did not realize how privileged I was at that time.   Now the attorney I relied on for direction for years, the doctors I went to for years
have all passed on or more ancient then this one.

Seems I have become a part of the discarded ones.

So trying to stay off of feet, elevate and ice knee and not a good one to take it easy.

Have heard all kinds of results for the Gel injections, first the fluid will be drawn off of my knee and then 3 shots given, one each week for 3 weeks
and some report their is relief and some so painful they do not finish the injections and some no
relief.

Will try again later to phone AOL to see if they will please give me back my AOL Desktop.

Maybe you can on Google forward emails and what I share
do not know how
and brain and body  just weary from all that is going on.

Hopefully I do not fall between now and Tuesday.

So stupid of me to say this
with a good mind
just never planned on the body going....

Last March
when my son made a visit
"how happy I looked"

Had to Get Out

Still cool and sprinkling days.
Down the road I travel to the new expanding Market
something new
yogurt so similar to how they make in Italy.   I like the little glass jars with colorful tops.
Bought 2 and will try some in the morning.

Walking down every isle, finding new items, then to post office and my weekly
Pumpkin Latte from Dunkin Donuts, so good.
Home, did not feel like making soup and cooked small section of Salmon purchase
along with mushrooms and BokChoy

Have not seen radishes this small and healthy looking since Spring, did not have glasses to see
where they came from.   I like to slice paper thin and enjoy.

I like to carry an energy bar with me in the car.  Most of them too hard for me to chew
another one buying some suggested "Larabar" purchased a Fruit and Green and a Peanut Butter

Told I am not eating enough with 2 small meals and must add some more during the day
besides the Ensure with Ice Cream :)
Also purchased some ground turkey to make patties for turkey burgers  and ground pork
to make my own sausage using my Sage.   This is an experiment, can mix and freeze and take
out what I need....

Wanted to purchase a turkey breast or small turkey for Thanksgiving and told they were in just had not been put out.
I know the small size goes quickly....

Much Happening

For 40 years
every home I have lived in I planted Sage.   It was planted for Thanksgiving Dressing  I make.  Sage from the market
is horrible, what a difference fresh sage and all fresh herbs make, I love the scent.    Reading earlier today I learned of the medicinal
uses of fresh Sage.   So much I did not know.     The Sage plant by my deck was planted 9 years ago,
blooms in the summer and always in the Fall but some sprigs, place in water for the Fall cooking.
It is rapidly turning dark, steps from porch are wet, in the morning will take a picture of my Sage
and also pick a bouquet to put in the kitchen.

Recent picture  of son in Saigon, blesses me,

GD  Sarah arrives in another day to visit him and other areas in that country

picture of her last trip to that country...

A wet, 60 degree day and seems I stayed chilled most of the day.

 Over and over the thought comes to mind "what would I do without this computer
to keep in touch with my family"....

Planned on making Corn Chowder at noon today, looked in freezer a carton of Chili so will make the chowder tomorrow.   Did make a Waldorf Apple salad., instead of sour cream, which out of used
whole milk Yogurt - so good with sliced grapes, raisins, walnuts and a little crushed pineapple.

One of young granddaughter's now has a driving permit :)

Lady Bugs

This cottage is covered

with hundreds of Lady Bugs :)

My mother use to say they brought Good Luck

So it is all coming
and so welcome....

So warm yesterday
80 degrees

and the time change did not mind
since I get up early anyway.

Coming week
my chef granddaughter
will visit my son in Thailand.

My Beth just returned from visiting the chef in Nantucket
season is now closed.

A traveling family

and it is wonderful
to not want to go anywhere
and enjoy this time of life I am journeying through.....

New Additions

Do not eat a lot
but healthy.   Have started adding Bee Pollen and Hemp Hearts to oats that I eat twice a week.
Mentioned to some daughter's and they replied they used them.

Early morning as water boiled put some sunflower seeds, cran raisins, chia seeds in water and added oats, also l bowl of whole milk yogurt. banana with honey.
This looks good but only eat about 1/2 along with 2 cups of green tea.

Breakfast after 20 minutes of stretches

Callie, never takes her eyes off of me.

Wish I could conquer this ongoing pain, when I am moving the
 mind stays sharp and clear.  Would not be this way if on pain medication.
  Seems if I keep moving I am not as aware of pain.
If that makes sense,  told to rest more which has never been a part of my personality.  If I become interested in a new book or one of my many old books, I rest.   Not a television person...

After a past week of daily appointments
it is so nice to be home, looking out every window I see the colors of Fall.

Miss so very much walking on this property and now cannot chance.  Even with cane or the walker
I rarely use
it is not a good idea...

Wondering what do I eat later today
noticed in the freezer a plate I had frozen of corn, green beans, carrots and roast.  So that issue solved.

Just reminded clocks go back tonight.   Oh My
now go to bed at 6:30
does that mean 5:30
and I get up in the middle of the night :)

Friday

It looks like another 7 days of rain

a busy week behind me and beginning today are welcome days at home.

My welcome theraphy visit weekly has stopped :(

Still doing daily research on knee surgery which I do not want to put myself through.

My only desire is to keep moving and will continue handling pain in a intelligent way.

I will continue exercising daily and even increase, will walk daily if it has to be at the market
holding on to a cart for 30, 45 and even an hour 3 or 4 times weekly.

My mind is in an excellent place

and now this body follow through.

Every day something good happens.

Thankful for so much in my life.

Keeping a smile on my face seems to offer the same from others :)

Molasses Cookies

My special neighbor, every Wednesday brings in my local paper, that is tossed out by mailbox and every other week brings me
 a dozen fresh eggs from her chickens and I pass on my Sunday New York Times.   This morning
she brought me 3 Molasses cookies, so good with my tea.  Had forgotten this recipe, she shared
with me a year ago I made them and may have posted but cannot find.

Recipe is on the Molasses bottle..

1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of vegetable shortening (I use butter)
1 cup if molasses
1 large egg or 2 small ones

2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp of ginger
1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup of water
1/4 cup of granulated sugar

combine sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy
add molasses and egg
combine flour and spices, stir with a whisk
add sugar and flour, beat a low speed
cover and freeze for 1 hour

lightly coat hands with cooking oil and shape ingredients into 1 inch balls
place on cooking sheet that has been coated with cooking spray
375 for 8 minutes, cool on wire racks

recipe on bottle shares of dipping dough lightly in water and dipping in sugar
I DO NOT DO THIS

Makes a lot of cookies
like 4 1/2 doz
next time Jamie and family visit
will make
also pumpkin bread
or if I can sooner will make
want to share with my special theraphist
his last day today
will miss him.   Hopefully returns first of year.