Mid week already and it is getting on into evening already. Ms. Kate and I are sitting until the sunporch watching the action in the Backyard Buffet. I went out and filled the feeders and hung up a bunch again. I’m having to pit it back together after the destruction of the raccoon. BUT!!!!! That raccoon won’t be in my yard again.

We went out yesterday afternoon and bought a couple of traps. I put a can of cat. Food on one of them and set it right on the sidewalk where they have been doing their latest damage. That was about 1700 hours, I got ready to goto bed around 2230 after the news and I turned on the back yard light and I had already captured the thing. This morning, after Bible study, I called Animal control and they said they would come and pick it up. Around 1300, they came by and took it away. The lady said that ours was the fourth one on her truck. They take them and relocate them out in a city park. That was what I had considered doing but I didn’t think it was legal for me to do it. I had called DNR and they told me that I could release it on private property if I had the owners permission. Otherwise I could exterminate it. Somehow, it just didn’t sit well with me to stand over it trapped in a cage and shooting it. So now it will have to get off of the “easy food train”, and fight the other raccoons for its meal.  

I went to work this morning and I also conducted the Bible study for Pastor Art. He is still on vacation and will get home on Saturday.

I should get on my bike and ride for twenty minutes or so or maybe three miles, which ever comes first. But, —- by evening, my leg starts to get pretty tired and starts to give me some pain. So, with the other walking and work I have done today, I think I’ll take a day off from it.

With that, I think I’ll drop off of here and see what Ms. Kate and I are going to do about having some dinner. Have a blessed evening. Peace.

Well, Tuesday morning is an opposite of yesterday. It is cloudy, it is steamy and muggy and looks like it could rain at any moment.

My dang raccoon is back and tore down two more feeders last night. Actually he didn’t tear them up but he bent the pole they were hanging on over and the feeders were on the ground this morning empty. The fact that the ground was wet from the inch of rain we got yesterday certainly was an aid to it’s escapades. I  have to do something about this dang thing. It is ruining my Backyard Buffet and my ability to enjoy my birds. I may go to Rural-King today and buy a trap and set it out. . The problem is, what do I do with it if I catch it? I need to call my buddy Bob. He’ll know what to do about this dang thing.

Ms. Kate and I both did our bike rides yesterday again. We are enjoying it so far and I can tell it is doing some good. We went Saturday to the Apple store and bought her a set of Bose Wireless headphones so she can ride and listen to her music or watch her You Tube videos while she rides. I do the same thing with my set of Bose. I rode 3.4 miles yesterday and she rode 2,5. I may ride again today.

I finished writing a wedding ceremony last night. We have a couple from the church getting married on the seventeenth of August out in our Woodland chapel. Pastor Art and I will do the wedding together. It is a second marriage for both of them. I did the funeral for the groom’s first wife several years ago. They are both good people and I’m glad they found each other.

I think I’ll go fix something for breakfast now and get my day started. Have a great day.

Good morning on this bright and beautiful Monday morning. What say we start a whole new week together? I mean, what else do you have to do?

I'm at the office at the church with nothing on my schedule so I thought I would start my morning with a few notes on my blog before I start working on anything else. When I got here, I found two zuchini squash on my desk and I reckon they are going to be part of our supper tonight. Our secretary, Karen had told Ms. Kate yesterday that she was going to bring us a couple. We really like zuchini and yellow summer squash. I generally don't raise them simply because people who do raise them are always willing to share because they get so many. It takes a bigger plot of garden than I have to raise squash too. Those plants really spread out.

Our weekend was busy. I am able to get around to most anywhere I want to go now that I have my AFO. My only real challenge is walking up and down slopes like my driveway and being up on my feet too long. This morning even that was easier. But, we had to go shoe shopping for me. Since I have the orthotic, I have to have all new shoes because they have to fit over my orthotic. That has forced me to move up from a size 9D to an 11 wide or even double wide depending on the shoe. Then I have the problem of the shoes fitting one one foot and being too big for the other foot. But that is life as I know it from now on. We went out to a shoe store and got fitted for two different pair, one black and one brown pair. That set me back $300. Then yesterday we went out again and bought a pair of house slippers so I can get out of bed, slip[ on my orthotic and slide my foot into a house slipper to get around the house. That works at night when I have to get up in the middle of the night. Although, I must say that I am developing the ability to get around the house fairly well without my brace. I take it slow of course but so far I have had no problems. Some times I do well even without the cane. Who kniws what will happen down the road. I might just develope the strength to do withour the orthotic all together. If that ever happens though, then I'll have to start a new shoe buying trip all over again to get back into my size 9D. I'm currently getting ready to find a place to donate all of my old shoes to. I have a lot of really nice ones and someone might as well get some use out of them.

We had a fairly good attendance at church yesterday, sixty-seven. We had the service outdoors in the Woodland Chapel. Some of our friends from St. Lucas in Ft. Branch were there. It's always nice to see them.

Today will be laundry day and I think this afternoon Ms. Kate is going to make another peach pie or maybe two. We picked up some yesterday while we were out and they are really good. I had one last evening while I was watching television.

That's it for this morning. I pray you will have a wonderful week with all kinds of good things happening in your life. Peace.

Friday morning; last day of the traditional work-week. I once heard it said that when you buy something like an appliance or a car, ya’ want to make sure it was made on a Friday because people don’t have their minds on their job on Friday. I don’t think that is a true thing. I worked in manufacturing production at Whirlpool Corporation for almost seven years while I was going through college. I never saw a difference in production, although there were certainly higher employee absences on both Friday and Monday. So, perhaps there is something to it because somebody has to “shoot those screws” and the fill-in person might not be as familiar with the routine or be happy about having to fill-in. Just a thought.

It is another beautiful day outside. The temperature is stating to creep up higher than yesterday though and with that so will the humidity. I haven’t accomplished a thing this morning with the exception of playing my computer Bingo and Criminal Case game. I put a post on Facebook that I was gong to dedicate the first hour to politicians today by sitting in my chair, staring out the window, doing nothing while I collect my government pension.

I guess I need to refill a couple of the feeders again this morning. The one Bark-Butter -Bits feeder is almost empty. The birds all seem to like that and the dang blackbirds and starlings are the worst. They fly in and fuss and fight and will sit there for long periods of time gobbling the food down. They run other birds away and they constantly peck at each other.

I should spray myself with mosquito spray this morning and go out and do some yard work. The garden needs the weeds hoed out of it and I have a patch of poison ivy that I need to get out of the Azalea bushes. Our landscape folks won’t touch it because they are both highly allergic to it. He sprayed it earlier this week so maybe I can get in there and pull it out. It usually doesn’t bother me.

Last evening I made the arrangement for our 2020 vacation reunion. We are gong back to Gatlinburg, TN. The family all seem to like it. Usually we have rented a large mountain top place, but this time I have rented a large place down in the valley that is creek-side. It looks to be a beautiful home and I think everyone will enjoy the place. We went back to the company that we have rented from twice before and they have always treated us great. I’m excited about it.

I hope your weekend is relaxing and i hope you have some good family time. Increase the joy of family time by attending church together and worshipping the Lord God who made you a family and provides all of your blessings. Peace , my friends.

Thursday: What a perfect morning. It is sixty-nine degrees, the sun is shining, and the is a six mile per hour breeze blowing. I’m in the sun porch with my cup of coffee watching my friends come to the Backyard Buffet. This is the most “normal” I have felt in five and a half month. If I hadn’t had to start the morning by “putting my leg on”, it would be like my old life. But, at least putting my leg on only means that I’m putting a leg assistant on and not a prosthetic.

The new brace seems to be working out fairly well. I’m getting around in it very well. I’ve been up and down my basement steps several times going back and forth to my office. Last night around 2300 hours I was in the bathroom getting ready for bed and I could hear a television somewhere. I knew I had just left the kitchen and family room areas and the televisions were off in those rooms. I had also just turned off the television in our bedroom and yet I could faintly hear a TV still playing. So, I grabbed my cane and made my way through the house without my brace (not a good thing to do) and went to the top of the basement stairs and looked through the dark. Sure enough, I could see the flicker of the light from the television down there because it was on. What that means is that it had been going all day and all night from the night before. So, —- I made my way back to the bedroom, put my leg on, and then went downstairs and turned the television off. I’m positive we don’t have a poltergeist in the house so that means I’m the one who left it on. What a dork I can be. I guess it also means that my hearing is still pretty good.

Yesterday afternoon I filled a bunch of the feeders in the backyard. The really good news is that they are all still hanging this morning and some raccoon didn’t come along and pull the down. I repositioned some of them too. I bought a new feeder the other day at Wild Birds. It holds a cylinder of food for the Woodpeckers. They haven’t tried it yet but they will. I also bought some other cylinders of food that contains all of the stiff that the birds like. Unfortunately the squirrels like it too so I bought the variety that contains hot pepper. The birds will love it and thee squirrels will leave it alone once they try it.

The new recumbent bike is working well. Ms. Kate and I are both using it. I’m going to jump on it as soon as I finish my blog this morning. I have my music out here and can just sit back, pump my legs and listen to my music. We’re only doing about ten minutes at a time to start out. That is what my therapist had me doing. Right now we are doing a “ride” every other day. But, I think that is going to increase to maybe a couple of time a day on the days we ride.

Having said all of that, it is time to wrap this up and get started on my ride to nowhere. I hope you have a blessed day and I hope you have time to stop and take stock once again of your blessings. Peace.

July 23rd, Tuesday. I started my day out by going to physical therapy and the great news is that I have completed therapy. I have one more 30 minute session to go to for my final evaluation and discharge. That will be on the 6th of August just before I go to my surgeon’s checkup. I am go blessed. This has all healed as it should. I went yesterday and got my new AFO (ankle/foot/orthotic) and it works extremely well. It is light weight, easy to put on, and fairly comfortable. I have to wear a shoe with it because it is a very slick plastic and it only attaches to my leg just below the knee. That means nothing holds it to my foot. At night I just use my cane to steady myself getting to the bathroom with a bare foot. This has been a very long five months but I have zero complaints. I’ve said it a hundred times: I could have been dead at least twice during this process. Instead, I’m walking around, a bit worse for the wear, but I’m doing fine. So, if you have offered prayers for me and my recovery, thank you very much.

I’ve also been cleared to go downstairs to my office. Of course I will have to do it carefully and use the “two-step” method of going down. But, I have aa handrail and will always use it. Now I can get my “work-stuff” off of the kitchen table and we can turn the table back around like it it supposed to be and get all of my office stuff back down to where it belongs. Then I need to clean out what I call “Crip’s Corner” in our bedroom. That is the stack of stuff that I have been wearing since February. It is in and on top of the suitcase I was going to take on our vacation. I haven’t been able to easily get in and out of the closet so that is how we’ve lived around here. We can now also put the family room coffee table back where it belongs and put the dining room back together. We may actually get this place looking like a house where healthy people live again.

Ms. Kate spent yesterday morning putting peaches in the freezer and then yesterday evening she made a peach pie. We haven’t tried the pie just yet but I’m sure it will be a big part of our dinner tonight.

God has blessed us with an absolutely beautiful day and we are both out here in the sun porch with the glass doors open and a beautiful breeze blowing through the screen doors. I think it has now reached nap time. I hope your day is blessed as fully as mine has been. Peace.

Happy Birthday to me!! I turned seventy five today. Seventy five — three quarters of a century; — how great is that? I don’t know what I thought I would feel like being 75 but frankly — I feel pretty dang good. And as my dad used to say, “I’m not bad for the shape I’m in.” My health is good, my injury is almost healed up. Monday I get my new Orthotic brace and get out of my boot. I’m done with my infusions, I’m walking fairly well. So, all in all, I’m doing well for my age.

Julie and Jim came over and Jim put my new recumbent exercise bike together for me. Now the trick will be for me to use it. At least since it sits out here in the sun porch it won’t get used as a clothes hanger. That’s basically what happened to the treadmill. After years of it sitting in the basement and having to walk around it, I gave it to Lisa. I don’t know if they ever made use of it or not. But, I’m determined to use this thing. I guess we will see how long my determination lasts. It just has to become a part of a routine and then there is nothing to it. Ms. Kate says she wants to use it too, so we’ll see what happens to her determination too.

The hummingbird was knocking at the back door because the feeder was empty. I don’t know what has been getting into my feeders. I found another one on the ground opened and empty. What ever it is is is larger than a squirrel It almost has to be a raccoon or two. This feeder was pulled off into the bushes and the raccoons will do that. In years past I have found my feeders drug around the side of the house because they will steal them. Every year I have a a problem with raccoons for a couple of weeks and then they go away. I just filled that hummingbird feeder a couple of days ago and it was emptied in one night. It was hanging low enough that what ever animal emptied it sat in a flower pot and had a party. It can be glad I live in a subdivision and can’t shoot it.

It is about time to decide where we are going to eat our dinner. So, y’all have a great evening and a peaceful Sunday that includes worship of the Lord God. Peace.

Thursday morning and it has been a busy one. I had physical therapy first thing at 0900 out on the west side of town. It was a hard workout but it is doing me some good, I guess. At this rate I’ll have thighs and buns of steel in another hundred years. The exercises aren’t “hard” per se’ but enough repetitions and any exercise will wear a person out. Valerie doesn’t give any breaks in between exercises either, she just takes me from one to the next. I won’t admit that I kind of enjoy it, but I do always feel satisfied when we re through. If my schedule is correct, I only have three more sessions with them.

UPS just delivered my recumbent exercise bike. It looks like it is heavy. I’m really glad that Julie and Jim are coming over on Saturday to help me put it together. I had the UPS delivery lady set it in the garage. I would have to open the box and carry the pieces through the house and into the sun porch one piece at a time. That would be a lot of walking lifting and bending.

I’m sitting in a quiet house. Ms. Kate and Karen left about thirty minutes ago for Metropolis, IL and the casino. They’ll come home on Saturday. This is Kate’s first “free time” since I had the accident in February. She and Karen have both been looking forward to this.

Tomorrow I am supposed to be meeting Bob and Brenda at St. Joe Tavern for lunch. They want to get together for my birthday. However, Bob’s best long time friend passed away last evening so I don’t know if he will feel like celebrating or not. Bob late wife, his friend, and I all had July 20th birthdays. I know he’ll be deep in grief thinking about her. Ms. Kate and I sure do miss her. She was a really sweet lady.

I got a few things to rearrange inn the sun porch before we try to assemble that bike in there. So, I think I’ll give that a try. I mmay have to wait for Jim, I don’t know.

Have a blessed day. Peace.

I’ve waited all day to write this blog because today was the last day of my infusions. The PICC line is gone and as Ms. Kate says, my “jigglers” are gone. I still can’t take a shower for another 24 hours. I need to make sure I’m not going to start bleeding. But —- now I’m “this close”. LOL. One more sink bath and one more kitchen sink hair washing. It has been a long six weeks of going into the hospital every day, trying to find a parking space etc. At first Ms. Kate had to wheel me in from the parking lot. But for the last week I have been walking in on my own or I should say, “hobbling in”.

Now, to get through the last two stages. I still haven’t heard about my AFO getting here so I can get out of the boot, and I still have three or four physical therapy session to go through. My therapist yesterday had me riding the recumbent bike without my boot and it worked very well. I may have told you that Ms. Kate and I ordered one of those and it should be here tomorrow. I’ll have fun putting that thing together, —- Not! Anyway, I should have my therapy re-evaluation at the end of the month and then my next doctor’s appointment is the 6th of August. This adventure crossed the five month date anniversary yesterday. But the end is indeed in sight. But —- I said that eight weeks ago and Wham!!!

I think we will go out and celebrate tonight at our favorite pizza joint and I’m going to have a beer!
I haven’t been able to have one for the past eight weeks due to the antibiotics. It wasn’t a big deal it just knowing you can’t have something sometimes makes you want it more.

Pastor Art is still sick with his cold but says he is feeling better. He told me last night that he waas going to preach this Sunday even if he has to do it in his Pajamas. But, the antibiotics they gave him are doing him some good. I conducted his Bible Study today. I’m sure he would have done it much better.

That’s it for today. Happy “Hump Day”. Your work week is half over. Stay in touch with God. Peace.

Monday afternoon. It has been a rainy and cloudy day on and off. I went to work this morning and it was cloudy but I looked outside and it was pouring not long after that and it rained all the way up until I was going into the hospital for my infusion. But it was a “good rain” in that it was slow and steady and by now, we are needing some rain. However, there is a tropical storm that is Arrington a lot of water with it that is slowly moving up from New Orleans through the midwest. We’ll be dealing with rain through Wednesday.

Two more days of infusions! How great is that?? My six weeks are just almost over. I will be so glad. And again,, I am not complaining. This hasn’t hurt one bit and has only been a pain in the butt time-wise and scheduling wise. And of course the fact that I haven’t been able to take. Shower. But, my leg dressing prevented that for several weeks too.

Today is “Amazon-Prime” day which is a couple of days that Amazon has great deals of merchandise and best of all, free shipping. Ms. Kate and I bought a recumbent exercise bicycle for a really good price. It will be here sometime on Thursday. Then of course, I’ll have to put it together. We will put it out here in the sunporch so we can exercise and watch the birds etc at the same time. If we keep on it, it will be good exercise for both of us. It will be much easier on our knees and joints. We are calling it my birthday present since I turn 75 this coming Saturday.

Pastor Art is still sick with his cold. I worry about that. He’s two years older than me and folks our age can go from a cold to pneumonia and dead in a heart-beat. He is going to the MEC again today. He can’t get in to see his regular doctor until Friday. Sending prayers his way.

Ms. kate and I bought a new freezer to put out in the garage. Our old one quit the day after I had my initial accident and Ms. Kate had one hell of a mess to clean up and a lot of food to get rid of. It has been a real inconvenience not having that freezer out there. Now, if we can just not stuff it so dang full that we don’t know what is in there, it will be good. I told Kate that I thought we should get one because sweet corn season is coming on quickly and so will each season.  We just need to not go crazy with putting stuff up.

That’s it for today. Have a most blessed week. Stay in touch with God and stay in touch with your loved ones. You never know what life holds. Peace.

Happy Saturday morning. Yes, I know it has been a few days Between physical therapy appointments and infusion appointments and working, the days have just passed me by. And since I just described my days, —- you know you didn’t miss any exciting news any way.

My biggest accomplishment I think has been that I filled a lot of bird feeders yesterday with sunflower seed. They haven’t been filled in about seven weeks. The squirrels are celebrating this morning in the Backyard Buffet. It didn't take long for them to notice that the feeders were full. I was able to get up on my step ladder to fill some of the taller feeders although it sure wasn’t easy. This boot is really awkward even though the steps on it are wide. I certainly couldn’t do a “standard” ladder. But, it is wonderful to be able to sit out here again and watch the cardinals and finches and wrens and yes, even the squirrels come back to the buffet.

The bad news — the back yard John Deere is in bad shape. I’m not sure what I need to do to fix it. I bought a new fuel filter to put on it and we’ll see if that helps. But being able to get down and work on it is a task and a half. I may have to actually break out my self propelled push mower and try to use that. It hasn’t been run in two years so I don’t know it it will start either.

The good news: I can count the number of infusions I have left to do one one hand. I’m down to five more of them. Wednesday is my last one and the day they pull my PICC line out. Hopefully that is also about the time that my new leg brace will come in and I can start getting used to that and get out of the boot. And —- hopefully as of Wednesday I can start taking real showers again. I am so looking forward to that.

I have had a lot of swelling in the affected foot and ankle for months now but it is starting to subside. This morning the foot looked “almost normal” again.

Tomorrow is Sunday and we are having out worship out in the outdoor chapel. For once there is no chance of rain. Pastor Art has come down with a summer cold so I don't know if he will be making it to church or not. I can certainly handle the service by myself if not. But, at Art’s age, colds are not a good thing. They can turn not pneumonia in a heartbeat. I’m living proof of how quickly infection etc can spread and what devastating effect that can have on ya..

That’s it for today. Have a blessed weekend. Peace.

Tuesday July 9th; Good morning on this bright sunny day. I hope your week hs started of in good spirits and that you have a good week ahead of you.

Ms. Kate and I are doing our usual morning stuff on our computers as we get the sleep out of our eye and brains. I’m done with my “sink shower” and have gotten dressed. I still have to get to the kitchen sink and wash my hair. I am so tired of that routine and will be so glad when I can get in the real shower again. I have nine more infusions and then the PICC line comes out. As much as I have been looking forward to it, it seems impossible to think I’m down to single digits with it. Another change is that I am now walking all the way from the hospital parking lot to the infusion lab on the fifth floor of the hospital. Ms. Kate no longer has to go get me a wheelchair and push me through the hospital. I’m very glad about that because it was hard on her to do that. Admittedly, it was great exercise for her and she got much better at it. The last week or so, but it was still a strain on her. I sure didn’t need her to have a heart attack because she was pushing me around in a wheelchair.

I have about an hour until we need to head out to the Physical Therapy appointment. I’ll be doing that twice a week for the rest of the month. They are having me work on strengthening my butt and thigh muscles and hamstring. I don’t know what the benefit of it will be but, I guess it won’t hurt to do it. So, now my days include a medical appointment four days a week. Yay!! But this too will pass. I just need to remember to keep my attitude up and some days that just isn’t easy; today being one of those days. It took me almost an hour to get out of bed, do my “sink shower”, get dressed, get my boot on and get out here to the kitchen. I just kind of seem to sit there and think about what I’m going to do, then convince myself to do it. I think the long pole in the tent is putting on my boot. It takes a lot of bending over to fasten the five Velcro straps that hold it on, and then it isn’t all that comfortable to wear anyway. Again —- this too shall pass as soon as my brace gets here. I hope it is going to be everything I think it will. I get the ideas of how aa thing is going to be and then I get disappointed when it isn’t.

So, if you would, send up a prayer for me and help me turn on my bright light instead of going around in a funk. I could be much worse off and I go to infusion lab everyday where people are taking infusion just to stay alive. I have absolutely no right to complain and should be praying for those people instead.

Go out and have yourself a glorious day. God walks with you and surrounds you with a holy shield of love. What more could any of us ask for. Shalom my friends. Thanks for reading and “listening”.

July 6th; Happy Saturday. It looks like rain for sure outside but my AccuWeather app says nothing for the next two hours. I think the cooler for me is looking through windows that have screens on them.

Yesterday was Julie’s 52nd birthday. I know I’m 74 but sometimes it is hard to believe that my “little girl” is 52. Time does continue on doesn’t it. We just kind of live our life and one day follows another and before you know it years have gone by. But, we celebrated a little last evening by going to the Log Inn for dinner. Ms. Kate and Julie had the catfish fiddlers and I had fried chicken. We had it family style so that came with cold slaw, corn, peas, cornbread sticks, and fried potatoes. I topped my meal off with a piece of coconut meringue pie. Darned good eating.

Today I dropped th ladies off at the nail salon so they could get pedicures and I went to the barber shop so I could find my ears again. My hair was starting to curl on the ends around my ears so I had to as my father would have said —“get my ears lowered”.

From there we went to lunch at a place called the Pie Pan.  This place was the place to go for seniors for years and years. The waitresses knew everyone by name and what they were most likely going to want to eat. A couple of years ago the owners sold the place and the new owners spent a lot of money fixing the place up. However, they changed the menu drastically, and have appealed to a younger crowd. Our service today was slow and the food was what I call adequate. We had eaten there when the new owners opened the place and were’t overly impressed and didn't go back. Today I decided to give them another try and they failed. I reckon we can find plenty of other places to eat.

Time for me to head to the car and go get my infusion. Have a blessed day.

Happy Freedom and Independence Day!! I hope y’all are having a good time wherever you might be. If you were here in the sun porch with me you would be watching it rain —- again. According to the radar, this is just a “pop-up shower” and won’t last long. But whaat it did do was ruin my plans to get on my John Deere and mow. At first it was just sprinkling but then the rain got serious. Now it has eased up to a shower and I see lighter skies on the horizon. Mother Nature is just messing with me.

Ms.Kate and I have had an easy day. We did strip the bed and wash the sheets. They should be dry by now and we can make up the bed again. I do love the feel and smell of fresh clean sheets. I remember the days when we could hang them outside and they would come in smelling really good. But, I’ll admit that I’m also glad that we don’t have to do that anymore. We always enjoy seeing the Amish hanging their clothes out on the line. Most of the time the clothesline would run from a window in the house to the barn and operated on a pulley system.

Julie and the pups are on the way over to our house. She was scheduled to work tomorrow but that got cancelled. So she’ll be here until Sunday morning. She texted me last night and said that she was bringing over our dinner for tonight. I have no idea what she is bringing but I’m sure it will taste good. She cooks a lot of “healthy stuff” that we would not think of to cook. Some of it sounds really good and I tell her that some it just needs to be eaten by her cause I don’t think I’d like it. I’m a meat, potatoes, and pasta guy. I like my vegetables but only those that I grew up eating. And of course, breakfast and dessert are always good options. I had two pieces of cherry pie for breakfast today..

Two weeks from today is my last infusion and they pull the PICCline. That should be about the same time that my brace for my leg comes in. I have to go for Physical Therapy in the morning at 0800. I think it will be an evaluation as much as anything. With no Achilles Tendon, I don’t know what they would have to work with. Dr. Richardson thought that could maybe do some stretching but I don’t know. If it doesn’t look like it will be productive, I just won’t have them do it. He kind of left it up to me.

Time to get the sheets out of the dryer and help Ms. Kate make the bed. Have a great 4th of July!

Wednesday, July 3rd. I’m sitting here in the sun porch listening to the pit pat of a few rain drops hitting the roof. There is more thunder than rain at the moment. I hope whatever is out there will pass shortly because we’ll need to leave to the hospital in a little bit. It is infusion time almost. BBut, tp the south of us I can see blue sky through the trees so that gives me hope.

Yesterday I went to my surgeon’s office and he has removed my bandages and splint. However, he has put he back in my boot until I can get my brace. But, at least I got to come home and soak my foot for the first time in months and wash off some of the scaley buildup from all of th dry skin. It was marvelous and it was also a bit gross. After I dried my foot, I had to run the little vacuum over the floor to pick up all of the dried skin. I think I mat do that again today after we get back from the hospital.

Today I went to TruArch and “John” fitted my foot for my brace. It was interesting to see how he did that. He literally made a “soft cast” of my foot and leg up to about my knee with my foot at a 90 degree angle. He let it almost dry and then he cut it up the front and took it back off of me. He’ll send that in to their factory and they will custom make it for me. There is about a two-week turnaround for the brace to get here and I’ll have to wear my boot until then. The biggest changes are that I have worn a size nine or nine and a half size shoe and now because of the brace, I’ll be wearing a size ten. That will take some getting used to. I hope I don’t trip because of the extra length and because I didn’t raise my feet high enough. I guess I’ll end up having to buy a bunch of new shoes too. That’s really a shame because I have a lot of shoes. I just bought a set of Tecova boots this past winter and have only worn them three times. I’ll never be able to wear them again.

Well, it is time to head to the car and thee hospital. It is is still thundering but not dong anything more than a light sprinkle. Hopefully it will pass shortly. Have a great day and celebrate the 4th of July safely.  Peace.

Hello Monday. Hello July, welcome to the fray. It is a "typical" July day; hot and humid, with a posibility of heat infused thunderstorms later in the afternoon.

Our weekend was nothing short of typical for our current lifestyle. Yesterday was church, out to eat lucbh, go for my infusion, go home for a nap. I have seventeen mor infusions to do and then they will pull the PICCline. Tomorrow I'm supposed to have my splint and bandages removed from my leg and I am excited about that. I'm walking on it daily and having no pain so I am ready to have the bandages off and see what the next chapter with my leg will be. I have this "ideal vision" of how it is going to be in my mind and I hope reality matches it. Saturday we drove to the east side of town and scoped out where "True-Arch" is located which is where the doctor is sending me for my brace.

Yesterday we celebrated the 4th of July during our worship service. Our music was all patriotic and my sermon was based upon freedom, not only having freedom as a nation but also the freedom we attain with a reationship with Christ. We had 77 in church yesterday which is more than I expected with several families out on vacation.

July is a month with several celebrations. Today is our fourth daughter, Stephanie's birthday. Thursday is the 4th of July. Friday is first daughter, Julie's birthday, and the 20th, I turn seventy five years old. I don't know if Julie and Jim are coming over or not this weekend so we can celebrate her birthday. I had thought thay just maybe she would have a four-day weekend what with Thursday being the 4th of July. But, she is in the process of helping another store get set up and training a manager for that store so she doesn't know her schedule yet. Also, Jim will most likely have to work. So, it will maybe just be Ms. Kate and me and of couse we'll do exciting stuff like go for my infusions. (I'll be so glad when all this is over.)

That is about it for today. I'm at the office and I thought I might get a geed start on a sermon today but I had other stuff to take care of and now we only have about 30 minutes left. Have a great day.