Once in awhile-now and again-this is us

We had a such good time on the porch. we drank champagne and wine. linda brought a vegetable tray with lot of goodies plus popcorn and chips, thanks linda💗 rosemary brought deviled eggs, homemade crackers and homegrown tomatoes thanks rosemary💗we provided shrimp cocktails. it was nice to be out with the neighbors again. we all get along so well. paula stopped by too💗

i finished the ’north america wonders puzzle’ this morning. it was a fun challenge, and i loved every minute of it. it brought back memories of all the places Jerry and i have been lucky enough to to see in our travels.

you can see here ⬇️ there is a piece missing. it’s a new puzzle so i know it’s in the house somewhere but both Jerry and i cant find it. uh oh, i hope jerry didn’t vacuum it up.

And the flag that nobody could see was on the Whitehouse. and you won’t see it here either, jerry did’t get it in the picture.

the birth of a new puzzle————and————————the death of an old one

The new one is coming out of a beautiful box in a nice cloth drawstring bag—and the old one is trying to fit back in it’s plastic bag and be scotch taped and crammed into it’s box

We had a visit from joni yesterday. she came bearing a weeks worth of food. she stopped by stone fire grill on her way here. we aren’t getting our meal kits this week so good timing joni, we tasted everything. absolutely fabulous!💗thanks joni. stay longer next time!

While looking for some of the picture above-i found our first nose-pick. who knew it was going to ge the start of the start of something big.

stay tuned

💗jilly

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right now for sure.

I’ve only got four flat boxes left on my puzzle from tony. he outdid the cat puzzle with this one. and i have loved every minute of working on it. not only does it remind me of so many places we’ve been to, but takes my mind off the discomfort that’s going on in my knee. so thank you again tony💗

and i have another puzzle waiting on the sidelines that tracy sent me. it’s another intricate scene of vintage houseplants as you might see them in an old book. almost ready to start that one. thanks tracy💗

gardening has always been a source of meditation for me. taking my mind off the stress of everyday life. since my knee decided it didn’t like gardening any more, puzzles stepped up to the plate to fill in full time. puzzles are also a source of meditation, you forget everything else while you’re hunting for that piece that will go right where you are looking. kinda like looking for weeds that need pulled or dead flowers that need to be cut, tomatoes to harvest. i loved it. this tomato came up from compost dirt i put in this pot.

i got another great report from the physical therapist. i am way ahead of the curve. the range of motion on my knee was 110. the majority of people come in around 70. i’m not saying that to impress people, just that sometimes you have to give it your all to come out on top. i’ve been giving it my all so i will have a good outcome with this. i don’t want to have any recurring problems with this surgery. i love dr. kurzweil, but i don’t want to see him again in the OR – too soon anyway.

i know a lot of you have dealt with surgeries, critical illness, and everyday maladies over your lifetimes, and maybe still are dealing with the pain and discomfort they produced. these posts have helped me deal with some of that, so thank you for being there with cheerful comments and well wishes. i love your phone calls joni. Plus all the comfort of thoughtful food and goodies. i got homemade sauerkraut yesterday from rosemary, one of my favorites she makes. i used to make it with nanny, jerrys grandmother, in a big crock. I’ve done a lot of canning in the good old days. nanny taught me a so much, thanks nanny💗i was famous for my pickles and strawberry jam.

we’re finally going out on the porch today. it will be fun to be acting normal again. it’s only been 18 days, but i’m getting tired of taking this new knee everywhere i go. especially in the shower, it’s the worst. but it gets better every day. it’s a roller coaster ride. ups and downs.

I feel blessed to have a life with all of you in it. I don’t need a comment to know you are tuning in. thanks so much💗

Stay tuned 💗jilly

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We started out to the 2:15 appointment. the clouds were beautiful after that thunderstorm. i got a good feeling things would go well after seeing this cloud. it looked like an angel😇

The appointment did go well with Dr. Kurzweil. i like him a lot. especially since he said i was a star patient. my knee had reached the range of motion he wanted. it hurt a lot to get it there, but it was worth it to be a 🌟. i took some pictures of the x-rays and posters while waiting for him to come. I’ll save the scar for the very last in case you don’t want to look at it. it’ not that bad though.

it’s amazing what doctors can do after years of schooling, training, and practice. could you learn and remember all this, plus a million other medical terms? i cant even remember how to use the remote control.

this is the new and improved ”artificial joint” that now resides in my body⬇️

the dr is holding the knee cap⬆️which represents mine.

and this is how it looks in my body⬇️

And here is the incision

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scroll fast if you don’t want to see it

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On the drive home we stopped at the signal hill starbucks for iced coffee. I took a picture of the clouds from the parking lot of home depot. they were so gorgeous.

I know you get these clouds a lot more than we do tracy, and you probably never get tired of looking at them. but we don’t have to have your prairie weather to have some once in awhile. and i never get tired of looking at our clouds.

thanks for joining in big mike. and yes, I’m recovering well. just wait until you hear what the therapist said. btw, any clarinet lessons coming up? i’ve got a lot of time on my hands.😉

stay tuned 💗 jilly

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Everyone is being so nice and i’m getting so many goodies and well wishes. we have the best friends, neighbors and family imaginable. linda is always sharing her food with us. she loves to cook delicious meals and we are on the receiving end of that a lot. Since my surgery, she first made us a delicious, juicy organic roasted chicken. and then made a delicious, nutritious, bone broth out of the bones. i added some noodles, carrots, and leftover chicken for soup. next we got yummy pesto salmon.

rosemary brings us the best homemade sourdough bread. this time is was the best rye i’ve ever tasted. paula brought over fresh croissants and cookies. the mudge’s, midas’s best friend’s, that make a special trip to give him snacks every night, are sharing their delicious plums with us. they said they have had over a thousand this year.

thuy sent food in when the girls came for a visit. i couldn’t go to the graduation, so she had to come get her presents. it’s hard to wrap my head around that she will be starting college in the fall. thuy always brings egg rolls when the whole family comes over, so she sent some in with them. egg rolls are so labor intensive, she gets these from a restaurant, and they are very good. (but her’s are much better) and she makes her own version of meatloaf, that is much better than my old fashioned recipe. she also made us some great chicken enchiladas.

tony brought jerry these huge cookies from ’crumbl’ cookies for fathers day. then took him to see ’top gun’ and lunch at the ‘cheesecake factory’. a nice break for jerry. even though i think i’ve made it easier than he thought it would be to help me.

all of this is helping my progress for sure. i did go back to taking a pain pill to sleep. it’s only been two weeks, duh! i have my post-op visit with the doctor today, so i took one, because i know he’s going to pull and yank on my leg and knee taking off the bandages. I’m anxious to see the incision and what kind of scar i’m going to have.

that was some loud thunder last night. the rain got pretty intense. we were worried about midas, but he was on the porch waiting for breakfast this morning. jerry sat with him while the thunder started again. then when jerry came in the house, he followed. he cleaned for awhile and then wanted out.

I start physical therapy tomorrow. i feel an ouch coming already. i hope it’s going to be ok to take the pain pills before the first visits.

so stay tuned, but – beware, i might post a picture of the scar.

I’ve done that two steps forward and one back too ray. so i’m just taking it one day at a time.

💗jilly

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A week ago, i was having surgery on my knee. it’s amazing how far i’ve come in those seven days. some are just a blur, and some others, i remember being quite painful. thankfully i didn’t have many. i just feel soreness now. i’m only taking a pain pill to sleep, and i might give that up tonight. I’ve kept busy with the ice machine, the plasma flow device, and getting 7pills, twice a day taken. thats on top of my regular pills. I’ve been able to do puzzles on my lap as jerry brings me my pre- sorted pieces. can you spot the flag?l

I’m looking forward to doing things without that nagging pain in my knee. gardening will be my greatest pleasure again. getting our trike out of storage, dusting it off, and buzzing around the neighborhood will be pure joy, and a new source of posts for the blog.😊

🇺🇸we had some flags out on flag day in our little part of the neighborhood.

Frank and Linda’s. Looks very nice, but you might need longer sticks next year. can’t let them touch the ground.

and Paula’s. it looked so vibrant.

and ours

I watched ours all day. i love to see how a flag will furl (to be or become rolled up, curl) and unfurl( unfold, unroll) in the breeze. it’s like poetry in motion. I’ve loved and respected the flag from a young age. i guess i was paying attention when learning about the importance of its place in history. Unfortunately, I think the flag has lost some of its luster and people have forgotten why its still important to fly it.

I hope you’re all inspired to think about putting a flag out next year. not just on flag day, but on many of the holidays that are special to you. did you know fathers day and mothers day are flag flying days?

Thanks for all your comments, they keep me company and inspire me to share my thoughts.

I hope you – Stay tuned – if you’re interested

💗jilly

ps. Ray, the first photo is taken at ’shady acres’ remember that place? i was pregnant with tracy. the second photo is taken downtown long beach in woolworths before we were married. the third photo is taken after we got married and went to lake arrowhead.

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Don’t forget to put one out today. if you don’t have a flag, think about getting one to fly on flag days. I’m wanting jerry to put a light on ours so i can leave it up all the time.

heres a few facts from the newspaper:

I’m doing much better today. I think the worst is behind me. It will just take time and patience now. i have lots of time, but patience is a whole different matter. this gloomy day isn’t helping. hope to be on porch soon

stay tuned

💗jilli

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thank you Jan, for commenting with advice a lot have people have given me. and thank you for the update on jessie’s memorial. we miss her so much. we had so many wonderful conservations over dinner at traini’s. I’m so glad you commented at this particular time. we had an interesting thing that happened just the other day. jerry finally decided to take jessie’s name off the phone. 😔 her home phone came off ok. the first try for the cell phone, it didn’t come off. he couldn’t figure what he did wrong🤔. so he tried again, nope🤔. the third time should be a charm, right, no, it wasn’t 🙄. so he waited a little while and tried again. needless to say jessie is still on our phone.😇 we sure want to be there for the memorial.

the pain finally raised it’s ugly head yesterday. while the meds take some of it away, walking on it is a real killer. having the potty chair near me is a real help. i’m going to take the oxycodone every 7 hours instead of 8. the only thing it makes me itch. The ice machine helps a lot to too.

I’m wearing the plasma flow machine 3 times a day. and the ice machine 5 times a day – for at least two months. it seems like i have something on my legs all day.

Jerry’s going to get tired of this real quick.😵‍💫at least he has midas to talk things over with.

Thank you all for comments and well wishes, and the brownie brittle bites rosemary😋 I’m trying to take this one day at a time. I think that’s the hardest part of all.

💗jilly

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The day started out well. i got there on time. most of the paper work was done on the phone the day before so signatures were all that was really needed. The surgery was done at a doctor owned surgery center, not a hospital. I was the only one in the waiting room. they took me back quickly.

i wonder if this will be the new normal?

They start getting you ready as soon as they take you back and then you wait……………………. to be taken in to the surgical suite through that door

When the dr. came in to talk, he asked what knee i wanted done, haha, and then marked it. that was a question asked a lot that morning. also your name and birthdate.

i got back to the recovery room at 2:30 all bandaged up. so glad it was over. no pain yet.

awaiting to be transferred to the chair across the room, but my leg wouldn’t cooperate using the walker. It kept buckling. i had to be wheeled over. they said i needed more time. after awhile they brought me some soup. it sure tasted good.

Then time to stand again. no luck, my leg felt like a wet noodle still. a little later, same thing. i couldn’t put any wait on it. there was only one patient left besides me. she got up walked to the bathroom and they let her go.

i felt sorry for these two nurses, not able to leave at quitting time. They tried again, no luck. i was the only one left, so i called jerry and he was allowed to come in and set with me

They finally decided the pain block on the left side of my knee was not wearing off like expected. they put on a brace and that allowed me to get to my wheelchair ride, still wobbly, at 5:00. but no pain.

they finally decided to let me go. Karen and debbie, the nicest nurses on the planet, gave me so much good care and showed so much patience with me. I’m indebted to them – and all nurses that show so much compassion to their patients.

Karan even took the time, after a long day with me, 8:30 to 5:30, to follow us home and help jerry get me in the house. that was a life saver. jerry wouldn’t have been able to do it alone up those steep steps at the back door.

Got settled in my chair, Had some tuna and egg salad, thank you linda, and at 7:30 still no pain.now i just have to take my meds, use the potty chair and maneuver into bed. a xanax to the rescue.😴

I slept alright. no pain still. Like most of you, you know the routine that surgeries take. now you’ve seen some of mine. ill try not to bore you and post too often. but i am kind of chair bound for awhile😘stay tuned if you dare

💗, jilly

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Yep, I was going to have my have my surgery at noon tomorrow. But they just called and changed it to 10:30- be there at 8:30. I thought i’d better let you know so you can be sending good thoughts a little earlier. anyway, I’ll walk out of the hospital, actually only a few steps from the transport wheelchair, to the car on a new knee. Wow.

I’ve been cleared by my cardiologist, my primary and my podiatrist. We get our toenails cut, we love him so much it’s an excuse to see him, and he noticed a rash on my leg. It looked a little like a condition with the capillaries that could be heart related. so off to the dermatologist we went. she cleared me too. just for good measure I got an adjustment from our chiropractor. oh, and they suggest having your teeth cleaned also, so no danger of bleeding from your bacteria laden mouth will cause an infection, as they state to your ‘artificial joint’.

I probably scraped it at our garage sale. it never turned purple like a bruise.

I have all my medicine lined up ready for jerry to give to me at the appropriate time.

to help with that task, we get a time table printed out

I have my ice machine, which I’ve been told is a life saver for the pain.

The nurse suggested to fill the 16 oz. water bottles to freeze and use instead of ice cubes. I filled up 8 so i would have spares.

I have seen and visited with almost everyone over the last month. I’m not sure how often I’ll want to socialize, so i made a point to see you all. I’ll keep my progress posted on the blog. sharon might appreciate that, since she is going to have the same surgery soon.

Good luck sharon💗

I have my ‘mother’s day gift puzzle’ from Tony started. 2000 pieces this time. that will keep me busy. I’m loving it already.

So, i’ve taken my shower with special soap and have to do it again in the morning. I will quit drinking water at midnight, if i’m even up then. take a zanax, kiss jerry good night and hopefully fall asleep.

thanks for all your good thoughts and prayers. don’t forget to include the surgeon, dr. kurzweil in them.

love you all

💗jilly

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