A Fine Flower Day

Our morning started with thunder and heavy rain. Normally, the rain would be just the incentive needed to trunover and sleep a bit more, but not this morning. Stella was eager to let me know that the thunder and lightening was notable enough that I should be alerted and perhaps help her to higher ground... like the bed. But first a little "catch me 'cause I'm scared" occured when I sat up to console her. Argggh! I sat a moment and realized that both my knees were aching enough to send me back to the horizontal. Stella returned, my knees didn't feel any better, so I was up and Stella landed in the bed, hugging up on Kay for safety.

Our days have been regularly blessed with rain almost every day for the last few weeks. It's a most welcome addition to our day and our garden. July sees the end of the daylilly bloom season and brings on other flowers that have been holding out for more water. The ferns are jumping up in joy and the roses have just about finished their cluster blooms.

There is one rose that I love the most that waited a bit longer for blooming-- Angelface. I love its lavender-pink bloom and wonderful smell-- like a sweet rose with a hint of strawberry or raspberry.

The "teardrop" garden in the center of the driveway's circle is a rainbow of color with the little flowers and bromiliads tending the statues and walkways with their blooms.

When I do my daily walking exercise around the driveway I always find something new that I somehow missed yesterday. Today it was a pair of passion flowers. Stunning!

These hardy plants will provide color and attract butterflies until well into fall.

The showers this morning had everything spiffed up and ready for photos! Enjoy!

mdt

Ancestors and Descendants

In the short period of one week, I have become awash in a sea of information about the ancestors and emails from the descendants. As I blogged last week, I went to the Braddock Higginbotham reunion Saturday a week ago. This prompted an inbox full of emails with the exchange of photos and photo identification and oooh's and ahhh's-lots of them from me!



Wednesday, Marcia and I set off for Madison to the old A&P now the home of Elmer's Genealogy Library. I knew he had a copy of my great, great Uncle Amon DeLaughter's journals, and I was rabid to see it. Turns out, it has been transcribed by Elizabeth H. Sims, who also wrote a history of Madison County, and I was able to photocopy it. Along with it were several other interesting documents, and I was able to get a copy of a copy of my great grandfather's obituary from 1910-barely legible, so I transcribed it. With these in hand, I left Marcia comparing knee replacements with Elmer while I trotted over the the "Old Bookstore" to get a copy of Elizabeth Sim's book.


Mrs. Cherry was running the store, and asked if I had relatives in Madison. Of course I bit, and she pulled out the phone book, a rather small thin phone book, and began to look up the phone numbers of our common relatives. I was curious to add these names to my memory in case I ever run into them, but I am way too shy to just ring them up.


However, back at the Library, Elmer encouraged me to take the email of one of my cousins from the DeLaughter file. This woman had convinced Elmer to open the library for her on Labor Day in 2003, and, since there was nowhere open to eat, he and his wife had provided a little cookout for her. So, I emailed her, and after making it past her screen, have been corresponding with her ever since. She has always lived in the Edgefield, SC area where the DeLaughter's call home (since the young American government gave the emigrating DeLaughter ancestor bounty land for his service in the Revolutionary War), so she knows the way to all the cemeteries, and has offered her services as guide should I head up that way. Sounds like an offer I would not refuse. Might be time to crank up the Cronemobile for an ancestry mission.




She also was able to identify the people in my unidentified photo.

For those of you who are family, here is the ID: L to R front row: Alexander A DeLaughter, Frances Janette "Nettie" DeLaughter Adams, James "Jim" Adams, and probably Thomas Jefferson DeLaughter. Back Row: little girls unidentified, big girls are Estella Adams and Martha America "Mattie" Adams. Alex, Nettie, and TJ are siblings-children of James Pickins DeLaughter who was brother to Amon and our grandmother, Annie Elizabeth.

So, we got home from Madison via Floyd's Diner in High Springs-we had missed lunch, a rare occurance! The trip home was pretty difficult for Marcia. She had forgotten to bring along her pain meds, and there was no elevated leg sitting, so it was complaining big time. Once home, she was able to get to sleep, and I read the journal till 2 am.

Amon's entries are short and he records only the things important for recording about the plantation and every letter he ever gets or sends-hence a virtual directory of family members. However, on his birthday and at the end of the calendar year, he spends about a pararaph in reflection on what he has or has not accomplished. Each year he makes a trip to the family in Alabama, the Days-his mother's parents, and from there on to Edgefield, SC where he enjoys being with the family and in the place where he grew up. I was not only rivited to the journal, but, together with information from Cousin Carol of Edgefield, I keep thinking about what life must have been like for them.

The journal ends with his trip to Texas via ship to Galveston where he is recording which land is best for farming and how much it costs. Within a year of the end of this journal, the Civil War begins and turns their world upside down. Amon survives, but has a foot amputated. His mother dies in 1864. His brother, Jasper is killed in 1862 at Sharpsburg. His baby sister's husband is killed leaving her with a baby daughter. This is my great grandmother, Annie Elizabeth DeLaughter Witherspoon Shaw. She will go on to marry (if my reading is correct) the overseer of the neighboring plantation-a marriage that would have been well beneath her social station just a few years before. The neighboring plantation belongs to Judge McGehee, who called together the convention of succession for the state of Florida. His overseer was Thomas Jefferson Shaw, my great great grandfather.

James Pickins DeLaughter, younger brother to Amon and Jasper, survives the war and goes back to Edgefield, SC. His son, JP Jr. becomes a state legislator for SC, and his descendants include my corresponding cousin in Edgefield.

Elmer says that Elizabeth Sims says that there were several other journals of Uncle Amon's in the possesion of a Mrs. Crandell, Amon's grandaughter. When Mrs. Sims went to her to ask if she could transcribe the other journals, Mrs. Crandell said that she had moved and couldn't find them. This drives Elmer crazy, and probably makes him wish for a genealogy and rare things police to conduct a raid of the DeLaughter house, which is now occupied by the great grandaughter of Amon and her husband who is somehow related to the bookstore lady. I too would be quite happy to read the other volumns.

So, this is a puzzle that never ends. Each discovery leads to at least 10 more questions. How did they get Amon's mother's body to SC in 1864 with the war going full guns, so to speak. How did Uncle Amon walk? (There is a newspaper article about the donation of his wheelchair to the American Legion Post in Madison-1971-donated by Mrs. Crandell-he used it for his "adjustment".) Etc, Etc. Endless puzzle.

For now, I have plenty of papers to study and spaces on the tree to fill in. I have maps and cemeteries and history books and biographies to read, and ideally, more photos in my inbox. Probably I should also water the porch plants.

KG

Front Yard Sunset

KG

A Walk Around the Gardens

When the Braddocks and Higginbothams are making my head swim, and it is after 5pm, I might just go for a walk in the gardens. Now you can come along too.

Just outside the back doors, next to the carport, the hydrangea is doing well. I am hoping to get some cuttings from it for a little bed in the front yard.

Occasionally, for no reason that I can discern, blogspot's photo brains override my photo orientation and do it their way. Whatever, this is my 9 in. mallow hibiscus. What's not to love???

This year, this is my favorite garden. The caladium are in full force, and there are little treasures in the middle of the garden. I just got a few more caladium for that little gap.

There are a few little fruits on this tree. Hope they make it!

Love these crepe myrtle! They are a little more blue purple than they appear in this photo. I have been eyeing other crepe myrtles as we drive, and I love the color that these appear to be, so it is ironic that my photo has changed the color. These are actually Catabawa.

Here, beside the row of Catabawa crepe myrtle is the first wide bed. Plan A was a bumper crop of a variety of heirloom tomatoes, peppers, okra and basil. Plan B seems to be a few little tomatoes and an occasional okra or pepper-no basil, alas.

This is the three sisters and a scarecrow. I'm surprised the scarecrow has held it's pants on so far, but it has. Plan A was stalks of corn that serve as support for two kinds of butter beans with squash groundcover. I'm sure the crows are laughing at my bonsi corn. There are some blosoms on the beans and maybe one squash blossom.

This is the pitiful tomato bed.

One little watermelon plant is valiantly striving to get out of bed.

The butt buggy spends quite a bit of time in the Cronemobile Cathedral these days. Forget using the chipper shredder. The Cronemobile sits ready with a full tank of $1.93 per gallon gas just in case we need to get the Dodge out of Hell!

This bed lies uphill from the Cathedral. It is the compost/papaya bed. Those little patches of green are groups of papaya seeds germinated. When we came home from our first RV trip two years ago, we had great papaya trees with lots of fruit. I'm thinking, maybe not this year.

Pitiful bush beans and zuchinni presided over by cardinal. Good that we had a few of the first blossoms, because subsequent ones fell off.

We did get a mouthful of blueberries. There are a few left as well.

Back to the front yard, this crinum is looking a little droopy, but it has been very fine. Love the color.

Next blog-we'll check out the sunset in the front yard.

KG

"I Wonder How the Old Folks Were At Home"

This was my first family reunion, as an adult. My only other experience was the 1960 reunion, pretty much limited to the descendants of my great grandmother, Emma Elizabeth Braddock Higginbotham. She was 84 at the time. I was 10.


Grandma Em with 9 of her 10 children.




Grandma Em with the descendants. I am front and center. Though it is hard to tell in this fuzzy 1960's photo, I think the little girl to my right is Frances. She now organizes the reunion.

The reunion I attended yesterday has been going on for many years and includes any descendents of Braddock or Higginbotham families. To give you an idea of how many people that might be, Jean Mizell, noted geneologist of the family, has listed 1,480 Higginbothams and 932 Braddocks in her family tree. These would be only those people with the birth name of Higginbotham or Braddock-not inclusive of children of women who married out of the family.

There were probably about 80 people attending this reunion-held in the Masonic Hall in Callahan, Florida. Amongst these 80 people, there were several who have photographs that give me such delight! Fortunately, these people are also computer literate, and they have been very busy sending me photos and documents that will fill my hot summer indoor days with interest and excitement! I am posting my two favorites.




This is Grandpa Malachi Higginbotham 1827-1899. I also have a photo of a photo that Frances and I remembered being on the wall of my grandma's house. We had no idea who he was, and probably would not have been very interested at the time.




This is Malachi's wife, Catherine Lang Higginbotham 1828-1869.

The Braddocks and Higginbothams moved to Florida when it was still Spanish East Florida. They were encouraged to do so for their own benefit-to have farm land, and for the benefit of England-to nudge the Spanish out of Florida. Wouldn't they be surprised to see the Spanish signs in Home Depot??? They eventually became "Americans", nudged the British out, chased native American's out, bought Africans, fought Federalists (aka Yankees), survived the losses of war, and more wars, and made lots of children.

They also made lots of children with each other. As I began to trace my ancestry, I kept returning to the same ancestors. I thought I was making mistakes. Eventually, I got out a huge sticky pad-the kind you use for teaching, and mapped them. I was not making mistakes. I am descended from 4 of the children of Burroughs Higginbotham and Isabella Donna Incy. Braddocks and Haddocks provided whatever variety we have in this gene pool, but that variety got played and replayed countless times.

Since this is not something our parents told us, I was not sure how much it is know or acknowledged in the family. The reunion set that to rest. The president/MC of the reunion told several stories about our "interconnectedness". Many of these families still live in Nassau County. He said that he played basketball for Callahan High, and they went to Jacksonville to play some prep school. Those preppies somehow knew that everyone was related in Nassau County and taunted the country boys about being cousins. In fact, they were, and they knew it, and they won!

Cousin Jerry Braddock, who has published a history of our early illustrious seafaring ancestors, gave us a little rhyme about our cousin marrying. Oh what a tangled genealogy they did weave,
When Braddocks, Haddocks, and Higginbothams first practiced to conceive.

Cousin Jerry's book is "Wooden Ships, Iron Men". I'm going to get around to reading it this summer. Apparently David Cutler Braddock drew the first map of the Floirda Keys, and it is in the Library of Congress. He had time on his hands while laying in wait for Spanish galleons to plunder. I like to think of him as a pirate, but actually, he was government sponsored and didn't get to keep all the loot. Appararently he was once accused of holding out, but was exonerated. I bet he did, though.

Another highlight of my trip was the row of photos of past grand masters of Masonery in the hall. I was able to photograph lots of the photographs, and quite a few were relatives. I would say, relatives one way or another, but I am quite sure it is several ways and others.

After the reunion, I made my way to the cemetery where my mother and grandparents, etc, etc, are buried. It started to sprinkle, but I asked for a little time to take photographs of headstones and was granted it.

So, I now have family data to keep me quite busy for quite some time. But am I content? Not!

I met a Mr. Ferguson of the Jacksonville Geneological Society at the reunion. I bought a book out of the trunk of his car. It felt rather illicit, but geneology IS my "drug of choice" these days.
Mr Ferguson encouraged me to go to Madison, Florida, the home of another of my family lines, to Elmer's Geneology Library. http://www.elmerslibrary.com/about.php He says that it is a wonderful place for those of us with the craving for family history-the old A&P converted into the best organized genealogy research library you have ever seen. I can hardly wait.

I have actually been in email contact with Elmer regarding a copy of a journal written by my Uncle Amon DeLaughter-ante bellum. Marcia and Holly are ready as well. Maybe this week....

KG

"Temporary" Failure to Launch

I'm glad we are home to see the new hawks get fledged this summer. We have been witness to these events before and have had the privilege of watching the "kids" on their first outing for flight school and trips to the hunting preserve we have cleared and mowed in the back 3+ acres. It doesn't always go well for the hawk families as our ears of often filled with screeching and pleading from the young ones and patient coaching from the parents.

This has been the case for the past 3 days as a mother hawk has again chosen our place to coach her young one on feeding itself. The babe has flying skills down and certainly can keep up with Mom but her feeding of the young one is dropping off to force self sustenance once and for all. Mom returns, usually in the early morning with some small tidbit that gets consumed in the trees. She preens her young one briefly and goes off on her day, leaving it screeching, pleading and in bounding fits of flight hoping for Mom's return. The hours of screeching certainly reveals the panic and perhaps hunger of this fledglings experience.

This morning the screeching began near sunrise and has continued most of the day. The young hawk is flying from tree to tree with agitated and panic filled calls. No sign of Mom yet. Perhaps today is the first day alone. Really alone, except for the company our ears and eyes offer. Plus, it's going to rain again today. These young birds look even more miserable when they are soaking wet, hungry, and lonely

Stella and I have been witness to the young hawk's attempt to walk down on the ground in hopes of some carrion or worm that might cross its path or perhaps a stray squished bug on the driveway. We drove the Glof within about 10 feet of it before causing the young bird to hop away to a safe distance. Our young guest is finding that just its presence can create a problem. Several times I've noted that other birds are chasing the young hawk. Ravens and cardinals alike have no qualms about chasing this temporary guest. Even the wrens have joined the insult process as they chased it off of the chainlink fence in front of the house. The calls and pleadings continue this afternoon. Still no sign of mother hawk.

Progress is tough and noisy sometimes but this is a good place for these babies to learn how to fend for themselves. It must be a beneficial and reliable place to educate young hawks since several mother birds have come this year and they seem to return to the same "launchpad" with their young year after year.

mdt

Summertime

The rains have started. We have no complaints. We actually enjoy sitting on the porch and watching the lightning and thunder. Stella has another story, however.

We didn't even complain as we drove through an impressive storm earlier this week. The temp was at 98F when we started, dropped to 69F in the storm, and resumed 98F after we drove out of the cloud (as recorded on the KIA thermometer). Our Mother can be pretty impressive when she chooses.

Marcia is indeed doing well. From my perspecitve, she is pretty much back to functioning as she was prior to surgery with the possible exception of an occasional outburst of something like, " Oh, Wow!!!", which means something is unhappy in the knee and letting her know it in no uncertain terms. We are both looking forward to the cessation of these and an even higher level of functioning. Tincuture of time, I do believe.

If you might enjoy a virtual trip across Canada, check in with our friends from Vancouver, BC. We know them as T&T and Maggie. They are bicoastal. Some of you will recall our visit to their float home last summer. They are leaving BC and heading for their other home in Newfoundland. This is the home they had just bought when we met them in a KOA in West Halifax, Nova Scotia. Maggie and Stella hit it off right away.

Maggie is a trained agilitist (???)-she does agility with Janna. They recently made it to regional competition including BC and Yukon. She and Janna have the summer off!

Check out their blog: http://coasttocoast-ontheroadagain.blogspot.com/

Our big summer events include dental appointments for cleanings, an occaional dip in the river, and some brief time outside-mostly in the evenings and mostly for oohing and ahhing at the summer flowers we haven't seen in two years. There is something hosta like in the blockhouse garden that looks like three big white tulips-very impressive. Amazingly, the other hostas have survived and are making bloom stalks. My new mallow hibiscus just got home from the garden shop and decided to give us three 9 inch diamater blooms in brilliant merlot. Ta-Da X 3! I promise to put it in the ground soon. Maybe I will get out with the camera. Maybe I will put the camera outside first for a few hours in the shade to acclimate lest I be shooting through condensation.

I would happily buy a truckload of plants from one of my favorite nursery stores, but the thought of digging a hole in this heat just puts me off of the idea. Maybe these plants will go on sale in October, and I will feel more like putting them in.

I have been tending to the ancestors on a regular basis. I cleaned out my on-line tree of all duplicates, and now must do some patching. Since I am going to the Higginbotham-Braddock family reunion in Callahan this Saturday, I should be well briefed on family names.

I am also reading Bill Bryson this summer. I started with "A Short History of Nearly Everything", and since it is on my palm pilot, I only read it in waiting rooms. It is rather long, so I am not done yet. However, since over 90% of my ancestors come from the British Isles, and Bill is a self confessed Anglophile, I recently started his "Notes from a Small Island".

I am taking great comfort in his explanation of how we all got here. He points out, (in "Nearly Everything") that if you calculated the number of people it would take to make you and calculated that back to Roman times, it would be 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 people. Since there weren't that many people in the world then, you are the result of some cousin coupling.

Because my family tree contains quite a few cousin couplings, and the Braddocks and Higginbothams took this to new heights, my tree more closely resembles a web, and the center of that web is in Callahan, Nassau County, Florida. Do, if you will, hold a thought with me this Saturday as this lone lesbian enters the Masonic Hall full of Baptists.

I also got a copy of a book by one of my cousins, Essie Mae Washington-Williams. She is the daughter of cousin Strom Thurmond. The Thurmonds married DeLaughters-my maternal great + grandparents. They kept cousin marrying down to a minimum, as far as I can see. I am curious to hear cousin Essie Mae's take on the Thurmonds.

Tonight, the river is a mirror and the setting sun up lights the Spanish moss hanging over the river so that it glows X 2. As long as I look at it from my window, it is fabulous. Outside, heat and mosquitos rule. However, soon the lightning bugs will be out shining.

KG

Looking good at six weeks

My six-week visit was Thursday and I did drive myself as Kay noted. Driving short distances of 15 minutes or so has been do-able but longer than that creates a static position that my leg will not tolerate without some movement that includes some flexing. My short trips serve as some driving time and some important walking experience that builds some stamina. Once home, rest and elevation are still essential.

The surgeon visit included new x-rays that made it clear to me that there is a patellar button stitched into my patellar tendon. It was odd to see something there that has been somewhat annoying when I flex my new knee. The surgeon says it helps to lift the tendon off the new prosthesis but it will take some time to stretch to its new limits and that I am doing well with the exercise and stretches. He did smile when I told him that it took me some time to get used to the new "clunking" in the knee. When the old knee went through a clunk it was most certain that searing pain was to follow and it made me pause any movement immediately. I appreciated the fact that the new knee does not initiate this pain at all. Most of my pain is just muscle and tendon pain and/or spasms. My bionic knee brings much to be pleased about and we both proclaimed it a successful improvement .

I am somewhat impatient with the process and he seemed to understand this. I was advised that most of the transitional process will be completed in about two more months at which time I will see him again. My days will continue to be filled with the daily exercises and progressively longer walks to build stamina. Then we will think about what's next.

mdt

Driving and Floating

It is getting way too hot and dry. I spend my days moving the hose from garden to garden. The birds flock to the sprinklers. Last week, a Carolina Blue was seen sitting on top of one of the sprinklers and I swear to you, laughing and dancing.

After moving the hose, I look for a shaded place that needs weeding, or a task that can be done in the shade.

Holly has been coming to get a cold water workout and muscle treatment. This encourages us (me and Marcia) to get in the river. So, after slopping another coat of teak oil on the garden furniture, I doned swim atire and headed for the river while Marcia drove herself to the doctor for her check-up.

Marcia reports that he smiled. Imagine! He explained that the new patella has a button that holds a ligament up, or some such thing, and that is why she is feeling tightness, and that eventually it will stretch into perfection. She will have to explain more. I don't know what is involved, and that's OK with me.

Then, not only did Marcia get in the river and snorkel for awhile, she got in the float! We had a great time sitting and floating and chatting. Holly moves us around and ties the float up just right so we stay mostly in the shade. She draws the line at swimming under the float and blowing up the parts that become deflated. I would think that this is just another skill of scuba training, but guess not. She does chuckle at the view from down under when we move around on the float though.

The first time is the hardest for getting in and out of the float. After that, the physics of navigating bouyant devices and water kicks in and one remembers that falling off a log is pretty mindless and simple stuff. Since there are no extra points for grace...just roll!

Porch settin' is not as much fun as it was even last week. Just too hot! We did enjoy some watermelon on the porch for awhile, but had to go jump in the river shortly thereafter.

Stella mostly stays inside. In the rare event of thunderstorm, she stays in her little hidey hole made with old furniture cushions. She is close to the windows and door to the porch, but safe in her hidey hole. Some evenings, long after dark, she goes out to the porch. We think she smokes. She is very reluctant to come inside and go to bed.

Tomorrow, we plan to go to Tampa and stock up on our favorite ravioli, olive oil, and other Italian treats. It will be good to do a short road trip. We will top off the tank at Wal-Mart where gas is still under $4 a gallon. Not much under though.

KG

Report from GRITS (Girl Raised In The South)

All of the white flowers are blooming. Especially the gardenia. If smells could be described as thick and viscous, gardenia, magnolia, and jasmine would be the ones described.

Several weeks ago, when I was still trying to work outside during the day, I passed a section along the uncleared fenceline that had that viscous odor of white summer southern flowers. I am not particularly olfactorily gifted, but these summer smells are molasses to the nose, and olfactory gifts are not necessary.

So far, this is my lone blooming gardenia. Every house I have left in Florida-that would be two in Gainesville-now has a huge blooming gardenia. Since I sold my last house to friends, they bring me the blossoms. They say it is loaded-thousands of them!!!! What with the jasmine on the entrance, it must be an olfactory orgy! There is also honeysuckle draping over the fence. I got 21 cuttings in about the year 2000, and one survived to make a, now huge, honesuckle avalanche over the fence. Cheryl has shared cuttings, and I'm hoping they take on a little section of fence line that I have left standing just for them at the river house. Knock wood.

The creamcicle daylillies continue to bloom. There are also FSU daylillies (garnet and gold) and some really spectacular purple ones.

We set on the front porch in the evening. We set and rock and watch the birds. Last night there was a piliated woodpecker show. A family with two young woodpeckers were cavorting about-pecking holes in the oak, and taking wet dirt baths in the new hydrangea bed. By the way, we have both oakleaf and the regular blue hydrangea blossoming. Photos may come later. The Carolina Blue's have taken up residence in the Rock City bird house, the flycatchers live in the duck box, and the black and white chickadees live in the Nova Scotia snow house. They provided accompainment to the woodpecker show.

Stella thinks she keeps the squirrels in line. The squirrels taunt her by being nonchalant as long as they are on the outside of the fence. Several weeks ago, we watched a squirrel narrowly miss being hawk dinner. It was venting for 30 minutes afterward in the relative safety of the oak tree. "OhmyGodIalmostgoteatenbyahawk...."

Marcia is so back to almost normal ambulation that I can go on about flowers and birds. She gets in and out of the hot tub. She will soon be driving again-I know this is her next goal. She is back in the kitchen. This week, we had dinner at our pizza special restaurant in Beverly Hills! If I can manage to find steps for the seawall, she will be in that float. That's good, because it is reallly too hot to work, and we need to just float for awhile. Float and inhale the gardenias.

KG

Bona fide GRITS

Memorial Day and 90 degrees

The magic day has arrived. My PT guy has the holiday duty and arrived to check out my progress. I hit the magic number, 90 degrees flex, on my knee bend. I am discharged from his care until the next knee is done. I'm not in a rush and know that there is still a ways to go with getting full range and full function of my knee so I still have a job with my daily workouts. The swelling is gradually reducing and the dysasthesias seem to continue to change and resolve. It feels really strange as the sensations range from just burning to a feeling like there are large bugs crawling on my skin. Really weird, but it beats the initial electric screaming pain I started with.

Memorial Day turned out to be a pleasant and somewhat spontaneous delight. Cheryl&Hilda and Barb&Dana arrived afternoon and some of us enjoyed the river and the big float. BBQ and the wonderful side dishes were enjoyed by all. Afterward, we all plopped on the porch and watched the river recover from the onslaught of the boat and float traffic. Peace returned to the water and to all of us as well. It was a fine day!
mdt

Several Days After Dinner and Laundry and Gloffing

Several days later, it seems more prudent to take things a little more slowly. This is, of course, not our first wish, but seems the more prudent path.

Marcia is back to cooking, and this pleases us both-quite a bit! She employs the electric fondue pot so she can sit and cook. Very smart and tasty! Sometimes she orchestrates from her chair, and I follow directions to the T.

Today, we got the rain we have been asking for, and it looks like it will continue into tomorrow. Slow and steady water falling from the sky-Ah.

The down side of the rain, is that the driveway sealer was applied this morning when it looked slightly overcast, but who knew since we have been having overcast days and promises of rain for weeks now. So, the sealer is puddled around, and our driveway sealer person must come back another sunny day. In the meantime, there will be no gloffing, and the KIA will be parked next to the chromemobile cathedral-on the grass. We can still drive through the yard.

Bringing in groceries from Gainesville today was accomplished by loading them into the butt buggy and driving around the yard to get as close to the back door as possible to unload them. Luckily, rain was coming down a few drops at a time when I was doing all this.

We are well and well provisioned for awhile. We really don't need to use the driveway much these days, as sitting for extended periods in the car does not work for Marcia. We will be content to watch the soggy Memorial Day flotilla on the river this weekend, and dine on some of Marcia's guava baby back ribs. Thanks to netflix, we also have several movies.

Stella will probably suffer most from lack of gloffing, but she is getting some frisbee, and she is easily bought off with a rib bone.

KG

Glad Glof Success

I worked hard on getting my knee to bend over the weekend. My PT arrived today with his limb protractor at the ready. After all my exercises were completed he protracted 82 degrees. That's a 3 degree improvement since Friday. Ninety degrees in withing my grasp by his visit next week- with hope and a lot of work before me.

Anyway, I thought I might see if I can get my leg bent enough to run the accelerator and drive the Glof. It was very close and it came to me if i folded the seat down flat I would be a bit higher and could probably get my foot up on the vehicle deck. Seat was folded and Voila! My heel made it to the landing and I was moving. My first journey was out to see how Kay was coming with the picnic table and to check the worm bins. I was good to be out and look at the zucchini blossoms and take a self guided tour of the yard and such. It wasn't long before the knee and leg started to complain about the ride so I made for the carport and my Glof exit. I still have trouble moving my leg and foot about in the car though. Maybe it might change by next week so I can drive, but I know I must be patient with these funny acting muscles involved in the dysasthesias I have in my thigh.

Dinner tonight is to be some of the Wolfson's Smoked Linguicca sausage with peppers, onion. tomato and garlic served with our lovely Ravioli Co. ravioli and some garlic bread. I noted that we might need to make another ride down to Tampa for a new batch for the summer and maybe include lunch a Costa's in Tarpon Springs next week. Maybe I'm getting a bit pen sick but I am suggesting these trips very cautiously after my last trip to G'ville.

The sun is setting and casting it's last rays on the Rainbow and lighting up the leaves and river grasses. Stella and I did the Glof ride around the yard this evening. It was fun to be out with her again. My knee is complaining about it again so I guess it's time to ice it into a happier place before bed. What a great day!

mdt

Glofing Again

You heard it here first-as I predicted-Marcia is Gloffing again. She folds the seat back down, and is able to get the height she needs to manage the pedal. I was working on the picnic table this afternoon-mostly stripping screws-when she just drove up. Wow!!! Stella was a bit incredulous tonight when Marcia offered to Glof her. She looked back and forth between us to see what would be happening. She has just come back inside, and reports to me that she is happy (pant, pant, pant) with her Glof.

In addition to Gloffing, Marcia accomplished a mountain of laundry-washing and drying and folding. It is a long way to the closet from the laundry room, so transporting folded laundry is still my job.

Then there was dinner. We were having ravioli from our favorite ravioli maker in Tampa accompanied by sausage from our favorite sausage maker in Gustine, California. Marcia figured she could save her energy by cooking in the electric fondue pot at the kitchen island. So, dinner was delicious, and not too hard on her.

We have massages scheduled for next week with our favorite massage therapist! I have a haircut on Thursday in Gnville, and Marcia is working on one for tomorrow afternoon. We are talking about a day trip-maybe to Tampa since we have eaten up most of our ravioli supply. We are being more mobile!!!

The picnic table is assembled and in place. Lots of logs got moved to where they needed to be. The butt buggy has complete access to the Cronemobile Cathedral and both it's bucket and fork lift. There is even more prediction of rain, but of course, they have lied to us quite a bit lately, so we are skeptical.

My next prediction is a road trip-probably a day trip-in the car. Stay tuned!

KG

First of the Garden Goodies-OMGess Squash Blossoms

We got 5 zucchini blossoms day before yesterday, and I only took about 6 today. Marcia made a ricotta filling and fried them with a corn meal batter. She made foccacia and her oven baked rapinni and we dined! If the rest of the garden follows suit, we are in for a gustatorially fine summer!

She did a bit more sitting in prep today, but pushed the limits-perhaps a tad less than Friday night.

There were little bits of grape tomato onion olive in the little frying pan when I went to clean up. I just couldn't resist a little crust of foccacia to clean it up with. It was that good!

It is now the accepted pattern that Stella will goldbrick on the evening Glof. I will hot rod. The Glof gets 10mph tops, so we are rounding the curves at probably 8mph and enjoying the squirrels scattering. She is out in the front yard now, barking at them-"Don't even come near the fence, cause I'm bad! and fast! " Since the squirrels can do 15mph, I am almost certain, they just laugh.

Every Friday, I fill three of the smaller Droll Yankee feeders for the front yard, and the big feeder just beyond the kitchen window. By Saturday, the fartherest feeder from the fence is empty, and the second fartherest is half full. By Sunday morning, all three are empty. The birds know to wait till the squirrels are having their siesta or have gone to bed for the night. The big feeder in the back yard might have feed the whole week. It is the Droll Yankee Flipper, so only the finest acrobat squirrels get the grub. I am thinking that if times get really hard, I have a shotgun and shells, and I know those squirrels have dined on the deluxe seed.

There is one little fig on the biggest fig tree. There are several very small oranges on the Satsuma tree. There are several little tiny tomatoes. No sign of basil. The speckled butter beans are making their way up the bamboo poles I provided. The corn is trying, but cannot rise high enough to serve as support for the beans.

Stella and I sing as we Glof. "It ain't gonna rain no more, no more...." It tried very hard to rain today, but not even a drop fell. We get promises from the Weather Channel every day, but the clouds pass us by. Tropical storms are looking good, and we even think that hurricanes might not be too bad-maybe just a little hurricane. Yesterday, I spotted three birds sitting on the log borders of the raised beds and cavorting in the sprinkler spray.

KG

Day After Blues

We both woke feeling a bit rough yesterday morning- achy, sore and etc. I thought that I had suddenly fell into a vat of hell since I basically hurt from my neck to my toes. Between sessions of exercise and just moving around in the bed I analyzed where I might have gone wrong the day before-- was it the acupuncture, the ride in the car, walking, or all of the above. None of it made sense so I began to think that we both had a touch of something else that Gainesville offered for the day. Tylenol helped the most and rest made things more tolerable.

Kay on the other had was able to tough it out and explore that wonderful back 40 and discovered squash blossoms that will most likely bes stuffed with something yummy tonight. She promised a couple more today perhaps and I will be glad to be in the kitchen again for them.

We both seem to be feeing better today. My PT is coming late this morning and I hope I will be a bit closer to 90 degrees in spite of my down day.

mdt

Grillin and Gainesville

Last night, she did a steak on the grill and potatoes in the micro, and sat while making a salad. I for one, enjoy her cooking more than my own, so if she is back in the kitchen even part-time, we are both happy. I will be going to the grocery store for now, however.

We did go to Gainesville today. On the way to: in the front seat. On the way home: in the back seat, crosswise. We navigated the car wash, involving getting out of the car and sitting while they did it, and getting back in the car-front seat. I did a very short run to Homo Depot.

Marcia got an accupuncture treatment while I did Fresh Market and picked up lunch. She sat up in Pam's waiting area and had lunch while I got stuck. It must be said, that Marcia endures pain well, but accupuncture is the only place I have heard her screech. That Pam is a good stick. She did my heart protector today and the chi bolted out my bird finger. Pam always looks so pleased when she gets the point.

There was a Lowe's run to do, and it took more time than it should-Wendy in outside garden was not with it! However, The transition to back seat happened in the Chun Ching Market parking lot while I was picking up the jaio tze. Some Chinese groceries and a little pain reliever, and we made it home.

She is frying up the jiao tze right now-after a little rest.

I think the walker is history-till next knee. The cane seems to be where it is at these days.

KG

Spoiled Again

We got the Cheryl and Hilda treatment again today. There was a massage. There were cornish game hens stuffed with cherries, blueberries and apricots and cous cous. There was a salad and fresh herb dressing. There were little chocolate cakes with strawberry (a real one coated with chocolate icing), but we couldn't even get to them as we were so stuffed. That was lunch.

After lunch, I took off in the yard (maybe waddled) to get some of my "to do" list accomplished.

Marcia tried the Glof out, but, though the knee is making it to 75 degrees, lifting it 6 inches to get up on the Glof is not yet happening. It really looks much better, and the Vitamin E oil she rubs into the scar seems to be enhancing the healing. Though it still has a red area after walking around, it has lost it's purple tint and the area of reddness is getting smaller. Gary, the PT, comes twice a week these days. He is very pleased with her progress.

I was delighted to get a new battery for the DR chipper today, so tomorrow, first thing, I will be chipping the pine bark and mulching the citrus grove. Sounds big, but we are looking at maybe a dozen trees. Plenty of time for projects B and C. I am watering about every other day, so there is hose moving to be done about every hour or so. I am letting them go for longer times as the gardens grow. It really needs to really rain!

I am finding the misting tent to be more like a soaking tent. I'll check the info that comes with it to see if I can turn some of the misters off.

Stella was a goldbricker gloffer again tonight. I really can't blame her. The setting sun through the Spanish moss drapped oaks and the silky smooth crystal clear water are just too good to miss, and the squirrels had gone to bed.

KG

Sec Sat and Butt Buggy Ride

We did Sec Sat. Marcia managed to have a good time without cooking. Well, she supervised the cooking of a couple of baking sheets of hot wings, but that was it for her. She rested and visited and had a good dinner.

Meanwhile, Pat and Carol and I moved the big oak stump/planter to it's new place-entrance to the driveway. Big job requiring three women, a KIA, a butt buggy, and 50ft of heavy duty chain. Took several tries and strategies, but it is in place. After this savage amusement, we set up the misting tent and inflated the new mega-island float. Some of us found it very difficult to leave this little relaxation station. We tied it to the seawall and just floated with the current and the breeze.

Today, Marcia got in the butt buggy and we had a ride around the place. Gardens change rather dramatically in two weeks. The tomatoes now require cages, and are showing blossoms. Beans are looking good, but some corn is lagging behind.

Though she still uses the walker most of the time, she is able to use the cane a little bit each day. This allows access to the family room and the vehicles. She is showing interest in the Glof, but forgot to try it on her way back to the house today. Maybe tomorrow.

News Flash!!! It is raining. We haven't seen water fall from the sky in weeks. It is probably just a sprinkle, but we are glad to see any rain.

Five minutes later. It is not raining, and the sun is out. Perhaps I should go turn on the sprinkler.

KG

Moving along...

Gary, my PT is still please with my progress as my knee is bending to 65 degrees and leg strength is improving. I can stand and shift weight back and forth between legs with confidence. I told him I was using the cane on short distances in the bedroom and he thought I could try it out and about the house some, warning me that my leg can get sore initially. I should try it out in small doses.

Yes!!!! I starting using it and my first goal was the family room for some different perspectives. It was a delight! Carol W. came by and I walked out on the porch with her so we could admire Kay's cleanup and purge project. Wow does it look great. Back to the family room and several walks to the bathroom later my knee said it was time to quit with the cane. Bedtime was filled with BioFreeze, an ice pack and pain meds to get to sleep. This morning I'm sore but pleased with my progress and promise myself less cane use today.

mdt

Independence Days

You heard from Ms Freedom and Independence. She prances around, then ices. She is currently on the leg motion machine-which she put on the bed and adjusted herself. She also reports that she did this yesterday.

I'm predicting that Sec Sat will be a breeze with icing, and Sunday will be a chill fest.

I, myself, have occasionally enjoyed the new great big ice thingie she brought home from the hospital. It covers the whole back. After a day of savage amusement of the heavy lifting kind, it is just the right thing.

Today is porch resurfacing day. Stella was initially glad to see them-perhaps someone who came to play in her fenced area. As he day goes on, the novelty will likely wear off.

We have Glofing to do.

KG

14 Days-- Becoming unstapled

My incision staples have been bugging me since last week and this day has been anticipated just because it means that staples will not get caught on blankets, towels and clothing any more. 51 staples covered the incision that allowed my new hardware to be installed. That's about 5 staples per inch.

I remember when the skin staple guns first came out many years ago. It was really cool to use except the first ones often mis-fired or set double staples at times. Now they are really slick and much easier to remove with the proper tools and tricks. Evelyn, my nurse, knew them all and I knew to ice the incision down before she arrived this morning. Click, click, click and they were all gone and paper tape steri-strips were applied over the wound --- just in case I might fall apart after 14 days?!

Anyway, the walk around after the removal felt great! No more pinching or burning points on the incision flared during my PM exercise session. I'm really on the mend now and look forward to a better nights sleep tonight.

mdt

My Butt is Tired...

I'm closing in on two weeks post-op. My staples are bugging my knee and my hands hurt from the walker. I'm really tired of chilling out and propping my knee up all the time to keep the swelling down-- makes my butt tired and achey.

I am gettin' bored with TV but reading while on pain meds is really a waste of time since I have trouble staying mentally in touch with what I read and it doesn't matter what I read. Even the newspaper is difficult to focus on. So my choice has been the tube vision laced with exercise events of varied sorts from my lists of suggested exercises from my PT coach. I still have trouble with the right leg lift. My thigh and hip muscles are not cooperating and are really close to my upper leg levels of staples. Ouch! when they try to tighten up for the work.

I had had enough late this afternoon and went to the kitchen to make some gumbo from some leftovers. The to-dos thankfully included chopping onions and garlic plus the etceteras for the roux and flavor base. Kay came in as I was winding it up for a simmer. I was chased out but glad to have had a break in the monotony. Plus, my leg was glad to see some elevation on the bed again.

Dinner turned out great as Kay tossed in some shrimp and rice near the end. Dinner in bed worked fine for me and I was actually hungry and finished off a big bowl of gumbo plus bread. Now I'm back to my exercises and the tube again. At least my hobbling around the kitchen told me that my leg is getting stronger and can support me more. My cane is in my future soon. I will have a free hand then... to do things maybe. Maybe frizbee is in Stellas future soon!?!?!
mdt

Marcia's Knee Replacement #1-Must be getting better because I didn't blog yesterday

She is making progress. It still hurts and cramps from time to time, but she is getting better day by day. She has begun to talk about using the cane instead of the walker. This makes me tremble a bit, as the walker is so much safer.

She eases off to do things by herself. She is able to shower by herself. Getting that right foot sock off is easier than getting it on. Tonight I found her in the kitchen assembling a gumbo. She got the basics, and I added the shrimp and leftover okra and rice. A very fine gumbo it was!!!

We scheduled accupuncture for a week from Wednesday. I'll work on scheduling massage after that. Several days after that. Maybe we will see how that goes before we schedule massage.

This week, the staples come out on Wednesday. The ice packs are chillin. She wishes it was Monday that they were coming out. She wishes she could get in the hot tub.

Outdoors

I have devoted myself to a philosophy of "Less is More" for the front porch plants. Basically, this means that many of them are being moved to other places around the yard. The big pots are really full of roots, and need to be thinned anyway. Some aspects of the "More" part are in getting the plants out of the pots. Some of my muscles are lobbying for "Less".

Porch resurfacing man is coming Tuesday, so I am busy getting things done so that he can lift those heavy pots back to their place on the porch.

Sec Sat folks should also read the Sec Sat blog about sharing plants and clippings.

Stella was such a goldbricker about her Glof ride tonight. It really was late, and the squirrels had gone to bed, so she just hitched a ride. She manages to place her right foot over mine-the foot on the "go" pedal, and she is such a hot rodder. Though she hates the car, the Glof seems to be just her speed. She is convinced she will get a squirrel some day.

Sorry we missed blogging last night, but we had the Derby. It might be a sign of "getting better" as well.

KG

Marcia's Knee Replacement #1-So, so, so spoiled

St. Hilda of Gainesville paid us a visit today. Marcia says her foot masages are transforming. The salad lunch-bed of arugula, several boiled or steamed shrimp with cocktail sauce, egg salad, tomatoes, couple of stuffed green olives-size of your thumb. Then, she left a dinner of pork roast and mushrooms and yucca in the pot. She arrived at 10, and left at 3 in order to avoid rush hour traffic. She is just so beyond terriffic....

Marcia had PT and rest. Holly arrived in the afternoon-shared her flooring finds with us, had a nice visit with Marcia, and started on the test tube and wire rooters I have been thinking about.

I had a plan, but I had to make another. My chipper shredder's battery just would not charge. Luckily, the DR folks will not only replace the battery, but send a charger specially made for it. Plan B worked for awhile, till it didn't. I got some trimming done till the trimmer ball gave out. I am seeing a trip to my DR repair person as Plan A for tomorrow.

Not to be deterred, and besides, it gets hot (and will get even hotter as the summer progresses), I took a break and began to move porch plants in anticipation of the porch resurfacer's visit on Tuesday. Also, Holly has a dumpster for a month, and one of the plant stands had to go.

After a pork and yucca dinner, I took Stella for her evening Glof. There was no black snake in our path this evening. The one this morning was a surprise for all of us-especially the snake who was just minding it's own business when a dog ran past chasing a squirrel and a Glof trolly just about ran over it. Probably still in it's hidey hole.

The pansys and petunias still look lovely-especially in that last brightness before dark starts to descend. Their time is really limited, so there are coleus rooting in the nursery just off the carport. Yard men came and mowed today, so tomorrow, the hoses come out again and there will be watering to do. Continue spiritual practice for rain.

Marcia is good. She probably wishes she was back to normal or even better. Things still hurt, and energy is in shorter supply than two weeks ago. She is making progress, but it all takes time. Back to the leg motion machine.

KG

Marcia's Knee Replacement #1-Dr's appt

Today's big activity was going to the Doc. For Marcia it turned out to be a bigger activity than she anticipated. She was quite whipped afterward, and took a long nap.

Dr. Choung is a surgeon. For some blog readers, this will be enough said. For others, the words, cold impersonel, abrupt, arrogant, full of himself would help fill in the picture. His PA has all the interpersonal skills. Dr C. pronounced her doing fine-gave permission for showers, but no imersion bathing, and "explained away all the uncomfortable symptoms she is having, and prescribed another antibiotic for the reddness-just as a precaution.

Marcia met the PA in the hall when I was getting the car, and he asked her how she was doing and actually listened.

Here is the real scoop: We all know she has been taking showers since the minute she came home from the hospital. After nurse visit, she took the dressings off. She has been using the same anit-bacterial soap that they recommended she wash with for two days before surgery-makes sense to remove skin bacteria that could infect the wound- seemes to make more sense than not washing.

So, it's not like we didn't know that Choung is known for his surgeon's aspects, and not like we don't appreciate his skills. However, we appreciate his surgery skills more than his nursing skills.

What was surprising to Marcia, was how tired she was just by getting in the car and navigating the Dr's office and coming home. She is, after all, just one week post surgery. She does wonderfully well with most ADL's (activities of daily living). She lifts her right leg with my bath robe belt, gets to the toilet with the aid of walker and toilet handles, dresses completely except for sock on r leg. Getting in the car she uses a step stool, and the back seat crosswise is the only way-leg elevated. There are some leg angles that hurt, so I am called upon to hold or lift the leg. Meals are in the dining room with r leg elevated on a chair. Tonight's dinner was in the bedroom.

On the homefront, the good news is that my laptop is back and working. The bad news is that it cannot seem to find the internet. Even the guest computer cannot find the internet, so Marcia has granted me her laptop. Hope it all works out soon.

The baby racoon who has been hanging around the house for two days, seems to be gone today. I was getting kinda used to seeing it. Yesterday, it seemed to perk up after a day of sunbathing very near the dripping hose by the kayaks. It either just needed to rehydrate, or the big owl in the back yard got dinner. It was really cute, but as an adult coon, it would surely be interested in my corn patch.

Speaking of corn patch-will it ever rain again? Getting very dry where there is not irrigation. Still, the garden is coming along just fine.

Dock is done and looking good. However, by Sec Sat I'm sure those spiders will have redecorated.

KG

Marcia's Knee Replacement #1-We get spoiled

Today is off to a slow start. Marcia got up and made her own breakfast, but I am suggesting that it is too soon for her to do this, and she is back in bed, exhausted and cold and having some spasms.

I am dragging. Stuff is getting done, but I am tired already. Did I get out of shape for yardwork in one week??? My nursing duties are not that strenuous, but it must be said that I was not cut out for nursing. Marcia, the really good nurse, deserves much better. However, her karma has her stuck with me, and my karma seems to include a bit of nursing. Soon we will get all better, then do it all over again.

Dock cleaning and resealing man is here getting the dock done. Holly will be coming today. Stella will get a new box of shredded wheat. She had to make do with Cheerios this morning. Didn't seem to mind. Involved alot of chasing Cherrios for her though.

Time to Glof.

KG

Marcia's Knee Replacement #1-We get spoiled

Cheryl and Hilda arrived shortly after our breakfast. Marcia got a massage from Cheryl and practically continuous foot massage from Hilda-so that she just dozed off.

I made a bee line for the back yard and fed the veggies. BTW, Pat, we need another bucket of Georgia red dirt.

Lunch was late and we were once again spoiled with an asian chicken and mushroom soup and nappa salad. I was soon back to the yard for more savage amusement. We are fixing lamb, rice, peas and roasted peppers, arugula salad and maduros. It smells heavenly.

Stella got quite a run with the Glof. Mother nature has not yet taken our little baby coon that continues to hang around and not behave right. I just don't take Stella around her.

I see from reading my email, that we are having Sec Sat. Marcia will not be cooking. I will plan to put up the mister tent and perhaps people can help me blow up the island float (we have a compressor) for the river. Kay

Marcia's Knee Replacement #1-at home

We slept. We got up about 9:30am. How lovely!

We ate breakfast together, just the three of us-in the dining room.

The Home Health Nurse joined us. We like her. She agrees with Marcia that the bandages are only impeeding progress and making the skin around the insicion all red and irritated. She left dressings in case Marcia finds a need for them. She will be back on Friday. She is Evelyn.

Gary the PT came next. He was impressed with Marcia's ability to bend -1 to 60. Marcia says that her massages with Beckie and her exercises have made this little miracle-particularly the -1 part.

Gary will be the frequent flyer coming MWF for awhile, then 2X per week, then down to one.

So, we both had a busy morning. I was able to hop in the shower after Gary left, and then Holly came to stay with Marcia while I was the Ocala gopher. We now have handles for the toilet-hurrah!

I bought a watermelon today. I think it should be a morning snack. I bought it to promote exercise.

The cards and emails are coming in, and they are great. Thank you all.

Ms Martha made a little bouquet for the recovery room. We are some happy somebodies!

Tomorrow, Cheryl and Hilda will come to visit and allow me to get outside for tending the gardens. There is some grass poking up in the watermelon bed, and I think it is time to side dress some of the tomatoes. It tried to rain today, but had little success.

Holly will come back Wednesday. Stella likes the variety of company as well.

All is well!

KG

Marcia's Knee Replacement #1-day 5-Home Again, Home Again

At LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLaaaaaaaaaaaaaast, My Love is home at last.

We are in slow motion, but it is forward. The PA didn't leave this and that order, so, even after she called and I got there, we waited.

Getting in the car, getting out of the car, getting in the shower, and out, and into the computer chair (wheels) and eating a sandwich, and getting freezing cold and needing to get into bed, and the equipment is delivered and the leg motion machine is adjusted and covers are arranged. These all take time and coordination of person and equipment. I am working on my Shiva impersonation.

Stella was so happy, when it came her turn to greet Marcia. She made these little puppy tasting thing with her mouth-no teeth involved. She is now the guarder of the bed.

So, we are almost fully outfitted and equipped, but there is a list in development for my trip to Ocala tomorrow. Holly is planning to come visit, and Marcia will coordinate her visit with my time to go to Ocala. I keep thinking that by the next knee, we will have this drill down.

Almost time to start dinner, so Shiva needs to wind up! We are all happy to be home.

Oh, and BTW, the leg reddness was just irritation-white count within normal range.

KG

Marcia's Knee Replacement #1, Day 4-Disapointment

I was on my way to the hospital with the back seat all prepared, fresh sheets on the bed, and Stella entrapped in the kitchen. Marcia called to say that the Dr and PA had been there. They took the dressing off. This is the dressing that she has been telling everybody about, as it rubs against her incision when she is doing the leg movement machine. It was all red, so the Doc cannot in good conscience discharge her, and she has to do oral antibiotics. Another night, at least, in the hospital. We were both really disappointed.

I must say, however, that she is back! She looks and sounds three dimensional. She is wearing t-shirt and big shorts. She walked with assistance of walker to the bathroom, and she is fully productive. She uses a hospital gown wrapped around her right foot, as a leg mover when getting back into bed. Works well. We hope for discharge tomorrow.

I went looking for her list of needed things-found most! We visited for awhile before I came home to finish watering (sure do wish it would rain) and various other household chores like cooking and laundry.

Stella spends quite a bit of her time staring at the door, and when I come in, she now looks behind me before coming to greet me. Our Glof rides are good-probably the highlight of her day (right behind meals). However, we all wish that Marcia was home.

Please expand that spiritual practice to visualize the reddness going away and see her coming home to her own more comfortable bed and shower.

Thanks for your help!

KG

Marcia's Knee Replacement Night #2 from Hell (followed by a day of redemption)

You got the foreshadowing in the last blog, so here is the story. The roomie's cheese slid completely off her cracker last night(probably bounced on the floor and rolled down the hall as well, but the staff wasn't convinced till today). Apparently for her, there were chickens and cats in the room. I suggested to Marcia that on the hallucination scale, this is much better than snakes and bugs, but I guess the degree is irelevant when there are people coming and going all night, and, most special of all, the vital signs machine going off so that even staff begin telling it to shut up!

When I arrived, rather late in the morning, I found Marcia looking tired and visiting with Holly. Though I was sorry that I had forgotten to bring the hazelnut latte I had made for her, it was probably best. Better that Marcia eventually get a nap. During my stay at the hospital, the CNA was whispering to Marcia tips to get a "room of her own". Evenutally, after I left, the rodeo commenced, the roomie escalated, and the gurney came to take the roomie away forever(so there was no need for action on the room of her own). When Marcia called tonight, she had had a nice nap and met with the Dr and the PA and had her discharge in action pending a visit with the DR/PA tomorrow morning.

The home health/visiting nurses will arrange for equipment delivery tomorrow. Marcia emphasized the need for a BSC (have you been reading the blog??). I suggested a wheelchair with vacuum attachment. We have always needed a riding vacuum in this house. However, they will want her to walk as much as possible, so a wheelchair will probably not materalize right away. Perhaps after the in home nursing assessment.

Marcia and Holly scheemed out the arrival protocol. The KIA will drive through the yard-much like the butt buggy, and pull as close to the bathroom deck as possible. Marcia will alight and make a slow motion beeline for the shower. There, I will shed my social work persona and attempt to impersonate a CNA-taking supervision from the nurse. The details about covering the incision will be discussed with the DR/PA at the morning pre discharge visit.

To pick up on threads I started in the last blog, the foley came out today, and Beth Higgs was the first to know. She happened to call when Marcia was taking her whizz on the BSC. They resumed their conversation later, as that first time takes some consentration. The epidural came out too, so she is getting good pain relief via oral meds.

Her CNA today had had knee replacement last summer. She is 41. This was rather wonderful to hear, as the other ortho patients are at least 10 years older than us.

I made my visit short today, as Marcia was so tired and really needed to sleep, and the baby plants needed water. It takes about 6 hours to just get the veggie beds watered, so there was no going back. Just as well, as she got to nap.

Stella is really looking forward to Marcia's return. Part of the re-entry protocol will be to keep Stella in the kitchen side of the house until Marcia is setteled in bed, and then let her in to snuggle. It just wouldn't do to have Marcia jumped on the minute she walks in the door.

Between hose movings, I managed to get to the produce stand and stock up on goodies to hold us over for awhile. Also got in a trip to the dump, so we are all clear. Vickie the housecleaner did her thing, so maybe the wheelchair vac will not be needed.

Stella and I made a great Glof run tonight. I am looking forward to just being mother, as opposed to mother and mother to Stella. It will be a while before Marcia reinstitutes Glof rides, but at least she will be home to celebrate them with Stella.

There are, at last count, 4 bush beans sprouting up. About 22 more to go. Currently 6 watermelon sprouts. Probably 4 out of 72 pole bean sprouts. (Do not even ask about how many tomatoes or peppers or basil-lots) We should be about waist high in veggies this summer. With no rain in sight, it is good I put in the drip irrigation system.

Continue to keep us in your spiritual practice. Think lofty thoughts to keep us off the floor.

KG

Living Conditions at 7 Rivers

This morning I will give you the context. The room is lovely new. However, it was designed for a large single, and is being used for double. A bit tight quarters at times. When the leg motion machine is not in use, there are few choices for where to put it. Yesterday, it rode on the base of the bedside table so I could have a chair.

Some of the kinks are not worked out of this new room. Marcia's TV has the hiccoughs. We had Lisa the CNA call about it. Lisa is from the projects in NYC-the Bronx no less. She is sweet and easy going, but "don't take no stuff off of nobody". When the roomemate was downstairs, we put on both brand new flatscreen TV's in order to make a rudimentary assessment of whether Marcia's TV was having an individual problem or whether there was a system problem. It's definitely Marcia's TV. So, Lisa calls and they tell her that all the TV's are that way, and in a New York minute, she set them straight. We like Lisa.

The roommate is a frail elderly woman who has been getting worse since she was admitted. Marcia's first night, the roomate was vomiting most of the night. What I didn't tell you yesterday about Marcias first real food meal-breakfast yesterday morning-is that she had to call on her cast iron nursing stomach, as the roomate was retching her breakfast at the time.

As the day progressed, we were privy (in this little room) to the family meeting. As a licenced clinical Social Worker, I can tell you that this family would make anyone retch. My clinical assessment: "They ain't right."

The roomate got progressively worse after the family visit. She was sent for a pic line as they could not get a vein for hydration.

When I called Marcia last night, the roomate had gotten up to go to the bathroom and fallen and broken her nose. Marcia says she is getting progressively more confused. This, of course, means that there will be the possibility that the traffic through the room will rival Grand Central Station all through the night.

The plan for today is removal of Marcia's foley and transfer to bedside commode (hereafter referred to in medical shorthand-BSC).

Marcia is a very motivated patient, and the universe is providing her with lots of extra incentives to get to Home Sweet Home. I feel certain her transfer will be successful.

So, after a nice Glof ride and shower, I will head in to check the situation out.

KG

Marcia's Knee Replacement #1 Day 2

I missed the first stand this morning, as I was standing on line in Wall-Mart waiting for MDT's Rx. They don't have her particular drug in the hospital, and substitute another that is not as effective for her.

By the time I got to the hospital, it was over, but from what she told me, it may be just as well. It was, as we expected, painful. Like sweat and blood pressure drop kind of pain. She transferred to the chair and might have been happy to sit up in a chair for awhile, but was probably more like striving to let things settle down. When it was time to get up, the real drama began. This chair was too short for her, and she couldn't push with both her legs to get up, so, help had to be called in to get her back into bed. It was decided that for her afternoon get up, the bed would work just fine.

Actually the afternoon get up went just fine. No sweat-literal or physical! I really liked the two PT women. Mary got her situated back on the leg mover and got a towell for more padding so it was comfortable. They increased the angle the machine bends the knee from -5 to 55 degrees. Marcia gets that far away look and sometimes intake of breath when it nears 55 degrees, but has been able to tolerate it.

The quad gives her the most trouble. Since it has accomodated to her "bad" knee, it is now having to reaccomodate to her new knee, and complains. Her foot also feels like it is turned wrong; another accomodation and reaccomodation process.

The red letter event of the day was solid food. There was bacon and biscuit for breakfast ("eggs not worth eating," said she). Lunch was meatballs and noodles and overcooked beans that my mother would have liked. She ate a little more of this, but it is not a clean your plate day, and may not be while in the hospital. Now I am looking forward to getting her home to my cooking! She did enjoy her hazelnut latte at about 11:30 am.

We have no predictions for tomorrow-probably more of the same. We wonder, as you probably do, when will discharge be? I think the bedside commode will be the indicator, and it didn't happen today.

If you would like to call: 352-795-6560-ext 3131. The 3131 is her room and bed# and she should answer.

On the homefront, Stella and I are managing. I pick out deli items from Winn Dixie-not the best in the world, but I really don't want to cook when I get home. We both enjoyed the ground sirloin. Stella did not even wait to have her dinner with the "pack"-me. We had a great long Glof ride/walk. So long, that Stella requested to ride as well. There were no squirrel captures, but she is ever hopeful.

I am hoping for some quality sleep tonight. Though I was tired last night, I kept waking up every few hours. Like Stella, my body is saying that this is not right! Maybe we will adjust to the new, and ideally shortlived routine.

Marcia's Knee Replacement #1

We arrived at Seven Rivers Hospital in Crystal River, Florida at 5:30 AM on Wednesday morning. The actual surgery took about an hour. Dr. Choung is known for his speed. She was scheduled for 8, but I suspect she went in before, and he was talking with me and the spouse of the 7 am patient by 8:45am. We waited till 11:30 for a room.

The room was in the new wing that had just opened last week, so it was fresh and lovely. The OR transporters had difficulty working the bed, so there was quite a bit of up and downing of head feet and whole person. In this process, the leg movement device got moved around. It is probably not the most comfortable of apparatus anyway, but out of place, it was quite irritating. Eventually it had to be removed, and a call was put in for the PT-Martin, to come fix it again. It must be said on Martin's behalf, that he is kept quite busy by Dr Choungs productivity, so he didn't arrive till 5 pm. In the meantime, Marcia did foot wiggling to keep some motion going. I was glad he got there before bedtime. He told her that she was the brightest and bushiest tailed one of the knee surgeries that day.

There was a little itching-caused by the epidural meds, but it was quite magically taken care of with benedryl in the IV. Marcia gradually came back to her full personhood and was looking good and enjoying her book. When I checked in by phone before bedtime, she had been having chats with the head nurse who enjoys the same journal. Marcia has found that right place of lucidity and absence of pain by use of her pain pump. Probably she has not been this pain free in a long time.

So, it was time for me to go face Stella. Anticipating this, I stopped by Charlie's Seafood and got the fried grouper dinner with fried okra and french fries.

She met me at the door with her usual enthusiasm. When she had sufficiently rebonded with me, she started looking for Marcia. I gave her the "no more" sign and said "Marcia", and quickly followed with bits of my fried dinner. A short while later, I took her for a Glof cart run, and though I do not really know the routine, she was patient with me and got her business accomplished. She sat in front of the door for a little while in the evening, but eventually gave it up to "have a smoke" on the front porch. This has been her routine since Marcia's mother's visit. She went to the front porch to have a smoke with Honey, and it has become a habit. Sometimes she even goes out there during the day. She says that she is 5 now and can go to the porch for a smoke if she wants to, and she does.

My crisis was when my computer didn't turn on. It seems to be the power cord, so I ordered a replacement, and am on the guest computer. However, since I have effectively lost my email addresses, please let interested parties know that the blog is back!

Today-Thursday: There will be errand running and toting needed things to the hospital for me. For Marcia there will be standing and transfer to a chair. The reward for accomplishing these tasks will be removal of the foley and hope of discharge on either Friday or Saturday.

Thanks to all of you for your support and positve thoughts. I'll keep you posted!!!

Kay