It's a Wonderful Life

I've had a tough day and now I'm pondering about all the good things going on in my life. I feel so blessed to live in an area relatively free from the effects of war, I have the food I need and love to eat, I have shelter that is more than adequate for my needs, I have transportation and the means to put fuel in the gas tank (!), lots of wonderful friends as well as the best family in the world! Really, thinking about these things puts stupid concerns in perspective. Today I got so irritated after paying a bill online for the very first time, then thinking I did it wrong and all the angst that goes with that, then I just decided that I don't need to pay bills online and I don't really need to worry about a paperless world when I realized that I was still printing out the invoice to file away as proof that I paid the silly bill online! Go figure. I think perhaps I have finally reached the time in my life when I decided that at my age going green should cut me some slack! So I'm leaving the paperless world behind since I've discovered that I actually have as much junk laying around to file away so I can find it in the future. I know that this doesn't really make sense to the 30 somethings, but oh, well, it's a wonderful life anyway and we don't all have to be the same anyway. I love this modern age, though. I love getting email photos and cell phone photos, lots of phone calls and emails that tell me my family and friends are ok. I can't imagine living 1400+ miles away from my family and only getting a letter once a month! Yikes.
Re: my toe - the new soft cast is heavier than the previous bandage and it has ached a little today. Part of the healing process as well. I'll have to do my blog earlier in the day, I think, cause I'm too tired this time of day to think positive thoughts! The fun things to do in the future include my nephew coming for a visit this weekend (he's actually visiting his parents in their RV, but sleeping in our guest room). Then next month my daughter and the worlds perfect grandkids are coming and my sister is coming, too! So we'll be the vacation spot for awhile. Fun times!

Letting Go of the Rod!

I'm free, I'm free at last. . . or at least that what I'd thought I'd be saying! OK, Janie, I have to admit it hurt when the rod came out! No, the dr. didn't really lie to me that it wouldn't hurt, but somehow the rod got bent and that's what made it hurt! (Doesn't it give you a stomach ache just to think about?) Anyway, it's out and so are the stitches. My question, "Now can I take a shower?" Not yet. :( :( Major frowns from me. So besides a very ugly toe and a hole on the top of my foot, now it's wrapped in a "soft cast." It was really cold going on and will take until tomorrow to "harden." And I still can't get it wet. I return to the dr. on March 12 and then the soft cast will be taken off and I'll be able to wear my clunky shoes during parts of the day, but the ugly shoe the rest of the time. So a total of 6 weeks from surgery date before my foot will be almost healed. I'm counting on it 'cause Art and I are going to Albuquerque, NM, to see the petroglyphs there and I'll need to be able to walk a dusty path to the caves. If I can figure out how to attach a photo, I'll put a photo of my ugly toe - there are actually two - one from 2/23 and one from today. But I want to embed the photos so you don't have to look at that ugly thing unless you want to! :) Oh, the other thing I noticed is that this soft cast is heavy! Regarding the pain issue I've discussed in the past, the dr. said that as the nerves heal they will send a pulse of pain or discomfort. It doesn't last long, but sometimes it hurts so hard it takes your breath away, so to be perfectly honest, I can't say there is no pain. Any surgery is gonna hurt, but compared to my knee surgery last summer, this is nothing and I can handle it most of the time!

Beginnings

After emailing my five "bunion blogs" over the past three weeks, I decided to make it easier on everyone by creating a blog. Don't know how well this venture will go as I tend to procrastinate as well as get overwhelmed by my activities. I've been listening to the "Mormon Mom Podcasts," other blogs, and have subscribed to the daily Molly Mormon emails and came to the conclusion that the information I've been hearing and reading has been excellent, but geared toward 30-somethings, married, with children at home or in college, etc. Therefore, I decided that those of us over 50 need a voice! I'll put in my voice and y'all jump in and save me from my mistakes, ok? Our concerns involve health problems, visiting teaching challenges, our adult children, etc. (My husband just came inside from checking his winter garden and in his hand were two 2 inch carrots! That's winter here in very dry West Texas!)