The world is nuts

One of my favorite quotes is "The world is nuts and it can't be helped", by Arlo Guthrie. I saw it on his on his web site a few years back. He's tongue-in-cheek most of the time; doesn't take life too seriously although he's at risk (or might have by now) his famous father's wasting disease. This quote came to mind because I just called the "sick leave integration department" of HR for Kaiser; I have some questions about my sick leave and state disability pay. I got this recorded message:
"We cannot accept your call at this time because we have an emergency situation and have to evacuate the building. Please try again later."
Oh my. What now? a fire? an armed disgruntled employee or spouse or patient? an earthquake? an overflowing toilet after some big dump and housekeeping cannot respond for 2 hours because all the union employees are on break?
The world IS nuts! We could all help it not be nuts, but most of us won't or can't help out. We just let it get nuttier and nuttier. Heaven looks nearer and dearer all the time.

6 weeks post op

Well, Friday was the 6th week post op day! Sure is nice to be farther along in the recovery, but there is a ways to go before "normal again" can be said. Walking without the walker is not happening much yet because I feel too unsteady and fearful of falling. Plus it is not so painful if I walk with support still. When I walk a few steps without the walker, the right leg is painful somewhere deep inside the thigh, and the surgery area is still painful if I bump it. When I sit, I feel like I am sitting on a small lump on the right side, so I have to shift often but that's ok. It's not too comfortable to ride in a car yet, so I haven't been out and about much yet. I did crave Mexican food last Wednesday so Mike took me to eat at one of our local Mexican places. Man, that greasy cheese enchilada, and the beef taco and those refried beans with melted cheese... Hombre! Muy sabrosa!!
Today we went to Joan and Steve's for a few hours. I hadn't been there in 2 months. Things look brand new when you haven't been around in awhile. Bill and Jen and Tyler have been visiting for a week or so, and have to return to Kentucky tomorrow. Bill hadn't been "home" for 2 1/2 yrs; it was good to see them again! Tyler is growing so big and is a great kid!
Jordan is out of school now so we have more time to play board games. I finally beat her at Clue today! But she beat me at Scrabble this week, and I had to go to the bathroom and cry! How could that happen?? Actually I am so proud of her; she's a smart player.
We got to have Autumn here for a few hours again Friday, so we walked and rolled down to Subway for lunch. It's just 2 blocks away. I should get out more in Lucy and venture around the neighborhood, but it's been hot lately and the sun does me in. Thank God for A/C at home.
later!

Making memories with the grandkids

My dad's mother was my grandmother who gave me the most memories, and all of those memories are sweet and good. We called her "Gram". Gram was born in Louisville, KY, 1896, the first of 4 kids of Swiss-German parents. The family came to Los Angeles when Gram was 3 yrs old. She saw so much change in LA over her 96 years. I once asked her how did she deal with all the change and growth and new-fangled items that continued to impact her life. She replied that she just tried to flow with it since she could not stop it, and to learn all she could about the changes. She had an excitement for life it seemed, and she was always welcoming to us kids, excited to see us, and sad when we had to leave her house. Gram was the BEST ever; there will never be another Gram.
Gram's way of getting upset with us when we acted up around her was to say, "Pretty soon we're going to have a Butt-Kicking Contest, and I'll win, so stop that!". Then we'd all laugh and shape up and go on having fun.
If I could accomplish anything with my grandkids, it would be to have them know for certain that I love them so much, like Gram loved us. Unconditionally, enjoying their company, being proud of them, letting them know if they fail in some way, that it is perfectly fine to start over and do better next time. But I will tell them like I told my kids, if you end up in the Can, slammer, joint, jailcell... don't waste your dime on me (don't call me) to bail you out; just come see me next time you're free and we will begin again.
Russell and Autumn Kelly, 2 of my grandkids from Idaho, are in Simi staying with their other grandparents for a month. The 2 spent the night this week here, so they could go to Jordan's 6th grade promotion ceremony with us yesterday morning. Russell and I played Monopoly and this time I didn't wager a bet about beating him because I suck at Monopoly usually. Especially against him! He is a good player and has developed strategies that usually put him in the winners circle. Hopefully, he will take those strategies to real Life and support himself well. We'd begun the game late, and I finally told him I'd only play to 11 PM because I was wiped out. I thought that'd be soon enough for me to quit without the humiliation of being beat again, but at 10:48 PM, he managed to make me go bankrupt and won. Then he told me of a memory he has of me that he will never forget. We have kitchen chairs on wheels and when the kids were younger, they always played around and scooted the chairs away from the table, back around, twirled and moved back and forth... until I'd yell and tell them to sit still or they would have to sit in a dining room chair without wheels. Russell reminded me of a time I told him, "IF YOU DON'T STOP MOVING THAT CHAIR AROUND, YOU'LL NEVER SET FOOT IN THIS HOUSE AGAIN!!!" I denied ever being that cruel, but he swears it is true, and I have to admit... it sounds just like me!! hahaha. so much for trying to be like Gram and make sweet memories!
Autumn likes to make snowcones with a Pampered Chef snowcone maker we have. It seems like a lot of effort to me to make them..But now she can work the gizmo herself
so she makes the snowcones while I sit on my butt. I bet her $5 I could beat her in a game of Clue, knowing damn well that I suck at Clue as well as Monopoly. But I wanted her to have the money, so we played the game and lo and behold! I made some very LUCKY guesses, without rhyme or reason like I usually do, and she could not show me any cards, so by sheer chance, I won the game!! I almost fell off my chair, and she was so disappointed! Next time we play Clue, I'll bet her 10 bucks, so she can double her winnings to make up for a fluke loss. Autumn did beat me by a few million dollars in 2 games of LIFE though; I didn't bet on those games either because I suck at LIFE too. The only game I really like to play with the kids is Scrabble; they don't stand a snowball's chance in Hell to beat old Gramma Jayne in Scrabble; or do they? We will see!
Grand daughter Jordan (12 next month) who lives with us with her mom Kim, has been told repeatedly by me that I don't allow the B word (B*R*D) to be said in this house because there is NO EXCUSE for boredom EVER, and I am never bored, and believe no one else should ever be bored either. There is just too much to do in life, even if it is just sitting and pondering your umbilicus! But last week, I blew it. It was about noon and I was restless; Jordan was on the computer, Mike was eatin lunch, and I wasn't hungry, didn't want to veg in front of the TV, didn't want to read, wasn't ready for a nap... so I blurted out, "I AM SO BORED!!!". Jordan's jaw dropped, she was speechless, then said, "Gramma, I am going to remember this day FOREVER!!".
Ah, memories! they are being made every minute, eh? Make them good!

Check out a real blogger!

Finally I figured out how to link my daughter-in-law's great blog to this blog. Tara has been blogging for awhile and keeps the family up to date about the activities of the Idaho Kellys. Check out her blog; she has photos too!! Now that's a blog! She set Tim up on his own blog recently, so he will let us in on things from the dad's point of view when he has time. Way to go kids! and thanks! (Check out their blogs by clicking on the link on the right side of this page... this instruction is for the computer neophytes.)

Things continue to go well

I just can't take this blogging thing too serious. It has been a good diversion and therapy tool, but I really intended only to use it as a post-op update for awhile. There is so much I could blog about: my family, my swell kids and wonderful grandkids, Kris's progress in growing our next grandbaby (due October 15)... but to write about all that, I'd be at the keyboard for hours. Suffice it to say for now that the hip healing continues. I still need the walker because to walk unaided seems like too much effort and causes back problems. Sitting too long is uncomfortable because of weight on the healing hip area; frequent shifting is needed, as well as periods of getting horizontal to rest. Mike is so good about preparing meals and doing laundry and dishes... and doing everything! I am left with same ol' chronic pain problems and weaknesses as before surgery, but the horrible right knee pain and spasms are gone, Thank You God. The expectation after recovery is to go back to same life activities with better pain control of chronic problems. So, I will post an update every now and then; for now it is slow but steady healing. I'll take that! Tis good!

I just can't go on!!

I am so sorry!!! I had planned to tell you all about Aunt Joan's fabulous new 8 passenger Honda Odyssey with its leather seats, sun roof, 24 cup holders, 8 CD player, 6 power outlets, 6 air bags, and automatic sliding doors with windows that actually lower down for air, but I am just too upset today for serious blogging. Until I know for sure that Paris Hilton will survive her days in the slammer, I may never be able to participate in life again! She might starve to death, choke on her own snot from all that crying, or hang herself with her bra... it's too much to bear.....
I'll have to get back to you when I can get thru this grief today...

Slowly but shirley

It'll be 4 weeks post op tomorrow, and the healing continues... on an up n down road so to speak, just like I remember from surgeries past. Like I always told my surgery patients, expect up n down days because the body heals in different levels at differing times. One day one part hurts, then it won't hurt, then it will; as soon as one area quiets down and isn't talking to you in tears, its next door neighbor sobs wildly and needs attention for a day or two. Now that my right shoulder and back have not had much pain for a few days, the right hip incision area and deep into the hip joint have moaning and bitching contests. Doing the right leg exercises is a challenge because I have to work so hard due to chronic weaknesses but I do what I can and figure every little bit of movement will help eventually. So, the progress is slow but sure, shirley. (Don't call me Shirley!) $100 to anyone who can tell me what movie made that line famous. ('cept Joan who remembers everything.) Yesterday I walked with the walker to the neighbor's driveway on the south, then sat on the walker seat in our driveway for a few minutes to rest... YES I NEEDED TO REST AFTER THAT 20 FOOT WALK.... then I walked to the neighbor's driveway on the north and back. I didn't need the walk, I just wanted to model my newest pj's for the neighbors who may have been watching. I watched a good netflix movie "Charlotte Gray"; a WWII chick flick, I recommend it to all you netflix chicks.
Yesterday I went to the front door and got the mail all by myself! So there ya have it. I am making progress each day, thank God. Joan got a new car and I hope to go for a ride in it tomorrow; my second outing since surgery! I think she told me it is a Mercedes or a Benz or a caddie or a lac or something with four-on-the-floor, overhead cams, duel exhaust... hell I was on drugs when she called to tell me about it... tomorrow I should know more and can report to y'all 'bout it.
til then, live well and be joyful!

I pray

One of the many reasons I am glad to be a Christian, a follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ, (not a perfect follower by any means, but a work in progress) is that deciding to pray can stop self pity so quickly. In times of pain, or fatigue, when I begin to feel like I cannot do one other thing, The Spirit reminds me that there are people who need prayer support and I try my best to lift them up in prayer for whatever needs they have that only God might know about. If I were to list all the folks who've come to mind for prayer in the past 3 weeks, it would even shock me! How can it be? How could all you well-adjusted people need so much prayer? What is wrong with you all?? Why can't you just carry your own burdens and problems and leave me alone?? hahahahaaa. LOL!
How heavy the burdens would be ifn we had to carry them all alone!! When someone prays for another person, the effect is accomplished somewhere in the unseen world, the spiritual realm. We may never get to know how a prayer for someone brought results. Prayers can be answered "yes" "no" "wait" or "maybe" if something specific is sought, but intangible results occur more often I believe. Such as, how do people make it through a tragedy, a death of someone they love, an illness, a time of despair or upheaval, and come out smelling like roses on the other side of the event, going on with their lives in strength and joy? What do you think? I think it has a lot to do with prayer support! So next time the Spirit (whether you believe in Him or not :)) ) brings someone in particular to your mind, pray for them, send up a good thought, or just think "gee, I hope ol' so-n-so is doing well". Tis all prayer, my friend. Tis all prayer.

setbacks or healing?

I had to get up out of bed at 4 am today due to severe right shoulder pain again. I think I strained the shoulder again yesterday standing up from a chair; my legs didn't raise me up and the weight went to my arms... and bingo... arm strain again. So I iced it and heated it and took pills and used skin rub. Kim got home from school and gave me a message again like she did last week when the shoulder was painful. The pain is much less now and I have to try hard to not strain it again. The worse part of this recovery is being so weak and deconditioned; tis my usual state of being but it's not a good state to be in when a leg is compromised. When the leg is back to it's usual strength, things will be better.
The best part of today is that neighbor Dan is finally sixty too!! Now he can stop bagging on me n Joan about being so much older than he is.
later dudes.

It's June already yet.

Wow. Tis June already. 3 weeks since I was in an ice cold surgery suite getting sliced open, wrenched around, and put back together with new parts. The time has gone by quickly I must say. You may think I don't do much, but my days are full of activity and chores to acomplish. and not enough time to do it all! getting up, having a cup of coffee, leg exercises, sponge bath, changing pj's, reading the paper and doing the daily SuDoKu puzzle; reading the mail, taking vitamins 3 times a day, taking a walk outside (maybe), crocheting, blah blah blah... wow! too much to do. I need a vacation from this recouping routine!
2 days ago we saw the surgeon, who said "Take your time healing; go slow; you'll get there." He changed his tune from the pre-op visit when he told me I'd be driving in 28 days. HA. It is a major event to just get into the passenger car of my van with help! The dr assistant (a gal I used to work with in the call center who now does orthopedic back office work) took out 36 staples from the 8 inch incision... as I hung onto the wall, spoke to her in broken Spanish, gritted my teeth etc, trying to not feel what was going on. She commented that the incision looked exceptionally healthy, no redness, no drainage, no crustiness etc. We told her that when I got home, for 2 weeks I was fed only fruits, vegetables and meats or chicken or fish... no sweets!! In fact, our neighbor had made a plate of brownies and brought it over the day after I got home; Joan walked into the bedroom where I was and showed me them and let me smell them... BUT WOULD NOT GIVE ME EVEN A CRUMB OF THE BROWNIES!!! So the healthy food plan paid off, and helped the healing. The dr wants to see us again in 2 month; he extended my time off to July 5, and said again, take your time, all your muscles are working differently now, you'll feel like yourself in 6 months.
so there ya have it.
The fatigue sets in easily, yesterday I had lab, OT and PT all visit, and was exhausted by late afternoon. didn't get a good nap. napping is essential... so...
good night for now! am going to a sheet show for a spell; I get to shower later today for the first time in 3 weeks... something has been REAKING in here lately... something stinks to high heaven... what the hell... it's me! hahahaaaa.