Shoulder...

Someone asked about the shoulder. I'm taking it easier and not doing anything that stretches it beyond where it should be. I'm in the sling some of the time. It really is doing very well. I've cut my Aleve in half and have no problem. I talked to a PT person at church and she hates slings for people. But thinks it's not a bad idea to keep one alert to surgery issues. Happy to be doing things but sure miss my sewing machine. I'm ready for it and ready to make a real cute clown suit for a little girl at church who has a grandmother who is a clown as well. The fabric is cut and I'm ready to go.

Tuesday

It really is Tuesday. Keeping busy as usual. I've started another banner for the pulpit. This one will be used at funerals. Kevin keeps asking for an appropriate white funeral banner. We don't have one. So...this one is white with a gold alpha and omega covered with sequins. This part is 20 inches long and 16 inches wide and I'm in the sequin mode. Sewing them on just takes a bundle of time but it's worth it.

Yesterday Doris and I went shopping. She talked so much about my Kazuri necklace that I bought in Nirobi. Well, there is a bead shop in Carmel that just has begun carrying these beads. So...I took her to the shop and she bought a necklace among other things. We now can dress alike which we will do for the opera next Sunday. We are wearing black which really shows off these beautiful necklaces. Doris had such a good time picking out the beads she wanted and said we have to do this again. A few years ago someone stole all her jewelry so she is relishing the purchases. This morning it's off to church to get North Notes in the mail. We will be busy with lots of work and lots of talk. Tomorrow its working at the front desk in the morning, preparation for soup kitchen in the afternoon and bells in the evening. Thurs. soup kitchen morning and choir in the evening. And inbetween it's banner time.

Tuesday

Well, it's good and not so good with the shoulder doc. The recovery is supposed to be over 12 weeks and I'm really ahead of the curve. I think that's good. Well, the doc said...NOT so good. So I need to be more cautious. Bummer, bummer. I have a new sheet of PT stuff for the next 4 weeks and I told him I could do all of that sheet already. Guess that's not so good if I'm supposed to be more cautious. So...It's back in the sling especially when I'm out of the house. It is to help remind me as well as others that care needs to be taken. If the truth were known, I could say I'm not real surprised at his comments. I asked a whole bunch of questions today about how this surgery was done...It's very, very interesting to say the least. Probably should have asked that last time I went. I'm a how did you do it type person that really helps me to understand what's behind all the precautions. I am going to start ringing handbells tonight. They weigh less than 2 pounds and all wrist movement. No shoulder stuff and if it starts to create a problem, I'll QUIT. That's a big promise. Election stuff really is heating up. Some of the stuff makes me laugh. That's it for the day.

Monday Morning

Another weekend just few past. Saturday, Doug and I went to Tipton to a Greenspace friend's greenhouse. Plant sale! We bought three dark purple fall aster plants and a couple of other things. 4 bucks a gallon plant is just to cheap to pass up. So...yesterday I dug some holes and got them in the ground. I cut more hostas off and dug some out for the garbage. They just don't do well in the sun and all of the shade places are full. More to do but I'll wait a few days. I would imagine some of the Sunday activities were a big stretch on the shoulder so I'm taking it easy for a few days. Shoulder is stiff and ice feels so good. Colts LOST. What a crazy game. Defence didn't show up. I could NOT stand to watch it. Big Sunday morning at church. Kevin had an excellent sermon on Worship. Wow...lots to think about. Hospitality hrs. were jumping. People meeting people and some just catching up on what's happening. Not much on the calendar this week. Wed. shoulder doctor's appointment. I hope he turns me loose. Can't imagine that he wouldn't. Soup Kitchen friend Jane Phelp's husband died Sun. morning. Dave had prancreatic cancer. Funeral Wed. I should go to that. Jane is such a good friend that I have had great fun with. We have many crazy soup kitchen stories. That's about it for Monday morning.

Friday night

Way, way to busy this week. Some weeks are like that. Tuesday night I went to a huge IU-Kenya recognition dinner at the Marriot downtown as the guest of Phyllis and Steve West. It sure was a fancy event. I worked at the Imani table selling items made by HIV people in Eldoret. That was fun but the evening was very, very long. Wed. I worked at the desk at church and got ready for the soup kitchen. Off to Nobelsville to take my sewing machine to Mr. Arbuckle...the best sewing machine fixer in the west. There is a problem with the bobbin winder. It's the second trip to the Mr. Arbuckle's shop in 40 years. I completely forgot to go to a big food festival sponsored by MCFarlings, the company I order soup kitchen food from. That was something I really wanted to go to. Thursday was soup kitchen and out to lunch with my three good retired teacher friends. Farmers Mkt. at church with choir practice followed. Today I mailed a package to my friend Nancy, got groceries and went to a Pops Concert downtown at the circle with my friend Doris D. This afternoon I went to three antique stores trying to find a place that will sell some lights that were taken down from the nursery at church. They are great antiques but haven't found a buyer yet. So...tonight my wad of energy is at its low point. I also cut back some hostas that were looking really horrible. Fall flower gardens don't always look their best. Shoulder is doing fine. I have a doc. appointment next Wed. and I should hear wonderful things from the doc. Off to bed soon.

Tuesday

Shoulder continues to improve. Busy, busy on Sunday morning with Hospitality Hrs. Great crowd of people visiting before S. School classes with some continuing to visit with friends during that hr. Watched the Colts when I wasn't sleeping. What a comeback. Wow...last minute of the game said it all. Way to many hurt players. Yesterday I needed to take some pictures to Ellen who is on her way to Kenya this week with the UMOJA project. I knew something was wrong before I got the car out of the garage...FLAT tire. AAA came and got me on the road again. That tire took up time that I wasn't expecting but I got my driving jobs finished in good time to get the refreshment stuff to Greenspace meeting early. Our organization was recognized at the Carmel City Council for tree planting work. Our organization along with the City Parks Dept. have planted over 40,000 trees in the last 15 years in Carmel. Arbor Day Celebration Week gets the whole community involved with planting. The scouting groups really get the job done.
Not much going on today but late afternoon and evening I will be at a huge dinner downtown at the Marriott that will be honoring the IU Kenya Partnership given by the International Center of Indianapolis. I am also working at the Imani table selling items made at the Imani workshop in Eldoret. That should be lots of fun. It's jewelry, purses, cards made with paper and some clay products. That's it for the day.

Sat. morning EARLY

Thursday I shot my wad of energy big time. That's nothing new. So Friday it was just a few things like cleaning out the trunk of the car, roasting a big chicken, cashing some checks, doing a little sweaping and watching the hurricane story evolve with a little politics thrown in for more spice. I was thinking of asking the kids for supper but decided that Steak and Shake was the better option. That made tons of sense. Andrew is just the greatest little guy. He loves his grandpa pretending to call grandpa on the play cell phone Thurs. night. He chatters up a storm that just makes me laugh. It's entertainment that I NEVER get tired of. It is so great to see my big guy Eric with his little guy Andrew. Watched a little more hurricane news, to bed and then up early this morning to see what's going on down south. News not so good. Shoulder continues to heal and is not very strong and it's in the dull pain stage. Bought more Aleve which takes care of that. The sling continues to be my friend. Today is a short choir retreat from 9 to 2. A little football probably will fill the afternoon, hurrican and politics in the evening and then it will be Sunday.

Wednesday

Well, what comes along I'm doing. And I have had a blast with putting together 9 different animals that will be a part of the Christmas Eve program. Janet has chosen a wonderful Am. Indian story for the 5 pm service. I've taken hats and turned them into animals. And they make me laugh when I see them all lined up on the ironing board. Well, 6 are totally done and I'm working on the buffalo. Then the mouse and turtle remain and I know what I'm doing for those. Already finished are the eagle, fox, snow goose, hooping crane, bear and the beaver. The beaver is my favorite one. It has a huge floppy tale with wiskers and two beaver teeth. It's really been a fun project. I'm working way ahead of schedule. I've gotten great materials from Hoppy Lobby and the fingers and brain have been flying. I think I'll be sad to be finished. I'm keeping the costumes simple with just a hat to depict the animal. I'm working at the church desk this morning. Tomorrow is soup kitchen and I'll prepare for that this afternoon before leaving church. Tonight is handbells and once again I'm staying home to take care of the shoulder which is really doing great. Just no pushing, pulling and lifting and lots of PT.
Thank goodness, body parts are still healing and being put back to work.

Monday Morning

The much discussed and planned for Kenya Carnival is history. What a wonderful sunny day it was. The lawn of Sec. Presb. church was covered with entertainment, volunteers and people who came to support orphans and vulnerable children of Kenya. Bridges are being built, youth are impowered to think outside of themselves and skills in leadership are being developed. It was an extremely positive day for the churches involved and the community. And...I'm still recovering. Yesterday was another good day. Choir sang. Our numbers jumped to 52 members at the first rehearsal on Thursday so we sang in the balcony Sunday. The choir loft holds 41 and squeezing in just wasn't going to happen. Great music including wonderful organ offerings. Yes, Yes. Martin is amazing and music that comes from his mind and fingers through the organ are such gifts. The nursery now called the Eden Rm. because the theme is creation was open. It's a beautiful room and Kat needs to be congratulated. She did a wonderful decorating job. Yesterday afternoon was given to sleeping, PT, icing the shoulder and watching football in between sleeps. That was the major agenda and it worked. Colts didn't win. But we love them anyways. I don't have much planned for today so things will just happen as they happen.

Sat Morning

Busy...I'm lovin' that. Yesterday, I met Kat at church to finish getting the nursery ready for Sunday after a huge remodeling job in that room. Kat now is childcare director at church and she has had a lot of work and a lot of fun decorating the nursery. It looks like a 2008 room, thank goodness. It's now called the Eden room since the theme is Creation. The walls are covered with painted murals of animals, stars, moon and a verse from Gen. painted by one of Kat's friends who also painted Andrew's bedroom. There are three new rockers, a rolling screen, fresh tile and area rugs and wonderful toys for crawling children. It's a wonderful, fresh space for new babies. I washed a few toys and furniture, opened new toys, pushed a bit of furniture around and helped with whatever Kat needed. Sunday is openhouse in that room. I need to get some balloons to give it a festive look. Andrew was a hoot. What a busy little guy that chatteres up a storm with more recognizable words understood by his grandma. Kat is much better at that. For me...Andrew is a repeat of Eric in talking. It's just like sunshine when he walks, runs and plays.

Yesterday afternoon I went to the fabric shop and found some fabric filled with lions, tigers (no bears) etc. to cover pads that will be used on another glider in the Noah's Ark room. I had to make the pads with removable covers for washing and I'll take them to church this morning. I love my sewing machine!!!!!! It's 40 years old and just keeps on sewing.

I have another sewing job coming for church. There will be a children's play at the first service on Christmas Eve with lots of animals in the cast. I need to figure out some costumes for that service. I have some ideas already but have heard that it's an unusual cast of animals. Needs to be simple and it might just include something on hats with a vest to compliment the animal. It's KISS...Keep it simple stupid.

Today is the Kenya Carnival at Second Presbyterian Church. That will keep me busy for most of the day. I'm helping to set up, stay a little bit and then head home. Need to still baby the shoulder and shut my eyes for a bit this afternoon. Still get worn out but the good news is that I have an acceptable reason to be tired. I'll go with that. Arm is in a sling when I go out which is helpful. PT is going fine. It's amazing how I can stretch those muscles to make the arm work with all the PT moves. Just amazing.

Thursday

Wow...the shoulder is improving by leaps and bounds at this point. Range of motion is really improving although the shoulder really gets stiff after PT. But...life is looking up. Soup kitchen today. Staying with the girls this afternoon and then it's Farmer's Market at church and then out for supper and then choir. Wow...Hope I don't get off the track today. I made 50 cupcakes last night for some 50 year member of the choir that I know. Well, they are for the choir and not all for him. We'll have some icecream/cake after rehearsal. Doug was in the family room and hasn't a clue about all the baking. As soon as the cupcakes came out of the oven I took them to the garage to cool. Didn't want the smell in the house and then packed them all in a plastic container getting rid of all the evidence of baking as I went along. Today, I'll need to find time to frost them at church. I'm still wearing the sling when I'm away from home. Just give some protection.

Tuesday Sept 2

Life is picking up a bit. It's still PT at least two times a day with a 30 minute icing after doing all that stuff. I love ice. Aleve is my friend. The shoulder is getting a bit looser but I haven't arrived yet with super range of motion but it's better for sure. This morning I'm going to church to supervise a bunch of people who are getting North Notes...the church newspaper...ready for mailing. It involves folding and tabing. I usually do all the folding because most of the people complain about the difficulty to do that because of their arthitic hands. That's something that is impossible for me to do this time so I've called in about 4 extra people to help get the job done. I never like to work more than 2 hrs so I'm hoping to meet that deadline. Then this afternoon I'm staying with the Cottingham girls after they get home from school. Their grandmother usually does this. I'm substituting. By far this will be the most difficult job of the day. Girls...these two are difficult. One is a fifth grader and the other a second grader. I need an unusual amount of patience. If I didn't like their grandmother so well, I would decline for sure. Then at 5 it's off to Second Presb. Church for a last meeting for a carnival day on Sat. that benifits the UMOJA project in Western Kenya. Wow...I'll be asleep by 7 is my prediction. I am assuming that I'll be fit for the public by Thursday. That's just fine. At least I can think back on my busy Tuesday. I'm picking up Mabel H. at 8:30 and we're off to church for the start of a busy day.