Same old same old

That's the story from here. It's in the machine...pain pills...a little tv then some home exercises, then it's the big PT trip to the PT center...then a little food...more TV. I think you all have the picture. We did do a trip to the Surgeon. That was a bit confusing but the bottom line is that the surgeon would like to see more progress then what has happened so far. So...now Doug is at the BIG HOUSE and the warden is in charge. So we've stepped it up somewhat. It's back to the doc to get the staples out Monday. More ouch!

I've been sewing a bit which has been tons of fun and something else to think about. I've made a really cute nightgown with little pink rose buds, ruffels and ribbon and a pink PJ bottom for a 2 soon to be 3 yr old little girl at church. I had to find a girl somewhere. I should be starting on Christmas things. I have the fabric but I need to think about the cutting part a bit more. The sewing room is really full with the addition of Doug since steps are an issue but it won't be for long, perhaps another week or two. We're managing well. Doug moves between the bed, the chair and the bathroom most of the time and then down the steps when necessary. This morning is another PT session. They have been about 2 hrs long. I need to make a trip to church to fix the altar with bread/wheat and grapes, African pots and gourds for World Wide Communion tomorrow.
That's the fun part for me.

Tuesday the 29th

Doug is home and "chester" is doing pretty well on the walker and lovin' his happy pills. It took till Monday afternoon to get him home but we finally made it. His red cell count was low so that meant two units of blood which then led to an elevated temp. and that led to another night in the hospital. So...we've cleared that hurtle. This afternoon is PT. Should be interesting to say the least. He's settled on the top level which gives him his bed, bathroom, computer and the tv. What more could he want? Oh, yes...his downstairs nest. He's reading the paper, drinking coffee and eating p.tarts right now. Nothing new. Same old, same old. I think I'll be hanging around home for today at least and we'll see about tomorrow. He's pretty compliant with everything at this point.

And....Kimmy and JB found out yesterday that another Russell boy is on the way arriving March 7 or so. Woo, Wooo for another boy. The count is 5 grandsons.

Sept 26...Lots has happened

First the big thing...Doug now has a new knee and the surgery which was Thursday went well. I asked Doug so many questions before surgery getting few answers and NOW I know the answers. The recovery will be much longer than I thought. A walker for from 4 to 6 weeks among other things. I haven't a clue when he will be driving again. Wow...He has consented to stay upstairs for a while. We'll see how long that lasts. He does a lot of sweating when walking. He is home tomorrow afternoon and the he has scheduled rehab Monday morning at 8!!!! am. It's three days a week. He is to put his leg in a machine that sits on the bed that moves his leg continuously. It can run at night as well as in 2 hr periods during the day. And...HE LOVES his Pills. So...I think he is doing very well.

And...I've been hither and yawn since he is in the hospital. Free time will be over soon. I visited with friend Sarah Ellen last night. She had surgery Monday and seems to be now on a sharp turn upward to recovery. Today I went to the Carmel Art Fair. It was well attended and the weather is perfect. It is a three day event. The downtown area is blocked off with many vendors on the streets.

I've been moving things around in the house anticipating a guy on a walker. I'm blowing out the garage later today. That means blowing out the dirt. Then it's our usual run to Panara's tonight anticipating tomorrow morning in the Community Rm. at church. I pick up Doug early afternoon. Then we'll see what happens!

Way to busy

But...I do like busy. Sometimes the house just gets overwhelmed.

The new sewing machine is here. It's wonderful and I'm having fun with it. I made 6 new banners for church to use next Sunday...It's celebrate children and the fabrics are all from the quilting shop and it's children's fabrics with words like wonder, create, imagine, sing, play, etc. attached to the fabric. Lots of real bright colors. Then I recreated another one to be the pulpit hanging. The altar will be covered with children's toys...some being what Eric and Jared played with as well as a big Raggedy Ann and some tonka toys. Huge vases of baloons will be the altar flowers. The preacher is someone Janet Wanner is bringing in to talk about what we can learn from children concerning good mental health or something like that. All the children will process waving streamers and the children's choirs will sing. It's should be a great morning of celebrating children. Reminds me of the old days when we had children's day in June at church in Ohio. It was a bit different but the intent was the same. So...that project kept me busy for a while.

I'm also working on a quilt of sorts for someone in the family for Xmas...enough said. Lots of squares coming together.

Knitting continues...Yarn is getting less and less but I still have about 10 skeins. I'm knitting newborn hats that will keep little babies heads warm in the hospital.

And...I have bed skirts to shorten for Jim...Woo...Woo...I'm not bored.

Tuesday evening I've been asked to provide center pieces for a Kenyan banquet for about 100 people. Fabrics, gourds, pictures and other things from Kenya are being collected and I'm just about ready for that. Two suitcases are filled and waiting to more to the car trunk for transportation.

The Kenya Carnival at Second Presb. last Sat. what a huge success with $18,000.00 collected...enough to send 50 orphan or vulnerable Kenyan students to school for another year. I worked in the Imani store which was just pure fun. Money from sales goes back to Kenya to support people who work in the Imani factory. Last year we sent 25 students to school so we're adding another 25. Hummm...the presure is on for next year as well. I hope we can do 75 next year. The church kids who went to Kenya in June got to meet the students who benifited from the tuitions. They spent a day out on Lake Victoria. First boat trip the Kenya students had.

Wed. morning, the 16th, I'm going to the doctor with Doug to get last minute instructions about his knee replacement surgery on the 24. Ooops...this might be new news to some of you. Sorry about that. Speaking of Knees. I got a wonderful miracle working pain releaving injection in my knee last week. Woo! Woo! It made it possible for me to walk again. I'm very happy about that. I really tried to tough it out but it just wasn't working. So..now after x-rays, the doctor tells me that someday I can look forward to new knees. Really? If I'd just stay on my feet rather than flat on the ground! Two falls while camping just didn't help a bit. I'm trying harder. People at church are telling me NO ladders any more. Well, that really cramps my style.

I have a huge amount of new medical supplies collected by a doctor in Evansville that should be recycled to Kenya when I get phone calls made. Well, I hope that's the case. So...that's one reason the house is overwhelmed. At this point...it's the house that is overwhelmed, not me.

Oh...yes...getting ready for Sarah Ellen's return to the states and then her surgery on the 21st. It's transportation to the hospital and then seeing that she gets the care she needs at home for a day or two or three. Then, it's Doug's turn. And dear Kenyan friend Daniel will be coming to Indy for eye surgery in October. He was Joe Mamlin's first HIV/AIDS patient that got the Ampath program started. What a great guy he is.

One more thing...I just spent the evening at the Madam Walker hearing wonderful music made by Angela Brown. What a voice. Best of all I went with sister Mary K.
Life is good. L

Another week

It's friday and I'm spending the afternoon at the front desk at church for Nancy Sala. She needed to go to a funeral so I'm here knitting and playing on the computer. I picked up the Pfaff sewing machine this morning and had a few lessons just to get started like how to thread the machine and fill the bobbins. I did a hem and it's a beautiful machine. More play time tonight. Yest erday was Soup Kitchen. We had a good number of people with plenty of help. I ordered a huge shipment of food for the soup kitchen and put that on the shelves in the afternoon. That's enough work for at least three people but I always think...slow and easy will get the job finished. And I did get it done. Farmers Mkt. McDonalds and then first choir practice. That's always fun. I think tomorrow is going to be a fairly simple day. More play time. Sunday is the same. After a late Sat. run to Panera we'll get the hospitality time going Sunday morning. There is a big church dinner after church one reason it's the start of the new fall season for the church and there is a huge capital fund campaign coming about. Some major stuff needs to be completed like foundation drainage problems among the list of to do things. It would appear that all the foundations need to be redug with new drainage needing to be put in place. It's huge, huge,huge bucks. We have had major flooding in the building this summer and it's not the first time for a water mess. We'll learn how many dollars Sun at the dinner. Monday evening is the last Umuja meeting before the carnival next Sat. The youth of central Indiana are hoping to raise $16,000.00 for tuitions and other school support items for 50 western Kenya kids orphaned or vunerable by HIV/Aids. We have ambitious Central Indiana kids. Last year they raised 8,000 at the carnival.

Aug 22nd

Still shopping for a sewing machine. I think right now it will be a Phaff. Sticker shock still shocks me. Yesterday a got a table at Lowe's to hold the machine. It won't fit in the cabinet. Just to big. Soup Kitchen went well. We're feeding more people. I think they like the Second Helpings food that supliments what we make. It's a big help with the budget. In my spare moments I've helped Janet W set up for Sunday School. We are opening another new classroom with new materials. Fun, fun. It's a hands on curriculum that reflects a renewal in teaching. Knitting continues. The deer continue to feast in the garden. Tomato plants have taken another licking and they are eating the huge tomatoes as well. Some impatiences have gone. I'm wondering if color is getting to them. They are leaving the hostas alone which usually is great deer food.
Eric and Kat and the munchkins are coming for Sloppy Joes. I'll show Andrew all the deer tracks. He should have a blast. Doug is taking great insect pictures with his new camera. He's outside every day scouting the garden. Kids should be arriving soon.

Vacation is over

Michigan was the best. Weather perfect meaning cool in the day, cool in the night...no flies to speak of, great conversation and lots and lots of knitting along with some reading. You have got to be there to really understand. Jared and Kimmy and the kids were there and you can see and read more at their blog of rockinrfarms.blogspot.com. It's worth a trip to that site. And..you will hear all about the big fox kill outside the chicken house. That's really worth reading about. We got home Monday afternoon after taking two days for the trip home. What a gift Doug gave me. But really...Doug's knee has been giving him fits all through the vacation but he really didn't say much about it. I just knew things were not right when he sat and read most of the time. So off to the Doc. Wed. afternoon and now a knee replacement is planned for Sept 24th. It was jump back into things for me on Tuesday. It's crazy how that is allowed to happen. Working at the church desk Wed. as well as helping Janet Wanner got the church school year started with new classrooms, new furniture etc. Thursday was Soup Kitchen and the afternoon meant a trip to the State Fair for a walk around or really a ride around on the little trolleys. This morning I'm working at the Gourd Society booth from 9to 1. Then home for a spell I hope and then off to down town Indy for a Taste of Africa event in the evening. Tomorrow I'm working at the Imani store at the continuation of the Africa Festival. Maybe by Sun. afternoon there might be a minute or two for a good sit on the patio or something like that.