What's Happening

Once again, I've been an AWOL blogger.  I'm just about four weeks out from my surgery and finally getting over the lack of energy that slowed me down so much.  That's a good thing, because things are getting very busy around here.  My father's funeral is one week from today (he'll be buried at Arlington National Cemetery where they have a 3+ month waiting time for funerals with full military honors (the horse drawn caisson, a band, etc).  I'm the only "local kid" so in addition to taking care of funeral things (getting the program printed, arranging for a reception afterwards, exchanging emails with my sibs on details about flowers, and program wording, and hymns for the service, etc) I've been working hard to get my house in tip top order.  We're expecting ~60 relatives and out of town guests for supper the night of the funeral.  Only our daughter Laura and her family will stay at our house, but I want to get everything as sparkly as possible before they get here (Monday) and try to keep it that way through Thursday.  Mission Impossible?

You may remember that I was awaiting some biopsy results--good news, in that the sample they got had no abnormal cells, but further tests are forthcoming as my symptoms are still unexplained.  ("lady stuff" as a friend used to say)   I'm scheduled for an ultrasound in a couple of weeks.

Between getting ready for next week and the residual lethargy from the surgery, I've been AWOL from my good exercise and diet plan as well as my blogging.  I can't wait to get back to my good habits.  I see my surgeon for my four week check tomorrow and am hoping for a green light to go biking.  The evenings are getting long and I really miss those after dinner rides with DH.  I doubt the doctor is going to let me run or lift weights yet, but we'll see.  I'm trying to remember that I'm still so happy that I don't have to wear that awful neck-brace for 3 or 4 months after the surgery.

Our garden is a joy.  Daffodils and Virginia bluebells are gone and tulips are fading, but the dogwoods are beautiful and the azaleas are going to be in their full glory next week.  I bought a variety called Rosy Lights last year--it's a deciduous azalea and has beautiful, fragrant blossoms that bloom before the plant leafs out.  It's got one bud open.  I'll get a picture for you soon.

Our freezer (and our son & DIL's) is filled with lasagnas and brownies for the dinner Thursday.  I still have two more seafood lasagnas to make, but I'm feeling good about being ahead of the game in getting ready.  I've made 7 batches of brownies (family recipe, the.best.ever, that my Dad used to make and enjoy serving)--brownies and coffee for dessert.  Lasagna (regular, vegetarian, and seafood), green salad and bread for dinner.   All the lasagnas are WW or Cooking Light recipes and delicious.  I won't mind leftovers.

Here's the picture we put on the front of the program for the funeral.  Wasn't my Dad a handsome man?

Hope your spring is going well.

Tish

Where has the time gone?!

I can't believe how long it's been since my last post.  Let's blame it on my post-surgery lassitude.

I'm feeling better and better.  I had a two week post-op visit via e-mail!  I had to see my family practice doctor and he declared the incision site in good shape and I e-mailed the surgeon with some details I thought would interest him plus some progress pix.  I saved myself  two hours of commute time.  I'll see him in person for the four week visit.  I still have a certain amount of lassitude (a much nicer word than "sluggishness" which I almost wrote, don't you think?), but my fam practice doctor and the surgeon both say that's very normal.  I didn't post picture of the incision after surgery, but, like LBJ, I thought you might want to see what it looks like now.

  Not too bad and there's still a bit of the purple glue (dermabond) that they closed it up with, so it should look even better when that comes off. I also expect the scar to lose its dark color as it continues to heal and to basically disappear in the crease on my neck.

For a prettier picture, I thought you might enjoy the full-blown Virginia Bluebells.  They are in their glory now and are so pretty.  I disobeyed my doctor's orders and transplanted several  clumps to other suitable places in our garden.  We've had a lot of rain, and it was pretty easy going.  This is not a task I'd like to delegate--I'm picky that way.

My good eating plan is on hold for now.  I've actually lost a couple of pounds from the day of my surgery, but houseguests (niece Steffie from Japan--Hi Steffie!!), last minute details for my Dad's upcoming funeral, continuing to get my house in shape before everybody arrives, pre-cooking for the family dinner chez-nous the night of the funeral (50+ relatives), keeping ahead of my nike+ atavar with my walking, and naps have taken priority.  I feel good about being able to get back to basics and weight loss in May, in fact I can't wait.

I had an endometrial biopsy on Monday in response to some weird symptoms and am hoping for good results later this week.  Your prayers (yes, more prayers!) are welcome.  Please keep my good buddy Patrick in your prayers as well as he has surgery today and awaits the results.

Tomorrow is the first day I'll have the babies with me since the surgery.  Steffie will be here to do any heavy lifting and I can't wait to get back into our routine.

Be Good!  Love ya.

Weekend Wrap-Up

 As you might notice from my little nike+ gal, I've been out there walking every day.  I've worked up to 2.25 miles and am shooting for 2.5 today.  Those miles DO add up, even if you walk.  Amazing.

Here are some pix from my latest walk along the parkway.  I really love spring and spring is happening here.  Finally.

These are little May apples, just up from their winter slumber.  They start out looking like so many tiny green umbrellas, just popping out of the ground and opening to fend off a spring rain.  In May they'll have a single flower that hangs just under the umbrella.

The great blue heron was nice enough to hold still for a mini-photo-shoot just yards away from me.  Isn't he handsome!

I'm sentimental about violets, too.  They were one of my grandmother's favorite flowers and make me think of her.

More May apples.  These are a bit further along.  I have a tiny colony in our yard, which has grown to about 14 umbrellas.

Last night we had the grandkids for the very first time overnight.  Ella is rather camera shy, but was okay with me taking a picture of her crown.  Have you ever played the hide-your-body-behind someone or something game when the camera is pointing at you?  I have.

The only shot I was allowed of her making a pasta necklace.  Rigatoni (whole wheat, of course) on shiny red ribbon.

Glad to report that we had a fun evening.  Stories, laughter, dinner, games, and bedtime.  They fell right asleep at the appointed time and slept later than we'd been led to believe (until just about 7 am).  I'd forgotten the fun times of blanket pajama clad kids, short order breakfasts, and hurrying to get dressed before church.  

I'm still fairly sluggish after my surgery, but I am determined to get in my daily walk and at least 2 other worthy tasks each day.  Guess what?  I found that my discharge instructions say "no housework."  No can do, but I'm taking the restriction on lifting more than 5 lbs fairly seriously and that cuts things down to a  pretty reasonable level.

Do you hide behind things when the camera's pointing at you?