Saturday, the last day of June. July begins tomorrow. It’s the 26th day of summer and the 19th day since my right knee replacement.
I began writing a post Wednesday morning and never finished writing. I re-read what I wrote this morning and decided it’s easier to re-start from scratch rather than try to re-phrase what I had already written. Delete.
When I began blogging in the summer of 2010, every post began with the number of the day of summer break and a title. Hardly anyone read those posts, but I kept going and writing.
Yesterday, I read a post from Susie at Susie Lindau’s Wild Ride. I’ve been following Susie’s blog for a while and I always enjoy what she has to share. It made me re-think why I blog and what I get out of it.
Since, I my writing has improved and I’ve gained confidence as a writer. Practice helps. There have been some good posts and some not so good posts.
This summer has been a journey, much like that first summer. I had total knee replacement surgery almost three weeks ago. I am walking without pain and though I am still sore, I am getting stronger every day. Before the surgery, I had no idea what to expect and I was a little anxious. I’ve been diligent about my rehabilitation and am re-learning how to walk. Because my knees have been so bad for so long, I’d developed a way to compensate for the knee pain. With one good knee, the old way to walk has to go the way of the old knee. After the surgery, I am already looking ahead to TKR#2 – the left knee.
This morning Ivy and I enjoyed sitting outside. I sipped my coffee and Ivy alertly surveyed the yard. It was an unseasonably warm humid morning, but there was a gentle breeze to move the air. Ivy and I enjoyed being out of doors. The leaves gently rustled in the breeze, birds chirped, and I looked up to see a momma cardinal and a poppa cardinal partaking from the bird feeder. I frequently see robins and other birds and I can hear the cardinals with their distinctive call, but rarely do I see them so close. I am not a birder, but I am interested and curious. This summer I began reading a book Where the Poppies Grow by British author John Lewis-Stempel. I discovered the book while reading post on Margaret’s blog, From Pyrenees to Pennines in April and ordered the book. I saved the book for my summer convalescence. It’s the story of English soldiers and their interest in nature as they served along the Western Front in the Great War. The first several chapters describe the soldier’s birding habits. Lewis-Stempel uses excerpts from soldier’s journals and it’s quite interesting to read the descriptions of their observations of the birds, nests, and eggs. They certainly knew their birds.
Earlier this week we had storms and rain roll through. We had thunder, lightning, a little wind, and lots of rain. The county south of us had a couple of tornados. Mostly wind damage and no injuries reported. I am reminded how fortunate we are when I got an e-mail from a scouting friend who is working with Philmont Scout Ranch to re-schedule all of the scouting treks this summer due to the wildfires that have ravaged northern New Mexico. We are fortunate to have only rain and mosquitoes.
This week, I have been outside patrolling the garden and looking for summer blossoms. My wife loves to garden. The yard is always full of color and yard work. The garden always has weeds to pull, plants to move and replant, and time to gaze and enjoy.
As I walked the garden this week, I discovered the day lilies and zinnias. This summer’s peonies were beautiful, but they have finished blooming for the season. Monday evening, I clipped the spent buds for the summer. I wanted to pass on some color and plant seeds of positivity. Enjoy.
It’s Saturday morning and I more mobile than before summer began, though I have a way to go before I am one hundred percent.
Summer is here and the weather has turned warm and humid, so it’s best to lay low and slow today. So, I had better slowly jump up, jump in and seize the day; it’s the I move these days. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, one step forward at a time.
What is blossoming in your world today.
I’m the latecomer here…. didn’t see this post. Now I understand a bit better what kind of operation you had. Aaah, those knees! They carry us and all our weight faithfully through life until….. I have very bad eyesight and having often lived in areas with uneven and wobbly walks and lanes I often fell – my knees are twisted in every direction and I know exactly what goes on with yours…. although I still have all my own ‘parts’ (apart from my teeth, but they are ‘reconstructed’ so beautifully that nobody knows the fakeness of some!!!). I hope you heal completely and that you will soon hop around once more – with more care than the first time round though!
Kiki – thank you. All good things take time. I am doing physical therapy three times a week and each day I get a little stronger, a bit more flexible, and gain endurance…. but it has only been three weeks and four days. The therapists have reminded me to take it slow – too much could slow my progress. 1% better every day in every way. Thanks and have a wonderful day.
I’m so glad you stuck with the blogging. I enjoy reading your posts. Susies’ are great too.
And, once again, your photos are making me jealous.
Keep healing my friend. Take it slow
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
Thank you. The healing is going to take time and I need to be patient, more patient than I am. I enjoyed reading about the goings on in Vicksburg – my school tweets for 7/3 and 7/4 were the Today in History two nails in the Confederacy – Gettysburg, then Vicksburg. I thankful I was able to visit the battlefield, the Baer House and meeting you. Have a great week and stay cool.
Glad to hear the knee is improving. Hope you stay cool this weekend. My 91 year old dad (in Bartlett) is needing to stay indoors in the A/C due to the excessive heat and humidity you guys are getting. You’re temps are hotter than ours in Prescott, AZ.
We took the weekend low and slow. The heat is one thing it’s the humidity that’s the worst, it makes the heat even hotter. I spent a couple of weeks one summer in Saudi Arabia and it was over a 110 every day – felt as hot 90 in Houston. I hope your dad is doing well. Take care and enjoy the summer.
Thanks so much for the mention, Clay! What a nice surprise.
I’m so glad you’re recovering. I favored my right leg while playing tennis after surgery and started to wreck my foot. After a year of hitting the gym, I’m pain free while playing. It sounds like you’re doing all the right things while enjoying your life and wildlife. It’s a magical time of year!
It takes a lot of little steps. I am up by the lake now and enjoying summer break. I scheduled physical therapy up here and the therapists reminded me that it’s only been three weeks. Small steps = big gains and healing takes time. Summer is an amazing time of the year. Thank you for the inspiration.
Take it easy to avoid setbacks, says the Wild Rider who has a hard time being laid up. 🙂
I have overdone a couple of times and paid for it with a rest day the next day. Sometimes my desire to get better impedes my progress. Sometimes it is a GOOD IDEA to slow down. 1% better everyday. Thanks and have a great day and week ahead.
Well, thanks for the mention Clay. What made that particular chapter of the book live for me is that one of the soldiers mentioned (who inevitably died in the conflict) was the great great uncle of someone I know well. Which brings it all that much closer, somehow.
This year it is so dry this summer that our moorlands are at risk, and a huge swathe near my daughter is only just back under control after a several-day fire – people were evacuated from their homes. But the mosquitos contrive to be out and about. Enjoy your garden (being English, I can’t call it ‘yard’. A yard to us is a small walled space where you hang the washing out, store your bike and do the DIY 😉 ). Continue to convalesce well!
Thank you. I am enjoying reading the book, but I really need to pay attention and read closely. There are references to regions of England of which I know nothing about….. and the birds. I can tell a robin from a cardinal and I know robin’s eggs are a beautiful pale blue but beyond that I am quite uneducated. As for our rain we are close to reaching our annual average rainfall…. may some of our rain come your way. Enjoy your weekend. Peace.