WHAT DO YOU SEE?

A beautiful flower, for sure. But I see inspiration for a shawl. I'd love to do a circular lace with the yellow in the center, followed by the white, and ending with a gorgeous band of the periwinkle. I must file this one away and find someone who carries yarn in these colors.

What inspires you?

THE BEST OF THE BAGEL

I love bagels but I hesitate to eat them because of the calorie count. I was thrilled to find that Thomas has come out with these bagel thins which come in at 110 calories and are the best of the bagel...the top and the bottom.

I bought the Everything Bagel Thins and enjoyed all the great toppings without all those calories. A toasted bagel and a poached egg for 200 calories!!!

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF BEING IN THE LOOP!

Blogger, Margie, posted today about the need to make a call about a repair job on she and her husband's RV that had dragged on way too long and a lack of response from the repair shop. Her husband finally had to call the company's General Manager before a promise was made to keep them in the loop from that point on about where they were in finding the necessary part. She said that they understood difficulties, failures, mistakes but all they ever wanted was to be kept in that proverbial loop by the company.

I so identify with that feeling.

Remember when a few weeks ago I found the neighbor's son did concrete work and he offered to pour us a patio for a very decent price? Well, he came to us a few days later and told us he would be getting on the job that week, probably Wednesday...and "worst case scenario" would be two Saturdays ago. We were thrilled that he had found the time to do it so quickly even though we told him that he could wait until later in the summer when it would be cooler. He then asked for half the money we would be paying him for the job in order to buy the materials. My husband gave it to him and we thought we would be seeing him that week.

Long story short...he did not show. Worst Case Scenario Saturday came and went with no one showing up. We expected a call from him to explain what had prevented him from coming and some sort of plan for doing it in the future. No call...no visit!

We know where he lives and we could ask his mom and dad from next door for his phone number but we don't want to involve them in any way...the deal was not made with them and we don't want to start any problems with neighbors! And we hesitated to go to his home...it seemed confrontational.

So we asked a mutual friend, the fella who mows the steep hill for us, if he had his phone number when he came yesterday to do the mowing. He said he would deliver a message from us to call us or visit us since he would be seeing him last night. He was coming to his house to lay some tiles for him!

So...still no call or visit.

Like Margie and her husband, we understand that people get busy, it rains, you have to work late...we are big-hearted people who bend over backwards to be understanding. We could be relieved quite easily of this feeling that we are out our money and will never see a patio by just a call. That's all we want!

Just keep us in the loop!!!

SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED

The "Nurse Ratched" label was slung at many caregivers after Louise Fletcher made her famous in "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest". I knew a few of those nurses in my time...strict adherence to the rules was essential to them and the sight of a nurse in the starched white uniforms and a back as straight as a rod brought forth fear in many patients. (My first uniforms were exactly like hers and we were still wearing our school caps at that time.)

I felt a bit like poor Nurse Ratched yesterday as I had to constantly remind my patient not to put any weight on the left leg. I joked about putting a stone in his shoe in the morning and by afternoon, I was convinced that it probably was not a bad idea. I didn't go that far, but I did insert a plastic bottle cap rim side down into that shoe...with the patient's permission...and it did a remarkable job of being a reminder to him to keep that foot off the floor so he can have a chance at growing some new cartilage on the end of the femur.

One of our favorite meals right now is a bowl of oatmeal with a banana and a couple of walnut halves chopped on top. We have also had turkey on whole grain bread with a spicy mustard and lots of tomato and cucumber slices on top. Tomatoes were on the side for supper with a little grilled beef tenderloin steak and a sweet potato half that I mashed up with cinnamon, a little vanilla, and a little drizzle of real maple syrup on top.

To beat the heat, I made him a blender of skim milk, frozen strawberries, and a packet of sweetener...as good as any shake on the market. And frozen green grapes are like little sorbets! They are a particular favorite of mine. And lots of iced tea, sugar-free lemonade, and just cold, cold water to stave off dehydration.

In spite of the heat, one of our favorite things to have available is some homemade vegetable soup. The pot I made yesterday began with a bit of diced onion and minced garlic swirled around a pan that had been sprayed with non-stick spray. To that, a can of diced tomatoes, a little bit of red pepper flakes, a can of mixed vegetables, a can of chopped kale, and one of kidney beans...all drained. I then added back 2 cans of water and a couple of tablespoons of beef base. Wonderful with that turkey sandwich! And leftovers for today.

CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS WELL

I am always reminded of how nice it is to have friends with big hearts every time there has been a bump in the road of life to navigate around. A knee surgery is a minor crisis, perhaps, in the big scheme of things, but I know that any medical procedure has its dangers and I never take it for granted that all will turn out well. So the well wishes and sent up prayers, the verbal hugs, the offers of help no matter how small or great, are welcome and appreciated.

The patient is feeling great this morning and the hardest part may be slowing him down for the next four weeks so the long term healing can take place and the procedure will be a success. I've considered putting a rock in his shoe to remind him not to put weight on that side!

It has been a little surprising to me to find how many people are having knee problems but the waiting rooms are full and we have heard knee stories from virtually everyone we meet. It has been a good reminder to us to stick to our healthy eating since overweight is one of the biggest causes of joint injuries. Harold has lost about twenty pounds between the time he last weighed and yesterday! We recently picked up a 30 pound bag of fertilizer at Walmart and could not believe how heavy it felt...30 pounds on knees and backs can be devastating. We must remember that! We must remember!

So...thanks for all your good thoughts and for the prayers and for the offers to run errands, drive him to post-op doctor visits, or calling to check up on us. We have apparently chosen our friends well!