Eleven Degrees and Sunny

My wheels for this summer

Today has been a productive day...so far anyway.  I worked at BACC this morning, visited a few potential members and then came home.  Had a few minutes to dig in a flower bed and get some of the crud left from last fall pulled and removed.  Now I am trying to organize two newsletters and several blogs and articles. Hopefully, I don't post the same article several times to the same blog:-)

Today has been a good day in another sense.  I left home this morning without my cane. While I haven't been using it much lately, I have been taking it and leaving it in my vehicle while I am in the office. But not today, I forgot it at home and you know, I didn't need it. Another milestone. Yippee!! I have lost a few pounds in the last couple of weeks and my knee doesn't hurt very much, so life is good.

Guest Speaker for Arthritis Society

For the past three years I have been a guest speaker for the Arthritis Society, Nova Scotia branch.  This is volunteer and not overly demanding.  I am provided with a talk outline, brochures and information and my part is to show up and make the presentation. This have been very rewarding.  I have had the opportunity to meet several people and to hear their stories and in a few cases I hope I have been able to offer information and suggestions that has lead to a less painful life. 

In the next few weeks I will be taking part in two Senior's Academies organized by the Liverpool detachment of the RCMP.  Linda W does a great job of finding locations and participants.  The Academy is usually held over a six week period with a couple of hours a week, and I am invited to speak for an hour or so on Arthritis.  Linda has worked her magic and has two more sessions organized one in April and another in May/June.  The expectation is that there will be three or four dozen people at the two sessions. Great initiative for the community.

I am looking forward to dusting off the old binder of material, getting my handouts organized and meeting some great folks. 

Volunteering truly does reward the volunteer.

Bowling, Arthritis and Hair

My husband and I have just returned from the bowling alley where we bowled three stings.  This is a major accomplishment since we haven't bowled for probably a year.  This is the first time out since my hip replacement and it felt good.  I had an average of 83 for the three stings...not great but I'll take it. This is definitely something that I will want to do again...soon.

Yesterday afternoon I was part of a team of two who made a two hour presentation on Arthritis to the residents of Drummind Hills (spelling?)  That was the first time I had worked with that material and with the co-presenter...it went well. There are a few things I would change but all in all, I am having a good week.  Getting out and about, getting things done and moving on.

And I have a hair appointment for tomorrow.

Where does the time go?

Past the mid point in March, almost a quarter of our new year is gone. And I am not sure what I have to show for the time.  Certainly I have not accomplished as much as I had hoped to. Maybe my expectations are too high or maybe I am letting valuable time and effort get chewed up with non productive things. 

I have a six month check next week for the hip replacement surgery that I had in late September. Doesn't seem like six months. While I am still working on strengthening muscles in my legs, I have no pain in the hip joint and I am looking forward to a summer full of movement without pain.  My knee is another story, waiting for the call to have that operation.


Snow is almost gone, of course it is early yet and we could get more...but as my mother always said "It can't last when it comes in March or April"  I would like to give her the benefit of the doubt. 

The air smells like spring, although I am still looking for the first robin. Soon.

Icy Roads and the Sand Truck in the Ditch

We live in cottage country, a semi retirement community with private winding, hilly, dirt roads. The association that collects our money and hires road maintenance contractors has a dilemma...the truck that was sanding our icy roads yesterday slipped into the ditch and there it remains 30 some hours later. No backup plan, no snowplow digging out the sand truck, nothing. There it sits.  Thankfully spring is only a few weeks away so maybe the truck will be functioning by then. Or then again, maybe not.

Oh the joys of country living.