Gram's Place

Day 9 I am still in pain, but I’m at least not taking oxycodone any longer.  At least not most days.  Most days I stay on a routine of Tylenol every 4 hours, along with gabapentin and cyclobenzapene 3 times a day. This morning I made a mistake.  I was hopping down the stairs on one foot and I lost my balance and landed full on my surgery foot.  It zinged and shot pain up my leg.   I really hope I didn’t do any damage.  I’ve read that the people who do best on this surgery are the ones who truly do stay off their foot for the first two weeks.  I’ve done so well until now and I’m hoping this one incident doesn’t hurt my progress. I’m going to be real.   Bunion surgery HURTS.  I mean HURTS.  There is no question about that.  I do feel this is the longest lasting pain I’ve ever experienced. I’ve taken all the pain meds this morning that I can, and I still have a nagging pain in my big toe and my ankle.  If I wiggle my toes, the toe...

4 days ago I had bunion surgery. I have known I needed this surgery for years.  But I put it off because I knew it would hurt and quite frankly, it wasn’t worth the pain. However, 10 weeks ago I was walking and overflexed my foot.  I stretched a ligament in the metatarsal area and it wouldn’t stop hurting. A quick visit to an orthopedic surgeon revealed that my foot would likely not get better and surgery was necessary to provide more structure to my foot. The surgery was for four things: 1. Fusion of foot bones 2. correction of hallux valgus 3. removal of bone for graft 4. revision of calf tendon Apparently all of this is necessary because of the severity of my deformed foot. A bunion (hallux valgus) is apparently measured in degrees of deformity.  45 to 50 degrees is considered serious.  My right foot measured in at 50 degrees before surgery. The fusion of the bones allows the bone to heal together, the bone graft apparently enhances bone healing in severe cases li...

 It's Saturday morning about 5:30am. I got up early, showered, got a cup of coffee, started the laundry, and turned on the fireplace, with Max curled by my side, to spend some time in my own thoughts.  My mind drifted to balcony people. You may have never heard that term but I hope you've known it in your life. Years ago, I read an old book by Joyce Landorf Heatherley.  It was a tiny book, published in 1984.  I don't remember when I bought the book, but it was during a season in life when Shawn was buying books from Half.com - new books, used books, all books at a good price (I have since introduced him to this thing in modern day life called a library).   This particular book is less than 70 pages. It was used and it came with a handwritten note inside that said "Sue - you are definitely a balcony person and I love you! Vicki 1/06". The book begins by telling what it is about.   "This book is about the lethal poison of rejection, and the healing ...

Since I JUST posted about my need for silence a couple of days ago I thought I'd update. First - I've not successfully made it 24 hours.  I hope today will be the first full day I can make it without talking. Second - Thank GOD for technology.  I had an online meeting today about reports I need for my work.  It was interesting.  The trainer asked me questions and I typed them into the chat.  It was frustrating to say the least. Third - I never realized how much I talk to myself.  I catch myself saying things out loud to myself.  Uh.  Hello.  NO NEED.  So stop it, self. Fourth - I get bored easily.  I have to stay busy.  And for some reason, it seems amplified when I can't talk.   It really has no bearing on what I'm DOING.  But, for some reason I feel like I'm bored a lot when I'm not talking.   Perhaps this is the season I'll actually get to blogging......... 

This is Miles. He’s 2 1/2.   And he needs naps .... but he likes to fight them. Today I won the nap battle.  It was a grueling battle but I prevailed. After he fell asleep I watched him breathe deeply and twitch as he dreamed.   And I prayed.  That He would grow in stature and wisdom and in favor with God and man.   That he would believe in Jesus and be a light in a dark world and that he would be strong. And brave. And kind. ❤️

S ilence is golden.  Silence is the true friend that never betrays. The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. Silence speaks when words fail. I read an article today on one persons experience when they took a vow of silence.   Many say this is one of the most challenging experiences of their lives.  When challenged with being silent, they go through the stages of grief and finally come to terms with themselves. Aye aye aye. In a world of people demanding communication and discussion, silence seems unnatural.  It feels unnatural.  I dare you to try it.  You’ll see what I mean. Yesterday I went to a doctor appointment.  My voice has been “off” since I had a surgery in December. I couldn’t get any volume and the pitch was different.  I didn’t sound like “me”....and it wasn’t getting better.   So off to a specialist I went.   Snapped a photo while I was there. This photo was taken before he brought in the long (VERY long) tube with a cam...

Today is National Rescue Dog Day.  Hey if there can be a national potato chip day why can’t there be a National Rescue Dog Day? The story of Max. (This is the story all about how my life got flipped- turned upside down) For a very long time, I’ve wanted a lap dog.  A loyal, happy, sit-on-your-Lap dog that takes great care if it’s owner.  I have had dogs before.   After my last dog died tragically in a car accident, it took a very long time for my heart to heal enough to want a dog again. Max was purchased by a woman who wanted a yorkie. She thought she could handle a dog and then realized very quickly that she couldn’t keep him.  She needed to find a new home for him. My friend Melanie heard about Max from her brother, and the two of them decided that Max needed to find a forever home. So one cold November evening Melanie told me to stop over to her house because she had a Christmas gift for me.  Ok but hold on.... who does that?  Either someone who is...

I feel like I may have just stepped into a time machine and traveled back in time.... or did I travel into the future?     Either way, I decided to resurrect the old blogger account.   Perfect timing really... I mean, what better time to start blogging again than in the middle of a world wide pandemic?   A lot has changed in 7 years.  Not just a lot.  A LOT. First of all, I have completely forgotten how to write.  I'm not as witty as I used to be.  Being middle aged makes a person cynical and dull, in my humble opinion.   Secondly, I don't know how to operate the new blog formats.  I couldn't figure out how to edit my profile and "about me" section.  So I just opted not to show it - I could figure that much out.   I mean - I can't show it because it's totally not even who I am anymore.   So so so much has changed. And yet, some stuff has stayed the same.  The "stayed the same" list is sma...

Tonight I'm going to the release of the Hunger Games - Catching Fire with my 14 year old.  It's released tomorrow.  Only the movie is 10pm tonight.  I know. I don't get it either.  But, I'm just stopping by to say that I'm thankful that it's 10pm and not midnight.  I'm old and it's Thursday night. Enough said.

Our grandkids live with us.  They are age 3 and age 1. Okay wait...their parents live here too...but they just aren't as important. :) Most mornings, I love to hear the pitter patter of little feet as they wake up and begin their day.  Some mornings, the pitter patter of feet is replaced by other sounds. Today, it was screams.  Tilly screams. I know.  It seems almost impossible that this sweet innocent little one would be able to exert a extra large size tantrum.  But, believe me.  It can be done. And not only was that early this morning...that was also late this morning...and early afternoon and late afternoon as well. If she were older, I'd explain to her that yes..some days just go that way.  Some days nothing seems to go right and everything is an excuse to break down in an emotional fit.  Some days... you just want to throw a tantrum.  So, do it now.  You don't need a reason.  We will still love you when your fit su...

Sometimes I have narcissistic dreams that my blog will be some sort of memory for my children and grandchildren when I am gone.  And I panic.  Because what kind of story am I telling them with my silence?  I've dumbed down my stories to facebook status updates and instagram photos...and even then, I'm not doing so well. So, here I am.  Back at the Dull As Dishwater site.  Maybe I'll try to put a reminder in my phone to update my blog more often.  Maybe I'll write myself a big sticky note on my computer to blog before I do anything else.  Or.  Maybe I'll do this one post and then a year and a half from now I'll do another. Truth is... blogging has evolved to some crazy thing I don't know that I've kept up with.  I used to read my blogs at bloglines.  But, I can't remember my password.   So, all the blogs I used to read... I have no idea if they still blog because I can't find them or remember them.  So, today, I started a ne...

I already shared about my husband’s heart attack here .  That was September.  Now, fast forward to December.  Last week he got his blood test results back.They were AMAZING. LDL of 43! (Is there such a thing as TOO low an LDL?)  He’s been in cardio-rehab for months, and he’s been working very hard at diet and exercise…lifestyle changes in the most extreme way.  Now that he is graduating from cardio-rehab…yesterday we joined a gym. GASP!  I never did do the 10K that I was training for last year in September because the day of the race was the day Shawn was recovering in the ICU from heart surgery.  So, now I can train on the treadmills at the gym, and try again next year. Who knows….maybe cardio-boy will join us for the 10K next year. In November, Shawn’s grandmother Beulah was not doing well.  She turned 92 in May and was still living on her own with the assistance of family members.  But, in November, she had some health problems develop...

For years, I have been begging my husband to let us get a dog.  Years.  He finally agreed in June to let us get one.  So, I began searching for the perfect family dog.  Of course, I have since come to realize that no dog is perfect.  Those were my lofty dreams.  I wanted a dog that wouldn’t poop where it wasn’t supposed to,  would sleep when I wanted it to, would bark only when barked at, would not scratch my floors, and was loyal and devoted.  Basically, I wanted a giga-pet, but I didn’t know that at the time. We found Gibbs at an animal shelter about 2 hours away.  They had plenty of dogs.  He was the only one that didn’t jump on us when we approached him. He didn’t bark like the others. And when we took him out to the yard, he was calm and quiet.  Deceptive little thing. We took him home and learned quickly what having a 6 month old puppy in the house was like.  Definitely not like my trusty dependable Tamogatchi. He was...

It’s still December.  December 14.  I was thinking today about one year ago.  One year ago, we were preparing for Christmas.  Marge, my mother in law, was at the nursing home. She had a tough year.  For the entire year, she had been in and out of the hospital and nursing home. She had MS.  Had been diagnosed with it in the early 80s.  She lived basically symptom free for years.  Then, in 1996, she had an attack and the disease began to progress. She started going to the Mayo Clinic and started a series of different treatments.  One thing led to another, she switched neurologists, and saw different doctors…. and for whatever reason, she opted to stop treatment of her MS.  Sometimes she would say that she wanted to believe that God would heal her.  Other times, she tried alternative treatments, homeopathy.  And as many times as I tried to convince her to pursue aggressive treatment for the disease, I have to respect the fact th...

This morning, I tried to write my Christmas letter.  Tried, and failed.  How do you write a year’s worth of life-changing events in one page and not lose the readers? I don’t want to be “ one of those ”… who write a four page sad Christmas letter and end with Merry Christmas!…. you know who you are. So, I decided this.  I will take the next couple of weeks and actually blog.  And instead of writing a Christmas letter, I’ll just add a link to my blog… and anyone who actually WANTS to read…can come here and get their fill. Brilliant, I know. This morning, as I was thinking about what to write..and how to begin… I thought about December.  Advent. A synonym to advent is actually “beginning”. The first Advent was when Christ came to the earth.  And as Christians, we celebrate each year.  We celebrate his coming to the earth…and we anxiously wait for his second coming.  So, in a sense, it becomes to us a celebration of the beginning…and the waiting ...

I wrote this a couple of weeks ago.  What a whirlwhind these couple of weeks have been….. They say you don’t get second chances in life. But, as I lay in my bed, with my husband by my side, my eyes are fixated on the rise and fall of his chest.  I lay my head on his chest and listen to hear the steady beat of his heart… I’ve done that a million times over the last 23 years… and this time, I weep.  As I recount the episodes of the last several days in my mind…. the doctors, the nurses, the EKGs, the flurry of arrangements…and then the waiting waiting waiting…what seemed an endless amount of time in the hospital waiting room. When the words were spoken…heart attack, stents, blood clots… lucky.  We didn’t feel so lucky.  My mind is fixated on a couple of things in the last few days that I don’t know if I can describe in words.  The way the hallway looked as we rolled him to the cardiac surgery area… clean, blue, blank,bright. Just like the movies....

Dear Ariane, I just wanted to tell you that I am blogging tonight just because I saw you and you said something about my blog!  I am in a hotel room in your home town tonight (well, your almost-home town) and thinking of you! Good luck with the new venture and Garen’s new job! I’m truly very excited for you!  Now go make a comment so I know you read this.   Love you!   PS My dream is to be like your parents and jump in a truck with Shawn and travel the road.  They are so lucky.

I had a fun day on monday babysitting my sweet little granddaughter (left) and her friend Bella.  They played in the garden with the flowers.  Lulu pulled all the petals off a flower and had a great time. It was so cute. I snapped this photo just as Bella was staring right at the camera.  They are four months apart.  Bella is four months older.  And they are so much fun! Its so fun to see how their personalities are similar in some ways, and so different in other ways.  Lulu loves food. Bella has to be begged to eat anything.  They both love books and are starting to make up cute words that only they know.  They both don’t know what to do with each other. So, they hit each other and laugh. Just adorable.

I cut my dad’s hair today. I think he was leery of letting me do it.  But, the alternative was for him to PAY someone to do it. He wasn’t ABOUT to do that. I didn’t do too bad.  What do you think? Before: After:

31. I’m thankful it’s summer when the dog threw up in his crate twice.  That way I could just drag it out to the hose and hose it off.  That doesn’t happen real easily in the winter time. 32. I’m thankful I have the Dr.’s email address so I can email him in the middle of the night when my brother in law is throwing up and ask what his thoughts are this time. 33. I’m thankful all the throwing up is in one night so I can maybe sleep tomorrow. 34. I’m thankful for disinfectant spray that just makes lots of things smell so much better. 35. I’m thankful I don’t have a 9-5 job, or a boss.  I would get fired for all the family emergencies lately. 36. I’m thankful my cleaning lady and her family was able to find a home to buy. Even if it is in another state, far far away from my dirty stinky house. 37. I’m thankful for the Febreze home collection wooden wick candle cherry blossom whimsy scent I got on sale and is burning now. 38. I’m thankful for one pre-teen and on...