Snow Today!

Will It Be Gone Tomorrow?
Grandmother and I took a short trip out this afternoon to run a few errands. We stopped by the bank, the grocery, the post office and the pharmacy before returning home. Grandmother took this short video of the last leg of our journey home. The snow is beautiful!

Since we’ve gotten home we’ve been surprised by thunder while it continues to snow. Is this a thunder snow storm? Looks like we have a bout an inch or two on the ground now.

The New Hip
It’s still doing good. My leg gets a little stronger each day. Today I had my last home physical therapy session. Beginning Monday I will be be visiting an out patient location for 2-3 weeks of Physical Therapy.

I’m gradually weaning myself from the walker and using the cane more and more. Today I went in the grocery store and pushed the cart for Grandmother. I think the exercise and walking will be good for my recovery.

The International Space Station
A friend recently shared with me this follow video of a tour of the space station. I thought you might like to see it. It’s long… about 25 minutes. When I started watching it I thought to my self that this will be pretty boring and I will shut it off soon. Seems I never did. I enjoyed all of it. You might also.

Quote of the Day
Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing,
wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating;
there is really no such thing as bad weather,
only different kinds of good weather.
~John Ruskin

Thought of the Day
A lot of people say they want to serve God, but they want to do it in an advisory capacity.
When praying doing give God instructions…
just report for duty.

Joke of the Day

At a small zoo, visitors often ignored the many large signs that said, "Don't feed the animals!"

The zookeeper did not want to impose fines so he tried a different approach.

He posted signs saying, "Feed the animals for only twenty dollars!" and suddenly no one wanted to.

Good Hip Report

Hip Hip Hooray!
I saw the surgeon this afternoon. The X-rays looked good. He removed the staples. Here’s what I expect the next few weeks:

• I can drive as of today, and I already have.
• I have be extremely careful about bending, twisting and crossing legs for the next 3.5 months.
• Continue my exercises at home, and began walking more with the cane and less with the walker.
• I am to began out-patient physical therapy next week for 2-3 times per week for 3-4 weeks.
• I need to continue wearing a compression hose on my surgery leg for the next 3 weeks to prevent blood clots.

I see the surgeon again in 3 weeks and I will give an update then.

All is well, and I am thankful.

The Last Roll of Kodak Kodachrome Film
Here’s an interesting video about a professional photographer who asked for the last roll of Kodachrome film from Kodak’s production line. It’s a long video, about 30 minutes. However, it teaches us how to make photography more meaningful.

Photography has changed so much with the event of digital pictures. We just start snapping pictures because there is no dollar cost. But maybe there is a cost… the cost of not planning our photography. Instead we just hope to get lucky.

Thought of the Day
Worry is the darkroom in which negatives develop.
Keep you worry in control by prayer.

Quote of the Day
There is something self-defeating in the
too-conscious pursuit of pleasure. 
~Max Eastman

Joke of the Day

"What did you do this weekend?"

"I dropped some hooks into the water."

"How was the fishing?"

"I wasn't fishing; I was golfing!"

~~~

After a quarrel, a wife said to her husband, "You know, I was a fool when I married you." 

And the husband replied, "Yes, dear, but I was in love and didn't notice it."

All Going Good

At Tennessee Granddaddy’s White House
This old hip seems a little better each day. For the past two nights I have been sleeping in regular bed which is upstairs and that has made a bid difference in my ability to get a good night of sleep.

Home Health comes tomorrow and I will likely learn some new things. And later this week I will be learning about riding my exercise bike again. Oh Joy!

I see the surgeon on Tuesday when I will get my staples out and hopefully an extension of things I will be able to do, like driving and walking with the cane instead of the walker. We’ll see what happens and live with it.

Kevin’s Birthday
Tomorrow my son Kevin is celebrating his birthday. We gave him his birthday gift a few days ago. We were surprised and excited to learn he and his family will be joining us here at our home for some of that cake ice cream that he likes so much. They should be here any minute… and they were here.

Here’s a picture of Kevin just before we destroyed the ice cream cake!

 

Quote of the Day

What a wonderful life I've had!
I only wish I'd realized it sooner.
~Colette

Thought of the Day

Man’s way leads to a hopeless end…
God’s way leads to an endless hope!

 

Joke of the Day

New customer to Tech Support: “It says, hit any key and when I do that nothing happens'.

Tech Support: Can you try again and tell me what happens?

Customer: 'Tried but nothing”

Tech Support: “What key did you hit?

After a moment and some chick ling sound the customer replied: Well, first I tried my car key and just now my office key.

Small Victories

In the Hip Replacement Battle
I climbed the wooden hill. I made it to the top, and back down. It was not difficult.

Home Health was here earlier today, so we made a trip upstairs to my bedroom. Since last Friday when I came home from the hospital I had been sleeping in a downstairs bedroom and using a walk-in shower. The trip upstairs was in preparation into making the move back to more normality in my life. While upstairs I tried using my normal tub shower and found that I can use it without problems.

The Surgery
I am quite amazed at my own improvement after the surgery I had just 9 days ago. A few days after I return home from the hospital I got out my laptop and searched YouTube for some videos of a complete hip replacement. Then I watched it. I’m glad I did not see it before the surgery, but it was interesting to watch the process while you are thinking “They did that to me! How will I ever walk again?”

The video helped me in several ways. It helped me see what competent medical procedures can accomplish. It also helped me appreciate the amazing recuperative powers of the human body. And lastly it impressed on me the importance of being serious about physical therapy following the surgery.

Quote of the Day
”I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.”
-- Winston Churchill

Thought of the Day

Nothing ruins the truth like stretching it.

Joke of the Day

It was just before Christmas and the magistrate was in a happy mood. He asked the prisoner who was in the dock, "What are you charged with?"

The prisoner replied, "Doing my Christmas shopping too early."

"That's no crime," said the magistrate. "Just how early were you doing this shopping?"

"Before the shop opened."

 

All Going Good

Home Health
Home Health came today to check me over and assist me with my physical therapy. They will come once more this week and 3 times next week. Then it could mean that I will through with “assisted” physical therapy. All of the exercises are pretty easy for me to with the exception of the leg raise. It looks like it’s going to take a few more days to get the strength to do these on my own. It seems all is going in the right direction.

My biggest problem is getting a good night’s sleep. It’s difficult to find a legal sleep position that is comfortable. I’m sure things will get better.

Bragging Time
My Granddaughter, Kara, recently worked on a school project about “Bullying”. She developed this video which was put on YouTube. I thought you might enjoy watching the video which was all done with her Canon camera and her Mac laptop. I was amazed.

Thought of the Day
”Keep going ahead, never quit, don’t ever give up.”

As I was thinking about the above, that old story about the two frogs came into my mind…. Read on:

TWO FROGS IN CREAM

by T.C. Hamlet

Two frogs fell into a can of cream,
Or so I’ve heard it told;
The sides of the can were shiny & steep,
The cream was deep & cold.

"O, what’s the use?" croaked Number One,
"’Tis fate; no help’s around.
Goodbye, my friends! Goodbye, sad world!"
And weeping still, he drowned.

But Number Two, of sterner stuff,
Dog-paddled in surprise.
The while he wiped his creamy face
And dried his creamy eyes.

"I’ll swim awhile, at least," he said-
Or so I’ve heard he said;
"It really wouldn’t help the world
If one more frog were dead."

An hour or two he kicked & swam,
Not once he stopped to mutter,
But kicked & kicked & swam & kicked,
then hopped out...

via butter!

Joke of the Day
An enterprising journalist decided to get the scoop of the day by photographing the fearsome phantom that lived in the spooky old mansion house at the edge of town.
 
When he entered the house, armed with only his camera, the ghost descended upon him, moaning and wailing and clanking chains. "I mean no harm; I just want your photograph," the journalist said bravely.

Pleased at this chance to make headlines, the ghost posed for a number of shots, and the happy journalist rushed back to his computer and began uploading the photos. Unfortunately, they turned out to be so underexposed that nothing could be seen in them.

He was distraught, and went to a local pub to drown his sorrows. Meeting his friends there, they asked what was wrong. Not wanting to tell the whole story, he simply explained with a single sentence: "The spirit was willing, but the flash was weak."

The New Year is moving right along

As You Probably Know
I arrived home from the hospital yesterday after a left hip replacement surgery that was done on Monday, December 31, 2012. So far everything has gone very good and I am very happy with the early results.

I had knee replacement surgery 2 years ago. I have much less after surgery pain from the hip surgery as compared to the knee surgery. As I sit here this evening I am in absolutely no pain, and the only discomfort I have is in going through the important regiment of physical therapy exercises that I do twice each day. Each time I run through the exercises I see improvement in flexibility and range of movement. So things are going good. Beverly took that picture of me this evening to show me with my walker I used to moved through the house.

A Good Joke that is certainly appropriate at the present time…

Hip Surgery

It's A Process
We're at the hospital and waiting to be checked out. Just a few last minute things to be done. The most critical part from my view point has been the physical therapy. I have appreciated the kindness and patience of the people here. I have experience improvement every day. Now I go home for continuing therapy which will mean success.

I'm looking forward to a shower including scrubbing and shampoo. But the main thing is just being at home.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.