The Status Report

 

Things are mostly going well here.  Husbandman describes the pain as "stiff, sore, stinging," but mostly "not that bad." He has a follow up appointment in 8 days.  

A big drawback right now for me is the school system's decision to go back to school face to face on Monday.  I was hoping I could get the vaccine before going back into 3rdLand in real life. I wanted to stay with the online teaching because it makes most sense to me right now.  Corona stats are trending downward in our county, so I guess I should resolve to do my best and forget the rest.  But COVID is freaking me out.  I have to be honest about that.

It's time to think about a sankalpa for 2021.  I had two in 2020.  

* I'm open and in motion.

* This body is precious and whole and good.

These sentences got me started most days with reminders to take the next right thought and action and also to be respectful of myself and others.  Not sure yet what I'll come up with, but I'll keep you posted. 

The New Knee

Foto Credit:  Joy Heffernan, my big sister, ace photographer

We're doing well.  Husbandman had a total knee replacement yesterday.  The pain hasn't arrived yet because of some substance that was injected into his leg, but we've been assured that it will arrive soon and to "stay on top of it."  It's like being in a scary movie, waiting for horror, knowing it's lurking close by, unable to do anything about it.

On the good side, the surgeon felt that the operation went GREAT.  He reported with a huge smile that Husbandman's knee was "wrecked---no cartilage, no ACL, big bone spurs...WRECKED!"  He seemed pleased that he got rid of the old cruddy knee and has installed the titanium newness. 

Husbandman and I looked over many photos of knee replacements.  Pretty neat stuff.  

 

The Name

 This morning, Husbandman and I went out to Forest Canyon Preserve for a walkabout.  We saw icicles as well as redheaded woodpeckers, bluebirds, and perhaps a white crowned sparrow or two.  

This will be our final hike for awhile. As you know, Husbandman is having his knee totally replaced tomorrow.  

The Forest Canyon Preserve used to be called Dilcher Turner Canyon Preserve.  The name was changed because Rudolph Turner stole some artifacts from this land that belonged to the Miami Tribe. That was unacceptable.  

Mr. Turner died 2 years ago.  He actually looked like a pretty nice man in his photos, but we still need the artifacts returned.  An article I read said the artifacts were stored away.  Where?  If someone could let me know, I'd happily drive the artifacts to Oklahoma to return them to their owners. 

The Contact

 

Happy Christmas to anyone who's out there reading this message. Do you read me?  This is 706 saying Happy Christmas. Do you read me?

I feel like George Clooney in his latest movie The Night Sky which is streaming right now on Netflix.  Alone in an abandoned space science station somewhere in the Arctic, Clooney tries to communicate with  a crew of astronauts on a space ship returning from Jupiter to tell them that the earth is now uninhabitable.  He urges them to turn the ship around and to find a better place to live.  

We've received a few messages today from the outside world and we've sent a few, so our situation is not exactly like the George Clooney movie.  People know we're here and we will see them again at some point in time.  

The long and the short of it is... We wish any one who is out there who gets this message a very merry time today full of all the cheer you can muster. 

The Rambling Ranting

 I keep reading that once the pandemic is over, life will not go back to "normal," and nothing will ever be the same again.  WTH?

Even today I read that the pandemic is helping schools to do things differently and schools are learning how to re-shape teaching in the future.  Right.

Maybe I'm wrong and we're in for a new upside down or sideways kind of world by fall of next year.  Schools will be drop in, come as you are types of places, where curriculum is slower and there's little pressure to prepare kids for standardized tests.  I'm for it, but I highly doubt it's going to play out that way.

Why am I even thinking about this?  Who cares anyway??? This pandemic is grouching me out today.  I like quiet time, but I wish we were frolicking with our family.  Bleh.

 A winter walk followed by hot toddies by the fire might be just the ticket for jollying up this quiet Christmas Eve. On it. 

The Best

 

Last night, Tayshia chose Zac.  She said, "I'm living my best life." 

Who wouldn't be?  Living in a resort for a few months, every thing you need being provided to you?  Her family was able to visit and they were given their own suite as well. Their own suite.  They didn't have to stay with her during the visit.  The only snag I see would be dealing with the crazy bachelors vying for attention day in and day out. But in the end, Tayshia and Zac found true love. We wish them well.

I've got to say I'm enjoying my time at home.  It's quiet and there are no expectations that I will do much of anything.  

After 2 days of lounging, I made a new goal yesterday which was to avoid the couch at all cost.  If I get on the couch, I find I'm stuck there for a shockingly long time.  Yesterday I succeeded at my goal and did a cheerful amount of puttering and pondering. I almost sat on the couch today, but then I thought better of it. Instead I had a cup of tea and wrote in my notebook.  Like Tayshia, I too am living my best life.  I'm relaxing while at the same time feeling proud about achieving daily goals.

The Knee

We're one week away from knee replacement surgery for Husbandman. 

Even though the knee is the largest joint in the human body, knee replacement surgery is not one of the top 5 most painful surgeries.  Sure, it's painful, but it doesn't even make it into the top 5. 

This afternoon we're going to enjoy purchasing a walker for Husbandman.  I know he won't get the high end walkers that I prefer, so I'm trying to keep my expectations low about this outing, which is undoubtedly going to end with some disappointment on my end. 

The Lights

 I want to recognize and celebrate all those merry-makers that display festive holiday lights and seasonal yard decor.   A big shout out to Ellettsville.  Impressive displays, Ellettsville residents.  Keep up the good work.  

We plan to do more research before our next self guided lights of the season car tour.  If there are any award winning displays in your neighborhood, please let us know. 

The Staycation

 Now we are on winter break. Usually right about now I'd be packing up for a long trip to visit family who live afar.  It's a relaxing rarity to have no looming tasks, but I'm not going to lie.  There's something a wee bit sad about it too. No visit to see my Dad or my sibs or 30Something or #1.  Tomorrow, I'm going to make a Jolly-It-Up list of simple low energy activities for staying chipper.  

For right now,  I need to remember that I started a 2 week vacation a few hours ago and in the big scheme of things, I'm AOK.  

 

The Vaccine Day

The vaccines are being delivered right now, Friends!  

Soon we'll get our vaccines and start living again.  

It's happening.

Celebrate that glimmer of light and hope by having something super cold.  A bowl of ice cream or a scotch on the rocks or even both.  Get pumped!

 

The Day of the Cranes

 

December 13 shall forever more be called The Day of the Cranes.

To celebrate Day of the Cranes we will typically start with a drive to Goose Pond.  As we drive, I will more than likely engage in a one hour rant about several issues in my life that are stressing me out and causing me to seethe with palpable anger.  Husbandman will listen actively and chime in on occasion with remarks of agreement. 

Once we get to Goose Pond, we'll find the sandhill cranes. We'll watch them digging in the cornfield.  We'll watch them soaring overhead.  We'll listen to their crazy calls.  We'll then spend a few hours searching for the Whooping Cranes and if we find some, so be it.  If not, we'll be okay about that because the sandhills are remarkable.

We'll always bring lunch from 2 Sticks Bakery. 

Before we depart, we'll thank the cranes for turning our sour moods into feel good moments by adopting sun salutation poses before we hop in the car for our drive back to B-Town.

Please join us in 2021 when we next celebrate The Day of the Cranes. Husbandman doesn't know about the Sun Salutation aspect of this celebration yet, but I'm pretty sure he's in like Flynn.  

The Stream

 

This will be a stream of consciousness blog entry, written quickly not thoughtfully.  On Wednesday of this week we went back to online teaching.  Relief.  I'm teaching from home and yesterday I was online with 3rdLanders in big groups and small.  All showed up for class.  All but a few finished assignments.  They wrote about fossils and discussed a chapter book and took notes as I transferred amounts of water from one container to the next, recording volumes in metric measurements.  

My dad's not well.  He had a procedure on Friday and now he can't move his legs.  Bedridden.  Maybe his body will bounce back after a few days.  He retains his sense of humor and he is not in any pain, but he's not feeling great.  So, that's horrible.

Today we're driving to Goose Pond to look for the sandhill cranes and any other birds that feel like appearing.  It's a stream of good and bad things right now and I'm trying to pay attention to all of it.