A different kind of Fall

I had been sitting on my bed, folding clothes to take to Goodwill on Friday Oct 12. When I got up to walk off, my leg buckled and the next thing I knew, I was sitting there with a double fracture of the leg plus and ankle fracture. Verizon didn't send my calls through to my husband, so next on my list was DS #2. He rounded up his brother and Andy and all came to my rescue. Thanks to my computer chair they were able to push me out the back door, down the steep hill to the car - better than down the 6 then 7 steps inside the house! Hours and hours later - 2:00 am to be exact, we left the emergency room with a splint and little pain medication.

So on Monday, we made the same perilous trip out the back, down the hill, to the car to go to the Ortho's office. We should get frequent patient miles from him - he repaired our daughter's ankle two years ago after she crushed it rock climbing.

Any way, on Tuesday I was in surgery, and home on Friday. Then have been kept busy with Home health nurses, Physical therapists, and Aides to help me bathe. The baths have been wonderful because they were able to help me wash my hair!!!!

My means of getting up and down the stairs - on my hands and knees or down by sliding on my butt! Hey, it isn't pretty but it works!

I have been so encouraged by all of the letters from "cyber" friends I have received. It has helped a little in keeping away the "get me out of this house" blues. But it has been 10 days and I am going a little stir crazy - and I have 3-4 mos of no weight on my leg. By spring I will be certifiable crazy!

Fall

The calendar says it is fall but the weather makes one think it is still August. The high temperature today was 91 and that is 15 degrees above average. The almanac says we are in for a colder than normal winter - but now, nothing would surprise me.

There will be no pretty leaf show this fall - they are just brown and curling up and falling off. Many of the old trees have died during this entire heat and dry weather. We had less than an inch of rain in September which normally is one of our wettest months. We are almost 20" below normal so this the third year we are finishing somewhere in that range. Rain would be nice, real nice. Even some snow might be nice, but not too much - being in the mountains the entire city comes to a halt if there is a snowflake within 20 miles. So Happy Fall to all!

Flowers of summer

Many are showing their flower gardens as the last of summer brings forth new blooms. Here in SE TN, temperatures have been so hot and so dry that everything has turned to dust. So while I don't have much outside to show - I do have some treasures from inside to show. One of my favorites, next to African violets are my orchids.
They are dependable to show their beauty year after year, with only modest care, and occasional dividing and repotting.



This is a denbrodium that my oldest son gave me quite a few years ago. I have several pots of it, but they don't bloom at the same time. So I get to spread its beauty around.



This beauty is called Sugar Sweet - and it is covered with dozens of small, yellow fragrant blossoms. It is a real treat when it blooms.

Seeing these lovelies helps me forget that we haven't had but 1 rain for the month of September, which is normally one of our rainiest or that yesterday set a record temperature at 94 degrees! I may have to go to the street corner to panhandle to be able to continue to pay our electric bill. Any donations are appreciated!!

September Exchange

In the TeaTimeKnitters September exchange, I was having my eye problems and wasn't able to knit to start it. Deborah, the list mom, sent me a care package - which was wonderful of her. Look at all of the nice things she sent me! A beautiful rose lace dishcloth that is incrediblely soft, a cannister of tea with a tea bag retriever (don't know what to call it - LOL), some loose tea bags, some little dice that will make great stitch markers, a pad of leaves sticky notes - all great and exciting things. Deborah is a great list mom. And if anyone wants to join - TeaTimeKnitters is the name.

Thankful Heart

About 2 weeks ago I was told my retina had partially detached. I was devastated - having already been through 4 surgeries to work on my eye. But this week, I saw my regular ophthalmologist, who told me he saw no retinal detachment and that what the retina specialist saw could have been a fluid bubble behind the retina, making it look like it was detached. It could have been caused by my hitting the curb so hard in the hit and run accident I was in. Whatever the cause, I was so thankful that my retina had healed.

I feel that it was a healing from God, due to the prayers of the faithful - friends putting me on prayer lists, friends in Texas praying for me, internet friend - and new internet friends sending me messages of encouragement - all were heard by God.

Knitting and my eye

I have done quite a few dishcloths for Carrie. She will be moving into the cabin that Andy has been working on for the past year. It is almost finished. So I thought some dishcloths to match her kitchen would be nice. Then I also am in an exchange and need one for it. It is finished but need to weave in my tails and block it. Someone needs to invent an automatic tail weaver and make a fortune. I think it is the job knitters like the least of all!

I did receive some bad news two weeks ago. My retina has partially detached again. So that means I am looking at probably 3 surgeries - one to repair the retina, one to eventually remove the oil from my eye, and one to try to remove the scar tissue that has formed. I am not looking forward to these surgeries. The pain, the inability to function, the effect it has on my body for this extended period. I have lupus and fibromyalgia, plus a gazillion more autoimmune diseases, so my body does not react normally, nor heal normally. But one does what one has to do.