Friday, December 28, 2012

Grey . . . with Color


First of all, I want to give the answers to those Christmas riddles and conundrums I mentioned a few days ago . . .

"Successful  followers of the Atkins Diet" (hint -- it's a DVD)  This is the movie "Losers"

"From the closet of the King of Tarts" PyRex storage pieces

"Large domicile for canis lupus"  (hint -- a best selling book) Wolf Hall
"Mack lent his to Dinah after strumming on the ol' banjo" a kitchen knife (handmade by John)
"Made by some Yiddish-speaking molluscs while listening to Bach" (not a practical gift, this one)  a string of baroque pearls
 
 

This remarkable biography of Julia Child was almost un-put-downable (except for naps.) Julia, from childhood to old age, was always fascinating and she lived through some very interesting times.  I was an early (1963) fan and, like much of America, learned from her that there was more to 'cuisine' than casseroles with cream of mushroom soup. Highly recommended.

I'm still suffering from a bit of post-Christmas lethargy -- considering my physical limitations at the moment,sometimes napping seems the best choice. But there have been some small victories in my recovery -- I was able to trim the toenails of the operated-on leg yesterday -- not easy and still a bit of a stretch but progress, none the less.  And today, as I was doing a few small bits of tidying between kitchen and dining room, I suddenly realized I'd put my cane down and was  managing without it.

My home health physical therapist visited today and my ability to bend the knee is improving -- I had hit a 90 degree bend before I came home from the rehab center and a 100 a few days ago. Today the angle got to 110 (with a good bit of pushing and pulling.) Which is probably good enough for everyday function though the PT spoke of trying to attain a 120 . . .

It's been a month since surgery -- and though I'm really tired of being on the meds and falling asleep all the time, I'm attempting to be a patient patient.  

 
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13 comments:

Ms. A said...

Cool riddles and answers, especially the pearls.

I LOVE the photos! So crisp and clear!

Martin said...

So glad to hear that you're making steady progress. And that photograph must be one of your finest.

By the way, SW is really enjoying The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I bought it for her after you'd mentioned it in a post, and it's a real hit!

Miss_Yves said...

Exquisite colors!

Brian Miller said...

keep being patient patient. sounds like you are making good progress....yeah i got none of the riddles...ha..

Wayfarin' Stranger said...

Congrats on your progress. And that is a truly remarkable shot of the Jay and Cardinal.

Jean Baardsen said...

Appreciate the progress report. The shot with both a cardinal and a blue jay is incredible!

jennyfreckles said...

Only a month... honestly, you sound to be doing brilliantly. Patience is hard when you're a 'get on and do' person like you. As for that photo, it's perfect, red and blue zings of colours on the grey.

Anonymous said...

Hope you are healing and feeling better.Love Love Julia Child was given her first cookbook and loved to try to make her recipes, she had class, manners and a love of life Joy De Vive I think the french call it, no matter what happened in her life, she stood tall, laughed, loved and went on with her burning ambition to cook french, no one held her back, I have a friend her daughter loved her so much she named her first and only child Julia and can they both cook, oh, my goodness..Love your blog, prayers for your healing, happy new year!

Darla said...

"managing without it" ... YAY! You're well on your way! :-)

I'm amazed at the photos ... !

KarenB said...

I'm so glad to hear your recovery is going well. Keep it up! And thank you for the riddle answers. What a fun way to label gifts.

If the medication is just for pain and you don't want it, check with your doctor, you may very well be able to stop taking it or take much less. I hate that groggy feeling pain meds can give me!

Frances said...

Vicki, before I type another word, I want to tell you how much I love that photo with the cardinal and blue jay. I guess I am surprised to see them at this time of year...perhaps it's that NC hospitality that keeps them on those branches?

Let's see, what else. Well, I guessed some of your riddles. I was also an early Julia fan, and think that her life was pretty incredible, very far from most of her peers in its reach.

Bravo on your knee angles...actually, reading your recent posts have encouraged me to do a bit more gentle exercising to keep my own flexibility. Thank You!

Gosh, I hope that some of those folks in DC can think a bit more about the rest of us, and a bit less about their financial support for re-election.

Paraphrasing Sam Beckett, "No matter." Let's still do our own bit to create a Happy New Year! xo

Vicki Lane said...

Ms. A -- I was pretty proud of 'yiddish-speaking molluscs' for oysters...

Martin -- so glad SW is enjoying Hugo -- such a nifty book!

Karen, I've cut WAY back on the oxycodone -- am only using it at night now -- when I WANT to sleep.

Frances -- cardinals and blue jays are year round here -- we keep a full bird feeder too. I was amazed at how well that pic came out as it was shot through a not very clean window.

Christine said...

Vicki so glad the knee is getting better. Love the photos! Happy New Year.