Blah blah blah

I feel like just typing my thoughts as they come so maybe you should consider yourself warned that there may not be any real direction to this post.

It is a weird feeling when I want to talk but the honest truth is I really have nothing to say.

In case you are wondering, I have returned to work.  I've been given the okay to work four hours and if I teach, I can stand 30-40 minutes.

A typical day now finds me limping out of bed and going straight to the stationery bike.  My best friend the last couple of weeks, Angela, is my physical therapist.  She wants me to pedal on that bike three times a day even if I an only do it five minutes. 

Pretty pathetic, isn't it....being able to pedal only five minutes but that is the truth.  I'll get to six minutes, I know I can, ha! ha!

It is a blessing upon blessing that my employer has given me the best parking privileges.  I can leave the garage and pull into the parking ramp without stepping outside on the ice and snow. 

About three and half hours into my four-hour day I feel like the plug holding in all of my energy gets pulled and all my energy gets sucked down the drain.  There have been a handful of days that I wonder if I can walk back to the car and drive home I am so tired.

But I drive home and scrape together a salad or a sandwich, something quick.

Then the dog and I snuggle into bed and I've been averaging a 2 to 2 1/2 hour nap every single day.  And I have absolutely no trouble falling asleep anymore at 10 p.m., my bedtime. 

Surgery and rehab really took a toll on this out-of-shape body.  And for the many weeks that I had trouble sleeping, well, I must be making up for it now.

Yesterday I had a physical therapy appointment after my nap.  I felt so groggy going into that appointment.  Oh my gosh did Angela work me.  She made me ride the bike for eight minutes and then start the hip, leg and knee stretches.  Forty-five minutes later she says I'm warmed up and she take measurements.  This is the point where I lay on the table and she measures how straight I can make my leg.   Yesterday, I passed the straight leg test.  I can push that quadriceps down at the knee and make a straight leg!  That is a great accomplishment.

Then she picks up my leg as I am laying on the table and she starts gently bending my knee and straightening the leg.  Then she bends it a little more and straightens it out.  I know what is coming but I have to relax as she increases the bend each time.  She really pushes on that knee and then she brings my heel to the table, pushing, pushing, pushing my heel toward my butt until I tell her to stop because of the pain.  Quickly she grabs her measuring tools and determines what the bend is, in degrees, of my knee.  The goal is 110 to 120 degrees.  At my first appointment with her I could bend to 90 degrees.  In three weeks, because I've been diligent with my exercises, I got to 100 degrees.  YIPPEE!!!!  There was tremendous pain with that bend but I got it there. 

As she helped me up from the table she told me that the last 10 degrees are the hardest to achieve.

Game on.  I'm going to get to that last ten to twenty degrees!

Last night I ached all over from that therapy appointment.  I shuffled around the house like Tim Conway, for those of you that have watched The Carol Burnett Show.

Switching subjects if you haven't fallen asleep at this post, Kidlet Three had a hockey game in town tonight.  I put on layers and layers of clothes as the game was in the coldest ice rink this town has.  Which doesn't really feel much different than the -3 degrees the thermometer on the bank displayed as we drove to the game.  The game was discouraging as they boys didn't really play to win....they played to a tie game but they should've won.  Kidlet Three skated awesome on his newly-operated-on-healing-knees. 

Switching topics again.....I think when my knee was operated on the gene to do housework was traumatized.  I see the dust on my furniture and I know the kitchen floor should be mopped, but there is no umph or energy to even start.  So, if you stop by, don't wear your good socks.  They might just stick to my kitchen floor.

Yawn.  I'm putting myself to sleep with this post so I'll sign off.

Enjoy an amazing night's sleep everyone!

I'm alive, I'm on fire!!!

Friends, please watch this video.  Watch Peter Furler dance toward the end.  That is how I used to dance before God.  But then my knee started hurting and when I danced, my knee would throb the next day in such pain.  How sad I was that I could not dance before the Lord anymore.

I absolutely cannot wait to dance to this song when my knee is just a little more healed up.

This is a worship song.  God makes me feel alive, like I'm on fire and my spirit burns inside.

If you've never worshipped God like this, don't be afraid.  Dancing is an awesome form of worship and for some of us, it just is a natural reaction when we start thinking on all the love God throws our way...for free!

So, crank up the volume.  Let your toe tap and when no one is looking...DANCE

Be Renewed

This is from Joyce Meyer in the Starting Your Day Right devotional for January 23.

God selected...what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame.  And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are, so that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and ] boast in the presence of God. 
1 Corinthians 1:27-29

If you are weak in faith, in mind, in body, in discipline, in self-control, or in determination, simply wait on God.  He will be strong through your weakness.

Isaiah 40:31 teaches that if you expect God, look for Him, and hope in Him, you will change and renew your strength and power; you will run, and not faint or become tired.  The Bible doesn't say "hope so, it could be, or it may be"; it declares that you will be renewed.

********

May these words be encouraging to the person reading this that needs to be renewed.  Ask God for help.  He never disappoints.

Back to Work

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho
It's back to work I go
With my new knee
and lots of emails
Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho

Today was my first day back to work since Nov. 29, my surgery date.

The plan is that I will work Tuesday through Friday, four hours each day.  On Friday I see the Back-To-Work doctor to determine how much I can handle next week.

When I left work I was so tired.  As I drove home, I had to talk to myself to keep my eyes from closing.  I took a nap after a short lunch.  As I am writing this, it is almost 6:30 p.m. and I can hardly keep my eyes open I am so tired.  Wowzers this work stuff tuckers me out!

I am amazingly thankful I can transition back with this four-hour schedule. 

Sure hope you had a great day!

Stay warm.  Here in the frozen tundra, everything is frozen including our nose hairs!

No Leftovers

Last night I made Pork Chop Supreme.
There were no leftovers at this meal.
Pork chops with a sage dressing left
us licking our plates.

Here is the recipe I used:

6-8 pork chops (I used tenderloins)
1/2 cup water
1 can cream of chicken soup

Dressing:
4 cup bread cubes
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup melted butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
1 small chopped onion
2 Tbls. parsley flakes
1-2 tsp. poultry seasoning

Brown pork chops and place in roaster.
Make dressing by mixing all
ingredients together.  Spoon dressing
onto pork chops.
Dilute soup with water and pour
over chops and dressing.

Cover and bake in 350 degree oven
for one hour.

Amazingly good!

I Am Okay

My last post caused quite a stir from many of you.  I received texts, emails and phone calls from concerned readers making sure I was okay. 

I am okay.

Many of my posts are written from a God Nudge.  This Nudge is a thought or knowing from God that I am to write.  When I create the post, it may not be entirely about my own personal situations or life.  As was the last post.

That last post was to be one of hope for the many people I know that are going through difficult times.  I was following The Nudge to write about the God of Hope and our need to keep focused on Him and not the situations.

I feel really loved that so many of you checked in with me to make sure I was okay. 

I am not only okay...I am So Amazed at the outpouring of concern!

Antidote for Depression

Fiscal cliff.
Illness hits your family. 
Wondering if your job is secure.
War threats.
Taxes going up. 
One of your children disowns the family.
Unexpected bills pile up.
Words get twisted/misunderstood and people are mad now.
A diagnosis is made.

There is a lot going on in our world and the above list is short compared to the realities I've heard friends state. 

Each of the items above do not bring joy and life into our world.  They each suck life right out of a person.

And a black cloud, like a depression, can come rolling in when we look at the yuck in that list that I made.

So...what is the antidote to live in today's world?   I believe these wise words are the answer:

Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you—rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!

For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness [all] peoples, but the Lord shall arise upon you [O Jerusalem], and His glory shall be seen on you...

...Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and tremble with joy [at the glorious deliverance] and be enlarged; because the abundant wealth of the [Dead] Sea shall be turned to you, unto you shall the nations come with their treasures.

 

The Good News is God loves each and every one of us like crazy.  So much so, He allowed Jesus to die, in our place, to make a bridge for us to right up to God. 

 

If you confess your separation from God, because of sin, and accept Jesus as the bridge to God, then the glory of the Lord shines upon you.  As stated above, The Lord shall arise upon you and His glory shall be seen on you...and the darkness of depression will be blotted out in the Glory of the Lord. 

 

Those of us that have Jesus as our Lord and Savior have a powerful weapon against the darkness of that comes knocking at our door.  And it will knock.  We have the Glory of our Risen, Living Lord.

 

Those of you that do not have Jesus as your Lord and Savior...why wait?  Light is available to chase away the darkness.  Ask God to reveal Himself to you. 

 

He is the Light of the World.  His glory and light is available in unlimited supply.

 

Amazing!

 

Breakfast Muffins

Here is an easy breakfast muffin.
I made batch to freeze.
When I go back to work, I can grab a muffin
or two to eat for breakfast.



1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked chopped broccoli
1 1/2 cup Bisquick (I used Heart Healthy)
1/2 cup milk
3 T. oil
1 egg
1/2 cup diced ham
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

 

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

In large bowl, stir together Bisquick, milk, oil
and egg.  Stir in broccoli, ham and cheese
just until well mixed.
 

Spoon mixture evenly into muffin cups.

Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan.
Serve warm.

A So Amazed easy breakfast that is healthy!

Cleaning Bug

What is it about a New Year...
that causes the Cleaning Bug to set in?


My middle dresser drawer has been out of control
for a very long time. 

Jewelry and socks had been stuffed in that drawer.

I took everything out and sorted through the mess.

It was a little bit of a walk down Memory Lane
looking at some of the jewelry pieces.

The socks didn't have any sentimental value...nor
did many of them even have a match!

I am not a big jewelry person so I don't
own a lot of it.
Once I had necklace, bracelet and earring
sets matched up, it was easy to organize
the drawer again.

The Cleaning Bug bit in the New Year.
One drawer done.
Maybe I should look for a vaccine before
this Cleaning Itch goes on too long!

Has the Cleaning Bug visited your house?

My Proclamation

If you hear anything from me this year, let it be the words in this song. 

Please watch the entire video (9 minutes).

This is my song...