So, Whaddya Think?

Since my whole shoe inventory is fixin' to undergo a major purge, I thought I'd check into my options for supportive, neutral footwear that would protect my joints, provide stability, AND keep me from looking like a 95-year-old granny. I'm quite sure my search was unsuccessful.

Yup, I'm serious. Kohls.com - women's athletic shoes - beige.

Oh, and just for fun...

It might be worth the $50 just to see the sheer panic on the faces of my kids!

If you like them, I won't judge.  :-)

"I see you're on your feet!"

This was the exclamation of one of my little piano students who came for her lesson this morning.  "Yes, and this feels soooo much better than that wheelchair," I replied with a broad smile.  :-)

The road has been long.  Nine weeks tomorrow, to be exact.  Ten days ago, this cast was removed:

Glad I went with purple...
it withstood lots of campmeeting dirt!

My surgeon was specific about two things, and I've tried to keep them in mind -

• The broken bones have not healed, they are healing.
• Healing does not occur during periods of mobility, but during rest.

For the first few days with the walking boot, I relied heavily on my knee walker and regular walker.  I didn't expect to have such heel and leg pain, but now that I know it's normal I'm trying to walk and work through it.  The most difficult thing for me is getting over the fear that it will happen again.  The walking boot has more bulk than a cast, but I've quickly learned to be thankful for all the padding and the air that I can put in or released as needed. 

And after not being able to drive for 8 weeks and 6 days, I decided I'd had enough of that and took off for the bank and my favorite coffee shop yesterday morning.  Right foot on the gas, left foot on the brake. :-)  I picked a low traffic time, and made use of the drive thru at both places.  After reading some things online last night, I'm guessing I wasn't supposed to do it, and I can't say that it really felt comfortable or safe, so that'll probably be the extent of it for awhile. 

I'm to see the OS again Monday, and I'm thinking he'll probably wean me off the the boot.  He's also going to check my ROM to see if I need PT. My leg muscles are quite atrophied, so that's another issue that hinders balance and endurance.

Did I mention bulk?   :-)

And a bit of advice for all of us -

Have a great day!

Crack Really Can Kill...

your summer, that is!  Especially if you land on your face and break a leg! LOL!  Do you realize how many cracks are in sidewalks?  Practically every walking surface is like one big accident waiting to happen! Believe me...I notice them all now. 

I'm tempted to start hoarding away money into an "in case it ever happens again" account. Seriously, if I'm ever again in a cast, all I ask for is a handicap accessible guest house on Mackinac Island.  I could ride my scooter to the lake every day, and enjoy being unable to do anything else.  :-)

Yes, please!

Ah, back to reality...

I have been in a cast almost seven weeks now.  When I went to my last appointment on June 1st, the doc took my stitches out and my lime green cast was replaced with a pretty purple.  My incisions looked so much better!  I didn't have x-rays at that visit, so it's hard to tell exactly what's going on under the skin, but it feels like it is healing properly. 

My little attempt at humor could leave the wrong impression.  My summer is as busy as any I've ever lived.  Thanks to the generosity of people who care about me, I have all of the equipment I need to do the things I really want to do.  As I write, I'm sitting in my camper in Frankfort, IN.  Church camp is the highlight of my year, and I look forward to spending two weeks away from normal demands to focus on spiritual growth and fellowship.  One gentleman made a huge set of steps for the entry door of our RV.  Each step is 20" deep, allowing plenty of space for my walker.  He made the step height and grade so that there would be minimal difficulty for me to navigate them alone.  My sister-in-law's mom had an awesome knee scooter sitting in her barn, and she offered it to me.

Meet my best friend.  :-)

Another friend brought a golf cart for me to use to get from building to building on this rather spread out campground.   I''m so blessed to have these tools that make my life 110x easier!

And the good news is that July 1st, at 2 p.m., I will hopefully be able to transition to a walking boot!  Yeah, I know...they're bulky and ugly.  But hey, have you ever gone 7.5 weeks without shaving one leg?  Ewww...I'm ready!!!

It's Skyline Time!

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Gotta love it...or hate it!  I don't remember hearing anyone say, "It's not my favorite, but it's ok..." No, either you crave Skyline or you curl your nose and say, "It doesn't even taste like chili!" 

Some of my favorite childhood memories involve Skyline.  We would often (like really often) travel to Cincinnati to visit family, and few things were more fun than heading to Skyline with my aunts, uncles, and cousins.  I have some of the coolest aunts, uncles, and cousins, so it was a win-win.  :-)  Fun times, to say the least! 

Anyway, a few years ago Skyline came to Lima and we developed a tight relationship...lol.  Tuesday night was kid's night, and it was great to be able to walk in and pay for two adult meals and have all four kids eat free.  Not only that, they had a craft table and they would entertain our kids for about 30 minutes, which gave us a free babysitter.  :-)

Time moved on, and the boys outgrew the kid's meals (it was getting a little embarassing to ask for two...haha), so they started ordering like big guys.  Really big guys.  Keep in mind that a large 3-way is over $7 and if we let them purchase a drink and maybe an extra coney, we're talking a $50 meal real quick for a family of six. 

Previously, I had purchased canned and frozen Skyline chili to use in Skyline Dip (just add a foundation of cream cheese, a layer of chili, and a cheddar cheese topping  - warm in the oven, and dip with tortilla chips), but they weren't cost effective to pull off a meal at home.  One day I noticed that Meijer was featuring these on an endcap:

At under $1.40 per packet, I figured it was worth a shot, so I grabbed two.  Once the scent of Skyline (of Cincinnati chili) began to permeate the house, I knew it was $ well-spent.  Even if it tasted gross, the smell was pure bliss!

Since then, we've made several batches of chili at home.  Last Saturday Greg did a double batch in the crock pot.  It simmered most of the day, and we have eaten probably 8 meals (x 6 ppl) off of 8 qts.  We like to use it on spagetti noodles, fries, hot dogs, and baked potatoes. 

I know there are all kinds of copycat recipes out there, but I'm not a 15 ingredient type of cook, and I love it that this packet only requires ground beef (not browned), tomato paste, and water.  If you make it, stick to the instructions on the packet or you won't have true Cincinnati chili.  Also, we've found that eating it a day or two after cooking gives a better consistency.  Usually the smell gets us and we just use bowls to help with the juices for the first day.  Also, get yourself a fine grater and a brick of cheddar cheese to achieve an authentic taste!

Yeah, we still go to Skyline sometimes.  After all these years, they're like family.  :-)

From My Point Of View - Kids & Chores...

Growing up, I was not the tidiest child on the planet.  My sister can attest to this, as we shared a room.  Fortunately, she was as bad (or good) at being messy as I was, so we were a match made in Heaven – or somewhere! 

 
My brother, on the other hand, was a perfectionist neat freak.  Bless his heart…I envied his organizational skills, but looking back I can certainly understand his paranoia whenever my sister or myself would get near his bedroom. 

Eric & Valerie - Probably 1986 - I love this pic!

All these years later, I still struggle with mess.  Typically it’s just clutter which I keep around for a reason.  I’m still trying to figure out the reason, but I know I have one.  J  Usually, my clutter mess is localized at my desk or my side of the bedroom, and I do have my limits.  Every few days, I take the time to organize and clear the clutter. 

As our children grew older, I struggled in my mind as to what I should expect from them.  Some of them are naturally more organized than others.  One is a hoarder.  How was I to draw guidelines, yet still allow them to function within their personality?  At what point should they participate in the upkeep of the home?  I’ve done a lot of reading, and I think I’ve seen it all – cutesy little chore charts, systematic timelines for different areas of the house, etc.- but none of what I saw really grabbed me.  I’m not the chart type, and I really don’t have the time or the patience to do the spreadsheets. 

Several years ago, my sister-in-law who had been an at-home mom went back to work.  Her two older daughters were probably around 11-13 years of age.  Of the several chores that she delegated to them was their own laundry.  That stuck with me, and for many reasons, I liked the idea.  Two summers ago, I followed her lead and taught the boys to do their own laundry.  They were 10 and 12, and they did their laundry that summer, and have continued to help with it (or do their own) from that time on.

The bulk of my “chores” struggle has been finding a healthy balance of what is age-appropriate and acceptable.  I’ve observed families where it seemed the kids were overloaded with chores while the parents were pretty lethargic and unmotivated.  My perspective.  I’ve also worked with 7^th graders who had literally never swept a floor until they came into my class and had a small chore to complete each day after lunch.  Pathetic.  Again, my perspective.  J

I read an article by Michael Pearl (I wish I had a copy of it, but it was borrowed), and in it he talked about the benefit vs. the liability of a child to a family.  Keep in mind, his perspective is never fluffy or gooey, but practical and without a lot of flowery feel-good language.  The idea is that when children are small, they are a “drain” on the family, but as they emerge into toddlerhood and then grade school, they begin to shoulder their own weight.  By the time they reach the age of 10 or so (if I remember everything correctly), they become an asset and a contributor to the household.  Mr. Pearl’s logic made complete sense to me, and gave me a bit more direction than I had previous.

Rockin' with the duster...lol

Since then, there are a couple of things that I have determined:

• I won’t force my kids to have an impeccable bedroom.  It can’t be dirty (as in real dirt), but I will allow some flexibility. 
• I will be sure that my kids know how to do all the typical household chores (age-appropriate), and they will contribute to the functionality of the household. 

Now the rubber meets the road, and their skills are put to the test.  Mom is virtually out of commission for a few weeks, and dad goes to work every day.  The two weeks following my injury, the kids were still in school.  I had to alternate keeping one of the boys home with me each day the first week because there was just too much risk for me to stay alone.  Whichever one stayed at home did some school work, and pretty much waited on me as needed.  The second week was full with their end-of-year field trip, parties, etc., and I went to work a couple of days.  Greg would come home from work and spend the evening catching up all the chores.  Although he regularly does laundry and helps with whatever needs to be done, he was literally working the entire evening until he would drop into bed.  Those were the weeks where survival was more important than everyone carrying their part of the load. 

No, she's not scrubbing toilets...
I'd prefer her to stick with sweeping,
dusting, or folding towels.  :-)

We’ve now been out of school for one week.  In between coloring pictures, watching DVD’s, working on their summer Bible reading, jumping on the trampoline, reading good books, soaking in the sprinkler, and mowing lawns, they’ve also been sweeping floors, vacuuming carpets, cleaning bathrooms, dusting furniture, hauling out garbage, loading the dishwasher, and preparing light meals.  They love it that I have a stash of chocolate that I will randomly share with cheerful, thorough helpers. 

 

Before leaving the hospital, I was repeatedly asked about the level of help I would receive at home.  I knew that my mom had a full work schedule, so it was up to the kids and me while Greg was at work.  I loved being able to tell the medical personnel that my kids knew more about housekeeping than most husbands, and that we’d be just fine.  One nurse said that she had taken the same approach and she was so happy with the self-sufficiency of her boys “who never brought their laundry home with them while they were away at college.” 

Gotta love the mis-matched sock basket!

Whether or not one feels overwhelmed with household demands, children should (for their sake) be taught how to properly execute tasks…and then be expected to contribute regularly based on what they’ve been taught.  It’s important to make the atmosphere light and fun, even to have everyone working at the same time to teach teamwork and cooperation (and of course, scrubbing toilets is more fun when you know your brothers and sisters and in it with you!). 

From My Point Of View...

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A couple of days after my accident, I read a blog post that spoke words that I needed. Blogger Andrea was talking out her daughter, Nora, and how much Nora loved to chase bubbles that Andrea would blow for her. Andrea noticed whenever she blew bubbles, Nora would focus on one in particular, ignoring all the others that may have been even closer in proximity. She would pass up numerous bubbles in her quest to reach the one that had caught her attention. Andrea likened Nora’s bubble chasing to opportunities that many of us pass up daily. Although focus is a positive thing, sometimes we need to step back and see what is within our grasp that we are missing because we are so fixated upon our “goal.”

When I fell, as you can imagine, my mind began to swirl with anxious thoughts about all that needed to be accomplished within the weeks following. As quickly as the panic would come, it seemed like God would comfort me with the assurance that He would take care of all of those things. He also clearly told me that during these weeks of healing (which sometimes tend to feel very confining) He would provide me with opportunities that I would normally overlook.

Have you ever been rushing through life thinking to yourself, “I really ought to send _____ a note of encouragement,” or “I need to have more one-on-one chats with my children to remind myself of their individuality and draw out their unique concerns and ideas,” or “I would love to be part of a Bible Study or Women's Group!” Those examples just scratch the surface of all the “I wish…” thoughts that scramble their way through one’s mind. You can fill in the blank with your own want to/need to thoughts, I’m sure. But hours turn to days, days to weeks, weeks to months, and astonishingly months can turn into years before we actually quit chasing the big bubble and begin reaching for the multitude of bubbles that are smaller, closer, and probably a whole lot more meaningful.

As you go through your day today and throughout this week, I challenge you to sit down (not to get comfy and fall asleep) and watch as the bubbles of opportunity fall around you. If you begin to see them all at once, grab a pen and paper and make a list so you don’t forget. Prioritize and tackle. My experience is that you’ll feel totally refreshed by experiences that normally wouldn’t garner your attention. I love it that the little bubbles shine, too…if I slow down long enough to experience them before they burst and evaporate!

My Point Of View...

Had I written this post two and a half weeks ago, it would have been nothing like what you’ll read today.  My world was changed simply by one tiny misstep.  I remember my exact thoughts the moment before I stepped on the broken concrete, and I’ve recounted them many times since.  When we plan and our thoughts run through our mind like the current of a strong river, we rarely pause to consider that our very next move could completely alter the course of our days and bring with it a host of complications for which no one would wish.  Although my accident and struggles following are nothing in light of what some face daily, this time of injury and subsequent pain and healing is teaching me lessons.  I’m going to share some of those here. You’ll find these posts titled:

FROM MY POINT OF VIEW

I know my life has drastically changed when something as small as getting the wheelchair from the kitchen to the hardwood floor in the living room gives a huge sense of freedom.  There’s something empowering about being able to get quickly from one end of that room to the other in a relatively short amount of time - comparatively speaking, of course! The trek by walker from my bed to my bathroom seems like an eternity, even though the two rooms are adjacent to one another.

When I began to mentally plan my summer, I didn’t account for the time it would take to get from one room to another.  I didn’t figure in the fact that I wouldn’t be able to drive, wear my right shoe, ride my bike, or take a shower with all of me actually in the shower.  I certainly didn’t plan to be using my grandmother’s wheelchair or my great-grandfather’s walker!  But that’s how life is - unpredictable at best. 

 As I write, my mind goes back to the emergency room in Adrian, MI.  After my leg/ankle was stabilized and I had been given a little pain relief, Greg left the room for a few minutes.  Different medical personnel were coming into my little bedside area, and there were other patients with attending family members on either side of the curtain.  My mind was whirling…our kids were at home in school (except for Allison who was spending the day with a friend), my parents were at a conference in Indiana, and we were in a town where we knew no one and in a hospital of which I had never heard.  I couldn’t even tell you the name of it right now. 

 

As the medics, the student observers, the doctor, and the nurses came in and discussed my situation, my responses must have been positive.  Within a few minutes, a lady that was with a patient next door came over and said, “Boy, if I were in your situation, I don’t know that I could be as optimistic as you are.”  She caught me off guard because I didn’t know that anyone else had been listening to my conversations, but I felt compelled to share with her that my optimism wasn’t a result of my own feelings or circumstances.  I had hope for my future – however different it would be from what I had planned – because I have a Source of strength that is far greater that anything humanly possible.  I began to cry as I responded to her something like this, “Oh, how could I complain?  God has been so good to me!”  We shared a few more words, and she seemed a little uncomfortable as she went back to her loved one.  I don’t know what all she was going through, but I do know that in the days previous to my injury God had been doing a work in my heart.  He was helping me to develop an inward attitude of praise and thanksgiving that was different than anything previous.  I was grateful for the opportunity to celebrate another birthday, and I was savoring every moment like the gift from God that it was.  Honestly, I think that’s what helped me hold it together that day. 

I'm thinking now about a little chorus we used to sing in Good News Club that goes something like this, “With Christ in the vessel, I’ll smile at the storm…”  Although I wasn’t thrilled about my circumstances, the overarching knowledge that God is in control and that He is good gave me the assurance that I could face the uncertainty of my condition and the abrupt change of all of my best laid plans. 

Within a couple of hours of talking with that lady, I encountered the most painful moments of my life.  It sounds crazy, but I didn’t know pain could hurt like that and I begged God for relief.  Did the God that I had been praising just a short time before reach down and remove the suffering?  No, He allowed me to endure it even though I thought I couldn’t bear it another moment.  There were lessons in that, as well.  But for now... 

From my point of view, we are best prepared to face the crises moments when we have

developed an attitude of praise that totally permeates our spirit and splashes onto

those who are eavesdropping on our lives.