Back in the Swing

I'm back in the swing of things....kinda.

With my new found mobility, I have returned to some of the smaller tasks at home. You know, cooking a simple meal, rotating laundry, loading the dishwasher, wiping counters, etc. Nothing ground breaking, but definitely progress. The absence of my cast has made those things a little easier. But the space boot I now don makes things a little tricky. The boot and slippery surfaces are seething enemies, and if I'm not careful, I'll be caught flat on the floor as a victim of circumstance!

Not only am I able to do a little around the house, I'm back to my small, "home business," more affectionately known as...Avon.

Now readers, I have to say up front, I have been an Avon customer for most of my adult life. I believe in their products because I have tried their products. There was always someone I knew selling it, and I made myself available to buy it. But I have to be honest. Avon ladies don't last very long. Or at least none that I purchased from lasted long. Fortunately, there are new representatives cropping up everyday, so it's never impossible to get the products. After my last Avon lady stopped selling, I decided that I would take up the gauntlet. Even if I didn't make a dime, I could purchase their great products at a discount.

I have been selling for almost 2 years, and I'm not exactly what Avon Corporation would call successful. I don't make loads of money; I would have to sell much, much more to do that. But I like my pace, and the good thing about Avon is that you can move up any time you want to.

Unfortunately, all of my Avon endeavors took a back seat to my health issues this year. My first surgery in March made it impossible to do anything. Then my injury in July only extended that impossibilty. I have been "off my feet" for nearly half the year. To clarify, being "off my feet" consisted on either being on crutches, in a wheel chair, or under strict doctor's orders to keep my foot elevated for most of the day. So you can imagine why Avon was put on hold.

With Christmas approaching, I wanted to get back into selling, if for nothing but the discount for myself. I received my first shipment today, and it's just about as fun as a kid at Christmas! I love sorting my orders, filling bags, looking through the new books. I've really missed it.

Since I have trouble walking for any length of time, I have bought quite a bit of Christmas gifts through Avon. This has made "shopping" easier. Unfortunately, they don't sell the X Box 360 Elite. Go figure....they have just about everything else!

So, I'm back in the swing of peddling my wares and having a fun with something I have had to set aside for a loooong time.

I'm glad things are returning to normal...at least a quasi norm!

The Cast is Off, Now the Boot

I have got to post some pix of this space boot I now wear. Just think of "Lost in Space."


But Hooray!! The cast is gone! I've never been so excited about a doctor's appointment in all my life. I waited with much anticipation as the Dr. Assistant sawed my cast off. The unveiling of my puny, atrophied calf was a welcomed sight. The space boot is easier to walk in, but it will take some practice. At least I can take the air cast off when I bathe and sleep. And I'm just tickled pink about that! It is no more stylish than my red cast, but the dull gray walking boot allows me more ease of mobility.


Now the next phase. I will wear the air cast for 4 weeks. I am still unable to drive or play the piano, but 6 weeks of this process is behind me...I'm almost half way through this ordeal.


After the air cast, I will "transition" into a brace and begin my physical therapy. That will last another 4 weeks. *sigh* Sometimes I think this will never end. As much as I want to rush this and get it behind me, I am very much aware of how careful I must be. Even though I am 6 weeks into this, I still can't move my foot left to right. It is painfully stiff, and trying to move my ankle in any direction other than up and down could result in the ligaments detaching from the bone. And I really don't want that.


I have to be grateful. At least I won't spend Christmas and New Years on crutches!

And you think ground chuck is expensive

Even though it's Christmas time, Kevin and I are trying, really trying, to diet. It's not easy, but it's not impossible either.

Here's our reward for one another. It's a stimulus, if you will.

For each pound we lose, we get $10 for new clothing. At 10 bucks a pound, it's seems expensive, but if either of us shed 15 pounds, we will need new clothes.

Hehehehehehe....I have an advantage. Hehehehehehehe....my cast comes off Monday, and I'm sure it doesn't weigh 5 pounds, I'm sure it weighs at least 1 or 2. SCORE!!!!

I'll keep you updated!

Counting.....

Hehehehehehe.....

My husband and I had lunch together today. Among the things we discussed was the fact that Christmas is only TWO weeks away.

AACCCKKKK!

This is the crucial point where the parents start counting down the days and the dollars. Less than 2 weeks of shopping days left and a LOAD of shopping left to do!

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas

Tis done....I have my tree up and aglow! The other 4 crates are going to have to go back into the storage room. I haven't the energy to spend to strategically place all those things in my home. Pity...I did so last year. Oh well, my greatest feat was getting my tree up, and that have I conquered.

Now it's time for Christmas dinnerware. I have two choices...my pink christmas tree dishes or my square Christmas plates from Linens and Things. Hmmmm....I have a hard time deciding because I absolutely LOVE dishes. I had some snowman dishes, but I gave them away last year. I could use my plain white trimmed in gold but I'm looking for a more festive look. Of course, I can always interchanged and swap things around a bit.

Let's see...the next biggie is presents! There will be more of those to come, but I can't post about it. My kids read my blog!

In the Christmas Spirit...sort of

I'm a little weary....it's December 5Th and my Christmas tree is still in my storage room. Technically, it's only about 35 feet away from where it will hopefully soon stand, but it might as well be on the other side of the earth right now.

Behind the window unit air conditioner, behind the crates of hardback Reader's Digests, underneath the storage totes of quilts and bedspreads lies the emblem of Christmas home decorations. On top of it is piled my outside lights, wreaths for the windows, boxes of village scenes, all waiting to adorn my humble abode. In that dark storage room, they have no life. But here in my living room, they radiate the ambiance of Christmas.

My recent surgery has almost zapped me of my Christmas spirit and will. I'm not going to be a bah-humbug about everything, but the preperations for the season are twice the challege they would normally be.

I yawn just thinking about it. Maybe that's because my sinus meds are fast at work ;>

I have made one step of progess. My love, Kevin, took me to Dollar General on his lunch break yesterday. I found a couple of sets of net lighting that I had been wanting to use on my bushes in front of my porch. Great. But when I got home, I realized, those crazy bushes need to be trimmed. Fortunately, I have two teenage boys who love to work outside. Even though it was raining, Jordan trimmed all the bushes. Hugs to my sweetheart!

So tonight, yes TONIGHT, we are dragging that tree out, throwing those wreaths on the windows, and getting this place looking like it's actually December!

Disclaimer: The term "We" should not be interpreted to include the author, Rita. "We" solely represents the elbow grease of Daniel, Jordan, and Savannah. The author is simply acting as director and decorator, NOT box mover or light hanger.

The Countdown

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, the countdown has begun.

You know, the countdown?

The one just about every single parent in the world knows about...the countdown to Christmas. And if you have over eager children like mine, the countdown started before Thanksgiving. It kinda starts somewhere in August. Funny thing. There's never a countdown to the first day of school. Wonder why?

Yes, the countdown starts earlier every year, or so it seems. It's getting downright ridiculous. Christmas decorations sit along side the halloween stuff. Thanksgiving is just a day to eat turkey, and many times, just a prequel to the now infamous Black Friday. I look for all these holidays to eventually be one huge conglomerate...something like Laborhallowgivingmas. After all, everything is "Holiday Season." Now, I won't fight you over Labor Day or Halloween, but I want Thanksgiving and Christmas to stand on their own!

Suppose we go to conglomerate holidays...let's see...aside from Laborhallowgivingmas that would give us Newvalenspatrick and Eastmemorialpendence. Can you imagine the greeting cards?? Comglomerates just don't have an appealing ring to their names. Hmmmm....

I know. Let's just keep all the holidays separate. Let's enjoy each one for their own worth. Let's stop bypassing Thanksgiving as a time of thankfulness. It's terrible when shopping has become the Thanksgiving Day icon.

I want to enjoy all of this, not roll it into one big event.

So, I'm gonna slow it down a bit. It will be here before you know it. Then it will be too late to relish all the joys that come with Christmas.

Carpe Diem!