Looking back and forward

There were a few things that I felt needed to happen before I could retire. First we would (obviously) have to have an income that we could live on. My early retirement plus Ken's SS would not quite make it. Then, to our surprise, we started receiving enough from the gas well to make up the difference! Secondly, we would need to have paid off (or at least dimished) our indebtedness to a manageable level...which, also thanks to the extra money, will happen. Less importantly, but still a factor, is the status of my principal, and rumor has it that this is her last year. I have said repeatedly that I do not want to stay past her tenure. Do ya' think God is telling me something like: "Yes, it is time."! And none of this is our doing, so in the immortal words of Queen Elizabeth, "This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes!" Exciting days ahead!

Now for the question of moving to east town. There is a house that calls to me, but is not for sale. Our house would have to be sold. And, as always, there is the question of finances. Mark this spot and look for what God will have us do!

Good-bye Wonder Woman

I have always been blessed with the ability to heal faster than the average. If the extimated time of recovery is two weeks, I would be on my feet in 10 days. I just assumed that the recovery from the knee surgery would be the same. I even brought it up when planning the surgery, and the doctor was noncomittal about my plans to return to work in 8 weeks, an attitude I took to mean that he expected me to be ready to return in that time frame. Well, here it is 9 weeks out from surgery, and I still am missing the necessary stamina to return to work. Luckily for me, I have an amazing, understanding principal who didn't bat an eye about me not returning for another month. So, good-bye Wonder Woman, your life in the fast track has now passed me by. I will try to enjoy these last weeks of recuperation, and hope I won't feel too guilty because I am not at work to begin the school year!

Cleaning Closets

It's amazing to me, even though rationally I am aware that I do this routinely, how much "stuff" accumulates in closets. One project I asked for during my convalescence/rehab time was to clean out the "Fibber McGee and Molly" closet in my room. Once upon a time it was my computer station when I had a wonderful old Mac. As the Mac died and went away, the desk was changed into a closet (with a door) and began to accumulate things. It had a bookshelf with books, computer programs, and stationery in the original scheme of things, but the scheme was forgotten and many other things were stashed. Among the things found: a favorite solitare game for the Mac (that will not go on any of the current machines); a boxful of assorted gift bags; and a mysterious $75 in cash that no one knows how or why it got stashed.

And through it all, I am reminded of all the things we accumulate and don't really need. I will not miss the stacks of books, the unused cloth napkins, or the pieces of wrapping paper. I tend to think...oh I'll use those someday, and "someday" just doesn't happen. So they go off to the second-hand bookstore, Goodwill, or recycling, and hopefully will find a more appropriate home.

Surgery progress

Two weeks since my surgery, I am walking without the walker part of the time, my incision site is not terribly painful, the bruising from the surgery is going away, so progress is being made. My range of motion isn't what it needs to be, but it is progressing. My most difficult thing to deal with is that I have a cramp or strain around my hip on that side, and I can't sit comfortably for any length of time. Hopefully that will get resolved soon. Tomorrow I will lose the staples, and my knee will no longer look like a zipper without a pull.

Good bye Sweet Noodle

A change I had been dreading is the passing of our 14-years-old cat, Noodle. I had bee trying to get him well for over 8 months, but he continually lost weight, to the point where he weighed less than 25% of his former weight. He died before I came home from the hospital. He was an intelligent cat, probably the smartest I have ever had. Daddy called him the "big foot cat", since he had seven toes on his front feet. Since I am still recuperating I know his loss hasn't really hit me completely, but I do know there is a noodle-sized hole in the cat population here.

23 hours and counting

In less than 24 hours I will be at the hospital, within the surreal experience of surgery. I am not really excited about that. I know I will lose large chunks of time and be fuzzy about even more, and that never is a comfortable feeling for me. I have been repeatedly warned that the recovery is difficult, and that isn't a good feeling. However, if it means I can go shopping and not have to stop every 20 minutes or so, that is well worth it.

School's out for summer!

Countdown continues, and the checklist is getting checked off. All the reports, plus one I didn't know about, have been turned in. Students have done well on the state standardized tests, so our school's score should be back to where it was several years ago! (Kudos to our administration!) The hospital has called to let me know I am first (ulp) on the surgery list, so I have to be there at 5:30 a.m. (double ulp, Ken and me)

Memorial Day weekend, and plans to do a few things I won't be able to do for a few weeks.

Post-Physical Therapy

I was warned that I might feel stiff/sore/achy after physical therapy yesterday. I guess I wasn't as far out of shape as the PT thought, or else I was doing it wrong, because today I am not at all stiff/sore/achy.

I did have my pre-operation physical today, and all things are set to go. My EKG is normal, and I really think that there will be no surprises in my bloodwork.

At school I had an "invisible" day, meaning I had a substitute, but I was working. I did get things done, I have mostly completed the inventory forms, my personal evaluation is done, signed and turned in. One more thing to check off of the list. Two more days and counting!

Rooster shot

I had my first "rooster shot" (Synvisc) in my left knee today. I'm trying to follow doctor's orders and stay off of it as well as ice it down. He (the doctor) said that it should work well in this knee since the cartilage is not completely gone.

My knee feels stiff, but not achy. However, the "icing" didn't work so well. The ice bag had a tiny hole and I had the experience of ice water running down my knee!

I'm at the end of inventory (we were at 63% when I left to go to the doctor), so tomorrow I will still have to be getting up and down doing that. Other deadlines to be made yet are: the technology survey, the personal evaluation, the expenditure report...I tend to panic when I think about it all, so my solution is to try not to think about it!

Physical Therapy

The countdown continues...
I saw the physical therapist yesterday. He gave me four exercises to do several times a day, and a bit of hope that I'm not hopelessly out of shape. And yet, I keep looking at the calendar and see that the countdown is now 13 days until surgery. It is hard to keep positive, and not focus on the brevity of time.

School is winding down, complete with the normal irritations that happen at this time of year. Yes, I do have to do inventory; yes, I do have to put together the state's required technology survey; yes, my knees do hurt; no, I won't be coming up to third floor to locate the tag number on your computer...It always amazes me how many people are experts on the amount of time my job takes...

Field Day

The countdown is on now, for my knee surgery. I am learning that my original assessment for surgery..."I'm trying to finish the school year." with emphasis on "trying" is more accurate than I knew when I made the statement. Last Friday was our school's field day, and my responsibility was to monitor the four space walks. "No problem," Coach said, "bring a chair and sit down!" Right. I brought a chair, but sitting down was not a viable option. So, I have paid for the six hours of standing with two days of barely having the energy to move. Two more weeks to work...

Why a blog?

I am working through the changes that come with my time of life. I'm not quite 59 yet, and I have already faced several changes that affect the way I live day-by-day. Diabetes and high blood pressure have affected the way I eat and try to stay active, and the knee replacement that is on the schedule promises to do the same. Changes that simply come with age, such as facing retirement and all that that means, are beginning to come into view. This is what I want to share, the challenges, the fears, and the laughter that joins the changes as they come into my life.

"Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and will not be faint."
Isaiah 40:30-31