Before The Fall--After The Fall

Alls I know that before the fall I was doing well. Well, that is except for my right shoulder and my torn rotator cuff. Which is soon to be mended. Like tomorrow that is. I have the first surgery for the day with my orthopedic surgeon.


My knee implant was healing fine. It was in it's right position. The tissues were filling in around the implant as they were supposed to be doing. My knee was getting stronger--I could feel the strength coming back into it. I was beginning to feel like it was sorta a normal knee--that is if an artificial knee can feel normal. Maybe an artificial knee feeling normal is a misnomer. But then I don't know because I'm only human & I don't know everything. (That's not my knee x-ray pict, just a pict of a knee implant.)

I was beginning to do a bit more in my house as far as organizing. As you know, I was stymied as to organizing my house. I was tired of trying to organize when I didn't think I knew how. But then I don't think I know how to do much of anything. So finally I hired a professional organizer. Forrest is his  name. He came to be with me last March 2009. We went through my whole house & identified the spaces & what I thought they're use was for. For certain, the only thing I knew was my bedroom & the bed. I sleep there! In fact if it were a bit bigger room I could just live in there.

Maybe it's true that I should just own a long house like the old Indians used to build. That way I could just partition off the various spaces in the long house as designated areas. But then, what do I know of long houses. I've never been in one, never seen one, except in a picture, and don't know anyone who has ever lived in one. So, this is only my conception of a long house.

Anyways, Forrest & I have been re-organizing my house. I now have a sewing room, a guest bedroom, guest bathroom, an office space off my living room, my designated living area, my kitchen & laundry area, my mistress bedroom & bath.

It's good to have designated spaces & the stuff, yes I said stuff, that belongs in that area. It's hard for me to have stuff because I want to see all of it & for me that means stuff need to be out in the open sitting around. But for Forrest, having stuff means it's put away in it's designated space & if it's contained stuff, it's labeled in its container. I guess I've learned to put most & I say most of my stuff away. I will never have a Martha Stewart home, I'm not made that way. I like stuff & as I said I want to see my stuff so I still have stuff out, although it's more or less in its designated area. Except for my filing. I have papers to file that are out, it's just because I'm lazy that they are out.

Now are we stuffed after that last paragraph. I know I've stuffed that paragraph with more stuff than I think I own. But we'll see.

But maybe now that I'm having surgery, tomorrow, while I'm healing I can file papers away. I'm sure I can do that one handed, especially with my left hand. I'm not as ambidextrous as I would like.

I have a ride to the hospital. A volunteer from Eccho is coming to pick me up at 5:45 am. She even volunteered to call me to make sure I'm up & ready to go. Now that is above and beyond the call of giving me a ride to the hospital. I don't know if I'm staying over night yet--I won't know until after I see the doc before surgery. I have to make sure he's not cutting into my flesh where my tattoo of my Welsh Dragon is located. I'm sure everything will be okay & my tattoo will be saved. If not, I'll have to take another trip to Wales and get another one.

I have meals on wheels delivering me meals. I'll call them after I get back & increase the number of meals being delivered. She asked if I wanted 2 meals delivered a day, but I only opted for one. I didn't know what I was going to get or if I would like the taste of them (picky, picky, picky). I tried Chicken Fried Steak today & it was good.

So, this is--After The Fall

(BTW--that's the side of my foot over there in the pict on the left--I was reading my blog & I said to myself, "What in the heck is that pict of over there? So I thought I'd add a note here just in case you were as confused as I was.)

I'm hobbling around here. My body is sore all over from falling on the floor in front of my love seat. I have a big owie on my forehead. A bruise on my right upper arm. My left knee developed a light bruise overnight. As you can see above I'm pretty banged up. My left big toe is swollen & purple & all the other colors that are considered bruise colors.

After I had my x-rays taken of my knee & I got to see the doc, there were no fractures, cracks, or splintering of the bones & the knee implant was still where it was supposed to be. My knee cap is still in place & it too is fine, no fractures or any thing.

The doc tested my leg. He made me hold it straight out. I was able to do that. Pass one test. Then he made me flex it to test the the bend again. Yeah, pass test two. Doc is very pleased. Then he pushes against the front leg and makes me resist the push. Hooray, pass test three. Then he pushes against the side of my leg and makes me resist telling me to show him how strong my leg is. Yeah, I can resist the pushing--I pass test four. Hip hip hooray!!! My knee is okay!!!

I was sent back up to x-ray so they could x-ray my left big toe. I talked to the nurse today & yeah, there's no break anywhere. The doc looked & looked at all the x-rays they took & everything is okay. It's only badly bruised & swollen. I can continue to wear the boot they put on my foot if it's more comfortable than my shoe. That's if I can get my foot into my shoe, I couldn't yesterday so I may be wearing the boot in the morning. I went mis-shoed to the doc's office. One shoe on, one shoe off, deedle deedle dumpling my son John. Maybe it should be, one shoe on, one shoe off, deedle deedle dumpling my daughter Fostine.

Well that's enough for now. I'm showered, hair washed, clean sheets on the bed, clean pillow cases. Clothes laid out, stuff to take with me in the morning on the couch.

I'm off to bed. Good night my kitties, my luvs, my peeps.

      Glory-oksie Zero, I wish today were tomorrow, luv Fostine.

I'm Not Climbing The Matterhorn!!!

Hello everyone, I want to confirm that I am taking it easy so I don't do any more damage to my right injured shoulder. Yes, it hurts!!! I'm cat napping with my M&M's (Myrtle & Melky), I'm sitting watching TV & I'm certainly not climbing the Matterhorn--not with a torn rotator cuff.

YES EVERYONE I'M TAKING IT EASY!!!

I'm taking it so easy I'm bored to tears & to death. I want something to happen. Surgery, Surgery, Surgery. At least the time got moved up. I'm now the first person my doc will operate on, on June 17. I have to be at the hospital by 6:15 am. Now that is going to be a challenge for me. Since I am not a morning person, I'll have to set my alarm clock. I have a bad habit of turning off alarm clocks & going back to sleep.

I cleared off my big work table in the kitchen. Simmer down now, no, I didn't lift anything heavy. Just small stuff, patterns, fabric, magazines, mail (how it got on there I don't know OR I'm not admitting that I know how it got there--take your choice), and I actually put away the stuff I took off the table. Yeah for me. Just look at all that mail I took off my work table--yowie--way too much stuff!!

If you call going to the grocery store fun okay--I went to the grocery store yesterday. Yes, I even made out a real shopping list. I tried to group the items according to the floor plan of the store, too. I picked up my big bag of cat food, box of kitty litter, small bag of indoor cat food, t-pape, & I got tired again. I pushed the cart to the prescriptions department & sat there for awhile. I just told them I was taking a break resting my hurt shoulder. Even my new knee got tired, too.

When I got home I realized that my knee--the outside tissues were sore & I had a bit of heat in the knee itself. But the nurse told me this would happen off & on during this first year so I didn't panic over it. But I still don't like a hurting shoulder & a hurting knee. Too much hurting going on for me today.

When I got home I only brought in the paper bags. I put away anything that went in the fridge or the pantry. All I have left are the garbage bags & they go in the pantry so I must have yelled, I'M TIRED--NO MORE FOR NOW. I left the cat food for later & brought it in after resting that evening. The kitty litter can just sit in the trunk until someone comes to help me.

I guess that's all I've been doing except watching TV. I've been following the Yankees. They lost the last 2 games to the Blue Jays. Derek Jeeter was seen rubbing Robinson Cano's bat, during batting practice, trying to garner some of his luck--or so said the sports news casters. Myself, I don't think it did him much good.

Colorado Rockies lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks last night. Good for the Diamondbacks, they finally came out of a long losing steak. I hope they can keep it up.

Ken Griffey, Jr., of the Seattle Mariners announced his retirement June 2nd. Newspapers reported he was found sleeping in the club house. It's my opinion, and only my opinion, he retired because they wouldn't put a cot in the dug out & wake him up an inning before they needed him to play!!!

Tigers' Armando Glaarraga of the Detroit Tigers was robbed by ump's (Jim Joyce) terrible call--he didn't get his perfect game. All I know is the umpire need to go back to umpire school to know when a player is OUT. I could see plainly on my TV the player was out. WHAT'S JIM JOYCE'S PROBLEM? Boy did he get booed.

Geez, I hope I'm not boring anyone here with this plain, transparent, evident, distinct, perceptible, straightforward, unequivocal posting that I'm not doing anything fun.

My butt is tired from sitting here trying to write about something from nothing. I'm going to go to bed--

Good night my kitties, my luvs, my peeps!!!

    --Glory-oskie Zero, I wish today were tomorrow, luv Fostine.

Sewn' In The Past

Shucky darn, not sewn' today, but probablysewn' many many months ago. Maybe even years ago.

I'm currently not sewing, but keeping my right injured shoulder fairly still. I'm doing little things that won't overwork it.

I have sewed many things in the past; but as to finished, bound, quilted quilts--naught, none, Nada! I have finished small items; coasters, water bottle carriers, pin cushions, placemats, table mats, potholders, banners, table runners, wall hangings & gift bags.

Some were done as challenges, some were done in classes, some were done just because I saw someone else had made one & I was greedy & I wanted one.

All-in-all everything I've finished has lead me to better quality sewing. Yes, I'm a fanatic, I'm a purest--I like to work with 100% cotton, & I'm a perfectionist!!! I have sewed seams & decided that they did not match--ripped them out until I thought I wore the fabric out--but I was finally satisfied with my sewing. I hate sewing crooked seams, blocks that don't match, points that get lost in the seams, & blocks that I make that go crooked. And by golly I don't even live in a crooked house, or have a crooked dog, or maybe I'm the one that's crooked & that's why things I sew go crooked!!!

Sew my kitties, my luvs, my peeps, we must sew on...

      --Glory-oskie Zero I wish today were tomorrow, luv Fostine.

Sewn' In The Past Slide Show

Music--Nsync: "When You Wish Upon A Star"

Out For The Season

Okay, here we go. I went to see my orthopedic surgeon to get the results of my MRI today. I had a 10:45 am appt. By 11:30 am he makes it into my exam room.

He shows me two printed out pages from the MRI technician. Hrmmph, why they aren't even in color. Black & white print outs, somebody better update their printers--I'm paying enough to merit color. I want color!!! What? Is he talking to me--oh no he's pointing to the print out of my shoulder. Has he been talking to me all this time? Listen Fostine, right there, there's a tear in your rotator cuff. Nooooooo!!! Nooooooo!!! I said I only wanted good results from the MRI Technician. Now there are two things we can do, first nothing. Nothing? Why would I do nothing? We could do nothing & hope the pain will eventually go away. Yeah sure, the pain is NOT in your shoulder. I think not, this pain is in my shoulder & it's not going away. Who do you think I am? I wasn't born yesterday. Second, I can go in there & do repair surgery to your rotator cuff. Scrape & clean it out & take care of any bone spurs that might have developed, too.

Well, believe me, I'm not going home to see if this pain miraculously stops. Just schedule me for surgery. Let's see Fostine how long has it been now since your knee surgery? Why do I have to remember everything? I'm sure it's right there in my file. Answer the man Fostine; seven and one half months. That's good. Then he walks me over to the picture of the shoulder hanging on the wall, he begins to describe the method he will be using for my surgery. He said some surgeons will do laparoscopic surgery, but he prefers to make a small incision here, get his finger inside my shoulder & manipulate the innards until he finds the area he wants to repair, do the scraping & then get out of there. It's considered day-surgery since you are just in-and-out; and because it doesn't take that long. But he'll see if my insurance will pay to let me stay overnight since he know I'm a wimp. But this time I'll take my allergy pills with me to the hospital (that's another story from my major surgery).

He says his nurse will be right in with an order for blood work & an EKG. Then his office manager will be calling me in a few days with the scheduled surgery date. Well that's the same thing that happened to me when I said okay to knee surgery. I got showed the picture of the knee, explanation of the surgery, blood work & EKG paper work. The next thing I knew I was in the hospital & they were prying my earrings from my ears, wheeling me into the OR & that's all she wrote.

I guess here in the long haul, as my nephew Mike would say, I'm out for the season. Repairing a torn rotator cuff when you're a base ball player is not good news. But I'll tell you I told those blasted people where I got my MRI done, I only wanted good news. This to me is not good news. Surgery no matter how quick is not good news. I'm off to twitter & to face book so I can make a quick remark there. Then I'll get into my PJ's & have a good cry.

Good night my kitties, my luvs, my peeps.


         --Glory-oskie Zero, I wish today were tomorrow, luv Fostine.

Survival From The Nasty MRI

My friend Elinor drove me to my MRI appointment Friday. Either I had better driving directions or I'm a better co-pilot. We made it to the building without getting lost. (I mention this because the last person she took to the same building last week, they got lost.) That's the only good part of this post. No, I take that back the polish dog & soda pop at Costo was the highlight of this trip.

Trip, tripping, was I tripping? I was soooo nervous about this MRI after the last fiasco. I got registered & sat down to wait to be called in for my appointment. My hands started shaking, the magazine felt too heavy to hold & was dragging down my tendinitised shoulder. It actually made my shoulder hurt to hold that magazine. My hands were shaking so badly I couldn't turn the pages to the magazine. I kept looking at my watch. (I should have left it at home.) Why? Why aren't they calling me it's 12:15, 15 minutes after my appointment time.

Crimminy, am I going to hyperventilate now? Why I don't even have a brown paper bag in my purse to breathe in--let alone any color paper bag. Relax Fostine, you're not even in the MRI room yet. Relax read your SI (Sports Illustrated) magazine. No, I can't do that, do they have a barf bag handy--now my stomach's churning. I wonder if anyone ever threw up in one of these machines? Relax Fostine, just sit back and relax, I can't there are too many people coming into this waiting room. Don't they know this is my air? Damn their sucking up all the air from this room. I can't take it, I've got to get out of here. What Elinor, oh, they called my name. It's about time.

Well, she asked how I was today & I told her. Oh dear are you going to be okay. I'm still sure I'm going to throw up. But just relax Fostine, let's get this over with. Smile at the nice lady Fostine, assure her you won't barf in the machine. We go into dressing room 2. Oh, you're giving me a gown to wear, I didn't get one at our local hospital, cheapies!!! Just let me get a little info about you Fostine then you can change clothes & I'll come back & get you. No, you stay put, just close the dressing room door, I'll talk why I change clothes. I was trying to hurry this along as fast as possible. Tell me what you've been doing before your right shoulder began hurting. Believe me, I've told this so many times now I don't want to tell it again, but being a nice old lady, I tell her my story.

Okay, she's going down to see if the room is ready for me. Great!!! Just leave me alone again. I wonder if I can just grab my purse, clothes & make a break for it. Blast she's too quick for me, the room's ready for you, just follow me. Wait!!! There's an exit sign, will she notice I'm not following anymore? Oh no, she's turned around, she must have read my mind. No, she's apologizing for not calling me on time for my appointment. The woman before me couldn't lay still so they had many re-dos with her. Okay Fostine, bring back that old training your mama made you learn--you were always told to sit still when your mama took you to the grocery store with her. She'd clear a space on the lower shelf & tell me to stay put & sit still. I'll go pick up my groceries & be right back. I stayed put, I sat still, I know I can make it through this. I WILL LAY STILL and I'll have no re-dos.

Thank goodness there were no re-dos for me. I lay still in that horrible machine. Even if it had open sides I don't know what good they did me. I couldn't turn to look to see if they were still open. That would mean that I moved & that would kill the scan. Then I opened my eyes & saw that my face was only 6 to 8 inches from the top of the machine. Close you eyes Fostine.

During one scan it popped into my head that I knew I died. I'm dead. I don't think I breathing any more. Why these people have scared me to death in this blasted machine. When I don't answer to their next directions, they'll find out I've died in this thing. No, no, I hear her voice coming through the ear phones. Relax, breath normally, we'll take a quick look at this scan. You're doing really well. Good, it all looks good, we'll only have two more long scans and your done. Well I didn't die of fright in that machine. That's good. They didn't have to exit me by the back door into a hearse.

Finally at the end of the last scan she says they are done & she'll be back in the room shortly to get me out of this blasted machine. I hear her talking to me telling me she's pressing the button & can feel the table begin moving. Darn, darn how far inside this thing have I been pushed? Am I ever going to see daylight again. Have I entered the Twilight Zone; I think I'm caught in an endless loop & I'm never going to get out of this miserable machine--ever in my life time. I will endlessly be coming out of some-endlessly long machine. Just my luck!!! Oops, I made a mistake again, look I'm finally able to see the first glimpse of the ceiling. Oh, glory-oskie Zero, it's so beautiful. Look I can see the whole ceiling & that beautify ceiling light. If I could take a picture of the first thing I saw it would be that ceiling light, but she said my cell phone would have died in that room due to all the magnetic stuff in there.

Well we walk back to dressing room two. Change clothes & walk to the exit. Look, I'm moving under my own power, I'm not yelling & screaming. She reminds me that their technician will read my MRI scans & send the information on to my orthopedic surgeon. Okay, okay, I don't care, just don't let the door hit me in my behind as I get out of that building, home, safe, safe at home at last.

Thank goodness my kitties, my luvs, my peeps, for feeling safe, being safe & knowing I'm safe here at home...

     --Glory-oksie Zero, I wish today were tomorrow, luv Fostine

A Celtic Thunder Editorial

...am I turning into a protective mother hen?

Sharon Browne, Creator and Producer of Celtic Thunder has the fans in an uproar. Apparently she published an ad for open auditions for Celtic Thunder to hire 5 more gentlemen. (Notice I wrote gentlemen not lads.)

What? Huh? Now what's going on Sharon?

The fans have been ranting, feeling resentful, infuriated, maddened, nettled, choleric & vexed at this posting. Some fans are asking, she's not replacing our original lads is she? You'll not make a fake Celtic Thunder group to tour Europe Netherlands, & Australia will you? You'll not hire another 14 year old to lip-sync Damo's songs on a European tour will you? Fans tell her she's the only one they've heard of that sells tickets to shows so far in advance. Fans are worried that the advance tickets they hold now might not turn out to be with the Original Celtic Thunder group or will they have to see a Fake CT group. If its not the original lads they wonder if they can get their money back.

One thing Sharon did say according to a fan's posting that the new five gentlemen would be considered replacements in case one of the lads was too sick to appear in a concert or if one of the lads had a private engagement & was not available to appear at the concert. The fans are still relentless that, that isn't necessary. Why on earth then when one of the lads was sick & didn't perform did she have Neil Byrne, from the band, introduced as the 6th Celtic Thunder lad when he performed that night. Now isn't that Neil's role now--to take over if one of the lads is sick & can't perform that night? Fans want clarification of Neil's role in Celtic Thunder. (It's my opinion, and only my opinion that Neil is the 6th CT Lad, and needs to get to perform MORE.)

As for the lads having outside engagements, the fans pointed out that she has the lads under a 7 year contract which says all the lads' concert appearance come first. Then and only then may the lads engage in solo performance else where. Fans also point out there have been many many other singing groups that have toured all over the world that did not engage backup performers. Also many members of those groups have been married, had to be away from their families, incurred emergencies & still successfully toured for many years with out engaging backup singers. Why then does she think CT needs 5 new gentlemen for backups?

Doesn't Sharon think that fans in Europe, the Netherlands, & Australia know that Damien is not 14 years old any more. Through the Internet, YouTube, the DVDs fans all over in many countries have seen that he's grown up. Fans are emailing Sharon--leave things alone we only want to see the Original Group.

Fans have crammed Sharon's blog in replies that if she's promised the lads she would book tours for them to include Europe, Netherlands, & Australia then she should honour the lads by taking them and not sending some fake CT group. Fan's are ruthless that if she hires 5 new gentlemen, don't call them Celtic Thunder. There is only one true CT Group, Damien, Keith, Paul, Ryan, George & now Neil. Let it be Sharon--honour your promises to the lads, they've performed their hearts out for you, they've kept to their contract, now you keep true to them--outraged fans have spoken out.

Fans know that it's been you Sharon that made them blog, made them register on face book, made them share their lives on Twitter to keep them in the spot light when they're not touring. Fans thank the lads for being so cooperative in sharing their lives with us.

Personally now, when I found the lads were on Twitter, I signed in got an account only so I could follow the lads' tweets. I feel privileged to be a part of their lives that they choose to share. I know that no one wants to read about my boring life as I tweet about my left-over short rib sandwich, or that I'm home from physical therapy, or my doc demands an MRI on my right shoulder. Who in the hell cares about my dull life? But then again I am digressing.

My own opinion of all this melee is--Sharon, I don't want a new fake CT group. I don't want to see replacements at a concert if one of the lads is sick--you have Neil, he can stand in for any of the lads. I support only the original Celtic Thunder lads, Damien, Keith, Paul, Ryan, George & Neil!!!

Sharon Browne you are bringing out the mother hen syndrome in me. I feel very protective of MY LADS. Yes I said my lads since I've seen them on TV & follow their blogs & tweets. Have you ever seen a mother hen with her baby chicks? When she senses danger she cluck-clucks in a manner that the babies have learned to run home to mama. She spreads her wings and tucks her babies gently under her. Sharon I'm feeling very much like a mother hen and I am cluck-clucking to gather the lads under my protective wings to champion them through all this commotion, melee, tussle, row, fracas, brouhaha. So there Sharon Browne!!!

Well my kitties, my luvs, my peeps, I guess I've made my feeling known here but I have some other things to do now so I'm off once again...

    --Glory-oskie Zero, I wish today were tomorrow, luv Fostine.