I'm Here

I don't carry my camera when I'm on crutches.  I don't paint, garden, bake or craft either.  

Apparently, I don't blog either.

The following is a brief update even though I'm not moving at my usual pace:

Surgery on Tuesday morning and I should be home early afternoon.

Easy peasy!  I hope.

*I went to work a couple days and got things ready for next week.

*On Friday afternoon Hubby came home and we are happy he's here.  Twelve days is too many!

*Max has less than two months of school left. {freak out}

We are planning his graduation party, trying to decide on a date and setting a menu.

Danny wanted a big cheese tray at his party, Sam wanted bacon wrapped water chestnuts and Max wants rhubarb punch.  I fill in from there, but each of them has had a request.  Max wants the bacon wrapped water chestnuts too.  We just can't decide if Sunday afternoon or Wednesday night would be better.

*I've been reading.  The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin, I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella and Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard, none of which are too heavy but they occupy me.

*Oh, and I pin.  I did actually make a marinade for the chicken tonight that I found on Pinterest.

*I'm not going to lie, I have good days and not so good days.  I am looking forward to going about my business at my usual speed.

Until then...

A Long Story That Goes On and On

If you haven't read Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3
and Chapter 4, go ahead and do that now.

Chapter 5

Meanwhile, I've been waiting for appointments and answers for my knee and jumping through insurance hoops and referrals.  Fortunately, there were cancellations, I was able to have my MRI and see an orthopedic surgeon on Friday.  I was hoping for a sprain, or a torn meniscus or a torn ACL or none of the above.  Unfortunately, my knee has a torn meniscus, a torn ACL, and a contusion on the bone.  I've been sent home for a week to reduce swelling and increase my range of motion(ROM).  It's difficult as I try to increase the range of motion, it tends to swell back up.  I'm working on it though.

On Friday I return to the doctor and then I'm scheduled for surgery on the following Tuesday.

I've had a lot of help.  Rides, dinners, gardeners, visitors, care packages, flowers and housekeeping have all shown up.  Max and Kassie worked hard on Saturday.  

I am overwhelmed and very grateful for every friend and family member that have helped me. 

I'm taking care of correspondence, balancing the checkbook, keeping up on the laundry, and making lists of things that I need to take care of after I recover.

I am trying to stay positive, improve my ROM,reduce the swelling and keep my sanity.

Max is amazing and has been very, very good to his Mama.
I'll keep you posted.

She Said Yes!

 Max had a little project yesterday.  He wanted to ask Kassie to JSB (our high school's prom) and he wanted to be creative.  I kept coming up with ideas that were "lame."  He eventually decided to ask her to come over and hot tub and to have "JSB?" in lights in the trees.  I helped him draw the letters on the cardboard and Max did the rest.  And then he stalled on asking her to come over until it was getting dark.

He had sparkling cider and a plan to turn the lights on after they had been in the hot tub for a bit.

I'm just relieved that Kassie said yes.

Easter on the Farm 2012

We had Easter on the farm this year.  It seems complicated to other people but it's really very simple.  On Easter we get together with my Dad's brother's family and my Mom's sister's family.  My Dad's SIL and my mom's sister were BFF's in high school, my Mom's sister passed away, but her kids and grandkids still come but her husband doesn't cuz he got remarried.  What's so complicated about that?

Anyhoo, my Uncle Darryl and Aunt Judy hosted this year and they live on the farm, I love that, Easter, new life, a farm, it's great.  Aunt Judy made a darling centerpiece that she'd seen on pinterest.  I love it when someone actually makes something from pinterest instead of just pinning it.

There is a basketball court upstairs in their barn.  The bigs and the littles had a wild game.  I think it was Levi and Max against Alex and the littles.

Emily trying to guard Dylan.  You go girl!

Abby Jo, (I just love her) is turning into a beautiful young woman.  She is so kind.

Huh?  Romeos (farmer boots) and basketball shorts?  Girl, where is your pretty Easter dress and bonnet?

As you can see in the background behind Dylan, the farm is right on the US Canada border.  We try to keep our Easter egg hunt good clean fun so as not to turn it into an international incident.

Hey, it's minimax!

Miss T. had a nap right before the hunt.  She looked so pretty in her Easter dress.

Hey bud, thanks for taking time to smile, there's an egg in the branches for you!

Thanks for hosting us Uncle Darryl and Aunt Judy!  Thanks Kathi for making and bringing the potato casserole for me!  Thanks for running around with my camera, Melinda!

It took me a good part of the morning to get get ready to go, I'm a little slow on the crutches and just kinda woozy in the morning; however, I made to dinner.

A Long Story Continued...Blah, Blah, Blah

 Chapter 4

We have a mini photo shoot at the top.  We see Jim and Stacy and their kids, visit with them and we ski down.  I am loving life.

I'm starting to get a little tired and want to get back to chair 7.  There is something reassuring about seeing the lodge when you're getting tired.  Dor skies off to find Marc and Cameron to ski with them.  Shelly and I head to ski closer to the lodge.

Still, best day ever.

As we get to the little track, a SLOW area, that is clearly marked SLOW, I feel like there is a fair amount of traffic as the trails kinda meet up.  So, I wait until it's clear and start skiing down.

BAM SLAM

I literally get slammed from behind and fly up in the air.  My knee hyper extends and my head gets bumped.

I always try to keep this blog family friendly.  That said, I can only say I was hit from behind by some 

dumb a** boarder.  Going too fast and definitely out of control.

I say I'm ok, I stand up and yeah, I'm not okay.  My knee crumples and I kinda want to cry.

But I don't.

Shelly is looking a little freaked out. A ski instructor comes by and asks if I'm

 okay and I gotta say no.  It kills me but I'm really not okay.  He calls for help and I tell him I don't want to ride in a sled but I do need help.  They help me to the side, a medic comes on a snowmobile.  

His name is Brian and he's very kind.  

I tell the ski instructor he may go, I'm fine.  But the little girl in pink that he's giving the lesson to is very concerned and says, "I wanta stay with her."  So sweet.  Everyone is kind and professional at this point.  I really appreciate Mt. Baker's medic crew and the little girl in pink and Shelly.

They get me to the aid station and of course, they aren't allowed to diagnosis me but they get me comfortable and get me some Ibos and ice.  They fill out paper work.

They aren't allowed to diagnosis me but I am hearing torn ACL in the background.

Shelly runs around returning gear, getting the truck, the wine and the crutches.  Paul, the medic rearranges my knee and if I don't move I feel ok.  I'm praying for a sprain.

Shelly comes back, I tell her to text Dor  to not quit skiing as I'm fine.  Which Dor hadn't because she thought we were joking anyway.  Shell and I have a glass of wine and we make lots of new friends at the aid station. Dor, Marc and Cam show up. They load me up and we go home.

Sadly, the hot tub party is off.

I don't go to the ER as it's not life threatening.   I go to bed with pain meds and ice.

Saturday morning I call for a doctor appointment, take a precarious shower, Shelly picks me up and we go to the doctor.  Since it's Saturday I can't get an MRI so I have to wait until Tuesday to see my regular doc and get referred on.  The doc is pretty sure I have a torn ACL.  I have a knee brace, ice, and pain meds.  

FAQ's

Would I go again? Yes!

Am I mad? Nah, poop happens and I had  a fantastic day on the mountain.

Will I ski again?  I'm hoping I'm healed up for next year.

How's the timing?  Horrible.  Hubby is leaving for 12 days.

Friends and family?  Yep, I gott'em.  I hate to ask for help but I may have to and it's okay cuz they'll get me back.  And they know I'm good for it.

I'll keep you posted.

To Be Continued...

A Long Story Continued... and Cheering Up

Chapter 3

Skiing comes back to me.  I am pretty strong from boot camp.  I lack a bit of confidence and hesitate to lift my feet off the ground in a turn but pretty soon it feels pretty natural.  I'm not tearing up the slopes but rather I am traversing back and forth while taking my time.  The sun is out.  We take several runs up chair 7 and then decide to move on to chair 8 or 9, I forget which one.  

It goes good.  We are having a great partly sunny day at Baker.  

 As I was heading toward the lodge for lunch, an old guy and I mean old, is going back and forth.  I fall to avoid hitting him, it's my first fall and not a bad one.

We have lunch in the lodge, make friends, then sit outside for a bit before going back up the mountain.

As we are leaving, the guy behind us very sarcastically tells us,

"you ladies gotta cheer up." 

hahaha

We head back up the mountain for an afternoon of skiing.  It's snowing at the top, but it's a nice gentle snow.  It is gorgeous!  Soooo happy I came skiing with the girls!  It feels like the 70's again only it's better because I don't have to prove a thing.  I am over having to race down the hill.  I don't have to keep up.  We're all happily married so we aren't trying to impress any guys.  

Best day ever!

To Be Continued...

A Long Story Continued and Some of the Good Bits

Chapter 2

We get to Mt. Baker.  No one barfed.  We are laughing. A Lot.  In fact on the way up Doreen's son, Marc asked us to cool it on the laughing.  Marc brought a friend and was probably embarrassed, cuz you know how teens hate it when their Moms are laughing and having fun.  

I had to rent gear so I go to do that and they go to buy tickets.  This all goes very smoothly.  I have bad feet but I actually got boots that felt pretty good.  Shelly helped me put them on.  It takes a village.  I'm just amazed at the new gear.  Things have changed since 1987.  Not just me, but the gear.  It is snazzy and improved.

Then we do a fashion shoot.  Why?  Well, because we can.  And our gear is pretty interesting.  Especially if you're into vintage.  Dor's hot pink gloves from the '80's are back in style.  Shell's skinny ski pants are vintage cool and I have my Vail scarf from 1978.  It's cute and a modern day miracle that I could actually find it.

We decide we have got it goin' on.  We strike a few poses and click away.  We are getting a few looks, obviously other skiers are wondering if we are someone famous.

Gear is on! Everyone has a breakfast cookie and lip gloss in their pockets.  We've had a shot of coffee vodka and a toast.  The sun is trying to shine.  It's not too busy.  We've told anyone that will listen... we're back!  Tami hasn't been skiing since 1987 and Shelly has lifted the Baker Ban.  She banned Baker for 10+ years because of the boarders and their lack of manners.

Up the mountain we go... On the chair safely.

I had forgotten how beautiful it is at Baker, how happy I am on the chair lift and that Shelly and Dor sing on the chair lift.

Ohhhh the hills are alive with the sound of music... with tons of trilling.  Or a song they composed in the '70's.  

Ohhhh cheesehead, cheesehead, will you marry me?  With your skis n boots n poles? Nooo dear Yank, I cannot marry you for I have no hat to wear... 

Oh my, this is fun!  I feel good.  Aside from the side ache I have from laughing.

To Be Continued...

A Long Story and How It All Began

Chapter 1

This may be a long story, so feel free to grab and cup of coffee 

and settle in...

Thursday evening I was at home, minding my own business when I got a text from Shelly.

Shelly- Dor & I might ski to tmro...we want you to come!

Me-Have you been drinking?

Shelly- yes!

Shelly- You said you wanted to ski again.

Shelly-c'mon, it could provide stories for years!

Me- processing.

Shelly-I plan to be very careful... you know how easy i break!

Me- Fred says go, im scared, i haven't gone since 1987... 

I'm in.

Shelly- yay!

 I packed my gear, said my prayers, had a fitful night's sleep and the girls picked me up early Friday morning.

I was ready.  I packed the crutches as a joke.  We had a good laugh.

I packed for every eventuality...

1. Crutches- plan for the worst and hope for the best.

2. A book- to read in the lodge in case I chickened out.

3. Yoga pants and a long sleeved T, in case I wanted to get out of my ski gear or had to go to the hospital.

4. Three pairs of gloves.  I just couldn't decide... I took my driving Isotoners, Max's ski gloves and my ski mittens from the late '70's.

5. Breakfast cookies, protein bars and crackers.

6. Bottled water, powerade and a diet coke to keep hydrated.

7. A bottle of wine and three glasses.

8. Yukon Jack for courage  emergencies.

9. Tylenol, excedrin and tylenol p.m.

10. A jacket and a vest, I just couldn't decide.

11.  ID, credit card, cash and medical insurance card.

12. Phone and camera, I wanted to document the day.

13. My black bandanna scarf that I got in Vail, CO to give the impression I had skiing history.

14. Barf bucket, crackers and water, oh and I took a car sick pill.

15. Hair ties etc, lip gloss etc.

16. A tank top just in case the sun was out and I wanted to sit in the beer garden and soak up a few rays.

I think that's about it.

If nothing else, I was prepared.  For anything.  

To be continued...

Spring Break Road Trip

Earlier this week Hubby and I went with Max to visit Walla Walla Community College.  Max took the placement test.  We took a tour and met with the director of the Agriculture Department.  We looked at apartments and drove all over while exploring Walla Walla.
Walla Walla used to be known for their sweet onions and the penitentiary.  Now they are known for their wine making.  Their downtown area has won awards for a downtown that is revitalized.  They had a mall but it went bankrupt!  I loved the area and the residential areas.  There are some beautiful old houses that have been maintained.
I think Max is feeling good about his decision.  He can get two degrees in two years and his CDL (driver's license for big trucks).  He will have several quarters with class overloads but he can get his AA in Agri-Business and in Plant and Soil Science.
And Hubby and I can visit him with many stops along the way at all of the wineries and wine tasting rooms.  Walla Walla has around 100 wine makers in the area.
How fun is that?
*I didn't take any photos as I could tell it would just irritate Max and it was a trip that was all about Max.
His brothers would ask... and how is that different from any other trip?  LOL

Wingback Chairs Revamp

In between Pinterest and blogs I kept seeing chairs reupholstered using canvas drop cloth.  I liked what I saw but knew that I am not an upholstery expert.  So, there were some steps in this project that I would have to delegate.  I got some dusty rose wing back chairs from my folk's basement.  I purchased the drop cloth from Lowes for under $28.00.  Each chair needed about 5 yards.  Ten yards of any decorator fabric adds up very quickly, so the painter's drop cloth was a great deal.

Then following hints and instructions from Pinterest I took the drop cloth to the laundromat and washed it using laundry detergent, bleach and hot water.  I used fabric softener sheets in the dryer.  

Many, many dryer sheets.  I didn't wash it at home because it was huge.

Hubby spray painted the legs black.  He's better than me with spray paint.  He sprayed outside but we took them inside to dry.

I ordered my stencil from esty.  It came from Seattle.  I knew I wanted a fleur de lis with a wreath design.  I went to etsy and searched and found one that also had a crown.  We have some crowns in the artwork in the master bedroom so I liked the tie in to the art. 

At this point my upholstery guy was brought in, I showed Gerrit what I wanted to do and he cut the pieces that I needed to stencil.  Within hours he had the pieces back to me.

I purchased a small bottle of black paint for fabric.  I had a stencil brush from the 80's and got it out along with a sponge brush.  I used the stencil brush and used the same technique as when I had stenciled on walls 25 years ago.  Less is best when you stencil.  I dip the brush in the fabric paint and then wipe most of it off before I dab it on the stencil.  I used double stick tape to keep the stencil in place.  And I measured over and over since I had two chairs and wanted them evensteven.

I went over the stencil several times.  I used very little paint.  I think I had two quarter sized blobs of paint and used about half of it.

Tonight we picked up our chairs from Gerrit and moved them into the master bedroom.

The fabric looks great, it has some texture and is a creamy color.  

I love the stencil and Gerrit got it evensteven on the chairs.  He had enough fabric left for a ottoman.  That's fortuitous as Hubby and I found one at the thrift store with the same legs as  the chairs a few months ago.  It's getting prepped as I post.  Thanks Hubby!

My pictures make the chairs look a bit more white than they are in real life.

I just love finished projects!

Docent Dinner 2012

Last week we went from one dinner to the next.  After the FFA Banquet on Tuesday it was on to the Museum Docent Dinner on Thursday evening.  Jerrie and I went with a Spring Cath Kidston theme.  We mixed pinks, red and pale aqua on the tables and on the cupcake sprinkles.

 It was a fun evening with delicious food and a fun band.

 We went a little retro and brought back nut cups with peanuts, mints and M & M's.  They were a hit.

Tomorrow I'll get caught up on the blog.  We took a trip and I didn't take a single photo so it'll be a boring post without pictures.  I am behind on everything after the week of dinners and a road trip but I am determined to get caught up and maybe even ahead this week.