WORKING TOWARD NORMAL....

It has been a week post-surgery for Pat and all seems to be going according to schedule. His sore throat is no longer a subject, the bruising and red marks on his face are mostly gone. His only complaint lies under the scar. He swears Svetlana (the resident who did most of the surgery) left a tube of lipstick in there. That's how it feels to him. "Just my luck" he says. "The surgery was a success but the doctor left her makeup in the trough". He is getting mighty tired of administrating his Lovenox shots in his stomach. That area of his body looks as if he has gone a few rounds and took some illegal punches. Hopefully his INR levels will be fine (clotting levels) so he can just use his coumadin (aka rat poison). We have said often this week how lucky we are that it all went as well as it did.

Since there has been very little sign of summer here in the tundra I have been working on my home handywoman projects which I love. My biggest problem is knowing when to quit. I pick up my paintbrush in the morning and Pat has to pull it out of my gnarled hand at 530p! There is nothing more fun to me than seeing a change for the better. In the past few months I have: painted two bedrooms, the living room, three porches and assorted railings, various sets of shutters, the "skirt" of our retirement trailer, done some sod work and grass-from-scratch in the front yard, started the pavers there...and....I guess that's it. I wish my Dad had taught me how to do things with tools, just as I wish he had taught me how to play golf!

There is a feeling that outside projects better get finished quickly before the snow and ice start. In November the inside stuff will start - like painting the laundry room, quilting, and if I can force myself....some major reclining!!