One Month Update

I have some energy so I thought I'd come to this space and write a "one month" update on my progress since triple arthrodesis surgery. 

What a hellacious month it has been!

Pain is front and center of each day.  It wakes me up each morning and I fight it to sleep each night.  There is always a dull ache from mid foot to heel with occasional shooting sharp pains through the inside of my foot.  The numbness has worn off a bit and has been replaced with near constant "pins and needles." It's starting to feel like my foot is waking up and I know the pain is actually healing taking place and nerves re-routing.  

I also had my stitches removed at my one month follow up.  The incisions healed very nicely and I had no bruising.  After a few X-rays, I was moved to a hard, fiberglass cast that feels much better and more stable than the surgical splint I had been in.

Yes, that's me shoving a pair of chop sticks down my cast to scratch an itch.
NO REGRETS!  It's divine!

My mobility is getting better.  I absolutely don't know what I would do without my knee scooter.  Some days I'd like to scrap that scooter for a wheelchair, but I know I need to keep my strength up.

Some things that I've learned this past month:

I've learned I can compromise on cleanliness.

Never in a million years would I think that I wouldn't shower daily...even in the midst of this recovery!  But let me tell you, I have gone days and days without bathing and I've been ok with that!  Thank goodness for baby wipes and dry shampoo!

Little things mean a LOT!

A text from friends, a hot meal, get well cards...

all of these have blessed my heart so much.

As I have surrendered all control of my life,

and it seems as if everyone has survived!

Nobody died because I didn't cook dinner or clean the house.

I raised some pretty awesome human beings!

The kids have really stepped up and taken up the slack I created.

They didn't complain when they've had to miss activities and they've taken such great care of me.

I am truly blessed.

I am making progress day by day, but the progress is slow.

The recovery time on this procedure is about 10 months.  There are good days and bad days.  Today is a pretty good day and I'm thankful for it...and so very thankful that I can come here and vent it all to you!

Pray for me!

FrankenFoot

 IT IS DONE!

Here I finally sit TWO WEEKS after my surgery.

It's been a really rough two weeks, and quite honestly, I was not prepared for the severity of the pain I endured post op. 

Also, mobility was a way bigger issue than I anticipated.  

Just getting to the bathroom was a monumental task requiring my own personal team of assistants!

So basically, what I've been doing for the past two weeks:

Wake up in pain, hobble to the bathroom, take a hand full of medication/pain pills, sleep for hours, repeat.

The surgery itself went very smoothly.  

Technically I had a:

Triple Arthrodesis

Bone Graft

Achilles Lengthening

And a Realignment of my Hindfoot

In layman's terms:

Fusion of the bones in the top of the foot with a

grinding down of my heel bone to use for "grout" 

as my surgeon would call it.

Cutting my Achilles tendon to lengthen it

And putting a gigantic screw through my heel bone to realign my foot.

Sounds like fun, huh?

Here's what it looks like:

This is NOT my actual foot but this is a picture of the exact surgery I had.

It has taken me this entire two weeks to clear my head of the strong narcotic pain relievers I had been prescribed and to finally be able to be mobile without any assistance. 
Can I say,
may God bless the inventor of the knee scooter!

So that's where I'm at now, slowly getting into a new routine of self care and managing the household as best I can.  Doug and the kids have been AMAZING and I am so thankful they love me so much.

In another week, I get my stitches removed and a fiberglass cast.  

I will remain in the cast until the fusion has healed 

which will take 6-8 weeks.

Now don't feel sorry for me!

I planned for lots of diversional activities 

while on this forced "vacation."

Danny has started baseball season 

and we have a full calendar of games and events.

I have seedlings to start and gardens to plan.

Lent is right around the corner...

suffering might be this year's theme.

And I'm going to teach myself to paint in watercolor.

And of course, I have this space to talk about it all with you!

The Most Important Surgery Prep of All!

 My surgery is happening in just a few days 

and I feel like I'm pretty well prepped.

The house is cleaned, meals are ready in the freezer, 

furniture rearranged for easier mobility, and everyone is clear on their upcoming responsibilities....

ESPECIALLY my seven year old.

She has the most important job of all.

She's in charge of my morning coffee.

Coffee IS life.

And my brain doesn't function until it's adequately caffeinated.  

The nights are going to be long during this recovery.  

I never sleep on my back, much less on my back with my foot elevated in the air.  So this morning cup of coffee will be essential in waking me up, helping me mimic socially acceptable behavior, 

and keeping me out of prison.

And I've taught my girl just how to make the perfect vanilla latte!

Who needs a milk frother when you have an 

energetic seven year old?

We'll work on her "milk art" later...

And VOILA!

Mama's perfect cup of coffee made with a LATTE love!

Nesting...It's taking on a whole new meaning!

My posterior tendon transfer and bone fusion surgery is just a little over a week away.  I find myself constantly thinking about how I'm going to function when this is all done.  I've been cleaning, organizing, rearranging furniture, and now cooking in preparation for being pretty much useless for a few weeks!

They call it "nesting" when a new mother gets ready for a baby.  

I clearly remember doing it in preparation for my little ones. 

 But this time, "nesting" is a whole other monster!  

With having new babies, I very much wanted and needed help and to be taken care of in the first few days.  But with this surgery, I'm frightened by my loss of independence and lack of control.  

Not to mention the literal 'World of Hurt' I'm going to endure. 

BEHOLD THE NEST!

 It's going to be tough, y'all.

So today, the control freak in me prepared some meals for the freezer.  They are inexpensive and easy comfort foods that I quite literally chopped up and put in freezer bags.  They can be dumped into a crockpot to cook all day and I can have a little peace of mind knowing I can still feed my family. 

 Plus, making dinner will be one less burden on Doug.

So how about some recipes?

Pinterest is littered with crock pot recipes that can be frozen ahead of time.  These are just a couple I picked out for our family.  They are super easy, inexpensive, and the prep time was less than 20 minutes!

SOUTHWESTERN HAMBURGER SOUP

2lbs very lean ground beef

2cups beef broth

1 can black beans rinsed and drained

1 can Rotel

1 can sweet corn drained

1 can pinto beans rinsed and drained

1 Tbs minced garlic

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 cup elbow macaroni

Combine all the ingredients except the macaroni in a one gallon zip lock freezer bag.  Remove air and flatten.  Freeze.

To cook, place in crock pot on low for 8 hours.  In the last hour of cooking, add macaroni and cook on high.  To serve, top with cheese.

CHICKEN STEW

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 medium onion chopped

2 cups baby carrots

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 Tbs seasoned salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1.5 lbs red potatoes cut

3 Tbs cornstarch

1/2 cup milk

Combine all ingredients except last two in a one gallon zip lock freezer bag.  Remove air, flatten, and freeze.

To cook, place in crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours.  

At the end of cooking time, whisk milk into cornstarch 

and add to stew and cook for 15 minutes on high.

And keep those prayers coming!

Everything Changes in Two Weeks.

A while back I posted that I injured my Posterior Tibialis Tendon.

I wore a boot for six weeks, took lots of anti-inflammatory meds, and at the end of the six weeks I was feeling so much better.

That was short lived.

Two weeks to be exact.

I found myself back in pain and needing the boot more and more.  After the new year, I broke down and went back to the doctor.  After an MRI found chronic plantar faciitis, a bone spur, a torn tendon, and total collapse of my foot arch, 

I've finally agreed to surgery.

And it all goes down in TWO WEEKS!

I'm nervous but mostly just ready to move towards healing.  

I'm tired of being in pain with every step I take.  

I know the road to recovery will be very painful, but it's a move towards getting better and I have the loving support of my family to carry me through this.

I'll probably document my journey here as I'll be "non weight bearing" for 8-12 weeks.  That's a LOT of downtime and I will be in desperate need to channel my energies somewhere!

Until then I covet your prayers...

From Us to You...

 Wishing you the very merriest of Christmas days

and the very happiest new year!

Putting the Raised Beds to Bed for the Winter

I tend not to use all of my raised garden beds during the winter.  The garden is much smaller and compact, needing only two or three beds at most.  For the garden areas not being used, I put them "to bed" for the winter and they are the first ones I use come spring.

I start by turning over the soil and adding a layer of compost.  

I also add a layer of wood ash (from our fire pit) or some Azomite for an additional boost of nutrients.

Once all of this is worked into the soil, I'll cover it with 2-3 layers of cardboard.  This will break down over the winter and the earthworms LOVE IT!

Last I'll add 4-6 inches of wood chips.  If you see any tree trimmers in your area, they'll dump a load of chips in your yard for free!

Come spring you'll have a beautiful, nutrient rich bed 

to plant your seedlings in.  And no weeds since the cardboard and thick layer of wood chips will snuff them out in the spring!

'Tis the Season

Advent is next Sunday!

And even though we decorated for Christmas 

a little over a week ago,

(yes, we are those kind of Catholics!)

it always seems like the Advent wreath get pushed 

to the last minute.

Well not this year!

I ordered this Advent candle making kit from Illuminated Ink just in time to roll our candles this week.  We have used this kit in years past and the kids always have a great time making our own candles.

The kit comes with everything you need to make all four candles 

as well as a blessing for the wreath and weekly traditional Advent prayers...even in Latin!

I would say this is a good project for children aged 6 and up as the beeswax is a bit tricky at first to roll.

They are perfectly imperfect!

With all the hustle and bustle of the season,

it's nice to take time each night to light a candle,

slow down, read and meditate on what's coming.

To be more mindful of what is important.

The anticipation.

The joy.

It is just what the heart needs.

Baby It's COLD Outside!

It FINALLY feels like winter here in south Texas!

We woke up this morning to a temp of 36 degrees and 25 mph winds blowing off the hay field behind our house.  

A chilly start to our day, but I love it!

It's a good day to stay inside, snuggle up on the couch, 

binge on Netflix, and drink hot cocoa all day long.

Now that my kids are older, I set up this little hot cocoa/coffee bar so that they can enjoy a cup of comfort any time of day...and now that they're older, I'm not in fear of one of them stealing the butter cookie tin and eating the whole thing behind the couch...

  I'm lookin' at YOU, John Paul Creamer!

Everything you see here came from, you guessed it, 

DOLLAR TREE.

Included in our hot cocoa bar:

Large silver serving tray

Snowman cup with peppermint sticks

Danish butter cookies

Jar of mini marshmallows

Jar of Andes Chocolate   Mints

Pepperidge Farms Pirouette

Nonni's Biscotti

A shaker of cinnamon

Torani Sugar Free Hazelnut syrup 

(NOT from Dollar Tree, but I can't drink my coffee without it!)

And because you know how much I LOVE me some Dollar Tree,

I couldn't help but decorate my kitchen window sill that sits right next to the hot cocoa bar:

Y'all, those cinnamon scented pinecones, my fave!

Now you’re ready to enjoy hot cocoa at any minute of the day or night with ease. Your guests will also love your set up 

and you’ll help them to feel right at home.
Plus, I don't think there is anything a little
chocolate can't fix.
Am I right?

Fire Cider ~ The Cure to What Ails You

Fire cider is a traditional folk medicine remedy to be used during the cold and flu season.  One look at the ingredients list and you'll know this apple cider based concoction is infused with all the most potent anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory compounds around!

We take it at the first sign of sickness or exposure to illness.  

It will definitely stop it in it's tracks, or at the very least, shorten the severity and duration of a cold or flu.  

It also acts as a wonderful stomach tonic for those nasty GI bugs!

This is serious stuff though, you cannot drink it straight. 

It's called FIRE CIDER for a reason! 

We usually take 1 TBS. twice daily (for adults) 

or 1 tsp. (for children) 

in V-8 Juice or sweetened apple juice.  

Up to 3-4 times daily if illness sets in.

How to make FIRE CIDER:

In a glass jar (I use a one gallon size), combine:

1 large cut or grated horseradish root

2 heads of garlic

5 habanero or jalapeno peppers

1 large white onion

1 large ginger root

6-8 pieces turmeric root

2 lemons

several sprigs of rosemary

1/2 cup raw honey 

Cover the chopped ingredients with a raw and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar.  Cover jar opening with cheesecloth or parchment paper secured with a rubber band.  Set on counter or other cool, dry place for a minimum of two weeks or up to a month. 
 Stir the cider a couple of times a week.
When done, strain out the solid ingredients, be sure to squeeze all the liquid out of the pulp, and store the remaining liquid in the fridge.

Take as needed for:

Cold and Flu

Chest congestion

Sinus congestion

Cough

Digestive Aid

Or use daily as an immune boosting tonic.

Wishing you health and wellness this holiday season!

Holiday Decor on the CHEAP!

If I've said it once, I've said it thirteen times, 

Dollar Tree IS WHERE IT'S AT!

  When you live in a small town where Walmart is your only big shopping option, you tend to look for variety where you can find it.  And Dollar Tree has really stepped up their game.

I have been wanting to do a Pottery Barn knock off of their white Christmas village for some time.  Just one problem, I couldn't get ANY of the Dollar Tree village houses anywhere!  

Every store I called within a 50 mile radius was sold out.  

After lamenting about my dilemma to my family (first world problems, right?), my oldest son found a line of small Christmas village houses at Walmart for under two bucks each!

**Que angels singing**

To get that Pottery Barn knock off look, spray paint the houses with chalk paint or a matte white.  It takes a good three coats to cover all the color.  When dry, you can use ModPodge and a little fine glitter to make "snow" on the houses.  
I left mine flat white.

I'm all about the instant gratification.

Now mind you, I ONLY had plans this day to paint my village.

I ended up decorating my whole dining room instead.

This entire table scape was made with Dollar Tree merch!

(Well, everything except the garland and lights,
which we already had.)

Maybe one day I'll save up a boat load of Benjamins to actually go to Pottery Barn and decorate my house for the holidays, 

but for now I have to make sure my family has food and electricity to enjoy.

So for now, I’m living life on the wild side and decorating on the cheap. It’s cool, and fun, and if you’re in the same boat with me, 

you know what I mean.

#noshameinmygame

In Memoriam

I finally did it,

 and it only took me 49 years!

I got my first tattoo.

Bobbie Jo DeGree

I have always loved tattoos but I never got one growing up because I was raised in a very conservative household.  I never got one in early adulthood because my husband frowned upon them.

Now I am on the cusp of turning 50,

and I think it's about dang time that I decide what I want!

I have talked about getting the signatures 

of my deceased parents on my arm for years.

The day of our 25th wedding anniversary, 

Doug surprised me with a road trip.

It was full of naughty things that a 50 year old conservative Catholic mother of five definitely SHOULD NOT do!  

Our first stop was the tattoo parlor.

I got the signature of my late mother on my forearm.

Underneath is a stem of four pale pink roses.

One rose for each of the babies I've lost.

I pray every day for her and them.

And I beg God to let her be their caretaker 

until I can hold them again.

25 Years Later...

Me and this guy,

we've been married for 25 years.

Two houses

Five children born on this earth

Four children born into Heaven

Three dogs

9,125 Days

And just so you'd know,

I'd do it all again.

The Fall #CreamerGarden

Fall, it truly is the best time of the year!

October is when I clean out the summer garden beds 

and begin new seedlings suited for colder weather. 

THIS is what I got when I "cleaned out" the beds:

Considering that most of our days in October have temps in the 90's, I'm not really surprised the peppers and eggplants have held on this long!

And what the remnant plants haven't taken over, 

the weeds have!

Above is an overgrowth of blue hyssop.

I planted it last year and it has beautifully self seeded into TWO of my beds.  I'll let it hang around a little while longer because the bees love it, and it makes a wonderful tea from the dried leaves that help with chest and cold congestion.

The asparagus bed looks "weedy" as well, but it's actually left that way on purpose and allowed to grow until it naturally dies back in the winter.  Those fern-like shoots are feeding the roots.  We still have another year and a half before we'll be able to harvest them.  To the left of the asparagus is turmeric.  It will get harvested this winter and be used in our cold/flu "FIRE CIDER."

And the last ones to hang on are the luffa.

They just keep growing and putting out more fruits!  I keep letting them grow for more luffa to put into homemade soaps and gifts this Christmas.  Plus they have the most beautiful yellow flowers!

The rest of the garden boxes look like this.

Small green plants peeking out from under leaf mulch.

Above is a mustard green plant, and scattered in nearby boxes are:

Bok Choi

Kale

Spinach

Salad Mix

I'm waiting for it to get a little cooler to plant broccoli, brussell sprouts, and cauliflower.

Otherwise, they just go to bolt in this warmer weather.

So please, hurry up Fall!

This girl is ready for leggings, boots,

and pumpkin spice EVERYTHING!