Belated Happy Thanksgiving!

Things have been busy here!

In the process of having a leaky vent pipe on the roof fixed, it was determined that we would have to start thinking about replacing the roof soon. So we started getting estimates and the first one was a good one, so we said okay and had things set up for work to be done in a couple weeks. Then on Tuesday afternoon we got a call saying the crew had some free time and could they come on Wednesday morning. Well, sure! It was a good crew and they got here a little after 7:30 in the morning. Immediately several were up on the roof tearing off the old shingles. Soon after that, the big truck with the conveyor arrived to unload the new, much better shingles. Have you ever been in a house getting a new roof?? It's LOUD! I had to go to work. Golfer stuck around to handle anything that came up. The furry kids went into hiding. The guys also re-roofed the shed so it matches. They were all done by late afternoon. They cleaned up the yard and all was well.

Other things taking up my time and energy are Christmas shopping, Christmas preparations, Thanksgiving cooking, all the usual house stuff, and work. Add in the physical therapy and a couple doctor appointments and there goes the time!

Golfer and I did squeeze in a lovely drive one afternoon. It was going to be one of the last warmer days and it was a good time for a ride in Duke, the convertible. The Colonial Parkway was lovely - still some color on some of the trees. We took the Jamestown ferry across the river to Surry and stopped for pie and coffee, then continued our drive through some lovely country.

The leaf sweeper has been getting a workout around here. Golfer goes out and sweeps up leaves a couple times a week. A few times the leaves were coming down faster than he was picking them up! And even though we've had a little frost here, we still have some lovely azaleas blooming and my porch geranium is still going strong. The grass looks better than it did all Summer!

That's about it from here. I was taking a break after doing a few errands and now it's time to go put some decorations on the tree! Golfer and I got it together yesterday and finally figured out how to get all the lights to come on, so the rest should be easy! Stay safe!

BACK TO WORK!

Today was my first day back to work. It went well. Sadly, I didn't think to take a camera with me to take a picture of my office before I started cleaning it up. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the work the ladies did in covering things. Most of them were volunteers and I wouldn't dream of complaining to them or about them. But one lady was getting paid to do my work.

Every flat surface in the office had some piles on it. And there were piles of stuff on the floor. Evidently, she didn't want to throw anything away while I was gone. So most of the morning was spent going through the piles and boxes, putting things away, getting things to the people where they should have gone, and bagging up three garbage bags of trash. And the rest of the time was spent trying to get my computer to work. It died while I was away. Repairs were attempted, but obviously were not successful. So that has to be dealt with.

Tomorrow is another day.

In other news, we had a wonderful visit with Golfer's brother, L, and his wife, V. They came for the weekend so L could play in a golf tournament with Golfer. They had a good time and wonderful weather. V and I had fun, too, although I can't really recommend going to the Premier Outlet Mall on a Saturday morning this close to Christmas! But it was fun.

It's cool here and is supposed to rain off and on for the next couple days.

I'm still going to physical therapy three times a week. It's going well. I may try the pool again tomorrow.

Boxer has been sick with strep throat, we're sending him good wishes. Hi, to Bloomer, too! And BeyB is getting the braces on her bottom teeth this week and we wish her well.

That's about all from here. Stay safe!

AAAAAHHHHHHH!

Golfer and I just got home from the pool at the "Y"! I finally got the okay yesterday to get back in the water. I was cautioned to take it easy and not over-do and it felt great! I have a few observations to share:

I think my balance is better when I'm in the water.

I also think that my new knee is heavier than the "original" one I was born with! It felt odd in the water; like it was heavier. Golfer was in the next lane and he said it was the new metal of the new knee. Makes sense. But not something anyone tells a person about ahead of time!

That's all the news here - just wanted to share. Stay safe!

Well.

Yes, we are still here. I just realized how long it has been since I wrote anything!

I don't know where the time has gone. I've been busy recuperating and going to PT. And trying to do a little more everyday with all the other things in life I want to do. I had a minor set-back when I ended up in the ER one Sunday morning. I woke with a fever and increased pain and swelling and a killer headache. I called my doctor's answering service and he called me back within five minutes and said go to the ER. He was worried about a blood clot. So Golfer hustled me on up to the Mary Immaculate ER where I was tested and poked, and scanned and x-rayed. After about five hours, they didn't find any blood clots but did find an infection at my incision site. So that meant more meds and a stop to the PT for a while. But it is pretty much all better now.

The PT is going well and I plan to go back to work next week. (The PT will continue for while longer) Just today I was given the okay to get back into the swimming pool but cautioned to "take it easy". So I'm looking forward to that.

Golfer and I have been keeping busy around the house. The yard looks better than it has for months! We even have some azalea bushes blooming right now. And my geraniums are still lovely. The grass seed has sprouted and grown and the yard is greener than it's been all Summer! It's gotten cooler here and there has even been some frost in some areas. The leaves are really starting to fall now.

Golfer and I have also been spending time getting to know our new car - a 2010 Acura TL. Lovely, comfortable car with lots of buttons and levers and way more technology than we can use yet!

I have been trying to get a handle on the Christmas shopping. I have tried a couple one-hour shopping trips and it's gone okay. Usually by this time of the year I am done and have things wrapped and packed up to ship off. I lost a chunk of time this year and things are not quite so efficient, but they're coming along.

I just wanted to check in and let anyone that reads this that we're still here and doing fine. Stay safe!