Life Down On The Farm

We were without water for two and a half days. Therefore there were dirty dishes in the sink and piled on the counter...a lot of them. Dan had a pile of dirty work clothes on the floor in front of the washer. The kitchen floor was in desperate need of a good mopping. Many signs that we had no water.

Valentine's Day. What is the big deal? The last few times I have been in Wal-Mart the aisles with valentine things have been packed. Everyone wants to buy their sweetheart a bunch of flowers or a heart shaped box of candy to show they love them. Silly, silly, silly! I don't want any of those things...not saying I wouldn't accept them, but I wouldn't put any love attached to them. I want my sweetie to show me he loves me by cleaning up after himself, by doing a load of laundry when I am running behind, by cleaning out my car, by taking me for a drive, by making supper, by just plain saying I love you. Sure I got goodies for the kids and we made valentine cupcakes to give to friends...but we do those things all year too. I often send the college kids packages and there are often homemade goodies on our counter waiting to be eaten. My kids know I love them because I tell them (and I give them money when they ask). Dan knows I love him because I tell him and because I make him supper and let him watch the boring shows on TV and wash his smelly pig clothes. At my house it is valentine's day all year long...we don't save just one day to say it.

The big day is over. The surgery has been done and the knees are mending. My patient is recooperating on the couch. Now comes the hard part, the part where I have to worry.

Is she moving her knees enough? Is she moving her knees too much? Is the pain under control? Does she have a fever? Is there too much blood?

I was amazed at how quickly she learned to adapt to walking with crutches. She has learned to get up and down from the couch. She has learned to get in and out of bed. So many things you take for granted when you are able to move around on your own that get so much more difficult when your knees are "taken away".

For Kayla I think the worst part of the whole ordeal was putting the IV in her hand. She was upset and worried about that and shed a few tears through it. Then when she went into the operating room a few more tears, but the nurses were great and helped her out. All the nurses at the hospital were really kind and attentive and I think that helped her anxiety as well.

If she continues to improve like she has been it will take no time at all before she is back to normal. Youth is on her side...as well as determination and just plain stubbornness. When she first got up yesterday it hurt a lot so the nurses told her she might have to spend the night if she couldn't walk. That was all the push she needed...the stubborn girl said she wanted to try it again and she walked. There was no way she wanted to spend the night and if she could do something to prevent it she would!

The healing has begun and the journey is all down-hill from here...with good knees!

Announcing...some of my favorite things...in no particular order other than how I thought of them :)

1. The color pink
2. Unexpected phone calls from Brian and Becky
3. Listening to Kayla practice her instruments
4. Clean laundry
5. Windsong perfume
6. Sunshine
7. Fall/Autumn
8. A clean house
9. The smell of hay/silage
10. Waking up to sun shining in the window
11. Baby kittens
12. CSI and CSI New York
13. Lazy Saturday mornings
14. Iowa State Cyclones
15. Making quilts