In a Jam

June means red juicy delicious strawberries. When I was growing up in sunny Devon, my dad's main product of his market garden was strawberries so June and July were busy times at our house, and he even got a second crop in September. His strawberries often won prizes at the annual village Horticultural Show. We lived close to the seaside, and there were plenty of people on holiday who would buy his fresh strawberries, and he had a regular delivery to markets in South Wales and London.

Strawberries every day! I ate so many strawberries that I broke out in red blobs. My mum would make strawberry jam with the smaller berries, and the jam would last all winter, until the next strawberry season.

I think it must be genetic, and I have jam making in my DNA too.

I've already given some to my neighbours, some will go to friends and family, and the rest will brighten up my breakfasts on snowy winter days.

2020 books

Back in March 2020 when I heard a rumour that the local Library was closing due to the Covid pandemic, I rushed with my library card in my hand and took out as many books as I could carry. I didn't even have time to choose titles, I just grabbed from the shelves before the doors closed.  Some of those books are on this list, and helped keep me sane and busy. The Library re-opened in August thankfully, but with reduced capacity and lots of hand sanitizing and mask rules. But now we're back into lockdown again until at least January 23. 

January 2020
Leaving Van Gogh - Carol Wallace
The Post Birthday World - Lionel Shriver
The Art Forger - B. A. Shapiro
North Korea Journal - Michael Palin

February 2020

We need to Talk about Kevin - Lionel Shriver
The Flight Attendant - Chris Bohjalian
The Mandibles, a Family 2029-2047 - Lionel Shriver (I think everyone should read this after experiencing Covid-19 lockdown)
The Juggler's Children - Carolyn Abraham

March 2020
Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper - Phaedra Patrick
The Mighty Franks - Michael Frank.  (DNF)
Arthur and Sherlock - Michael Sims
The Hotel Neversink - Adam O'Fallon Price
Finders Keepers, A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession - Craig Childs

April 2020
Waiting for Tom Hanks - Kerry Winfrey (DNF, a bit too silly and juvenile)
A Madness of Sunshine - Nalini Singh
Cover of Snow - Jenny Milchman

May 2020
The Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway (great book)
The Beekeeper's Apprentice - Laurie R King
The Truth According to Us - Annie Barrows
Skizzer - A J Kiesling (predictably silly but I finished it)
The Invention of Wings - Sue Monk Kidd (loved this book)

June 2020
Girl, Woman, Other - Bernardine Evaristo (absolutely loved this book, I read it twice)

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak (another book that I loved so much that I read twice!)
Being a Beast, Adventures Across the Species Divide - Charles Foster (very weird)
Salem Falls - Jodi Picoult
The Tattooist of Auschwitz - Heather Morris
A Spark of Light - Jodi Picoult

July 2020
Oil and Marble - Stephanie Storey
Bridge of Clay - Markus Zusak
Girl - Edna O'Brien
The Wall - John Lanchester
Liberation - Imogen Kealey (very ho-hum)

August 2020

The Mirror and the Light - Hilary Mantel (third in the trilogy)

Night Boat to Tangier - Kevin Barry (DNF)

If I Had Your Face - Frances Cha

Capital - John Lanchester

September 2020

Reservoir 13 - Jon McGregor

The Other Americans - Laila Lalami
Futureface - Alex Wagner

The Genius Plague - David Walton

October 2020

The Memory Police - Yoko Ogawa

Orhan's Inheritance - Aline Ohanesian

The Walk - Richard Paul Evans

My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me - Jennifer Teege

Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel (apocalypse after a pandemic.... very timely! Good story too.)

Accordion Crimes - E Annie Proulx (I read this years ago, just as good the 2nd time)

A Day Like Any Other, The Great Hamptons Hurricane of 1938 - Genie Chipps Henderson

November 2020

Seven - Farzana Doctor (terrific book)

The Sisters Brothers - Patrick deWitt

Such a Fun Age - Kiley Reid

The Shining Girls - Lauren Beukes

The Sleepwalker - June Callwood (true story)

The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen - Syrie James

December 2020

Between - Angie Abdou

The Signature of All Things - Elizabeth Gilbert (Liked this book)

The Eavesdroppers - Rosie Chard (rather odd)

The Vacationers - Emma Straub

The Mothers - Brit Bennett

Stutter's Casebook, A Junior Hospital Doctor 1839-1841 - E.E.Cockayne and N.J.Stow (transcription of Dr. Stutters notes regarding his patients, their illnesses and treatments while he was a junior doctor in Suffolk, UK..... fascinating reading, and edited by a dear cousin who sadly passed away earlier this year.)

Currently steadily plodding through The Murder of Cleopatra, History's Greatest Cold Case - Pat Brown. Interesting but it's taking me a long time. I'll finish it in 2021.

For a list of books I read in previous years, click on Books at the end of this post.

Art Room Overhaul

I had some new windows installed this week, and so that the window chaps had room to work, some furniture had to be moved.

Arrrgh look at the dirt that was revealed! So of course when the workmen had finished, a form of frantic spring cleaning began. 

The worst was my Art Room. And I have so much Art Stuff scattered about, so it was time for a general tidying up.  And this is just a small portion of the Art Stuff. There's more on the floor in the next room.

I rearranged the table and the computer desk, sorted the Art Stuff into bins, all used paper to the recycling box, pens in one container, pencils in another. Paint brushes stowed away where I can find them. Records of sold paintings all filed in a binder. Artist quality acrylic paint in one bin, cheap Walmart grade paint in another. A lino cut bin. A gelli print bin. A watercolour paint and paper bin. And another bin for sketch books.

It looks great! I am so pleased with myself!

Buzz ... click ... beep ...

It has been a very interesting week.
Last weekend I packed up a few groceries and my suitcase, put gas in the car for the first time since March (it only cost me just over $20!), loaded up some rollerblades and hockey sticks I had acquired for the kids, and headed off to visit YoungerSon and family for a couple of days. We last got together in February, pre-Corona.
YoungerSon has an in-law apartment where I stayed, so we were still able to practice the recommended social distancing..

It was lovely to see the grandchildren, and meet their new chickens (no eggs yet!) But I felt rotten all weekend, and by the time I arrived home on Monday, I really felt ill with fever, chills, trouble catching my breath, nasty cough, lost my appetite completely.

You know what we were all thinking!
So I drove to the local Covid-19 Assessment Clinic at Markham Stouffville Hospital.

After waiting in line for 30 minutes in the hot sun, I told the nurse how I was feeling and she took one look at me and told me to go to Emergency next door, RIGHT NOW!. An orderly in full PPE on a golf cart came to get me and whisked me round the corner to Emergency.

It didn't take long for medical staff in full PPE to get me on a gurney in an examination room, wire me up to an EEG machine, then take BP readings, temperature, oxygen readings, blood samples, urine samples, install IV drip. My heart was out of rhythm yet again. A doctor came by and gave me a Covid test.... not a pleasant experience. They even put the pads on me as they were planning another cardioversion.... I've had so many to get my heart back in rhythm I'm used to them by now, but it turned out to be unnecessary.

Then I was told there was a bed for me upstairs on the ward.... what? I only came here for a Covid test! I was planning to go home and unpack after the weekend! I don't want to stay.... but I had to.

By Wednesday they had my Covid test results.... negative, but could possibly be a false negative as I was still displaying many symptoms, high fever, chills, cough, lack of appetite. So I was given a second Covid test. (They don't get any more pleasant the second time) Two negatives are required in my case.

I was placed in a large two bed hospital room but one bed had been removed. All equipment that was not in use was covered in plastic. A large sign on my door warned every hospital worker, nurse, or doctor who entered my room was required to wear full PPE, and dress in extra plastic covering from head to foot as they entered the room. The extra covering was discarded as soon as they left the room and was not used again, even if they had only been in the room for 5 minutes.
A few moments of panic when my cell phone ran dry because I didn't have the charging cable with me... well, I was only planning to be out for an hour, not a whole week! So OlderSon went to my house and picked it up along with other necessities as toothbrush, toothpaste, book to read and 3 pairs of clean underwear!!!!! Had to drop it off in a sealed plastic bag at the front desk.... no visitors allowed.

By Thursday I was much recovered but they were still testing and it wasn't until Friday that I was finally declared Covid-19 free. Phew, sigh of relief.... and for my YoungerSon's family too!
I was worried about my car being towed away but it was OK< no panic. I was able to buy a 5 day parking pass that covered the car as it had been sitting in the Covid test parking lot since Monday.

Those medical hospital staff deserve all the praise and thanks we can give them. They are doing their jobs in extremely difficult and dangerous conditions, and they are all dressed up like spacemen. Everyone was kind and patient with me, especially when I couldn't hear their instructions clearly though their many masks. They were so very helpful.
And one more note about the Hospital food..... even though I wasn't in the mood to eat for the first couple of days, the food was very good, very tasty, and no complaints from me!

Pink

I have taken a different direction with creativity this week. As everyone is aware, our hospital staff and care workers are in desperate need of PPE.... that is personal protective equipment. A friend has been organizing women with sewing machines into an army creating some of the garments that are needed.
I have been sewing scrub caps for nurses.... so far have sewn 24 of them this week. No quilting projects on the go right now so I have been using up my stash of baby quilting fabric.

Each cap has a little bit of elastic sewn into the back to keep it snug. I ran out of elastic, so I put the word out that I needed more... and the sewing community provided! Now I have more than enough elastic, but I'm fast running out of fabric. I may have to send out another SOS.

Yes, it's all extremely undeniably over-the-top pink! I hope the nurses like pink.

2019 Books

“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” – J.K. Rowling

As usual, a list of the books I have read (or tried to read) in 2019.

January 2019
The Truth - Michael Palin
The Mercy Seat - Elizabeth H Winthrop
Still Lives - Maria Hummel
Scribe  - Alyson Hagy
Beautiful Animals - Lawrence Osbourne

February 2019
The Oracle of Stamboul  - Michael David Lucas
The Last Watchman of Old Cairo - Michael David Lucas
The Feral Detective - Jonathan Letham

March 2019
Vincent and Theo - Deborah Heiligman
The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen - Hendrik Groen   (DNF far too silly)
Dear Sir, I Intend to Burn Your Book  - Lawrence Hill
The Light Keeper's Daughters - Jean E Pendziwol
The Windfall - Diksha Basu
Fruit of the Drunken Tree - Ingrid Rojas Contreras (I loved this book!)
Florida - Lauren Groff    (DNF all the short stories)
My Absolute Darling - Gabrielle Tallent     (DNF)

April 2019
Behind the Scenes at the Museum - Kate Atkinson (2nd time reading this)
Boy Swallows Universe - Trent Dalton (I loved this book!)

May 2019
Girl in Translation - Jean Kwok
Falling for London - Sean Mallen
The Suspect - Fiona Barton
The Gown - Jennifer Robson
Never Coming Back - Alison McGhee (very sad book)

June 2019
Mambo in Chinatown - Jean Kwok
Murder in Matera - Helene Stapinksi
Lives in Ruins - Marilyn Johnson
Becoming - Michelle Obama
Pachinko - Min Jin Lee

July 2019
The Lost Art of Walking - Geoff Nicholson

August 2019
The Perfect Predator - Steffanie Strathdee and Thomas Patterson
The Book Worm - Mitch Silver
Still Mine - Amy Stuart (did not finish)
Lady Macbeth - Susan Fraser King
Truevine - Beth Macy
The Orphan's Tale - Pam Jenoff
Finding Me - Michelle Knight

September 2019
Edward VII - Catharine Arnold
The Casual Vacancy - J K Rowling
The Redeemed - Tim Pears (DNF it was just not interesting at all, sorry Tim)
Welcome to the Goddam Ice Cube - Blair Braverman
At the Wolf's Table - Rosella Postorino

October 2019
The Calligrapher's Daughter - Eugenia Kim
The Storied Life of A J Fikry - Gabrielle Zevin
Down the Nile, Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff - Rosemary Mahoney
Walking the Nile - Levison Wood

November 2019
The Night Before - Wendy Walker
Magic Hour - Kristin Hannah
Secret Son - Laila Lalami

December 2019
Big Brother - Lionel Shriver
Once Upon a Time in England - Helen Walsh  (I could not put this book down!)
North Korea Journal - Michael Palin
Skeletons on the Sahara - Dean King
Currently reading The Post Birthday World - Lionel Shriver. I'm really enjoying this book and I think I'll try to read other books by this American author.

Lots more books to read in 2020. Happy Reading everyone!

Things Happen in Threes

It's been a rough week. They say things happen in threes, sometimes good things, but more often bad things, but sometimes the bad things get resolved with good things. My week so far...

1. The rear wheel of my car started getting really hot, made some nasty noises and smelled like hot metal. A quick phone call to the local garage, and I took the car in to have the brakes looked at. Brake pads, caliper, rotor, an unexpected cost. The good result: I was able to get the car looked at very fast and my car is safe and roadworthy again.
2. A trip with friends to the city to see "Jersey Boys". As soon as I got off the train I started having difficulty breathing and felt dizzy. I was able to enjoy the theatre performance but felt pretty bad about making my friends worry about me. Two of my friends insisted I needed medical help and took me to the hospital where I was diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia.... again! The good result: An overnight stay at the hospital. Electro-cardioversion put my heart back on sinus rhythm and I'm back to normal. Plus we all got to enjoy "Jersey Boys". And I'm so blessed to have such good friends.
3. Now I have developed the worst head cold I've had for years. Thank you to OlderSon who gave it to me! Runny eyes, drippy nose, plugged ears, marathon sneezes, lifeless brain. The good result: I can't think of anything right now, other than thank goodness I stocked up with Kleenex.

2018 Reading List

As usual, the list of books I've read this year of 2018, although I may have missed noting some of them, like the cookbooks and the art books. Have you read any of these? And also as usual.....   Canadian authors in BLUE, British authors in RED, American authors in GREEN, Australian and New Zealand authors in PURPLE.

January
The German Girl - Armando Lucas Correa
The Valley of Amazement - Amy Tan

February
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter - Theodora Goss
Small Admissions - Amy Poeppel
The Good People - Hannah Kent
The Sealed Letter - Emma Donaghue (DNF)
Into the Water - Paula Hawkins
The Wonder - Emma Donaghue

March
Commonwealth - Ann Patchett
Minds of Winter - Ed O'Laughlin

April
Galore - Michael Crummey
Half the World Away - Cath Staincliffe
Smashed, Mashed, Boiled and Baked - Raghavan Iyer
The Almost Mood - Alice Sebold
Men Walking on Water - Emily Schultz
Alphouse - Carl Sever (DNF)

May
Gone Astray - Michelle Davies
The Book of Lies - Mary Horlock (DNF)
Victoria - Daisy Goodwin

June
Boy, 9, Missing - Nic Joseph
The Stowaway - Robert Hough
The Kingmaker's Daughter - Philippa Gregory

July
The Keeper of Secrets - Julie Thomas
Eva Moves the Furniture - Margot Livesey
Small Great Things - Jodi Picault

August
Fifteen Dogs - Andre Alexis (DNF 2nd attempt at reading this but it's horrible.)
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell (3rd time reading this)
Slade House - David Mitchell (2nd time reading this)
Life after Life - Kate Atkinson (2nd time reading this)

September
The Ready Made Thief - Augustus Rose
Do Not Become Alarmed - Maile Maloy
That Old Ace in the Hole - Annie Proulx
First Snow, Last Light - Wayne Johnstone
The Italian Wife - Ann Hood
Her Every Fear - Peter Swanson

October
Mr Peanut - Adam Ross
All the Beautiful Lies - Peter Swanson

November
Brave Deeds - David Abrams
A French Wedding - Hannah Tunnecliffe
Perfect - Rachel Joyce

December
Transcription - Kate Atkinson
Erebus - Michael Palin
Home Fire - Kamila Shamsie
A Circle of Wives - Alice LaPlante
The Orenda - Joseph Boyden (second time reading)

And to start the New Year off, The Truth by Sir Michael Palin (recently knighted in the Queen's New Year's Honours List, Congratulations Michael!!) is on my bedside table. Actually I'm already on chapter 4.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! See you in 2019.

SOLD!

Well, blow me down with a feather, I sold a painting!
The art group that I paint with, AAP Collective, has an exhibition in the front lobby of a local theatre until early January.... I posted about it here.
I don't suppose many people actually shop for art when going to the theatre, but this person did!
And this is what he (or she!) bought.

I am gobsmacked! Totally amazed.

Back to Normal?

Oh-oh, I looked at the date and I haven't posted for almost a month! Probably because I haven't really been very far from home or done anything very exciting. Even though I was given permission to drive only 2 weeks after the hip surgery, YoungerSon had commandeered my car while his was getting some TLC, so I was without wheels. And then of course, there was the Olympics, and it was so easy to make myself comfortable on the couch and watch all those crazy athletes vying for medals. I loved it! Canada surpassed expectations in the medal count, Go CANADA Go, but we fell down badly in both the men's and women's curling, which Canada was expected to win. However we won gold in the mixed doubles curling, a new Olympic sport this year. Hooray!
So what else have I been doing? I went to see the movie "Peter Rabbit", yep those cute little bunnies wearing jackets are REAL I tell you! And I donated this small framed lino print for the silent auction at our Art Gallery Auction, I wonder if anyone will bid on it.
And the new hip update: all doing well, only 2 more physiotherapy visits left. The site of the incision is still a bit sore, but I'm walking upright and straight, and both legs are the same length, phew!
And just because it's still cold and a bit snowy outside, and winter isn't over yet, here are the lovely primroses (or are they primula?) a gift from my thoughtful daughter-in-law.

HIPster Update

I know everyone out there in the blog world is anxiously waiting for an update of how my shiny new right hip is doing.... and the news is good.

A visit to the hospital this morning for a couple of x-rays and a follow-up visit with the surgeon.
I've had a giant waterproof bandaid on my leg since the surgery, with "Remove on Feb 6" written in big black letters, my own "Best Before Date". So it was carefully removed revealing a perfectly neat 4.5 inch incision held together with about 25 staples. Definitely a thing of beauty!
I was so impressed.

The staples were popped out (you can see them in the x-rays), some steristrips installed over the scar, and I was given some spare steristrips in case they fall off during the next few days, which no doubt they will. One was off by the time I got home from the hospital.

And that's it for today..... more x-rays and an appointment in 6 weeks.  Still a bit sore, and I'm still using the walking stick for balance rather than support, but I'll soon be able to get around without it.

And the best part..... I'm OK to drive my car again!
All this in 15 days since total hip replacement surgery..... amazing.
Thank you to my surgeon, he did a great job.

I'm so HIP!

Many thanks to the kind bloggers who wished me a happy time away from home during the past week..... yes, I did have a good time, but not quite what you might expect!

OlderSon delivered me to the local hospital at 6:30am last Monday morning. At 8:00am I walked into the operating room, met my surgeon and his team, hopped up onto the operating table and was given a shiny new right hip joint using a new procedure for this surgeon, Direct Anterior Approach Hip Replacement, or DAA. By 12 noon I had recovered and was moved to the 3rd floor to join OlderSon.

The surgeon came to see me a couple of hours later, and encouraged me out of bed, and I walked a few steps up and down the room, the surgeon on one arm and a nurse on the other.

The next day, Tuesday, was busy with visits from the hospital physiotherapist, the pain doctor, the cardiac doctor, the pharmacist, numerous blood pressure checks, the surgeon wanting to check on his work, as well as lessons how to walk up and down stairs safely. YoungerSon came to get me in the afternoon, and I went to a local Senior Retirement Residence for 7 days respite and recovery.

Direct Anterior Approach Hip Replacement, or DAA, has only been performed at this hospital since November. Instead of a 10 inch incision at the side or back of the leg, DAA has a small 4 inch incision at the front of the leg. Recovery is much faster and there are no restrictions on movement of the new joint. I was able to walk with a walker immediately, and although the incision area is still a little tender, I'm starting to walk with a cane.

Staples come out next week, and then I'll start physiotherapy. And I'll soon be as good as new! I'm thinking positive thoughts. And it gives me the perfect excuse to stay in the warm during this cold snowy weather.

Fifty Four Years Ago!

Tuesday October 29,  1963. I remember it well.
Through the late '50s and early '60s I loved the Everly Brothers' music and could sing along with all their songs.... in fact I still do. I loved their harmonies. And they were so darn handsome!! So when I heard that Don and Phil were coming in person to the local Gaumont Theatre in Southampton, I desperately wanted tickets. This was going to be my very first live concert seeing performers that I would normally hear when I was lying in bed at midnight listening to Radio Luxembourg on my mother's old radio, keeping the volume down so I didn't wake my dad up.
I managed to persuade my boyfriend John to take me to the concert. There were two concerts at 7:00pm and 9:30pm, I think we went to the early concert. It was mostly teenage girls in the audience, and typical of the 1960s, they were all screaming as soon as any of the performers came on stage. Well, I was a teenage girl too, so I felt right at home.

Don and Phil sang their classic songs "Bye Bye Love", "Be Bop A Lula", "Dream", Cathy's Clown" but they could hardly be heard over the screaming! I loved it.
Also on the bill was Little Richard... oh yes, he was awesome. He took his shirt off, jumped onto the piano and played it with his feet! I was screaming at that point, boyfriend John was not amused. Little Richard launched into wild rocking versions of "Lucille", "Good Golly Miss Molly", "Long Tall Sally", "The Girl Can't Help It", competing successfully with the screaming. By now I had a sore throat.
Bo Diddley was there too, but somehow I can't remember him on the stage, perhaps he wasn't very well known back then in England. Sorry, Bo.

But one of the opening acts drew more screams than ever.... it was a virtually unknown band who had been playing in the London pubs and clubs and were just starting out on their first concert tour. They were starting their climb up the Hit Parade, and had just signed a recording contract with Decca. The name of the band was The Rolling Stones. And over fifty years later they are still performing and making music. If you're a Stones fan, you can read about their first concert tour here. And I was there!
(illustrations borrowed from the magical internet)

Off the Beat

Arrhythmia. It's very unpleasant, as anyone who suffers from it will tell you. It suddenly started for me back on my 60th birthday.... a thumping irregular heart, tachycardia..... what a lovely birthday present.

I went to my office the next day as usual, and as I'm a person who prefers to climb up the stairs to the 5th floor rather then use the elevator, that's what I did. Or at least I tried. By the second floor I was gasping for breath and hanging on to the handrail. An ultra fast heartbeat of 200 beats per minute caused me to collapse with dizzyness and difficulty breathing. The company nurse was called, and off I went in a taxi to the Emergency Department of the nearest hospital.

That was a few years ago. Since then, the arrhythmia was managed successfully, first with medication and then, when it became constant 24/7 making my life a misery, with synchronised eletro-cardiversions on three occasions and a catheter ablation.



No abnormal heartbeat for 3-1/2 years.... yippee! It's fixed! But then three weeks ago, I felt the familiar vibrations of a fast irregular heartbeat. It didn't last long but managed to land me unexpectedly on the ground a couple of times and has since got a lot worse, so last week another trip to Emergency was necessary.

This time the doctor tried chemical cardioversion, which is an IV drip with anti-arrhythmia medication, but it didn't really work, so the decision was made to put me to sleep, attach the electrodes and run 200joules of electricity through my body for cardioversion number 4. And it was successful, and I'm back in sinus rhythm! Fingers crossed that it stays that way.

Anyone out there in blogland suffering from the same problem?
The worst part of this whole process is peeling those sticky ECG and electrode pads off my tender skin.

Here's a fascinating computer animation of various types of arrhythmias....
http://watchlearnlive.heart.org/CVML_Player.php?moduleSelect=arrhyt

Marmalade

What do you like to spread on your toast at breakfast time?
In my kitchen there's usually a selection of spreads to choose from: peanut butter, strawberry jam, honey, even that good old British standby Marmite, but my favourite is Marmalade.
But not that sweet sickly stuff that's lined up on the local supermarket shelves. I like my marmalade bitter with a tang of citrus, something with a punch to make sure I'm fully awake. And the only way to get it is to make it myself.

The bitter and rather ugly Seville oranges are only available at this time of year. I usually have to try 2 or 3 grocery stores before I find them, but this year they were in the first store I went to. Bonus! Teamed with a couple of lemons and sweet oranges, Marmalade Day 2017 got started.

Squeeze out the juice, separate the pulp and the pips, and cut the peel into thin strips. The pulp and the pips can be soaked and boiled to extract the pectin. For every cup of peel and juice, 2 cups of water was added, and then left to soak in my "jam bucket" overnight and then cooked until soft. Then sugar was added, and more cooking for at least 30 minutes until the marmalade reaches a jelly consistency.
Then it's poured into hot jars and we wait to see if it will gell. Even if it doesn't, it will taste yummy! Making marmalade is a pretty labour intensive process, but worth it IMHO!

The end result: enough marmalade to keep me and my family happy at breakfast for a long time. (Actually, the family doesn't like it as much as I do, so perhaps this is all for me!!!!!)

The Hippy Hippy Shake

Remember that song... The Hippy Hippy Shake?
As a teenager I remember the song being a huge hit by The Swinging Blue Jeans in England in 1963, but apparently was performed by many other artists.... the Beatles, Little Tony, Chan Romero, Mud, Billy Childish, Davy Jones, Jesse and the Rippers, The Georgia Satellites, most of whom I've never heard of.

I've got my own version of the Hippy Hippy Shake.... here. Six months in and everything's looking good.

Trying to be a Patient Patient 3

Recovery from Total Hip Replacement is definitely not going to plan.
My top speed plan, that is.

It is 4 weeks from today that I had the surgery, and I really believed that I'd bounce right back to my normal energetic self by now, but no such luck. Still walking with a 4 wheel walker, and I can't imagine trying to walk with a cane just yet.
I suppose we all recover at different speeds.
However, I'm able to go outside with the walker every morning. I can maneuver myself in and out of bed, and up and down my front steps without crumpling into a sobbing heap. So that's progress.
My main problem is not the hip itself, but lymphedema, a puffy leg, ankle and foot that can be quite painful, but even that gets a little better each day with application of ice packs and resting my foot on a huge pile of pillows, so I'll soon be out there line dancing again!
Won't I?
Grrrrrr all very frustrating......

Trying to be a Patient Patient 2

The fourteen days spent in recovery at the nearby Seniors Retirement Residence was quite an eye opener, renewing my determination NOT to become a permanent resident during my advanced years. But I suppose if I was really in my dotage, I probably wouldn't mind the lifestyle.

The staff were very attentive, bringing me toast and coffee every morning, and assisting me and my trusty walker on the slow roll to the dining room for lunch and dinner every day. I had help in washing my hair and showering... no modesty here!

Clean towels and housekeeping every day, nurses on call 24 hours, they could not do enough for me. And there were all sorts of entertainment and activities available if I had felt like taking part. One evening I shared a table with 3 white-haired nonagenarians and we had a fine time colouring pages from an adult colouring book. It was fun!

Of course, the residents were 80% widows, and only 20% widowers.... be warned, men! You're going to pop your clogs first!

It was a bit like being at a geriatric boarding school.... lots of cliques, and groups of friends who seemed to criticise other groups. I often occupied an empty chair at the dinner table with 3 lovely ladies: Ethel, Mildred and Mary (names have been changed to protect the innocent). The three of them were merciless in criticism of the usual occupant of my dinner seat, who was visiting her son. Then one day the missing lady showed up, and I have to admit, I agreed with them!
Oh no, I'm turning into one of them!

Trying to be a Patient Patient 1

Well, here I am back to blogging and I have some stories to tell.....
The Total Hip Replacement surgery went well. After all, it's a routine operation these days. I'm sure my surgeon replaces 3 or 4 each week.
When I went to the Pre-Op meeting at the hospital back in May, I found that I was scheduled to have surgery on the same day, and by the same surgeon, as another lady..... and this lady turned out to be what I politely call a "difficult" person, arguing with the pharmacist and the physiotherapist, and generally having a gloomy and grumpy outlook. Oh no, I thought..... I'm going to be in the same hospital room. Not looking forward to that!
OlderSon took me to the hospital on the appointed day, and once I had changed into my green hospital gowns (so flattering!), there she was in the waiting room, still looking grumpy.
I said hello, but my surgery was first, so pretty soon they walked me reluctantly (can't change my mind now) into the operating room and I got up on the very narrow table. I was given an IV of some sort of stuff that banished all my cares but didn't actually send me off into la-la land completely, and before I knew what was happening, the spinal was taking effect and I could hear loud sawing, drilling and vigorous hammering going on. I thought I was on a construction site..... which of course I was.
A few minutes later, or so it seemed, I was wheeled into recovery, and then, thank goodness, was moved to a private room on the cardiac floor due to my history of  cardiac arrhythmia..... hooray! I don't have to share a room on the surgical floor with with Ms Grumpy!
The next day, I was sent to X-ray, and the technician said I was the second one to arrive who had hip surgery the previous day. Ah.... I thought I knew who it was. I asked if the lady was co-operative. The technician rolled her eyes. I had my answer!
I was scheduled to go home on day 3, but was kept until day 4 due to problems with low blood pressure and dizziness. But by day 4, I was up walking the corridors with my walker, and had even conquered the steps up and down with my cane.
YoungerSon came to collect me, and instead of going home where there is nobody to help me, I had booked a 2 week respite stay at the nearby Seniors Retirement Home. Lots of stories to tell about that! Next time.....

Replacement Parts on Order

I'm getting some spare parts today.... a nice new shiny hip joint!

If you need all the gory details, look here.
So I'm scheduling some blog posts for the next few days.
If you or anyone in your family has had hip replacement surgery, leave me a comment and tell me how it went!