9/30/2014 A Great Weekend - So Much to Do, People to See, Poetry to read and hear, a Lovely Wedding and... DANCING!!!!

I danced last evening - I DANCED!

For the first time in about 4-5 years! I have *craved* dancing - I really love it! - and I fully intended to have a dance party, but my venue fell through, and I am not in a position to afford renting one right now, so, que sera.

This was at a spectacular, delightful wedding in Shenandoah Valley (California)  Wine country, on a winery,  overlooking rolling hills covered with trees and vineyards.

The band was terrific, and they had a great, eclectic playlist. We freestyle danced to rock - a little "Shout", some Elvis and such… The we fox-trotted to some Sinatra - I was very rusty, and my friend Michael was too, but we got the hang of it after some hilarious stumbly reminders, and getting the rhythm back our bones!

A bit later a gentleman asked me to dance, and we danced essentially a one-step to a wonderful Latin tune I love, Sway. He was a very strong lead dancer, which helps a LOT - and he was patient with my occasional stumbles! It was delightful.  

I was tickled to death when I left the floor for a breather at one point, and the woman dancing behind me took my arm and said, "You are a wonderful dancer!!" I am not deceived that I don't have a long way to go, but it was great to know that after all this time, I can brush off enough moves to appear to know what I'm doing, and have a really great time doing it!

It was a very active, lovely weekend, in fact!

I haven't been up to so much activity and gotten through it just great in SO long.

Saturday, I participated in an annual poetry event, 100,000 Poets for Change. A full day of reading and hearing poetry with friends.

I was nervous about mine - I haven't been writing much this year… but I came across on I wrote on December 9, 2013 five days after my second surgery - and it I had completely forgotten!! And it was perfect. My friends really enjoyed it, and at least one of them - Whom I respect the most - was very complimentary. Kudos from him are precious - he holds very high standards.

There was a lot of very good poetry read, and good to see friends in the poetry community.

Then dinner with a few - and home for the evening to finish the wedding gift - for the wedding Sunday! …

Sunday was *GREAT*! Farmer's Market, brunch with more dear friends, home to get ready for the wedding and off to *just!* catch the limo shuttle buses taking us all up to the venue about 40 minutes away in the foothills!

As mentioned, the wedding was fantastic. Beautiful place, people, and ceremony. Delicious and elegant food, spectacular sunset, great weather, lots of laughter, seeing friends from out of town, meeting the bride's new family - all from Australia. Like 25 people flew over!

We were so happy to see what a great family she is marrying into - hers is wonderful, too - so it was all about the love.

And the DANCING!!!!!  It was such a joy to just say Yes to several fun activities during one weekend, no disclaimers, and go - to ALL of them. And feel just swell afterward!

Today, I'm a little sore and tired. But still, happy! 

9/8/2014 One year Surgeon's Follow-up Appointment, A Lovely Walk in the Moonrise

I had my one-year follow-up with Dr. Smith, my Orthopedic surgeon today.  It was actually a year and fourteen day- check... It went so well... x-rays first, of course, then up to floor 3.
Whenever I go in now, I see people on walkers and with canes, and all I can think is, "If you're here for a new hip or two, you are in for the happiest change of your life!!"

Dr. Smith was his usual friendly self, and he took a look at my X-rays and declared that they look *great*! Everything is rock-solid, and he feels really good about how I'm doing. A+!
As always he asked me how I ma feeling, and I told him about my last three month's (since our last appointment) improvements. He said, "You look like you've lost some weight."
I haven't weighed myself  - in fact, I forgot to have them do it in his office, where the scales tend to be reliable. Mine are crap.
I told him how I am walking or cycling or both, most every night. He was glad to hear it, "well, if you're on a bike for half an hour every day and walking, that'll make you lose weight!"

My clothes aren't feeling it in the fit quite yet, but they certainly are not getting any tighter! I expect I'll notice it more, soon.
I forgot to ask him a few questions but they probably aren't his area anyway. We did discuss the "Antibiotics for every dental appointment *forever*(at this point)" issue. Oh well. I think they are not helping my auto-immune issues, but then, I don't want any systemic infections to cause issues with my replacements, either. So there it is.
We hugged - I really appreciate that a professional who has had such a profound effect on one's life has the warmth to be a hugger :) - and he said, "OK! I'll see you in a year!"
So it's on the calendar!

I came home, texted Mariam and asked her if she was available to go to our traditional "post-surgery Ice Cream at Gunther's", and she and our friend Eddie were! Eddie is having some pretty amazing successes as a professional actor right now, and it is very exciting! Eddie Ray Jackson...  a very talented home town guy, and I'm proud to see him really taking off!!

Home again, took a nap (I've been up late knitting a gift for a young friend who is having heart surgery this Thursday) and the evening was so stunningly beautiful, I had to get out into oit to walk. No excuses about the heat, and I was charged by Dr. Smith's enthusiasm!

So after dinner, out into the evening I strode. I decided it's time to break my personal best "since" (since before my hips crumbled several years ago) and walk ten blocks. My previous best was 9 blocks, so I did a good, solid ten.
As I rounded the last corner near home, I saw the moon, GIANT and bright, peek up over the houses in the darkening neighborhood. I was happy i'd brought my phone and made this rather sweet photo!

It turns out I'd lost track, and tonight was the Harvest "Super" Moon. just gorgeous, up there hollering for attention! 

Then home, more knitting, staying up too late. and that was a lovely day. 

9/3/2014 Better...

Better today.
My Facebook status tells it:

"Better... it was just enough cooler this evening to get out and walk seven good blocks, which can never fail to help lift the spirits... Met four friendly people with lovely dogs on their walks, and visited with the very cool neighbors across the street - I saw people painting and hand to go say hi! 
Making a colorful backdrop for an urban use awareness day going on in a couple of weeks - very cool women! 
Time to get some dinner together and later, half an hour on the 'bike, and maybe a few chores... maybe even finish the current knitting project..."

I did get that half hour in on the bike, dinner... 
chores, not so much... 
And worked on that knitting a bit.  

Getting out is enormously helpful. 

9/2/2014 You Can't Let Up. This is Frorm Now On

I won't dwell - but here's a cautionary thought:

If you have a slump, you're going to want to do whatever you can to get out of it .

The more you walk and bike (Or swim, or whatever your choice of keeping your body moving...)
You MUST keep it up.

The more you do, the better you will feel, and you will be pain-free.

The less you do, you will feel like you'll never walk easily again. And eventually, you might be right.
It can be reversed quickly, but it cascades... you feel bad/down/uncomfortable to walk in the heat, etc.. so you don't go walking.
The phone rings 15 minutes into your 30 minute bike session, so you cut it short...
you will feel worse.

Trust me on this.

The more you can get your butt out the door or onto that bike, just DO it - the better you will feel.
I'm workin' on that part tonight. i will NOT waste this chance to change my life nad keep it moving upward!!

We live, we learn.
But the point is, to live well.

Get moving, my friends. USE those new hips, now that you''re got 'em.