Walking almost normally

Woo hoo!! No crutches today at all. This morning, after a breakfast of pecan-banana pancakes made expertly by Jack, we did some computer stuff and then went off to do some errands. I decided to just plain walk, going carefully and slowly, but without the crutches. I did fine, experiencing just a couple of owies along the way.

One of our stops was Walgreen's, where I found a nice ankle brace which is helping me a lot, I think.

We went to the mall, and walked through much of it, first going to Borders, where I got a cookbook for soups & stews and also a book of stereograms. I love stereograms and this book, called Eye Tricks, is full of beautiful ones!

We came back home with our loot, and then went to Pete & Karen's to finish up their back steps. We worked for 3 hours and have just a couple to go. All that's left to do is to attach the railing and to do the trim around the carpet on the steps!

It was too late to think about cooking, so we went to Mimi's where we had a delicious dinner. Jack had given blood a couple of weeks ago, and, for doing that, he had received a coupon for a free appetizer!

So.. a much better day for me today. :)

Picnic by the Pool

Today I decided that I really dislike these crutches, so I set about walking on both feet, just around inside the cottage. While the ankle seemed stiff, I didn't have much of what I'd call pain.... not till later. :/ By the time we were getting set to go to the picnic by the pool, I was hurting enough that I decided to walk over to the pool on the crutches. I reasoned that I could count this as a walk, since it is so difficult for me to walk that far on the crutches.

At least the picnic was worth the painful walk! We sat with Glenda, Charlie, Katy, and Ken. The fare was fried chicken, baked beans, potato salad (with pickles... ew!), and slaw. Cake from the store in half-white, half-chocolate finished the meal. Jack went and got the car and drove me home afterward.

Hey.. at least the Picacho Peak hike, during which I hurt the ankle, was great fun!

Another Day

A beautiful day it was, though I didn't spend much time out in it. I went to choir while Jack went to work on Pete & Karen's steps. Choir was fun, even though, as everyone else stood, I sat, because my ankle is still not good. It is funny how different the music sounds from that position. It was actually quite nice!

I had hobbled over to the clubhouse on my crutches, and I hobbled back home on them. It hurt so much that I cried on the way home. I'm definitely counting that as "walking."

Then I just sat and worked on email and Facebook till 3, when it was time to get ready for Foto Fun. Today we had a guest who looked at and commented on the club members' photos. He liked mine!

After the meeting, we went back to Pete & Karen's and Jack worked on the steps as I sat like a slug and watched. I am very eager to get this ankle healed!

A Super Soup Supper

Today began with me leaping out of bed and then quickly realizing that was a mistake. The ankle still hurts, so it's crutches for another day.

So we basically lay around today. I did a bunch of email and played games on the computer. Jack did a plan for Pete and Karen's steps that he's going to build, probably without my help, unless I can get this danged ankle healed.

Then we went to the grocery and got supplies to make our soup. The grocery store was a challenge for me, just getting to it, and then we got me a little electric cart, which I zoomed around in, and that was actually kind of fun. Then it was a hobble back to the car.

Jack made a beef/barley soup which was delicious. (Do you folks want recipes when we make something good?) This was for the soup supper that the church held. Thirty-eight people were in attendance, and almost everything was delicious! Jack did get a scoop of a soup which neither of us liked.

We sat with Peggy, John, Nadine and George, and Norma -- a nice amiable group. Then it was a hobble back to the car. Jack and I decided that I get more exercise from that than from my everyday walks, anyway. Yeah.. about that everyday walk ... I did have to lay off from walking yesterday and today, unless you count that hobbling in 10-minute intervals. So my 7 year, 8 month streak without missing a day now has an asterisk. I fully intend to begin walking again when I'm able. Oh well... it had to happen at some point!

Madera Canyon

Today I awoke and lept out of bed, only to be tossed right back by the searing pain shooting through my ankle! Yikes! Jack and I showered and dressed and we headed off to the ER. Just a couple of hours later, I left there with a diagnosis (it's not broken.) a wrap, and a shiny new pair of crutches. I have to stumble around like that for just a couple of days, probably. Since this is my first time with crutches (I'm one of the lucky ones!), I had a hard time getting used to them, but I did not fall, anyway.

We went to The Good Egg where we enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast feast. Then we came home, got our pie, and Jack drove us to Madera Canyon. This is a pleasant drive, about 40 minutes, down Nogales Highway. The park is beautiful, about a mile high, in the Santa Rita mountains with alligator pinions, manzanitas, and beautiful golden grasses.

This lovely setting is where the Hiking Club held its end-of-year picnic, and, even though we did miss the hike in the Santa Ritas this morning, the camaraderie and food were quite wonderful. I was able to stumble around in the rocks and dirt with my crutches, and got to tell lots of people what had happened to me. Sheesh. Again, everyone loved my pie. Jack went around and gave pieces to some of our friends. :)

Ray, I forgot to tell you that the spot where I set Michael's ashes free actually DOES have antennas right there. As the highest spot on the highest mountain, there is an antenna farm right behind where I let the ashes go!

Annette, I do so hope that Steve has a speedy and complete recovery, and that you have a good sleep tonight!

And all of the rest of you in the east and north, I hope that you're keeping warm... and dry! This winter seems like one that will never end for you. And here I am with 72° and "severe clear" weather for the umpteenth day in a row!

Picacho Peak

Last evening was the Michigan party, and Jack and I went. I took one of the cherry pies that I'd made, and it was enjoyed by all who were lucky enough to grab a slice. All the food was great, and everyone got their bellies full. After the meal, we heard music by the Tres Amigos, and that was fun as always.

This morning, we awoke early to the sound of rain! This rare event threatened to call off our hike today, but we decided to go ahead and go. This was a special hike up Picacho Peak -- one arranged by Pete to show his daughter Jennifer a good time during her visit.


The hike was, as always, super-challenging, but it was great fun. This is the group of us in a little cave on the mountain on the way up:




Here are some shots of me (with Jack) up on the top of the higher peak:





And here are some that I took of the higher peak from the 2nd peak. The others waited for me down lower, as I explored up high. Notice, in both of these, the men on the top of the peak!




Here are some pics of hikers going up one of the steeper areas using the cables:
Some time in the hot tub and now we're feeling great. Blood was shed by 5 of us, but it was just minor scrapes. :) Now my left ankle is killing me, but just when I ... stand on it or walk!

Here is a photo from a couple of weeks ago when I was leading the hike in Saguaro East:

Dance Club

Last evening, we had a dance, put on by our dance club. It was lots of fun, with snacks and wine and plenty of fine music. Jack and I tried to remember our dance steps, and just basically had a fine time. While I didn't take any pictures, some of our friends did, so we may get some copies I can post.

Today we went to church and then to the grocery, so I could get supplies for my cherry pies! Yep, I'm baking 2 of them today, and the house smells wonderful!

Jack is currently cleaning floors. While I'm quite good at cleaning other parts of the house, I really dislike doing floors. I think that he finally gave up on me. LOL!

Weather is warm here today, and cloudy. It almost feels like there is some humidity in the air, too, which is very unusual. A woman we talked to at Saguaro East ydy had been stung by a scorpion in her house. This is very early for scorpions to be out of their hidey holes! (I have never seen a scorpion in the wild.)