A new little cherub

Well worth waiting for ....this little cherub looks very content and happy to have joined the family. We wish him a long, healthy and happy life.

Hideaway

When hurt, animals instinctively hide away to lick their wounds. I understand perfectly as HR day draws nearer. Maybe today's fixing of new blinds in my temporary 'bedroom to be' suddenly gives the room a sense of being apart from the real world; somewhere for me to retreat to as I find my feet again on my return home from hospital. At the moment the room is home to three wine racks - is this really appropriate for a convalescent?- an oak dining table and eight oak chairs. Temporary storage space has been found but final conversion to bedroom status is still two weeks away. At the moment the room lacks warmth and not just because the radiator is turned off. It needs family photos, books, subtle lighting and much more. WPH will come up trumps I know.... in his head he tells me he has a vision of a cosy boudoir!

A Useful Diversion

I have knitted since the age of six and will always be grateful to my mother who taught me the basic skills so effectively. She kept a stash of unused wool in a massive chest of drawers and would occasionally pull out the heavy bottom drawer to let me choose from its hidden scented depths. In the 1950s knitting was also included in the 'craft' repertoire at my primary school. Plenty of practice on Friday afternoons, using big needles and thick wool, resulted in tea cosies (shapeless but effective!) and endless dolls' blankets. Reading simple patterns followed, shaping became more adventurous and the production line has continued ever since.

At the moment knitting provides a welcome way to fill my sedentary way of life as I sit and wait for Hip Replacement Day (now referred to as HR Day). We are also waiting for our fifth grandchild to make an appearance so unusually I have several completed projects keeping me company. I hope the little cherub won't keep us waiting much longer....

This afternoon I completed a sleeveless sweater for grandson number 2. He asked for the scottie dog pocket and I can only guess as to what he will keep in it! I have decided though that the next project will be for me....a pair of socks to keep my feet warm after HR Day. That reminds me that post HR Day, as one of his duties as my official 'carer', WPH will need to assist me in dressing. The prospect of him wrestling with compression stockings doesn't bear thinking about! Socks should therefore be a doddle. I'll keep you all informed....

Masterchef in training

As the date of my hip replacement operation draws nearer WPH and I have been considering the practicalities of my recuperation. WPH has kindly offered to take on the catering during the initial few weeks. Normally he acts as chief bottle washer with some occasional vegetable preparation and I know that he would agree that his cooking skills have been somewhat neglected in recent years.

Where to start then? Firstly we are making a provisional list of 'possible' menus so that some essential practice can take place! The list so far seems to be dominated by pasta, bacon, cheese and meatballs. A limited repertoire but already new dishes are being added; this week WPH has mastered mackerel pate, and a delicious lamb hot pot. Quoting Gregg Wallace and Michel Roux from the current BBC Masterchef series I can say the lamb dish was 'bursting with flavour' and 'up to the standard required'. I finished everything on my plate!

Well done to WPH. It is not easy having Lady Hip perching next to you on her new kitchen stool, watching your every move whilst you are trying to refine those latent cooking skills!

PS. Daughter number 2 is very kindly coming to relieve WPH from kitchen duties for a few days when I return from hospital so the plans are coming together.

Categories

I enjoy using my bus pass and appreciate the benefit of free transport. Buses are frequent on our route although the No 6 which comes along just after 9am is always crammed full with other beneficiaries of the wonderful bus pass!

I usually prefer to sit towards the back of the No 6..... perhaps it goes back to my schooldays when my friends and I sat on the back seat of the coach when we were taken to and from matches. Our singing and laughter was LOUD.

However when I climbed on the No 6 this week it was clear that the bus was full and it would be impossible to make my way to the back. At the sight of me, stepping carefully with my walking stick onto the bus, a young lady immediately stood up and offered me her seat. I was relieved as the troublesome hip was making its presence felt as usual. I thanked her and sat down gratefully. At this point I looked out of the window and saw the following sign.

The kind young lady had actually done me a favour and made me acknowledge that I am now a member of a new category - 'the disabled', (temporarily, I hope). But I don't like the term 'the disabled'. If society has to categorise people I can't help thinking that the sign on the bus coming home was rather better phrased. It read

'Priority seat for elderly and disabled people'

I hope I catch that bus again.

A diversionary pastime

The wonderful late summer sunshine has seen me busy in the garden during the past week. Having a small paved patio garden is wonderful when quick results are needed; completed tasks give wonderful satisfaction and the prospect of next year's colours and leafy combinations excite the creative spirit in me. As usual WPH's help has been invaluable with the lifting of pots as well as the carrying of compost and bark. Weeding, pruning, raking, planting and watering are now complete and we can look forward to some new surprises next year.

I feel sure there will be more visits to the garden centre during the Autumn!

In Limbo

Those who may have been following the exploits of The Troublesome Hip may be forgiven for assuming that I had recently lost the will to blog. Since my last post I have been through a strange limbo like state, as the longed for appointment with the orthopaedic consultant gradually drew nearer. My mind has been preoccupied with too many thoughts and speculations such as

• Are my painkillers really addictive?




• Is one of my legs now shorter than the other?




• How far will I be able to walk in six months time?




• Will I like the consultant?

Everyone I meet seems to have had either a hip replacement, know the consultant, be a physiotherapist (scary!) or have sorry tales of woe to tell about others' experiences. I even spoke on the phone with someone whose wife had two hip replacements done at the same time and didn't recover for eighteen months. I think this is what is known as 'information overload'!

Finally yesterday arrived; I kept my appointment and finally emerged from my state of limbo. I have new bedside reading material and my thoughts are now on limbo dancing!