Hello, Mr Schwinn, I Missed You

I have achieved another of my recovery goals! At 5:30am I hobbled down to the gym on my crutches and worked out for the first time since my tumble-down last November. The gym is located downstairs, below the living area of our home.

Granted it wasn't even a pale shadow of the workout routine I was doing before, but I did break a sweat and IT FELT GOOD! I did a fifteen minute ride on the recumbent bike, some strength training with resistance bands and then another ten minute ride. Except for the water bottle attachment, this is what my Schwinn recumbent bike looks like.

Once my balance gets better, I will attempt the treadmill and the NordicTrack cross country ski machine. Thank you, Jah, for the gift of recovery. I am getting stronger every day!

Where Things Stand

The Sav project could be wrapped up in just one more visit. I'm waiting for authorization from the American-based owner, because I need to make sure I will get a cheque for the outstanding balance before I leave. I have another client in Sav who needs some minor customization work done and I'll be able to take care of both in one trip.

The physical therapist is on vacation for the month of April, so I am doing the exercises at home. When she left I was still relying heavily on the wheelchair and just learning to hobble about unsteadily with crutches. Now, I am getting pretty good at getting around on the crutches. Only something that takes a long time, like grocery shopping, still requires the wheelchair. I am working on rebuilding my stamina.

I still have one more set of netted faux pearls to complete for Nurse M. This will be the fifth set she has ordered. I probably won't post a picture, because the only difference in this last set will be the colour of the cross bead in the netting. The main colour will be an opaque black seed bead and the cross bead will be a silver-lined crystal seed bead. I am glad she is a repeat, satisfied customer, but I wish she was interested in something other than netted pearls.

On a happier note, I am glad to let you know I have driven to Mandeville twice this week. My husband went with me both times to ensure all went well. He has gotten even more protective since my fall. I thank Jah for a husband who looks out for my safety.

He looks out for my romantic needs as well. He has asked me on date for Sunday evening. I hope we go back to MarBlue! This time I am ordering the roasted snapper and steamed veggies. Dating my husband is good for my heart.

Our First Date

Those of you who have been with me on the recovery road know that I have been celebrating a series of firsts.

Sunday we went on our first date. (No, the evening at Taino Cove was an outing for Mom, not a date!) After so many years together it is important to me that he still court me, woo me, date me, and romance me. OK, call it feminine ego if you must, but it is important to me!

We went to MarBlue in Calabash Bay, Treasure Beach for drinks and dinner.



Now to appreciate what a gift this was to me, you would have to understand my husband's reluctance to try new places to eat. You would think a man who owned a restaurant for so many years would be more adventurous in his dining, but he latches on to a place and we go there over and over and over again. To me, no matter how great the place, if you go too often, it looses it's appeal.

Well, it seems our favorite haunts are not wheelchair/walker accessable. So, this was my chance. I called MarBlue and spoke with Andrea, who with her husband, Axel own and operate the award-winning boutique resort.

After being assured that access would not be a problem, I made dinner reservations. I enjoy eating good food, but am by no means a foodie. All I can tell you is that I understand the many awards they have won! Delicious food, attentive service (without being smothering or cloying), romantic ambiance, soothing ocean view and gracious hosts make MarBlue a wonderful place for a first date with a man you have loved for 29 years!

Thanks, Andrea and Axel, for a lovely evening and a delicious meal. Nuff RAS-pect to Weston, also.

Thank you, Jah, for the gift of a husband who knows what is important to me!

On The Recovery Road

Mom's visit was such a blessing to me! We only went out together one time, on the Sunday before she left. We drove down to Treasure Beach for an evening with Sistren Winnie at Taino Cove.

While here Mom nursed me, fed me, lotioned my foot, helped me clean out storage areas and organize my dwindling bead stash. She was brave to do the foot thing cuz human flesh that hasn't been washed, loofahed and lotioned for seven weeks nuh pretty, mek mi tell yuh!

For those of you who have been sharing comments and sending emails, texts and healing love, I am happy to report that the cast is finally off and I had my first therapy session yesterday. The two incision sites are healing, but look awful. The scabs are starting to crust off. Both the surgeon and the therapist have said to let them fall off, don't pick at them. As the grandkids say, "Uber Gross!"

I've finished a few pieces of beadwork, but haven't gotten any pictures that I would post. Poor lighting, out of focus, just didn't look right. But hopefully I will have that taken care of soon and you can see what I have finished.

Mom left America with one President in the White House and returned to America just in time to see the swearing in of America's new President, Barack H. Obama. Just like we, who are old enough, will always remember where we were and what we were doing when John F Kennedy was shot and when Nelson Mandela was released from prison in South Africa, I believe we will always remember where we were when we watched the inaugration of America's first Black president.

Stumbling Around

Since coming home from surgery, I have not been able to sit upright for long periods of time. The blood pools in my foot and makes the ankle throb. I can use the laptop while reclining, but haven't figured out how to bead in a reclining posistion. YET.

So, I have just been stumbling around. For those of you just being introduced to StumbleUpon, it is a way outline your interests and then have websites, videos and graphics brought to you. You can give them a thumbs up if you like what you see, or a thumbs down if you don't want to see any more like it.

FAIR WARNING! IT CAN BECOME ADDICTIVE!