Look to this day! For it is the very life of life. In it's brief course lie all the varieties and realities of your existance: the bliss of growth, the glory of action, the splendour of beauty. For yesterday is already a dream and tomorrow is only a vision, but today, well lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day. Such is the salutation of the dawn.
~translated from ancient Sanskrit
It's all too easy to live for tomorrow isn't it. To continuously put things off . . . these words though, teach us that today is, and has always been a good time to focus on. There is no point in worrying about what might never happen. Nor is there any point sorrowing about what already has . . . the past we cannot change. What we have is today, so why not make it the best today that we can?
Well, I came away from the Doctors yesterday with stronger pain killers and the admonition to exercise my knee more. The X-ray showed a deterioration of the cartilage between the femur and the thigh bone, leaving very little cartilage there, which means that the bone is rubbing against bone in several places. Apparently quite consistent with Osteo Arthritis. This Doctor I saw yesterday was a different Doctor than the last one I saw and he again told me I was too young for a knee replacement and to go home and exercise it, take the stronger pain killers and to come back if it started locking or giving way. It is very frustrating. First, that you can't seem to be able to see the same Doctor two times in a row. (This was my third.) Secondly that I am being told to exercise a knee that I can barely move or put any pressure on. Thirdly that I have been fobbed off with stronger painkillers, which according to the leaflet in the box, can be addictive, make me drowsy and dizzy, and stop me from breathing! No thanks! I need my wits about me and I am quite partial to breathing!
On a positive note at our Primary Presidency Meeting last night we got costumes organized for the Nativity on Sunday and I feel a whole lot better about it now! I was starting to stress a bit as we haven't had a proper rehearsal yet, and I had no idea of what the children were wearing! It will be alright on the night I guess!
Mitzie was such a good girl yesterday. We've been trying really hard to train her not to jump up on people when they come in. The puppy in her wants to leap all over them and that's no good. Yesterday we finally seemed to have made some real headway with that problem, which is good and Todd said she had a really good walk without too much sniffing and pulling on the lead, which is also good! She has grown so much in these past months. She and I were sitting her on the sofa yesterday afternoon watching the video of her playing with her new toy and the basket in the back garden and it was hard to recognize her as the same dog, although she was very alert and interested in just who that dog was on the screen that was playing with her toy! It was cute to watch her watching herself!
The kids will be off school next week with a whole week to fill in before Christmas! There is nothing worse than a bored child that is full of excitment for Christmas . . . with nothing to do. I found a really neat craft idea online that I thought I would share with you this morning that your kids might enjoy making, and that you might even enjoy making yourself! (Although if you are like me you have more than enough things to keep you busy in the coming week!)
Just look at these adorable flower pot gingerbread people! I have a real thing for gingerbread men myself and I just love these. Simply two terra cotta flower pots glued together and then painted up to look like gingerbread men, with pipe cleaner arms and a pretty bow glued onto the girl one, they look so sweet and easy, and they make good candy holders! Looking at them, I can also see the possiblities of turning them into other things with a bit more paint. Why not spray paint them white and turn them into snow men, or leave the top one terra cotta and paint the bottom one white, add some pipe cleaner wings and a halo and turn then into angels? You could, with a little bit of ingenuity, turn them into a whole row of carollers! The possbilities are endless!
I found this picture on a page which has some free e-books on crafts to download, Free Craft Ideas and Homemade Gifts.
Finally, here is a delicious looking salad that would make a great addition to your Holiday meal! It is so pretty to look at and is also very low in fat and calories. This delicious slaw marinates for several hours in the refrigerator, allowing the dressing to somewhat pickle the cabbage and plump up the cranberries. You don't stir the apple in until just before serving, which helps it to keep it's colour and crisp texture!
Apple, Red Cabbage and Cranberry Slaw*
Makes 8 servings
Printable Recipe
Here's a pretty salad to brighten up your holiday table. Not only nice to look at, but low in fat and calories as well!
5 cups of thinly sliced red cabbage (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup rice vinegar
13 cup sugar
2 TBS white wine vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 1/4 cups thinly sliced Granny Smith apple, unpeeled
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
Combine the cabbage and cranberries in a large bowl. Whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar, wine vinegar, olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Pour over the cabbage mixture and toss to gently coat. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for several hours. Just before serving add the apple, tossing to combine. Sprinkle with the toasted pecans and serve.
In The English Kitchen today, delicious Chicken Escalopes with Lemon, Parsley and Capers!
Oh, Marie... So very sorry that your knee is so bad, and that your doctor visit brought no joy. :o( I'm heartily sorry you're in so much pain, that doesn't seem to be able to have a suitable treatment. I was wondering if knee replacement could be an option for you, but alas see here it is not to be. Not yet anyway. How to excise when bone meets bone?! What are these doctor's thinking... And all these strong medications with dreadful side effects. Oh, my... I'm sorry you have this uphill battle to deal with physically. And with the holidays on the heels... Do hope you will find a way to deal with the pain naturally. Have you considered an alternative therapy, like acupuncture or massage therapy? You know me, I'm a natural girl. ;o) Thinking of you & prayer you find some relif soon. LOVE the slaw recipe today--very beautiful, and those pot gingerbread men are so cute--very clever! Happy Day, dear friend--LOVE YOU LOTS ((BIG HUGS))
ReplyDeleteWe'll be praying that that knee feels better for you soon. I think the cold weather brings on more aches and pains than we usually have so try to keep it warm. Maybe that will help. I know a friend of mine had to wait till she was older too to have knee surgery. It doesn't last forever and that is why they put it off till people are older. I used to love the time my children had off from school. They were always excited but kept busy and doing crafts with them was always fun.
ReplyDeletesorry about the knee bit; it is so frustrating when one gets these kinds of answers. I have a similar problem in the knee--not much cartilage--it is called chrondamalatia (not sure of the spelling) , but taking the glucocimine with chrondrotian (don't know spelling of these either!) for a time helped me with exercise. Now I don't take those supplements any more, but I do continue the walking. It really has helped me. But I also had a torn miniscus and things were helped along when that was removed. I do think the supplements and exercise has had and continues to be the best help for me.
ReplyDeleteOh Marie I was afraid that was the problem with your knee. I've had 2 knee replacements - both knees- never regretted it for a minute. All pain is gone. The replacements they make now are made of ceramic and last much much longer - like 30 years. Had my first one in 2004 - I was 60. But I've known people younger than that - it beats pain I'll tell you. Too bad all docs don't agree with. I wish you the best I really do but short of replacement not much worked for me. I agree I think the weather may come in to play with excessive pain. Ask for some cortisone shots - those do help some people - did me - for a short time but maybe long enough for them to agree on replacement. In spit of your pain I wish you and Todd a very Merry Christmas and hope the pain lets up for you dear.
ReplyDeleteSorry about your leg Marie, that is a hard one. My hips and knees hurt sometimes but walking everyday does keep the pains away. I hope you can get to that point. And don't worry about the Primary kids, they always come through and even if they don't they steal everyone's heart. My big dog Cougar still thinks he is a puppy and tries to jump up too, I just turn my back to him and he stops it. But he still always tries. I love this slaw, different and I am betting it's real good. You hang in there and have a great week! ;D
ReplyDeleteIf a doctor had your knee complaint I wonder if he would give himself the advice you have been given? As far as I know cartilige doesn't regenerate itself so of course you get bone rubbing on bone. And that hurts, I know.
ReplyDeletei'm so so so sorry about your knee:( and how horribly frustrating!! dumb doctors. my mother in law has had issues as well. so painful, i can't even imagine. prayers that docs somewhere will find something to help alleviate the pain or at least give you knee replacement if thats what you need! uggh. so sorry:(
ReplyDeletep.s. your Christmas card is probably going to be late. i stink. with cali being so sick this week, i haven't been able to go to the post office. better late than never right? :)