Taste

Tree209

My foot is healing well. So well, in fact, the nurse and PA were high-fiving it in the hallway after seeing my progress on Monday. I have been changing the bandages daily and applying silvadene. There was just one 3 cm large spot above the ball of the foot yet to heal, and it looked narrower today. The rest of the burn is dark new skin.

Still on crutches in public-with the snow and ice and not being able to comfortably walk in a boot, I encase the foot mongolian-style with yarn and old fleece. Local shop-owners have shown me much concern-and in the smaller groceries customers behind me in line have found conversation openers such as, "What did you kick?" LOL.

I even had the chance to try out a motorized shopping cart last week. I started out determined to make the round in crutches, and made it halfway through the gigantic store before everything started screaming in protest-the hip bearing the weight, the palms and armpits from the crutches, the middle of the back from swinging my torso...

So I gave in and grabbed a motorized cart-what a blast. Other shoppers looked on me , if at all, with a sort of pity that must pervade the life of the permanently disabled. Not me-I was having a blast, gunning the thing around corners and racing down the aisles-scooping items off the shelves without stopping. I even told the cashier that I was tempted to bring the crutches in and fake it when I was better, just to ride around in the cart.

My birthday came and went without much fanfare. Some folks I wanted to hear from were unavailable-other folks came through with nice suprises. One out of state relative sent a lovely package of presents. An old friend of the family, whose birthday falls two days after mine, showed up the day between with a load of Chinese take-out which the kids and I gobbled like starving refugees. So nice not to have to cook! He took the leftovers home, but left the remnants of the six pack of winter ale, which I enjoyed the next day, now free of the pain pills. What a lightweight I have become-two beers and I was stumbling around on crutches and then called it an early night!

I made my favorite chocolate cake, and we spent my birthday eating the whole thing-cake for breakfast and lunch, and it was a struggle to save the last three pieces for dessert after dinner. I had promised to save the friend a piece for his birthday, but he was lucky to get the last cupcake by the time he showed up with the food the next evening. Hey-I told him to come by the day before for cake! heheh.

Just wrapping up the birthday celebrations-today I received a birthday note from C. Yep, he's still trying....He took a bad fall a week or so ago and shattered his ankle and then had to go out of state for his Mom's funeral-and he was apologizing for not getting me a card on time! He was having surgery earlier this week, so I did call him and leave him my new number. He lives locally and will be on crutches for months-I figured I would at least offer to make some store runs for him once I am mobile.

Of course the way small towns go, he had heard through the grapevine I was on crutches and chastised me for not calling him for help...

Now he is the one down and out-with a shattered right ankle, he won't be driving anywhere soon. Uck, what a winter!

I have been stretched thin for reading material-finally I can sit comfortably at the computer without having to prop up the foot. I had played with the idea of moving the comp close to the bed, but I couldn't figure out how to do it when I couldn't stand on two feet. So I spent lots of time on the couch reading some of the Firebird's sci fi fantasy books he received for Christmas.

Not sure if this is what I had in mind when I said I needed a vacation! Been tough not to be able to make snow forts and go sledding and hike up the pond...and all the other fun winter things that make winter bearable around here. But, spring is that much closer, so bring it on, baby! :P