::Carbondale, Colorado:: We continue to enjoy our new life...one filled with restaurants, a rock wall, a ski slope, a Target, a coffee shop, roads to bike on, trails to explore, new friends, soccer, first fridays & a community spirit::
Our life is different from the one we had in Alaska, but we are still the same family taking on new adventures...it is extremely fun to see our boys' participating in a variety of activities that they didn't have access to at the Yurts...but we do miss our wide open space for imaginations to run wild and skiing trails out our door...Life is all about a little give and take!
tiff February 5th, 2010
just a little FYI: check oven before you pre-heat…you just never know what you might find leftover from the night before…these waffles were no long edible…unless you wanted to see the dentist after a broken tooth or two!
tiff February 3rd, 2010
I am a lucky girl…I just received from FedEx my friends cookbook she made via Blurb…it is beautiful, filled with yummalicious recipes, fabulous photos & silly quotes/sayings. Oh & in the mail this lovely~pretty necklace came from Michele over at Must Be a Full Moon. I won a little contest she was having back in November. She made the necklace for me…she has one just like it, so that us mom’s of boys’ can be twin girls..fun! I also won a Starbucks coffee card…which will get used this weekend when i make my first attempt to grocery shop since my knee surgery.
If you know my friend Stacie Ballweg and you have had her cooking, then you just might want to purchase her fabulous cookbook creation from here:
Where There Is Food There Is Love
tiff February 2nd, 2010
here is what it looked like in our room before the doodles went to bed:
Keegan was reading out loud the James Patterson book Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment
Rohnan is resting his head on my hip while we all were lying down on our bed.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
i had an appt with the knee doctor. my fears were false…i am doing quite well with my range of motion…and all my feelings of achy-ness and sore calf is part of the healing process…which by the way does not just take a week, but really can last for a couple of weeks before feeling normal…my optimism for getting back in the classroom TOMORROW were crushed or put to ease {however i want to look at it}, as it is not going to happen. I will be out until Monday of next week…because I need to get a more normal walk happening and need more time elevating and icing my knee during the day! So…exercises, stretches, walking practice, elevating & icing are on my agenda for the next 5 days, then I will be back to work and start Physical Therapy outside the home. I was told today that it is highly recommended that I stay away from running…if i had had coffee in my mouth i would have spit it out…run…ha…that makes me giggle, but I was also told that soccer is not a good choice either…it is weird to hear that soccer is no longer a choice for exercise…not that I have played a game in over 16 years…but still to be told NO! Although my doc did say I could do all those things, but I will be back into see him sooner than later w/ a total knee replacement…which he is predicting for me in 15 years if I take care of my knee…oh boy! I have my work cut out for me to take care of my knee which will ultimately help my whole being…now to get started! It wont happen over night…and it will be a long process, but in the long run I will be able to continue the other things I enjoy: biking, xcountry skiing, hiking and if i shed some pounds backpacking is still a plausible activity.
tiff January 30th, 2010
disheveled
…yep that is me…a bit on the disheveled side: it is hard to be motivated when all i can do is wear yoga pants, t-shirts & a fleece vest or sweatshirt~i know. i know. many of you are saying but that is what you always wear…well except not the yoga pants~i usually wear jeans or carhartt’s. the difference is i usually put deodorant on, brush my hair, wash my face, wear underwear & a bra, but why? i am in bed w/ my leg up or i am in the living room w/ my leg up…i am not going anywhere, no one is visiting & if they are they expect me to look disheveled…so here i am, looking well, uh:
i am looking forward to having more meaning to my day…you know a purpose for putting on my bra, underwear, deodorant, brushing my hair, washing my face, etc. it will be good…i will feel normal. right now i am feeling a little sorry for myself…stuck at home on this glorious day, no one to talk to, no projects to take on, no motivation to plan for school next week, no interest in window shopping online, no, no, no. i sit here on my bed w/ my leg up, drinking cocoa, watching The Little People on Netflix, dozing off(as if I have not had enough sleep or rest this whole damn week) and dreaming of something else to eat other than crackers or granola bars or a banana(as those items don’t make a mess in my bed). it is hard, but i know it is what my body needs…however it is easier to say than do! i will rest, elevate, ice & continue to look disheveled until wednesday comes where i will be rushing to get my hair brushed, deodorant on, face washed & underwear on, then teach all day only to cuss that i don’t have enough time to elevate & ice…and so the cycle continues…GEESH!
i changed scenery today…feeling a little saucy & decided to walk around the house w/o crutches, give my bed the finger & take up a resting spot in a chair in the living room. it felt good to be in that room…even though it is a bit uncomfortable, as we don’t have a couch in that space. i watched the XGames on ESPN360 on Rick’s computer while I did my morning routine of surfing blogs & reading facebook on my own computer…drank my coffee in all that sunlight…iced my knee & then felt lonely for my bed…i think i like my bedroom…it has wonderful natural light, a view of the tip-tip of Mt. Sopris & a direct view of our backyard blanketed w/ the white fluffy stuff!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
{photo 1: two important things when elevating knee photo 2: the cryo-cuff resting while my knee gets fresh air photo 3: rick’s computer that housed the XGames on ESPN360 photo 4: the bike that is going to get me back in shape photo 5: my computer that is my lifeline while being disheveled photo 6: the longest i have kept any plant alive photo 7: doorway to my bedroom & the furniture that houses all the liquor}
tiff January 29th, 2010
So…in this beautiful valley we call home there are quite a few knitters…it is the craft of choice to pass the time away at meetings or coffee & conversation or late sleepless nights. I have an interest for yarn…really I do. I have done quite a few projects w/ my mad skills of a crochet needle: afghans, pot holders, christmas stockings & well more afghans. So…I think it only natural that I might want to jump on board w/ everyone else in the valley & teach myself to knit. Now you would have thought that I would have learn this skill in Alaska where the nights are long & the temperatures are cold, but do remember that we had 30 dogs to keep us busy, wood to chop, 2 boys’ to educate & a wood stove to keep full, as to not FREEZE to DEATH!
**********************
Here I am…thinking knitting…thinking really do I need to add one more thing to my crafty plate…as if stamping, scrapping & blogging don’t already take up so much of my extra time. But…but…what I love about the idea of knitting is it is easy to throw in a bag and take it with you…not so easy when you stamp or scrap. So I sit here and debate in my head what I want to do…first I researched by asking all of you to give me good resources for beginners. I got some great stuff…I will share:
**********************
Last week, I bought myself a small little box set of colorful instructions & a set of knitting needles, but guess what I don’t have in the house…YARN! Geesh…so I have been just looking at the photo’s and reading through instructions and imagining what it would be like to work with those needles…I even sent Rick up in the craft loft to see if I had just a small skein or ball of yarn to practice with…but no luck! So I will wait…
tiff January 27th, 2010
the boys’ are reading this in class…and then learning to make origami paper cranes..which isn’t super easy…but the more you do the better you get at making all the folds…plus the thinner the paper the easier to manipulate.
*************
the boys’ were inspired to start early over the weekend, but quickly side tracked with making paper bowls/cups via origami…they watched YouTube video’s giving step by step directions…so cool and so resourceful! we have had origami cups on the counter for the last 5 days…and today Rohnan made me a huge origami cup w/ a small origami cup inside and a love note…what a sweet boy!
*************
keegan came into my room w/ the paper cutter and paper to cut into squares, so that we could make cranes together…and so we spent the afternoon making cranes on my bed…we even got out the left over christmas wrap, so that we could have some colorful cranes…what fun! i love that the boys’ actually want to spend time with me doing crafts!
tiff January 27th, 2010
Thought I would share what I have been looking at all day…plus a couple of extra photos…for fun!
{cuz’ i am stuck in this bed and you should all have to look at what i am looking at dammit}
{1st photo: stairs leading up to the craft loft above our bedroom. 2nd photo: looking out the door into the living/dining space. 3rd photo: looking at the beautiful snow falling outside our bedroom windows. 4th photo: our bathroom w/a pocket door.}
Now that health care has made so many mistakes there are many precautions that take place…you must put initials on the leg that is to be operated on…and the doc puts his initials on my big toe that is covered with iodine & i put my initials on the my big thigh…this will insure that the correct leg gets fixed…thought that interesting.
Of course everything is initialed…and they ask me a million times when my birth date is…what my name is…how old i am…and how to spell my last name…all the while they are looking at my bracelet…I am happy that they do this…but really…each person that walks in the room. BTW…Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, Colorado is AWESOME! Nothing but the best care…so far! And we have already endured 2 surgeries in less than 2 years of living in the valley. WE are IMPRESSED…but not so much with our health insurance…oh well! Thank goodness the hospital lets us make payments interest free. Otherwise we would be S-O-L!
tiff January 26th, 2010
::yes…i finally did it! i have been having troubles off and on for the last 6 months…but rick thinks that it has been longer and that i have just been tolerating the pain…and really that could be true…i have an enormous pain threshold & i don’t like to be a complainer, so i just deal! i think the final straw for getting my knee looked at was over Thanksgiving. We were playing in my brother, Timmy’s, backyard…you know a little “Bag-o”, a little Ripsticking(yes i was trying this), a little kicking the ball around…only to wake up the next morning limping around like an old lady…it was horrible! Then to top it off we stopped in Las Vegas and met up with our friends, the Carney’s, where we proceeded to walk the entire strip and back…that about did me in…and you know what Las Vegas is FLAT…FLAT…FLAT! I could barely walk the next morning…and i am only 41 years old…DAMMIT::
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
so…i called for an appt. with a well known doctor in the valley, Dr. Liotta…a recommendation from a friend, Tamsyn, she had her knee reconstructed by him. I have been there done that in my early 20’s…another story for later. Anyways went in and had some X-rays done & a consultation…only to find out that I didn’t have any ligament damage, but definitely some crunching in the knee…so an MRI was ordered just before Christmas. MRI done, but now I had to wait to meet the doc to find out the “what next” options were…as the MRI technicians are not allowed to tell you anything…they just get to strap you in, put head phones on your head w/ your favorite music: Christmas of course at the time…then take photos or scans..I did good…didn’t even move…wanted to be out of that damn chamber…NEXT! I met up with my doctor the first week of January…where we reviewed the MRI scans…and that is where my problems showed up…I had quite a bit of fluid on my knee, two bone spurs, a torn in half meniscus & arthritis(which he lovingly called post traumatic arthritis, as if that makes it sound better…i heard or interpreted: you are getting old, you are over weight & your soccer injury has caused this arthritis…or better yet termed, “LIFE”) My Options: Ignore it. Shots. Surgery. I could not ignore it any longer…cuz’ if I could, then I wouldn’t have gone into the doctor…I didn’t want shots, as those are just temporary improvement…so surgery was my option…this will allow me a few years in life to do the things I love until the big surgery that I hope doesn’t have to happen for quite some time(like in 20 years)…a knee replacement…waa-f@#$*n-who!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Surgery Happened.
Monday, Jauary 25th (on my sister-in-law, Jana’s, birthday)
My husband rocks…he took the day off to hang with me in the hospital…what a guy…as he HATES hospitals..he has been in to many…mostly for me…but also his mom…and quite honestly i think it is harder for the healthy one to sit & wait. Fortunately or Unfortunately the hospital has internet service, so Rick was able to stay connected with his school & catch up on way too many emails! So while he waited he was working…which makes it easier to not get too far behind. I on the other hand watched HGTV…I HEART it, but I am sure glad we don’t have cable service anymore…too addicting.
scrub. scrub. scrub. w/iodine for 5 minutes the night before and the morning of surgery. we don’t want any stinkin’ infections.
I didn’t torture myself by bringing the camera to the hospital…unlike when Rohnan was in for day surgery last Spring….this is what you would have seen…a mama laying on her hospital bed wearing an o’ so cool Bair Paws gown w/ baffles in it, so that the hot air could flow throughout the gown…it is was beautiful. Then you would have seen me drooling as i watched HGTV w/ a very grumpy face…because i had not had any coffee…and my tummy was rumbling because the last time I had ate was at 9:00p.m. the night before. Oh and then you could have seen me in some very cool tight white socks so to prevent blood clots in my legs, cuz’ ya know I will be laying around for three days…After that was all set up~the nurse came in to put my IV in…her question “Are you a difficult IV patient?” my answer “YEP!” And so the process begins…two tries and you are out, then they have the Anesthesiologist do it…she did a temporary IV in a very, very small vein, as she was having trouble…so she told me that once I was out in the surgery room, then she would find a better vain w/o me knowing that she was poking and prodding…so YEP! difficult IV patient. Oh and I was not happy by the way…I thought I might cry~I believe that I must have hit that wall…but I didn’t cry…just looked over at Rick & he smiled…he really is a sweet man!
{i wish i looked that good in those socks…and i wish i had an ass like that…a girl can wish, right?}
I woke up to someone telling me to take deep breaths…then I was wondering where I was at…last time I was under anesthesia rick had to speak very loudly at me to have me wake up…that was when the doodles were born. I was in the surgery recovery room for what I recalled not a long time…thankfully. Lots of vitals taken…questions: my name, birthdate, how to spell my last name, how much pain i was in on a scale from 0-10, etc. I was doing good…no pain meds needed…a plus in my book! I was wheeled back into my personal room where Rick was waiting…after taking care of lotso’ school work, a meal with the a big wig from the hospital & a conversation w/ my doctor…oh that Rick always networking. It is a good thing I married him…smiles! The first thing I wanted was a cup o’ coffee…I know a surprise for sure…and then some salty crackers. I got what I wanted, cuz’ you know I am the patient…but fortunately the nurse takes care of you in the hospital, so Rick’s job was just waiting for him at home…i hate asking for help…did I mention that before…oh no it was i hate complaining..kinda the same thing. So I got the same questions about my pain…and for some odd reason I have no pain…not complaining…just sayin’…I think because I was in so much pain that this is a relief…do you think? The nurse said she knew I was tough cuz’ I lived in Alaska…I wonder if that is true of all women that have lived in Alaska…hmmm???? And you know it is a small world when the Surgical Nurse knows someone that volunteers for the Iditarod and we know him, as he has shared a number of meals with us in Elim & even showered at our house…strange world indeed. She must have had a lot of time to read about my bio…and then google us, as hmmm I doubt I wrote that down…that my husband ran the Iditarod…like the hospital needs to know this, huh? Well moving right along…I was only in my room for another hour just to come off my meds…and eat…and go to the bathroom…and have my vitals checked a million and half times…all was good in my world…no pain meds needed, 2 cups of coffee had, conversation w/ my husband that was not the grumpy tiff, but the happy tiff and saltines~nothing better than saltines. The saddest part…the walker that came into the room to help get around…really a walker…that is the photo we needed…I am sure it was quite funny to watch me in my oh so stylish gown, my non slip socks and my cool blue shorts made of hospital gown material hobbling around…but i did it with no help and thank god that walker stays at the hospital. We were discharged..WAA-HOO!
I am in my bedroom, as we have no comfy couch in our house & quite honestly my room is lit up w/ wonderful natural light…it is a happy place…and between my husband and my boys’ I have all the things I need for a sedentary lifestyle for the next 3 days. Rick has been incredible…he picked up my meds, got take out from Phat Thai last night, questions me every time I am out and about~”get back in bed!”, watched Weeds with me, dropped off a pot of coffee w/ a cup next to my bedside and he just emailed me & said that he is coming home for lunch…SWEET!
{by my side…all things that will get me through the day…even the crutches~when i waltz around the house~NOT!}
{this is what I look like hanging out in my bed…HOT, huh?…cool tights, cool socks, cool aircast, cool stitches on a fat knee}
It is all good…still no Pain Meds to take…I have some non-narcotic prescription pain meds, as I can not take any type of narcotics without throwing up…bummer for me…but good, as I don’t like to take meds anyways!
We have been so lucky to have such good friends…a number of folks offered to bring a meal over…but really Rick is a capable cook & quite good at it…whether he chooses to cook this week or not. We were lucky enough to pan our kiddo’s off on The Carney’s yesterday after school until after dinner…that was a treat & one less thing to worry about. And fortunately I have a very good friend & colleague, Carly, that picked the boys’ up this morning & tomorrow morning, as Rick has two early meetings & the boys’ have not taken the bus to school yet…cuz’ they are so lucky to have educators for parents that have to go to work early & they go with us. And lucky for me I have another friend, Kristin, who just went through this surgery in December, so she lent(she thinks she is pawning them off on me…smiles) her crutches. We are so lucky to have such fab friends so willing to help us in anyway needed. It sure makes it easier to have surgeries or emergencies when we can call out for help! WE certainly appreciate all the offers we have had from The Friday’s, The Hamilton’s, The Kuhl’s, The Petersen’s & The Small’s too!
tiff January 21st, 2010
::i am pretty sick with a bad cold…ya know the kind…itchy watery eyes, sneezes that are uncontrollable…& now a lovely hacking cough that sounds like i have been a smoker all my life{yep it is super attractive…there is no doubt about it “I am HOT!}::
::I have a pile of used kleenex right next to me…with teary eyes waiting for that next sneeze to present itself with a splatter onto my computer screen…as I type I have one eye closed as if that is going to stop the sneeze…well maybe hold it off for now…until I open it…then watch out you just might get sprayed with snot…DUCK!::
tiff January 20th, 2010
I am feeling a little under the weather tonight…but had a pound of butternut squash calling me from the fridge. I needed to deal with that calling or the mold would come in late at night & take over my squash…fyi the squash was all peeled & cubed {i got it from costco}. I have been wanting to make Curry Butternut Squash Soup…so what better night to have it…soup is good for the soul…right?
:::there is nothing better than onions, garlic & ginger sautéing in olive oil:::of course you can’t go wrong with a chopped up habanero pepper & coconut milk:::
:::not the best photo…but the final product was delicious, as the start of our meal:::
and for dinner…one of our favorite meals & usually on the menu every other week:
:::we love our wok:::we love snow peas:::we love lite coconut milk:::YuMmAlIcIoUs:::
I wish I could say that the meal was a miracle remedy for the onset of a nasty cold…but no such luck! My head is full of snot & I don’t even think that eating the habanero whole could have helped me out…except burn my mouth & create a snot flood that a box of tissue could not block. Lucky ME and no Sick Leave to Take!
...Click the above photo to see our 2006-2008 Yurts N Dogs Website in Willow, Alaska...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
