Thankful Thursday

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My thanks for Thankful Thursday is from Feb. 4, about a week after I arrived here.  I joined the YMCA so that I could use the exercise equipment as part of my physical therapy AND the pool.  I keep forgetting to take a pic of the pool, but I'll try to remember the  next time I go.

Last Saturday Leah treated me to an early-bird dinner at new restaurant in Ko Olina called Monkey Pod.  It was an interesting experience, but the best part of it was the dessert.  Strawberry Cream Pie. Probably the best of its kind that I've ever had.  

It may not look too big here in this pic, but it was a huge piece, so it's a good thing we decided to share it.  Too bad I didn't remember to take the pic before we began to eat it, but I think you can get the idea.

This past Wed, some of the ladies from church met at a sweet Victorian tea house in Kailua called 

2nd Cup of Tea.  What a great place.  I only had my point and shoot with me, and I had to bump up the iso really high in order to get the images without flash.   

There are racks of hats that are available for wearing if you so choose.  Leah grabbed this one and tolerated me taking her pic before she took it off. 

A Look At Waikiki

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Today my friend, Jackie, and I took a trip to Waikiki to do some street ocean photography.  It's an awesome place to people-watch and if you hang out there long enough, there's no telling what kind of images you can bring home.  

I had a particular idea in mind, but it didn't work out, so I wound up getting some images that I hadn't planned on.  But really, when you're in a public place like this, usually what you get is a big, happy surprise.

I lugged my tripod with me and I'm glad I did.  I wanted to try some HDR and it was actually pretty successful.  Score!!

There are several surfboard rental kiosks along the beach which lend themselves to some nice still-life. 

After we got done at the beach, we decided to stop at one of our favorite places for a snack.  

Scavenger Hunt

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The assignment for this week is:

One photo of the inside of your house that would be used in advertising your house for sale.

So, I'm not in my house, but my hostess is totally okay with me taking photos of her house. Her house looks better than mine anyway, but maybe when I return to NY I might try this there.  Of course, that means I'll have to clean the house first....hmmmm.

This first image is a straight shot, with the camera determining the exposure.  I did a little post-processing in Photoshop Elements, which lightened up the darker areas but didn't help the window area too much.  

This next image is an HDR of exactly the same shot.  You can see how much more detail there is in the window area and in the darker areas of the hutch and wooden chairs.  

So if I ever want to sell my house, I'll be sure to:

1) clean it first

2) get rid of the clutter

3) take photos of it using HDR.

(ps--I have NO idea why those first few lines are highlighted.  I tried everything I could to undo it, but to no avail.  Weird)

Thankful Thursday (very late on Friday again)

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So my Thankful Thursday post is from Feb 5 which was one day less than 6 weeks after my surgery.  I mention that only to say that I was able to walk one mile on the treadmill and still do a significant distance on the recumbent bike.  Things are progressing nicely and I'm thankful to God for the healing that's happening.  

The day of my surgery, I couldn't imagine that I'd come this far in just 6 weeks.

Below is another photo from my excursion to Pearl Harbor the other day with my friend Julie.  I love these old grungy looking scenes.

Makaha Beach

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So today Betty and I headed out to Makaha Beach on the leeward side of the island.  It's really beautiful over there, and nowhere near as crowded as other areas of the island.

The people in the images are just random beach-goers.

This was the view from our office window this afternoon.  It's a tough job but someone has to do it. 

An Afternoon At Ford Island

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My friend Julie and I went to Ford Island yesterday.  It's right at Pearl Harbor.

This first image is of a plane hanger and the holes you see in the glass are the original bullet holes from the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

The next two images are of the tower at the airfield.  It's in the process of being restored, and it was freshly painted within about the last year.

An old fire truck.

Visit to North Shore

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Beautiful day today.  We decided to head to the North Shore for a nice drive and Shave Ice. After the stop for Shave Ice, we drove to the turtle beach.  This is one of the largest turtles I've ever seen basking on this beach.

Ahhhhh.......

Grandson of my friends

Thankful Thursday a Day Late Again

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My Thankful Thursday posts seem to be developing into Thankful Friday posts, but "Thankful Friday" just doesn't seem to have the same ring to it as "Thankful Thursday", so I'm going to hang in there with my original concept. 

Yesterday I went to see Les Mis with a friend.  She already saw it but was willing to go again if I wanted to see it.  Many years ago, I saw the play in Manhattan.  Although the play was incredible, the movie was pretty spectacular too.  I was glad we went, but I don't think I could watch it again.  It is a pretty emotional story.

Today was the first day since I arrived that was sunny with blue sky.  I had to go into Honolulu for something so I thought I'd spend some time at the beach and get a few images.  

I take these same images every time I'm in Hawaii, so anyone who follows my blog is probably yawning.  But it's still beautiful...

A New Experience

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On Tuesday, I flew to Hawaii.  I had a new experience. I decided to take advantage of my "handicapped" post-op status and ask for wheelchair service.  It wasn't because I didn't think I could walk between the terminals, but I was concerned about the timing.  Since I can't walk at my usual pace, I didn't want to take the chance of missing a plane, especially since my last changeover was to a completely different airline and I had to go through security again.

It's a good thing I took advantage of the complimentary service.  

But I have to say, it was difficult to accept the attention, knowing full well that I could have done the walking myself and should have done some of the walking myself.  So each time I was delivered to a terminal, I still walked around, sometimes aimlessly, sometimes looking for a bathroom or some food.  

The trip back to NY will be different.  No chariot will await me then.  

Almost Done

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About 7 days ago my daughter asked me to make a Renaissance vest for my grandson.  It's almost done--it just needs a hem.  

I'm not doing it.

(the ribbon looks kind of funky in the pic, but that's just the flash reflecting off the ribbon--it's all solid red and looks really good)

My grandson was going to come over this afternoon and try it on.  I would have taken a photo.  But, alas, it snowed and the roads are really nasty, and it's not worth him driving here tonight just so I can take a photo.  So I'll have to wait and hope my daughter remembers to get a good pic and send it to me.

I'll be on my way to the airport tomorrow morning to catch my flight to Hawaii.

Aloha

Thankful Thursday

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Every little bit of progress/improvement is welcomed and enjoyed.  The date on this Thankful Note is a mere 2.5 weeks after my surgery.  It was such a kick when I was able to walk without the cane.  Gave me hope and encouragement.  This is not to say that I wasn't limping or getting tired, but just that I was getting a little stronger each day.  Remember, it's all about giving thanks for the little things, as well as the big things, each day.

Again, I didn't want to post without some images.  I didn't think that an image of a cane would be all that exciting so I found some images from my archives.

  The following two images were made when I spent some time in NYC with my daughter this past summer.  I believe the image of the votive candles was taken in St. Patrick's Cathedral.

The building is just one of the bldgs in Manhattan.  

Just For the Record...

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Today is Wednesday.  Just for the record, it's been exactly 4 weeks since my hip surgery.  I've come a long way since that day.  I feel like I'm being patient about my recuperation, but once in a while I succumb to a wee, little bit of self-pity and curiosity about what I'm going to be able to do once I'm completely healed.  But I have to kick those thoughts out of my head as quickly as possible.  I mean, really, it's only been 4 weeks.  And except for the fact that I'm not jogging a 5K, I am doing just about everything I want/need to do right now.

Now....having said all that, I'm in the middle of a sewing project.  My daughter, who is the co-advisor for her son's Junior Class, has organized a fund-raiser in the form of a Princess Tea, slated to take place in Feb.  The teens need their prince/princess outfits.  I guess it's up to each of them how/where they get them.  

My grandson is going to be....hmmmm, don't really know, but he decided he wanted to wear this Renaissance Vest.  And guess who gets to make it??  Moi!!  Counting today (since it's only 8 am right now), I have 7 days till I leave for Hawaii.  So why not throw a sewing project into the mix?  I guess it really isn't a problem, since I usually wait until the day before I leave to do my packing....drives my other daughter crazy--she packs for her trips a week in advance. 

Anyway, I would love to have made the shirt to go with the vest, but daughter didn't want to spend the money, and I'm glad they opted out of it.  Add the shirt into the mix, and I might just be feeling stressed.

oh my gosh

Oh My Gosh.....

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Well.....my best intentions of creating a Thankful Thursday post every Thursday have already gone awry.  I really marvel at myself...that I can forget something that I really want to do so quickly.  So, today is Friday, but here's my Thursday Thanksgiving.

Well, let's think about this for a minute.  My Dr. is probably fairly close to my age and he still Crews and is on winning teams every year.  I know this because of the photos he has all over his exam room walls.  I'm jealous.  I'll probably never be able to do something like that because of the position you need to be in--knees bent almost to the chest.  My PT told me this morning that some Drs say that hip-replacement patients can never, ever, EVER do that kind of motion again.  Some even say that bending over far enough to tie your shoe is something you should never do.  "Invest in elastic shoe laces" they say. 

 Oh.        My.     Gosh.    

I would say, "what have I gotten myself into?", but honestly, the pain before the surgery is something that would send a person over the edge if it continued, so I guess this is a small reasonable price to pay.  

Anyway, my Dr has told me, at least a dozen times, that I have NO RESTRICTIONS on my activity.  I guess a doctor and a PT have different perspectives on rehabilitation.  Who's right?  I don't know.  I'd like to believe it's the Dr.  But for a while, at least, I'll go with the advice of the PT.  I'm not in the market for a dislocated hip, thank you very much!

This next image has absolutely nothing to do with my Thankful post.  I just hate to create a blog post without an image.  This is one that was taken this past summer when my friend and I went to Saratoga Race Track.  

I Had Plans...

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It began snowing during the night, and continued for most of the day today.  I think there was some accumulation, but the roads seemed to be okay.  I had plans for the afternoon, but you can never tell ahead of time what will happen with the roads, so I opted to stay home.  I actually got quite a lot done, so I'm glad I made that decision.

Later in the afternoon, I decided to get my camera out and take a few shots of the great weather we've been having.  I stayed inside and shot through the window, even though I really wanted to go out and walk around.  I figured that wouldn't be the smartest thing for me to do.  Today is the 3-week-anniversary of my hip surgery, and it's coming along very nicely, thank you very much, and I don't want to jeopardize the progress by being foolish.

Anyway, of the 6-7 shots I took, this is the most acceptable.  I love the little dot of red from the taillight in what, otherwise, looks like a bw image. 

It felt good to have the camera in my hand again, and it felt even better to want to have it in my hand again.  It's been a long time ...

Day 20---Yum

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Well, today is day 20 since my surgery.  I'm feeling really well, getting around without the cane some of the time, but still a little limp.  PT said not to walk without the cane until the limp is completely gone, but, well....you know how that goes.  Gotta "do it my way".  Not really, it's just that grabbing the cane to take two steps across the kitchen seems kind of silly.  And then there are the times when I get up and take off and then remember that I should have grabbed the cane, but, oh well, I'm almost where I want to go, so I just keep going.

I can do almost everything I want/need to do, except put on my left sock and shoe.  I'm supposed to wait 12 weeks before I actually do that action--bending over that far on my left side.  And I'm two days shy of three weeks right now.  Nine weeks to go until I can/should do that! Yikes.  But I WILL OBEY.  I want to get well and if that's what it's going to take, then so be it.  Once I'm in Hawaii I'll be wearing flip-flops most of the time anyway...

Anyway....a few days ago I found this yummy sounding recipe for Butter-Cream Scones on a blog.  They sounded soooooo good, and I really love scones.  So I made sure I had all the ingredients (the only thing I didn't have was heavy cream) and thought I would whip these up some day.  "Some day" didn't happen until today.

I basically just took them out of the oven, so I haven't tasted them yet.  And dinner is in a short time. I will wait, as difficult as it will be, to have one as my after-dinner treat.  I'm hoping they taste as good as they look.  

 Thankful Thursday

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This is my first Thankful Thursday Post. 

Here's a recap of what I'm doing:  Every day I'm going to write down one thing that happened that day for which I'm thankful.  That's really hard to do, because on any given day I'm thankful for an entire slew of things.  But I thought this would be especially helpful for those times when everything seems to be going wrong and it's hard to imagine that my life will turn itself right-side-up again.

Then on each Thursday morning I'll pick out one piece of paper and write a post about it.

I began this on Jan 1 which was Tuesday, but skipped that first Thurs and waited until this Thursday to do a post.  I don't know, it was just a random decision...

So....last week, only 9 days after my hip replacement surgery, I had the energy, and the gumption to go to my photo meeting, which was a really good thing because cabin fever was rearing its ugly head and I was feeling a serious case of depression settling on me.

My husband drove me because I still wasn't feeling brave enough to drive myself.  (the date on the note indicates that it was only 8 days after my surgery)

It was a good evening.

Did The Driving Today

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The is the 11th day since my surgery.  I was feeling pretty good.  I had a long phone conversation with a friend this morning, during which time I walked around my house.  Definitely walked more than 5 minutes--felt great when I was done.  I think I hit on a new strategy--when I need to do my walking, just call someone who can spare some time, and go for it!  

We were invited to my sister-in-law's for dinner this afternoon, so we left a little early in order to stop at a couple of stores first.

I drove!!!

It was a little uncomfortable, but it was also an hour or so before I was scheduled to take my pain med, so that could have had something to do with it.  A little slow/awkward getting in and out of the car, but very doable.  The trickiest part was reaching out to pull the door closed once I was in the car, but my cane came in handy for that.  Where there's a will, there's a way.

A Short Walk

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This post is really more of an experiment than anything else.  I was playing around with the settings for my blog, and decided that I wanted to begin posting my photos in a larger format.

But here's the story behind the pic.

I'm supposed to be walking regularly.  But really, walking in the house is pretty boring even though my house is long and roomy.  Yesterday I put on my headset and listened to music while I walked for about 12 minutes, which made the process a little less objectionable.

Today is Friday, and every Friday several of the local people meet at the country store for breakfast. I knew the roads would be okay, so I walked up to the store this morning.  (It's only between .1 - .2 miles) Wow!!!  was it ever good to get out and get some fresh air.  

I was going to drive into town at some point so I could do some walking around the Mall.  I called the PT just to see how far/long I should be walking by now.  She said, "oh, maybe about 5 minutes, or as long as you can walk before getting tired".  hmmmm  I decided I didn't need to drive  20 minutes to and from the Mall, just to walk 5 minutes--which I had already done by walking to the store.  

Glad I saved myself the trip today, but believe me, tomorrow I'm breakin' outta this joint!   

Crazzzzy Feet

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Yesterday morning I found a large box on my back porch.  I knew I hadn't ordered anything to be delivered, so I was scratching my head about what was in the box.

I found this Cookie Bouquet.  

Leah sent it to me.  How appropriate.  Especially the one that looks like a flip-flop (or "slipper" as they are called in Hawaii).

FYI--they taste as good as they look.

Thank you, sweet baby girl!