wow..it has been a long time!!!

I have been very negligent of this blog but I think I have a few excuses!!! Lets see...at the end of October I had the injections for pain in my back and it seemed to help. I flew to Ohio for three weeks to visit Mom just 2 days later. I had a very nice visit..even if my youngest brother tried to pick fights over the then upcoming election. I finally had to tell him that I had already voted by absentee ballot and there was no going back!!! I took my 87 year old Mom to vote and it was pretty awesome. We didn't have to stand too long in line and she took her time. She refused to vote early, was prepared to stand in long lines because she loves to go to the polls. And we had a wonderful election night..my brother's Romney/Ryan sign disappeared very early the next morning. After spending 3 weeks in Akron...I flew home and 2 days later had my right knee fully replaced. What an experience that has been!!! I went straight from the hospital to an inpatient short term rehab facility on Thanksgiving day. wow...I felt like the queen of everything. Private room, private bathroom w/shower. kitchenette, beautiful dining room, great food, a therapy staff that was awesome. I decided not to eat in my room and made some fun friends. I was in a wheelchair for one day..then a walker...4 weeks later I was barely using a cane. I went home and started outpatient therapy the next day. I have been going there 3 days a week. If it hadn't been for them I might have never gotten this far. I was using painkiller as prescribed but got addicted anyway! That never happened to me before although I have used these same drugs in past surgeries. I wouldn't wish the feelings of withdrawal to my worse enemies...well maybe!!! I got worked hard in therapy and that did help. so 8 weeks later the sciatica pain returned and I went back today for another pain management session with injections. The knee is very good and I am planing hiking and walking and snowshoeing in my future! I just found out that I am going to be a grandma for the first time in September of this year. I have been lax on painting but hope to get to it. I am posting 2 little plein air watercolors I did a few Saturdays ago with a paint out. These were done from the 4th floor of the Main City Library in Salt Lake City. They are 8x8 inches. so now we are caught up with me I will go back and look at your past posts. As soon as I get the taxes done!!!