Our driveway with a wall of star jasmine and agapanthus.
I'm not sure if I told you all about my knee. I had a painful attack like this about five weeks ago, just after driving back from my aunt's funeral. Now it's back again after another long drive associated with the conference I went to last week. After the first episode, I went to the doctor and had an ultrasound, xrays and blood tests. I'm happy to say my blood tests were perfect, but the ultrasound showed the beginnings of osteoarthritis in my right knee. Grrrrrrrrr. I'm not a good patient but Hanno has put up with me and fed me with toasted Vegemite soldiers, tea and plates of watermelon cut up into little pieces. Anyhow, it looks like it's getting better. I've just been for a walk around the garden and reconnected with the outside world.
The front yard this morning.
I've been watching mainstream TV for the last three days and nights. Sometimes I had it on just to take my mind off the pain, sometimes I watched. There is so much rubbish on the box now! I didn't know the full extent of it - the never-ending info-mercials at 2am, the sex websites advertising their shonky wares and the inane advertising for everything a mainstream consumer could ever hope to want. It's pretty depressing.
Hanno is fixing the roof with his friend, Hilton. They're currently at the hardware store buying supplies.
The front yard this morning.
I've been watching mainstream TV for the last three days and nights. Sometimes I had it on just to take my mind off the pain, sometimes I watched. There is so much rubbish on the box now! I didn't know the full extent of it - the never-ending info-mercials at 2am, the sex websites advertising their shonky wares and the inane advertising for everything a mainstream consumer could ever hope to want. It's pretty depressing.
Hanno is fixing the roof with his friend, Hilton. They're currently at the hardware store buying supplies.
I'm going back to sit in my chair again now. I'll see you all again soon.
I make a terrible sick person too. Getting out in the garden is my little act of rebellion against the pain. Some days though you just have to stand still.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried wrapping a comfrey poltice around your knee? I also love sniffing a bouquet of Italian lavender if I'm feeling particularly stressed. Any kind of lavender would do. The flowers of citrus is a great calming scent as well.
Those jasmine vines would help a lot too I imagine.
And about commercial TV - I don't watch it. ABC or nothing for me. My daughter will watch commercial television in the mornings on weekends (kiddy shows) and I have to say the one Ad I adore is the "Dairy for Life". It's the one with the Cindy Lauper song, "Time after time," playing in the background.
Hubby and I smile at each other and have a good hug when we see that Ad. It's about the only thing on commercial TV I respond to.
Hope your knee gets better soon.
You are too busy to be down for long! I hope you feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteHi Rhonda--Just wanted to say that I hope you are feeling better soon. Glad you were able to get around some today--it's always difficult to be down and out, especially with only TV to occupy your time! I'll be sending good thoughts and prayers your way!
ReplyDeleteAWW... hope your knee is better soon or least you have less pain in it. I had a sore knee when in the Uk last year and it lasted for ages then one day it just went! It does come back now and then and my Dr says that the summer months are worse of osteo arth. than the winter time!
ReplyDeleteTv... yes agree it IS depressing and inane! Sometimes I have to switch off a movie I wanted to watch as the commercials towards the end of the show drive me mad - theri frequency increases and it just reduces the enjoyement for me. well said!
Don't forget - you CAN turn the
ReplyDeleteTV off!
Vegemite
ReplyDelete*shudders*
My wife's cousin brought some back from her trip to NZ (they were raised in Rotorua) and I got to try it for the first time. An "aquired" taste, I suppose.
Seriously, I just stumbled across this blog and enjoy it. Cheers!
I need to get my knees checked, and my hip! I so hope that you are doing better and better, til you are feeling your best again. Tv is going on in the back ground at our house much of the time, I tune it out. I only watch stuff just before bedtime and then it's only half heartedly!
ReplyDeleteHere's to your health!
I know how you feel. I sprained my ankle pretty badly yesterday and have been watching way more tv than I ever did before. I can't believe some of the stuff on! I will be glad when I can get back to my normal day.
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better soon.
Hi Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteI hope you are feeling better. Nothing like getting outside to make you feal better.
The photos of your garden are lovely.
Mandy
Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear you are laid up! I have a question for you that perhaps you can help with. I have such a problem with weeds in my vegetable garden. What is your remedy? How thickly do you mulch and with what? I have tried just about everything from very heavy straw mulch to black plastic, but still weeds just take over. My main problem is that I get horrible allergies to some of the weeds, so pulling them makes me break out in hives. Your beds look so nice and tidy, I would appreciate any insight you have for me!
Hi Rhonda...I hope you are feeling much better now. Just wanted to tell you how much I'm enjoying your blog...have just started catching up on the "back issues" and thoroughly enjoying it. I mentioned you on my blog today. Hope you don't mind, don't worry - it was good!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Dianne
www.patacakebabies.com/wordpress
Good Morning Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteKeep the garden pictures coming as we just had our first snowfall yesterday and won't see our garden's until next May.
Hope your feeling better. Wanted to let you know how much I'm enjoying the Co-op Blog. I made the one hour french bread and it was great! Thanks for putting that together to help all of us.
DianeH, Ontario, Canada
Rhonda, sorry to hear about your knee! Sending well-wishes, hope you can make a full recovery asap. Watching tv when you're not feeling well always makes me question whether I was feeling unwell before or because of watching so much tv. :-)
ReplyDeleteChristine
I have to agree with cyberlizard. A friend who lived in Austrailia, mailed me some vegemite one time to try and *shudders* I'm sure it is wonderful - not something I am used to! =)
ReplyDeleteGlad you are home. Let us know how you decide to treat the osteoarthritis. =/
I certainly hope you feel much better soon.
ReplyDeleteI am glad to see you are feeling a bit better. Take it slow.
ReplyDeleteI agree about tv...sigh...reality shows are the worst!
I tend to watch a lot of home and garden tv and the food network lol.
Speedy recovery to you!
Oh, I do hope that you are feeling %100 soon....wishing you happy healing!
ReplyDeletetv....well we don't have one!
Hi Rhonda - hope you feel better soon!
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a TV here at all, and I'm very happy about it. There's something addictive about TV that makes us fill our minds with muck.
On the whole I agree with the general opinion on TV. Much of it is worthless or even bad for you. But... I enjoy documentaries and it is largely thanks to the TV that I have any idea at all what some of the landscape looks like 'down under' where you are. I watch wildlife films, gardening programs, popular science programs and news. But often my husband finds the interesting programs, because I'm more of a PC addict than a TV addict.
ReplyDeleteWhen not feeling well, I watch much more TV. Just like you.
Hope you feel much better soon!
Jandra
I hope that knee is giving you less trouble. What have you found that helps? I'm curious about this "vegemite soldiers" treat and have all sorts of images lined up in my brain. Enlighten me, would you please?!
ReplyDeleteJerry and I have been curling up every week night with reruns of "Lost" and we don't know why. We could rent the DVD and be done with it in a couple of evenings. It's a sick obsession. (Of course, it does give me sitting time to knit or stitch)
Hi Rhonda
ReplyDeleteI do hope your knee is better soon. Take it easy like you are and it will come good I am sure.
Regarding TV - I find I am watching more Australian content and less American shows. I used to love the crime/cop shows - now I prefer Cook & the Chef, Spicks n Specks, Packed to the Rafters etc.
Regarding Vegemite - it is a national disaster if the jar is empty and there isn't another in the pantry! I always say, if you have bread and vegemite, you have a meal!
Cheers - Julie
Wow not sure what is worse being unable to ge about like you would like or being trapped so that television is your only option. Actually I do know - I hate the tv we get the kids to highlight programs they want to watch and that is when the tv gets turned on then it gets turned off right after the program is finished. And of ocurse we are so techniologically challenged that we only have tow tvs none in bedrooms adn if we don't hurry up and get a set top box it will be awfullyquiet around here when they switch everything to digital!!!
ReplyDeleteHope your knee gets better quickly
daisymum
tv is awful. i got rid of cable and never watch it. however ... i do very much miss the food network. it's great background. too bad i can't just order that one thing. someday ... this will be able to happen.
ReplyDeletesorry about the knee news, well i know you'll take it all in stride. hopefully there are good supplement/homeopathic treatments to stem it a bit/relieve it? i'm big into learning about those.
thoughts to you and glad you're feeling better.
Thank you all for your kind wishes and prayers. The long term treatment of my knee is Glucosamine and Chondroitin, oral emu oil and emu oil rubbed on. However, while it is inflamed, I'm also taking voltarin and painkillers.
ReplyDeleteI injured my knee in a fall about 12 years ago and over that time the arthritis has developed and has only now made its presence known. I guess the lesson is don't fall over. ;- )
I hope you feel better soon. Nothing worse than wanting to do something inside or out and not being able to, no matter what age. Am having the same sort of problem at the moment. Wish the cows, chooks, ducks, geese etc etc knew that each morning they cry out for 'mum'. :)
ReplyDeleteAccording to Wikipedia, the billionth jar of Vegemite was produced this month. Maybe it was your jar! :)
ReplyDelete