Steps in the right direction on a Slow Sunday...

 Hello ... first off, thank you for the kind comments and good wishes for my recovery... they brighten my day!!  And last week was the best week since I fell... now "the fall" was 6 weeks ago and if I compare myself to online accounts I'm actually a bit ahead of schedule in my recovery. The ortho doc appointment on Monday went very well. X-ray was great,  I showed some good range of motion  and he cleared me for PT and weight bearing ... not toe touch but putting my foot on the ground... and I have done that quite a bit this week. 

PT came on Tuesday and gave me some new exercises and had me up on my feet walking with the walker... I've done that every day and I'm steadier and have even  been able to walk with a "natural" gait for a few feet... picking them up and putting them down.  Now the exercises can be a bit painful... it isn't my knee that is the big problem, it is my foot and my ankle. All those muscles have definitely tightened up and I have to work on stretching them out. Right now the course of action is in home PT twice a week for 4 weeks... and at the end of that the goal is to be able to walk with a cane and get up and down the 2 steps in the kitchen by the back door and I will be able to get out of the house!!! on my own!!! and drive!! 

OH MY GOODNESS... that will be WONDERFUL!!! The PT on Friday told me the worst of this is behind me and at this point I can agree. And she cautioned me not to over do it, she can clearly see how impatient I am to be back on my feet... so I'm trying to be good... getting out of the chair every hour to stand and get my brain to realize that putting weight on my left knee and ankle and foot is the way it should be... 

As you can tell my mood is SOOOOOO much better... I've spoken with several friends on the phone and they've all remarked how much better I sound... and being in a good mood lead to some significant cross stitch progress. I pawed through my many many many many WIPs and the one that talked the loudest was Quaker Diamonds by Rosewood Manor... and this is one of my oldest WIPs... might even be the oldest. According to my blog this first appeared in April of 2012... and it has popped in and out over the years but never gotten close to the finish line... but I think this may be the year it happens!

Here's where it was the last time I posted it which was 2 weeks ago...

and here it is now...

This has been great comfort stitching... I LOVE the Valdani threads and this 28 ct Jobelan is so nice to stitch on. Now I normally like a much stiffer fabric for stitching in hand ... and this is by no means stiff, it has a lovely drape  and this is a BIG sampler... 10.625" wide and 16.875" long... and I'm sure this is gonna be pricey to frame but it is getting framed!!  Along with at least 3 other samplers I have waiting to be framed... ackk!!

Here are a couple of close ups... 

and here is the cover... 

I have one more BIG diamond to do, a bunch of letters and little motifs and one more smallish diamond. I told a friend I'd finish by the end of the month but that is a bit ambitious, but February should certainly be doable. Which is great because a couple of other WIPs are chattering and right now I'm in a "let's finish this up" kinda mood... I know I'll be tempted by new releases in March ... Teresa Kogut, Brenda Gervais and Blackbird Design almost always have new pieces that I will want... and the stash grows ever bigger...LOL

Just a tiny bit of decor here today... this is my view from my chair...top of the TV cabinet is a cookie jar my son bought for me in a thrift store and a cute wintery sampler from Tra la la called ABC BonhommeDe Neige...

Below I have  Winter from Prairie Seasons PS No. 50  and Pinker N Punkin's A Cold Winter Day - Aunt Dot's Saltbox... now Melisa made her house pink but I stitched it in yellow... this was the first of 6 of PnP's houses that I stitched last year and every one of them was such a joy to stitch!

and on the very bottom I have Teresa Kogut's  Star Shaped Snowman  and a snowman from Prairie Schooler No. 151 Santas & Snowmen...

I am so happy that I put out the snowmen... they make me happy and have been good company these last couple of weeks. 

Along with stitching I've been watching a lot of Netflix... caught up on about 7 seasons of Call the Midwife... now I like this one a lot but it does bug me when some of the stories have quite a modern take on a situation that happened in the 60's... I was alive in the 60's and I know how these things would have played out, but I ignore that cause I love so many of the characters on the show. My favorite is Phyllis... my Mom's name was Phyllis ... and the character just appeals to me in so many ways. Also watch a 8 episodes of a dark comedy called No Good Deed with Ray Romano and Lisa Kudrow... Ray's character is definitely different from Everybody Loves Raymond but I detected a bit of Phoebe in Lisa... anyway what drew me in was the fantastic sets ... the story is set in a house from the 1920's... beautiful architecture... great details ... wood beams ... big windows... gorgeous tile bathroom and a hidden room. Not sure if there is going to be a second season of this one.  And my older son kept suggesting I watch The Crown... just finished the first season and he's right, it is good. 

So for next week, my hair stylist is coming back to my house on Monday to cut and color my hair... I sincerely hope that in 5 weeks from now I'll be going to her shop... Physical therapist is scheduled for 2 visits and I'll work out once this week with Anna the personal trainer... working on upper body  and core strength... but the biggest achievement of all this week is this...

I can wear TWO shoes!! now the left is still slightly swollen but I can get a shoe on it. I had to order a pair of shoes with backs... everything I own is a slip on clog or sandals...oh wait I forgot I have some Keens, they're a kinda water shoe... will have to see if I can get them on... Physical therapists have a thing for shoes with backs...

I'll link up with Kathy's Quilts... last week she posted her father had passed away unexpectedly but she did post a link up... will check and see  if she does this week... weather is supposed to warm up... saw upper 30's and low 40's in the 10 day forecast... but also watched some long range weather videos that say February is gonna be snowy...yuck yuck yuck... I've had it with snow... the days are getting longer which is nice... still a tiny bit of light at 6 pm....

Here's hoping that your week is productive and warm!!

happy stitching-

carol fun