August downtime

I had surgery (bilateral joint fusion) on my faulty feet on the 3 August so I've had a VERY quiet month of August, in recovery mode. I couldn't weight bear for two weeks after surgery so for most of that time I spent an awful lot of time on the couch, looking at my new feet (in plaster) like this ........

Until they were revealed in all their gruesome (and still a bit swollen) glory on the 16th August ........ in "excellent" shape according to the surgeon ...... (but just a small pic because its a pretty gruesome sight!)

At least I was able to weight bear on my feet after this, while remaining 24/7 in my weird duck shoes, and using crutches to get around (I can't bend my feet AT ALL until 6 weeks after surgery). However, being able to weight bear meant I was not quite so dependent on Rob tending to my every need, which meant his life improved enormously too after this.

In these quiet few weeks I have done a lot of reading, caught up on some great shows on the streaming platforms, really got into the Womens World Cup Soccer (and fell in love with all the Matildas!), started some sewing projects and done a lot of planning for a UK Ireland trip for 2024. I haven't been bored at all!  I also practised a few (no make up, no prep) portrait techniques on my iPhone while nobody was watching!! "Studio light" setting gives a very satisfactory over exposure effect I think!

We have hired and been loaned quite a few mobility aids for the duration. Rob takes me around the lake a couple of times a week in a wheelchair, often stopping for a coffee - great exercise for him pushing me for 6klms on an undulating track and very relaxing for me!

The lake is looking beautiful, as always, especially with the Spring blossoms emerging.

Apart from wheeling and driving me around everywhere Rob is kept busy, doing all our shopping and taking over the horseriding commitments with Abi that we used to do together. The resident cat at Redlands makes a beeline for Rob the minute he arrives and won't leave him alone for most of the time he's trying to watch over Abi and Ringo in the arena - quite annoying!

August is a family birthday month. We've not been able to visit Ollie in Woollongong for his birthday but were able to do lunch with Angus this week to celebrate his. Jody's birthday was on Friday and we were lucky to be able to celebrate with her, and Josh and the girls on Saturday night at their place.

Everyone was in a happy mood, full of stories, and plans for the coming months. Joshy cooked us a beautiful meal, Abi made some festive drinks and Ella had made a pretty imaginative cake with upscaled lemon and raspberry components - delicious! It was lovely to be able to share Jody's birthday with them like this.

If everything continues going well I have two and a bit more restricted weeks in my duck shoes before I can start using my feet normally again, but it could take another month or so after that before I can get back to "hard walking". I am really looking forward to it already!