Back in Vermont.

12-18-24 VERMONT: We came up Saturday on a bright sunny day. The house was very clean and warmed up quickly. We were last here at the end of August. Things look very different now. 

There was light snow cover and frozen ponds, but the last few days gave us warm rain and temps in the forties, which ate away some of the snow. The horses both are shaggy with winter coats. It’s going to get cold over the weekend and some snow is predicted.

We went for our tree on Sunday. Usually we cut one down at Nichols, but not this year, they are not letting customers cut their own, saving me from making excuses. We drove it home, and Scott helped us mount it and bring it into the living room. Judy decorated, while i tried to get the TV working.

We have had visits from the Listers, property tax assessors, the mouse hunter, who left poison bait and assured us the dogs were safe. Same Sun, the solar people were supposed to arrive today to fix a glitch in the system, but didn’t show. They said that they’ll try in February, but the system is working.  

We are doing the usual Xmas day party with the usual attendees invited. Judy is making the menus, lists for the marketing and other party planning. We did go and buy wine and beer. I have assisted on a lot of the errands using my cane, and the knee has held up well. 

The lower pond before the rain.

Horses in the sun.

The upper pond and brook between the ponds after the rain, still with snow.

Nice sunset after the rain. The pond is covered with rain.

Afraid that the freeze would turn the driveway into a skating rink, we went for buckets of sand at the town yard. The Sayre bridge is getting repairs this week.

The tree with St. Chelsea on top. This one is smaller, by a little, than usual.

The Parade of Misfortune Continues.

12-11-24 SHORT HILLS: Well things get stranger and stranger. First we lost heat here. The house temp settled at 65° and wouldn’t go higher. The problem, of course, happened on a weekend. Our calls to the installer were unanswered. A man from the gas company thought both the pumps of our tandem burners were dead. An agent from Pipe Works Services arrived next and was able to rig the pump that was working with parts from the other furnace to give us some heat. We decided to go with them for the repair, which turned into replacing the 22 year old units with new ones, which happened yesterday. We are now toasty warm.

Next problem is Facebook. All my posts are missing. Restarting, logging out and back in, FB help were all unable to restore the posts. I spoke to Val, who said that she could see my posts which was some relief. I’ll try it again tomorrow. 

Did I mention that I was hospitalized for pneumonia complicated by pulmonary emboli? I looked back and saw that I covered that episode. Rehab continues with walking and leg exercises. I’m still using the cane, but can do a few steps without it.

 

Emmett and I are both fans of grilled cheese sandwiches.

Turkey Weekend.

12-2-24 SHORT HILLS: Dr. Lee said that the clunk syndrome happens with de-conditioned muscles, so I’m trying to get reconditioned, walking with weights and doing leg exercises. I’m anti-coagulated with Eliquis, now taking one twice a day.

We decided not to go to the family T-day at Anna and Gardner’s, but had a miniature here with guest Bill for hors d’oeuvres [spelled it right first shot] by the fire. Lily and Danna visited after dinner. Friday Alison and Dan visited for most of the day, bringing Joe’s [popular sandwiches from the Millburn Deli.] Saturday Anna, Gardner and Emmett visited in the morning, also bringing Joes. Emmett loves Blanca and Blue and toys from our kids and grandkids, which came out of drawers and closets and trunks. Emmett has a sweet disposition, is almost ready to walk alone, and can say ‘bubbles’. We also had a long call from Val.

Lily and Danna and a bunch of friends went to VT for the weekend. They were greeted with many mouse droppings, which they cleaned up and set traps and killed several of the rodents. They all said they had a wonderful time with about six inches of new snow. We hired exterminators for the mice and a cleaning service for the house. We go up in a couple of weeks.

The horses Mom and Dad had acquired a third horse, but had to return her because she picked on Raven and even knocked her down at one point. Raven was unharmed, but such aggressive behavior is unacceptable.  

Let the party begin.

Blue, Emmett, me, Judy.

Me, Emmett, Blue and some of Judy.

Three horses--Raven in front, Peachez in back and the reject is on the left. Pix from the weekenders below...

Most of the gang.

Wish I was there.

Alpaca visit.

Somebody remembered a camera.

Two of my favs--Danna and Raven.

Knee Saga Continued.

11-24-24 SHORT HILLS: That’s quite a gap in the record. I’ll try to fill it in. I started getting sick about 11-15 with weakness and fever. Going upstairs I fell at the top and needed a rest before being helped to bed by Judy, my guardian angel. I had cough and fever and weakness, and a visit to the ER confirmed ‘walking pneumonia,’ and they gave me Rx’s for Z-pac and augmentin. I used them at home a few days without any benefit and worsening symptoms. 

A second visit to the ER resulted in my admission to St Barnabas. I received a myriad of scans—CAT, isotope, U/S, inhalation—to get to a diagnosis of pulmonary emboli in both lungs as well as the pneumonia. The antibiotics were changed a couple of times, and I was anti coagulated with heparin. I was discharged 11-22 on oral anticoagulants. 

At home we’ve been coping with being back on the walker, living on one floor. The first day I had a shower, shave, tooth brushing to make up for the week in the hospital.    

Today was the day for the visiting nurse to do her assessment. To prepare for the visit, I started to get up from the sofa by putting my feet on the floor, just as I had been doing since I was home. My new knee was suddenly, severely painful. I couldn’t move it a centimeter in any direction. To lie back down on the sofa, I moved the left leg and Judy carefully lifted the new knee so that I was lying flat with the legs on a pillow. 

Judy went to let the nurse in the house, so I was alone in the den. Suddenly there was a loud ‘Clunk’ in the knee. The pain was gone, full mobility was back in an instant. The clunk would have registered at three or four on the Richter scale. 

Now we’re trying to figure out when see Dr. Lee and get back to rehab.

 

New Flag.

11-7-24 SHORT HILLS: Our high hopes for Kamala have crashed, the second Democratic woman to be beaten by Trump. He lost to the only man he ran against, Biden. I expect a disastrous four years. 

Our flagpole has not flown a flag since the early spring because the pulley that allowed the flag to be raised and lowered broke and fell to the ground along with the rope and flag. We had contacted a prominent flag pole company to do the repair, but they never followed through after the initial contact. 

This fall we contacted another company, who showed up in less than a week. The pole is in our back yard isolated from the street and surrounded by trees and shrubs, and so cannot be reached by a bucket truck. Mel, who works for A & A Industrial LTD, climbed the pole and replaced the top ball and pulley housing with a new, shiny ball and pulley, and a new rope and flag. We are very pleased to have the new flag waving in the breeze. 

I have been doing more walking the street. The new knee is progressing slowly.  

Mel climbing the pole with a harness device. Judy took a picture.

Mel is removing the old ball and pulley.

Coming down after the new rope and flag were installed.

Waving in the breeze under the shiny new ball topper.

Party Time.

10-27-24 SHORT HILLS: Emmett had his first birthday yesterday. It did not go unnoticed. About seventy people attended the party, including a ton of kids. It was at their home, there was a musical performance, lots of food and cakes, balloons, plenty of beverages. Lots of family including aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and us, the only great grandparents. I counted 17 kids at one point, but I’m sure I missed some. There was no crying that I heard, not even from parents.

Emmett digs the music as many family look on.

The family unit and the music man.

A music sample.

Personal BDay cake. The occasion is recorded.

Yum.

After all that excitement yesterday, Judy did a dog walk with Bebe and Ronnie and Sonny today. She saw a lot of birds on one of the lakes in town, so we went back to get a couple of pix. The birds are taking a break from their commute, resting and feeding. We saw Canada geese, wood ducks, and black ducks. 

Wood ducks, two males and two females.

Canada geese.

Black duck females in back and a wood duck male in the foreground.

A pair of wood ducks in front of a bunch of Canada geese.

New Knee News.

10-17-24 SHORT HILLS: I had an appointment with Dr. Lee this week, and it’s all good. New X-rays fine. No more bandages on the incision, wean from walker to cane, next visit in six weeks. It’s still painful, walking with the walker at three plus weeks. 

Visitors to the knee include, Lily and Danna, Alan, Bette and Lonnie, and Valerie and Maggie. Gardner , Anna and Emmett were in London for the Jaguars football game [they lost] and came home Wednesday. 

We have pretty good color here. 

Anna and Emmett at Fortnum and Mason Tea room.

Nice color in the driveway.