It wasn’t always pretty but we got through the first full day at home. There’s a lot to remember! Rick’s getting better with the walker and I’m getting better with the ice machine. We’ve rolled up the area rugs and pushed all the furniture out of his way. He slept in his chair off and on all day – I hope he’ll be able to sleep tonight.
Regarding the lack of instructions from the hospital – the physical therapist said to make note of the October/June miscommunication and I will. A reader asked why I didn’t ask – I didn’t know I was lacking anything really until they assumed I knew something and then I looked like an incompetent wife – which I am sometimes! haha!
I took the dogs for a leisurely trip down the wilderness trail and it got exciting when I saw these two shards along the way.
I have been on this trail hundreds of times – the rain must have uncovered them somehow. An “edge” piece is always exciting – this is a piece of a crock. And the other piece is broken Meakin ironstone. I have quite a few purchased Alfred Meakin pieces in my “white” cupboard. Here’s a couple of my favorites –
And here’s my jar of shards all found on this farm in the past 45 years!
These two pieces were right on top.
This was the most exciting thing that happened to me today!
It’s the little things, Folks!
I’m not aware of the kind of ice machine you have but when I had my knees done, someone suggested that instead of using ice cubes in it, I should freeze 8 water bottles and use them in the container with enough water to circulate around them. When they melt, put them back in the freezer and use the other 4 frozen ones. It was a lot easier and less messy.
I agree, Lin. We also used bottles in the ice machine and would recommend it if they’re not already doing so. Those machines are wonderful!
I have had a need for ice for my insect bite and wound. I got two larger bags of frozwpen peas, and also a gel pack that can be used hot or cold, called pearls, this one is a back wrap with strap. I have to wrap a towel around it, but this has worked well.
Lin – yup, this is what we’re doing.
We’ve used an ice machine after surgery and really liked it. We froze several bottles of water (along with some water in the container) and that made things much simpler.
Hope you and Rick have a decent week!
We did the frozen water bottles in the machine too…. Made it last longer!
Love your jar of shards.
Hi! I’m so glad you and Uncle Rick are figuring it out! Hopefully each day will get better and better.
Love the cool find on your nature trail.
We had a tornado in our town last Thursday… Jade & I were in Tennessee, so Jake & Jackson were home…. They didn’t go to the basement…. We don’t have tornado sirens here…. 1st experience for them both. All is good, we were luckier than others that lost BIG trees and fences, we just had a few branches and lots of leaves… and tore up my flowers. No injuries.
Jenny – and I actually heard this on the news – Highlands Ranch! Tornados are very scary and we end up the basement at least once a season. So glad you didn’t have any damage. Where in TN is Jade going to school?
Hi- she is going to South College – in Knoxville. She will only be there physically 2 weeks every 3 months. All other leaving is on line from home. This helps keep her expenses down with no monthly rent:) she will just have to pay for a VRBO – with others from her class when she is in Knoxville.
This is a 2 year program – very intense.
Jenny – what’s the program? When you say home, you don’t mean YOUR home, do you?
Sounds like day one wasn’t too bad! I came home on a Friday night so the first day was Saturday! I felt like I’d been rode I’ve with a truck!! They forgot to give me the bag with the gait belt in it, which they said they were sending with me…..well luckily we had a belt we made work to help me get up out of the e liner and keep me stable. Well my day two was Sunday and much better….my daughter came to babysit me while hubby went to church! She offered to help me with a shower (she was a CNA in her younger years) oh did that feel good. You ladies all know how your hair feels when it is past time …. Plus by the time I wanted shower number two I had figured out what to coach hubby on. Heehee! I still am so thankful we put in the big walk in shower with room for a shower chair! Oh! Dear Mary, I’m thinking about you, are you dealing with those compression hose or whatever they call them….does he have to wear them? They are a bugger!
So, why are you finding those broken plates in your trail you walk?
It was nice and cool here today! Hope you were spared from the wind damage some areas had.
Joy – yes, we’re putting on the compression hose – ugh. Those shards have been there for likely a hundred years – this is an old homestead and they just work to the surface over time, I guess.
That is awesome! How fun! Glad you and Rick are getting through the surgery recovery. I miss you guys!
Hugs and much love,
Cathy Duregger
Frozen beans conform around the knees, hips and hands. They stay cold longer than peas or corn.
When I had my hip replaced, I was told to take the walker into the shower with me. I felt more secure with it.
What an exciting find on your walk today. I would have never thought something like that could be a collection. I collect wood thread spools. When I find some at the jail from donations, I keep them. That is exciting. I’m currently collecting millers. Lots of them.
Good news!! Each day will be easier. I used gel packs for y knee surgery…I had used them in rehab and got to bring them home…I have used the since. They would mold to my knee. I have used them on my hip a couple of times too, they work well. My neighbor down the hall has had both hips replaced in the last year and a half…she is 85. She had very little help. A daughter came for a little over a week to help. I think her insurance covered some PT here at the apartment. He came twice a week for a month, if I remember right. She walks faster than anyone else around here!! You two will do fine in a couple of days. You are in my prayers…both of you!
How fun to find the shards of china!! Bet you wonder about the people who owned them!!
I get it, sometimes it’s the small things in life that make us smile. I collect lots of things(buttons,wooden thread spools,zippers,bottles) . I’m trying to stop, too much stuff. I do love the shards. Hope things get easier for you and Rick
Hi Mary, It doesn’t matter how much you know, or how old you are, we are always learning. It’s such a bummer how you were treated at the hospital, like you knew nothing or cared nothing for your husband who you love dearly all of these years! It’s such a shame that you are treated like idiots with no brains. You two are super great humans. Such a shame. Don’t worry about any of that, and I know you really don’t. Take care of each other like you always do. All will turn out fine. Love to you both. Susy.
I find shards of glass, lots of it colored, here on our property. Our soil is light and they seem to come up, not down. No Alfred Meakin, though. There was an old homestead in the 1800s not too far from where I am sitting right now. In those days, they sometimes just threw things in a pit and then the pieces somehow migrate and come to the surface. I am kind of afraid I will cut myself on the glass someday while digging around in the soil.
Glad Rick is home and that you will hopefully get back to normal very soon.
Glad you and Rick are “managing.” The first few days are the most difficult. And I would DEFINITELY be letting the hospital know about the lack of communication!! That is really unforgivable. Why would they “assume” you still had all the paperwork from last October?!? Or did you ever get that far last year? Your report will be flagged by the powers that be who do certification for the hospitals. Can’t think of the accrediting agency right now, but the hospital will DEFINITELY want to remedy that before they are “inspected” again. I worked in a hospital for over 10 years, and it was a big deal to get ready for the annual or biannual inspections!! We had to have all our ducks in a row before the accrediting agency came.
Very cool about your shards. I live in a remodeled (several times) house that was built in 1900. We started the renovations early in the year we were married, 1980. When my future husband tore up the floor of what was the kitchen, there was broken pottery, broken dishes and glassware, and old newspapers from the early 1900s under about FIVE LAYERS of different floors😱😱😱. It appeared that the floor would settle (no foundation or footings), someone would throw a layer of crockery on it, then newspapers, then put down a different floor, and the process kept repeating until we tore off that part of the house. It had settled so much from the “attached” lean-to porch, that there was about 5” that separated one wall from the exterior of the house, and you could see daylight while standing in the kitchen!! The house had been condemned for years and was unlivable until we got it and fixed it up, multiple times. And it’s STILL not finished!! UGH. It’s amazing what you find on very old properties. Not sure what happened to the newspapers and an etched-glass picture that we found back then. It was fascinating to read the old newspapers, and we spent several hours going through ALL of the newspapers in multiple layers of flooring. We removed a ton of paint from the etched picture, and had it displayed on a wall in our dining room for years. I remember it quite well, but not sure what became of it when hubby took it down to display a collection of miniature carpentry planes. Hmmm. Will have to dig through the many, MANY boxes of things I saved from his warehouse and see if it’s in there. Ahhh, another thing on my ever-growing to-do list.
How fun finding little treasures of shards on your walk. Enjoyed seeing what you collected over the years. Wish you all the Best with Rick and his therapy & healing.
Glad Rick is home and he is on the mend. I am sure your patience will be tried as I know my husband would be a grump and his time for knee and hip replacements are coming. Ah, the joys of being a senior! I know so many people who have recovered and walking and feeling great now.
I love that you find the shards of pottery!! My husband is always looking for arrowheads along creek beds when fly fishing. So exciting to find pieces of the past. We were in a little town somewhere and walking the streets and came across a store that was being renovated. The floor had been dug up probably 2 feet or more and there were tons of those old little green bottle of every size and shape the workers had found and lined up along the windowsills. The door was locked, or I would have surely asked for a couple. I can’t believe you found two that matched!
It might be too late for this hip, but we used the electric compression “socks” for hubby’s knee surgeries. They wrap around the legs and pulse every few seconds. They are not noisy and soooo much easier. Rick’s Dr should have told you. You do have to pay for them, but it was worth it.
I love the shards! We used to try to find arrowheads. Hang in there! It does get better😀
Sorry about the “you should have known “ treatment from the hospital! Not cool! Prayers for a good, quick healing and patience. Penny and Lucy have passed 4 months now, getting bigger. Darrell asked about not getting them spade since they are inside kitties. I had to explain how miserable for everyone a cat in heat can be. He’s only been around fixed cats. I’m making their appointments this week 😻
Pamela – never try to keep an un-neutered cat in your house! Hahaha!
I had hip replacement in May of 2020. It was supposed to happen in March and of course everything shut down. My set of learning sessions didn’t happen either. I found videos on you tube and watched those to know what to expect. If you think there’s something you’ve forgotten, that could be an option. Good luck to Rick for fast and complete healing. It’s definitely a process. From what I’ve heard, knees are much more difficult than hips.
I sure hope you take time for yourself in between all you need to do. Glad Rick is home and doing well with you as his nurse. You have so many things to take care of. Glad you had a walk. You are a very caring person and hopefully things get easier. Will keep you and Rick in my prayers.
I’m glad that Rick is settling in and on the road to recovery. Those two pieces that you showed from your white cupboard, when I first looked at the picture I thought that there were great big two eyes looking at me (buttons on the upholstery)!! You’ve unearthed many treasures over the years; I wonder why they were discarded/buried? Interesting…
Mrs. Goodneedle – just broken kitchenware from turn of the century. Very common around here actually. Farm places have been here for 100+ years and they threw trash in the grove – no garbage pickup! Ha! I have trouble commenting on your blog – connected with Google? I need a password each time? And it never works! Just know that I read your blog and enjoy it!!
You didn’t think those two square ironstone containers were found here on the farm, did you? No, I said I purchased them.
Mayo and St Marys are such bug places, so many employees, it’s easy for them to think something has already been done, when it’s not. My hubs had surgery there in 1987. What an experience.
I love your shards. Whatever brings us joy.
The hubs put a light fixture in our laundry room yesterday. We had a fluorescent light fixture that only lit up when it wanted. Now I have a nice BIG round light. Didn’t realize how dirty things were i there…. LOL
Hang in there with Rick. You’ll be surprised how well he will do. Prayers for healing for him and patience and strength and energy for you.
When we added an addition onto our house, some pieces of glass and pottery were discovered. Our house was built 1920. We also have a hedgerow way out back between homes and we saw bottles, plates, tossed out there along mounds of dirt. It was their “dump” or landfill back then as there were no weekly garbage truck pick ups and hauled off to a designated landfill. I never saved the pieces like you but it is cool seeing yours in the clear vase. I like Sue in Oregon always think of it when I am digging around with my hands and go get a pair of gloves just in case.
Hope your day 2 goes well ! We finally got a good downpour of rain so the farmers have to be happy. Strawberries here are just about done and now we wait for fresh peaches and cherries in another week at farm stands, I hope. I like u pick blueberries so that will be something we need to do in a few weeks.
This is for Rick! Congrats on that new hip. I don’t know if you had robotic surgery or not…the big advantage to it is no huge terrible scar! Did they open you in the front or rear side? Anyway…this hip in November was by far the easiest surgery to recoup from. (Previously 2 knees and the other hip). I think surgeons just develop the best techniques for surgeries thru the years. Any how…I am so pain free for the first time in 15 or more years. Even the bursa in my big toe settled down. The back aches caused by osteoarthritis is gone…the old aches from knee surgery is gone….life is so good. I have grown at least an inch…and people tell me my posture and walk is better. The PT was a breeze this last time. I believe my other hip was done in 2018…so many changes. Hey, Guy, you go! And no jumping off the semi or tractors.
Linda – thank you for this encouragement! I’ll read it to him. Sadly his incision is on the side of hip not in the front. How would one suggest to their surgeon that they would prefer a different approach? Wouldn’t any surgeon tell you to go find another surgeon then???? They’d drop you as a patient instantly. I can’t imagine telling my surgeon how to do his job even if my way was better. I’m not venting – I’m asking!
I am sorry…yes, the incision is mostly at the hip when they go from the back. Even with the robotic I did have some stitches less than 20. My first hip was a back incision but yes…a huge incision. Now with the robotic surgery, I STILL COULD NOT LAY ON THAT SIDE FOR QUITE A WHILE. I cannot imagine the incision from the front, it starts under the belly flap perhaps in the groin and up. My belly would have caused a good place for bacteria to grow. I am just hoping Rick had the robotic! If he (or anyone you know) ever needs surgery of any kind- ask who does the robotic surgery. My hysterectomy was a real piece of cake…dismissed same day. A regular surgery has these young women with stitches and hurting for much longer. I was limited in going out anyplace as it was the time of Covid in 2020, and the Rochester Mayo surgeon said I definitely would have a hard time if I got Covid.
In answer to your question: as soon as your doctor mentions that word “surgery” discuss with him the options: Is robotics an option offered in the area? What other options are available for less invasive surgery. What type of surgery would he recommend his parents ? If your ortho recommends drugs…ask him about just doing the surgery and getting it over with. The pros and cons?
In my case, the fellow who did my first three joints retired…we both hoped the left hip would flare up before he retired. After all it was the very worse joint when I first started going to him. Finally, last fall, I had to find a new orthopedic dr, and he offered me injections or pills, or surgery. Lynn was with me in the office and we looked at each other, and said surgery. I explained to him, it had beeen a bad hip for very long without pain, and I never wanted to go thru that amount of pain again…it had to go. I told him we were old and had a lot of things to do yet! So we got the robotic surgery and it was the god awful winter weather not the bones that kept us here in the frozen tundra.
Great news for us….my rain report from what ever computer app I have, showed 0.9 on each of my fields. Was there any hail between you and Hutchins and Crystal Lake?
Sorry…I got so long and drawn out here
Linda – I have not heard about possible hail west of here. This was a welcome rain – over 2”!
It’s aggravating when hospital techs think we know what or how to take care of injuries. A nurse I’m not. So I hear you Mary. Be easier for all.
I’m curious as to why you find all these pottery shards? In all my hospital stays for babies, knew replacements, thyroid surgery I was never treated like you were. The staff who were responsible for releasing me and teaching me home care were knowledgeable and respectful. Also thanks for the big “whooooa” on my post about our hail storm here in Central Indiana. It was like nothing I had ever experienced. Damage but nothing that can’t be fixed.
Carol – I think I’ve given the impression that we were treated badly- it wasn’t badly but soooo slowly that it took all day! And part of that problem was that I was so tired. I truly have never seen a hailstone like that! Now I can’t remember – was their damage at your place?
This is a very old homestead – late 1800’s I think so over the years household stuff was thrown out either already broken or breaking from the toss. I’m sure every farm place has these precious(in my mind) pieces of household history. It’s very obvious that ironstone was utilitarian and cheap, every housewife had it. When I drive by old groves and farm places I imagine what I might find! I wonder about the women who used these bowls, plates, cups in their daily life. I’ll bet my own grandmothers had ironstone but I was just a young teenager when they died and I wasn’t interested then. And if I had been interested my mom would have also thought it was junk because she grew up with it! When I started searching for old kitchen chairs Mom would look at them and tell me about how many they had burned up!
Oh Mary I remember my grandma telling me about the all the wood furniture they would burn as no way to get rid of it back then. What good pieces they must have just never saw its value for another family member. Wouldn’t she be surprised to see all the pressed wood crap sold today! I am glad I have pieces from her home as they are treasures now even if pretty heavy to move around.
One of our cars has a cracked windshield. Just some minor dings on the hood. I don’t know about our house roof as I don’t know what to look for so will need to have a person of knowledge take a look. I live on farm ground that is flat prairie land and had no previous houses so we don’t find a thing.
Mary, when I had my ice machine, I filled 8 water bottles (7/8 full) and kept 4 in the freezer and 4 in the machine. It’s so much easier than filling it with ice. (If you have the kind of ice machine I did, it was a blue square machine)
You are doing great keep up the good work!
Congrats on making it through day 1, Mary.
I enjoyed hearing about your pottery finds. The house we bought when we were young, where we raised our sons, was built in 1884. We found treasures in our garden for years; once it was a whole cobalt blue medicine bottle.
Take Care, 🥰
There’s a really good ice pack that I used after joint replacement. I copied the recipe off Google.com.
To make gel ice packs, all you need is a quart or gallon of plastic freezer bags, two cups of water, and one cup of rubbing alcohol. Once you fill the freezer bag with the water and rubbing alcohol, get the air out of the bag and close it. Then, place it in another freezer bag and leave it in the freezer for an hour. I think I used a jar of white Karo syrup instead of water, and it worked great.
It doesn’t freeze hard and is malleable to go around whatever hurts. Make 2 and you can always have a frozen one ready. Be sure to double bag. Good luck.
That’s so fun that you keep a jar of pottery shards! I love it! I’m glad that Rick made it through his first day at home.
Mary – So glad Rick is home! It takes a while to recuperate from surgery so hope and pray Rick’s journey is flawless. If you’re tired, take a nap when Rick does. It’s okay to rest, Mary. The chores will be there when you wake up. 😂
I live in an old house (original house built in early 1900’s). My late husband and I moved into it in 1988. We were cleaning the yard and found a huge dump site. It was unbelievable! We cleaned it up, but to this day, I still find green, brown, and clear glass as well as lots of pottery shards in the yard and garden. I have a collection in a jar, too.
Good luck to you both this week.
Take care. 🙂
Sharon – after we did the sunroom and porch addition we got a load of black dirt for the grass area and I found an 1827 gold dollar!!
Recovery seems harder than the actual surgery! Just think how good it will be once he’s past this stage! With all the pottery you find, have you ever walked the property with a metal detector? Could be interesting. Side note, I’m ready for the dirty dozen. It’s meant to be this year because I have exactly 12 ufos!
Glad Rick is progressing. Continued prayers
Tell me more about the shards. They are from previous land owners ??? English or not necessarily?
We can still find Indian arrowheads occasionally- Menomonee I suspect, since their County is next to ours.
Yes definitely report that hospital snafu. It should never have happened.
It is the little things! Of course a small story follows. I was on a Maine coast and luckily saw small beautiful bits of sea smoothed sea glass which I have 50 years later!
Pamela – oh, how I’d love to search for sea glass!
Hi Mary, Get well wishes to Rick and Be Still “moments” for You. Interesting blog, I’m not familiar with the pottery brand or shards.. We are both still on “original knees/hips” but good to know about robotics if that time comes. Here on our place, various things have been found such as a child’s shoe buttoner, various things to measure with, chunks of coal etc. With the creek/well nearby we thought maybe a blacksmith. The boys used to bring all kind of stuff in when exploring in the woods.. Oh! One of those round hoops that kids use to roll in days gone by. Now just the other day we found a Canadian Coin and a very pretty case knife in our driveway…now how did that happen? It is so Hot here! Our internet and alarm system both have been out. So in catching up I noticed someone mentioned the old type phones. When I was 15 the independent phone co. got to the farm. We were on an 11 party line. Our number had a special jingle ring that we would recognize. At R’s parents their ring was one long and 2 short rings. The trash was separated into a couple metal barrels to burn. Then other stuff was usually thrown into areas that eventually would be filled in to stop erosion. Hard to relate that life or compare to today.
Such interesting comments tonight. I love hearing about everyone’s “finds”. Good luck to Rick with the recovery. You both will get through this. ♥️ Unlike Carol, I had rain and hail, but no tornado here. I hope all is well Carol.
Love the shards! How long has that land been farmed?
Stephanie – I’m sure this land has been farmed for at least 120+ years.