When The Fixer and I moved to this property over 10 years ago, I needed gardens fast. Moving households for me has always meant moving plants. The number had grown over the years, and I had plastic bins and trashcans full of roses, irises, peonies, and other cherished passalong plants. I even had a trash …
I wasn’t planning on a second TKR (Total Knee Replacement) when we embarked on our bathroom remodel adventure. After having my right knee replaced, I was painfully aware how important it is to have an accessible bathroom. Luckily, our main bath, although it had an awkward angled wall, had just enough width to navigate a …
Now that my TKR (Total Knee Replacement) surgery and rehab are complete, I can get on with planning my upcoming trip to Italy. I have just a few months of summer left to do some important tasks before the trip. My summer checklist: Why are shoes right up there with surgery, rehab and fitness? Because …
This is Part 2 of a 3-part blog post series regarding events leading to a second Total Knee Replacement (TKR) surgery, taming surgery anxiety, and post-surgery recovery. Read Part 1 here. So you’ve made the decision to have joint replacement surgery. What next? For me, I needed to get my anxiety about the surgery under …
This is Part 1 of a 3-part blog post series regarding events leading to a second Total Knee Replacement (TKR) surgery, taming surgery anxiety, and post-surgery recovery. Read about my first TKR here. In the days leading up to the surgery, all I can think is – Am I a masochist? Why am I doing …
This is Part 3 of a 3-part blog post series regarding events leading to a second Total Knee Replacement (TKR) surgery, taming surgery anxiety, and post-surgery recovery. Part 1 is about the decision to have surgery and you can read it here. Part 2 is all about taming surgery anxiety once you make that decision. …
You’ve been struggling with physical things lately. Increasingly you need help. Your joints are swollen, you’re losing energy to keep up with the things you used to do all day long. Your doctor runs tests. You spend a few weeks anxious about the results. And then they finally return with the results and jovially claim, …
For Gardeners with Arthritis Pamper your favorite gardener this holiday season with thoughtful gifts that will help build the Pillars of Strength to keep them gardening for many seasons to come! I’ve compiled a special list of 18 gift ideas for your special gardener. 1. Vego Garden Raised Bed From $160 These sustainable, zinc-coated raised …
When I was in the Army, it was my job first, to learn to speak and write German, then translate the words to English. I love languages. I love to read. I love to write. I love words. But I realize my body’s been speaking to me in a language I don’t recognize. Communication in …
My relationship to the vegetable garden started out in a whirlwind of excitement. Innocently enough, the seed catalogs lured me with glossy photos, promising luscious harvests. “This is the year,” I proclaimed, “that I will grow our food.” I lovingly prepared the ground to receive the seeds, sparing nothing for the plants that would bear …