AuburnChick's Adventures

Happy New Year!

I hope that you were able to ring in 2017 with a loved one…or two or three.

I actually watched the ball drop by myself…nearly in the dark after the bulb in my lamp blew.

The Mr. had gone to bed early because he had to work first thing in the morning (a rare event), and Chicky had hit the hay as well in anticipation of her drive home.

Oh, to be sure, the day had been filled with a bit of fun.

I celebrated Gambit’s Gotcha Day.

Five years ago, on New Year’s Eve, this precious baby, who was homeless at the time, followed me around the neighborhood while I took Molly on a walk.

He acted like he belonged to me.

He was skinny; his ribs were showing through.  He didn’t have a collar.  He followed me right into the garage when I got home.  The Mr. and Rooster quickly fell in love with him, and after feeding him at least three bowls of food, we set up a place for him to sleep in the garage.  Rooster and the Mr. checked on him frequently; it was a frigid night.

We took him to the vet the next day to see if he was chipped.  He wasn’t.  We let him into the back yard to see how he’d fare with the other dogs, and they all got along marvelously.  After a tick bath, we let him sleep in the house that night and found him, the next morning, snuggled against Rooster in bed.

We were in love, and after one quick drive to the animal shelter to get him checked again for a chip, we made the decision to keep him.

This dog has brought so much joy to our lives.  He is incredibly affectionate and very loyal.

Late in the day, Chicky suggested that we go bowling.  We’d never done that on New Year’s Eve before, but we wanted something to do, so off we went.

I was not about to be left out of the fun and told the Mr. as much.  I will admit that I was a little intimidated though.

The guy at the desk found me the lightest adult ball in the place, and when it was my turn, the Mr. carried it for me as I lined up.

I am able to put a little weight on my foot now, so I balanced with my crutches on my left side.

It wasn’t pretty, y’all, but I managed to get the ball down the lane.

It took me a few trips to discover that I could rest my boot behind me for leverage.

Y’all, my first ball went STRAIGHT down the lane!  I knocked down six pins but would have probably knocked them all down had I been able to put more power behind my throw.

The next trip down, I knocked down two more!  I was thrilled!  My family was shocked, as was a sweet friend who I bumped into (hey, Jenny!) who was bowling in the lane beside me.

So it was with Chicky and the Mr.’s help, I bowled two games.

I broke 60 both times, although my second game was uglier than my first.  There were a lot of gutter balls as I tried to adjust for my leg being in the way.  The hubby gave me some good pointers about turning my left foot in the direction I planned to throw and keeping my wrist straight so I wouldn’t throw a hook shot every time.

Still, I was pleased.

I’m learning that life isn’t always about winning.  It’s about #findingjoyinthejourney.

After our second game, we went home.  Chicky got me set up with a bucket of warm water and Epsom salt.  I had a knot on my ankle from the swelling, and boy was it sore!  This getting up and acting like things are normal is tough on my body right now.

I settled into my recliner and watched Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.  Freeform has been having a Harry Potter marathon, which I can totally dig.

I did manage to sleep really well.  Thankfully, my sleep quality is slowly improving as I figure out more comfortable ways to rest.

And so I find myself on my own for a bit while the Mr. works and Chicky begins her drive home (with a side trip to her grandparents’ house to help put away their decorations).

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So, what do I hope for in 2017?  I’m not sure that I want to make any resolutions.

I know, though, that number one on my list is to walk normally again.  This is going to to be a painful process once I begin physical therapy in two or three weeks.

I am also praying that I’ll eventually be pain-free again.  I’m experiencing some side effects from the nerve block I gave approval to before my surgery.  For the record, if something like this happens to you, don’t get the nerve block.  The burning feeling is horrible.  It feels like I have a sunburn whenever I remove my sock.  The numbness is also aggravating.  I’m massaging my foot regularly, which has helped a lot.  I have read that the burning will go away, but it will take time.

I’m also hoping that the pain from skin sensitivity on the inside of my ankle will go away.  I don’t know if one of the pins is too close to the surface of the skin, and that’s what’s causing the discomfort.  It’s one of the questions I plan on asking when I return to the doctor mid-month.

During 2017, I want to continue growing closer to the Lord.  Part of that plan includes a new Proverbs 31 Online Bible Study I’m going to participate in.  It starts on the 23rd of this month and will run for six weeks.  I received my book in the mail a few days ago.

Another hope for 2017 is that I find my way through some of the frustrations I’m having with teaching.  This profession is so challenging, and I just don’t understand some of the mandates that people from on high impose upon those of us working in the trenches.  Kids are seen as numbers, not individuals, and that angers me.  Accountability is a loose word randomly thrown around at convenience.  For a girl who sees things in black and white, this just rubs me the wrong way.

I want 2017 to be about simplification.  One thing the Mr. and I have come to recognize during these weeks of my injury is how messy things are.  As soon as I’m better, I plan on helping us purge some of the crap we’ve acquired over the years.

That doesn’t mean that I’m going to rid myself of yarn.  Some lines will not be crossed.  Ha!

Aside from these things, I’m just going to take things one step at a time.  I’ve learned that the best-laid plans sometimes don’t work out.  As a person who needs order in my life, this is challenging.  Yet, 2016 taught me that God really is in the details…that He always works things out in the most PERFECT way possible.

So it is my prayer that I will trust Him even more as I seek to follow His lead.

I hope you have a wonderful day as you celebrate the promise of an unwritten year.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: New Year's | 2 Comments »