For many 2020 was a terrible year. To be sure it was a difficult year in some aspects for me but in many ways it was a great year! The year started out poorly (even before covid). I had some pretty major gut issues going on (ulcer and acid reflux). The medicine I was put on worked great, along with a clear liquid diet (they thought I had pancreatitis at first). Then the medicine worked too well and pretty much blocked all acids including what is needed to break down co.plex proteins in nightshades and other food. I stareted having allergic reactions to foods I never had am issue with. So I stopped the medicine and after a few weeks was fine. With the ulcer healed I was fine with just OTC medicine for any remaining reflux.

Then covid hit! I didn’t get it but school went virtual and I began teleworking from home. That was tough at first but we are used to it now. We have rough days for sure but as long as the school work gets done at some point in the day I am good with it! Work from home is fine most days. Internet connectivity or phone signals can be an issue at home sometimes! That is a pain. Somedays my best phone signal is outside. That’s ok on nice days, not so fun on cold day! The dogs are not going to like it when we go back to the office at some point. Brayden is going to miss Fortnite time when he goes back to school next year! 😆

We have managed to stay covid free as far as we know. I have taken one test that was negative but with a lingering cough who knows. Whitney and her boyfriend both had covid but stayed away from us for several weeks. I have also had several other relatives who have had it. Thankfully all are well now.

This has been a year with some pretty important milestones for me. I have hit 30 years as a federal public servant this year! I started in high school, got a co-op (trainee) position in college and was hired permanently within 4 months of graduating. It has been great! 19 years with the Forest Service, 10 with US Fish & Wildlife Service, and odd months with USDA Food and Nutrition Setivce and The Natural Resources Conservation Service. It has been a great career path. I will come back to this career path in a minute.

I also hit 50 years of age this year! Yikes! Some days I feel my age in the achiness of my body and tired mind but then I also feel like I am barely a day over 30! 😊 I have had a good life filled with challenges and trials but also with a lot of joy. Every moment has made me who I am and I am not unhappy with the woman I am. I have made good choices and some not so good choices. But they all make me – me!

Back to my career path. Just before Christmas vacation, I was offered and accepted a new job. I am not moving anywhere and I have been in a temporary detail doing this job for the past few months. I will start the new job on Monday January 4th. I am the Planning and Collaboration Staff Officer for the Mark Twain National Forest. I am looking forward to this challenge and opportunity. This will be a good stretch for me. I will be supervising a highly competent staff of 6 (5 right now but filling a vacant position soon). I will be learning new staff areas outside of the wildlife and fisheries world I have lived in for almost 30 years. I am excited.

I hope you all are healthy. Keep wearing the masks and distancing. I am looking forward to seeing more friends in 2021. May God bless you. Happy New Year!

#HappyNewYear2021 #bye2020

Wow 2019 went by way too quickly! Are you with me? This fall just zoomed by for me especially! Luckily I decided to do early Christmas shopping this year so December was blessedly more enjoyable.

The biggest challenge I faced in 2019 was needing and getting the left total hip replacement. Thanks to Facebook memories, I found that I had been suffering with hip pain since at least 2012. My chiropractor did a good job of keeping me out of the orthopedics office for 6.5 years before he actually said it’s time to go.

I am glad I went. In addition to the osteoarthritis I had trochanteric bursitis. He treated that with injections of steroids. It didn’t work until the very last one. But that uncovered the bone on bone pain that was even evident while swimmming. Even shopping at Wal-Mart would leave me in pain that could bring me to tears.The surgery on April 30th went so well. I am now 9 months out. I still have the annoying leg length difference but am getting used to it. I still get some nerve zingers and zaps. My IT band and piriformis muscles still like to tighten alomst daily but I use this knobby rolling pin massager and it feels so much better. My skin is pretty sensitive on part of my thigh but it’s not painful.

My surgeon asked if I would do it again. Heck yea. I can walk miles a day now without being in agony. I sat criss cross applesauce (there has got to be another name for that) the other day and I giggled like a school girl once I realized what I was doing!

Oh – bad news, I did develop trochanteric bursitis again and I got another cortizone injection. That sucks and the injection didn’t work but I am taking aleve daily per his recommendation and between lots of stretching and the rolling, it is helping.

Work was so much more enjoyable this year. The first time out in the field, I was nervous but it went well! I walked and walked in a wet fen area and up and down hills. All the PT I did really paid off. I also got to do a brief temporary detail as a District Ranger. I really enjoyed that. I wasnt sure that would ever be a career path for me but I do believe if the right opportunity were to present itself to me, I would apply. I am starting the new year in another temporary detail – this time in a Staff Officer position. I am excited to give this path a shot!

I am so proud of my family over this past year too. My oldest daughter maintained straight A’s in her surgical technology program. My youngest daughter also maintained high grades in her degree programs. My grandkids are doing well in elementary school. Brian did a detail for the Southern region this fall too. It wasn’t his cup of tea but it went well.

I am looking forward to 2020. I pray that you find health, peace and joy.

It has been a while since I have posted. I cant believe it has beem almost 6 months since I had my left hip replaced! I am still very pleased with the results, the leg length difference is not holding me back.I have been out in the field, hiking up and down hills, walking through mucky fens, and splashing through streams. I may get a little wonder depending on the pace of the group I am with but my hip has no pain and its not locking up or slipping out on me. I no longer feel the fear of maybe having to call for a rescue! It is wonderful! That bone on bone pain is gone!I still get muscle stiffness and my nerves still zing or tingle. But I can roll out the muscles and do stretching exercises and it helps so much. I still see the chiropractor monthly to keep my SI joint and back all aligned because I sometimes walk funmy or I have been driving/sitting too much.I have been walking with a goal of 6000 steps per day and get it most of the time. I have been counting calories and carbs and such too. I need to get my whole body in shape so I don’t need any other replacements.Life has been so busy lately. With school starting for B (3rd grade) and me taking lead for the confirmation and youth group at our church. We have a great team but still need more volunteers! Of course there is work and ⚽ practice and games, not to mention cub scouts and popcorn sales (anyone want some?)!With all of that going on, I have to remember to take time to recharge, pray and find joy. The picture I am including with this post is from tonight. A beautiful double rainbow.Peace.

I can’t believe that it has been 12 weeks since I had my left hip replaced! I saw my surgeon today and we are both pleased with my recovery thus far. I have full range of motion back. Though I don’t think I can sit criss cross applesauce yet! I have no real desire to try!

I have been walking about 2 to 4 miles a day. I can go up and down hill now. Downhill is the hardest. I still take a trekking pole with me on long walks or hikes. I have been on the field in muck boots hiking through a fen! I was exhausted but it was great.

I still have some nerve and muscle pain but it’s normal.I see my surgeon again in 3 more months.It is so good not to have the horrible pain I used to have!

If you are suffering with hip pain, I encourage you to see a good orthopedic surgeon! My surgeon asked me if I would do it again. And of course if my other hip goes, I will have it done by him if he is still here! Hopefully it will be a long time from now though.

A nice evening hike

Tonight I went with the family for a nice hike at the local Audubon Trail not far from where I live. The trail was about a mile long and went up and down hill and was definitely an outdoors experience in this heat! My hip felt GREAT! My leg did great too. We went to Kroger (grocery store) afterward to pick up a few things and I felt myself start to limp and my back/SI joint start hurting. But I assessed my posture and found I was slouching amd quickly corrected myself and no more pain! I will probably be sore but it’s the good kind of sore – the kind that lets you know you are alive!

I also had PT earlier this afternoon and posted a picture on Facebook with an ice pack on my leg saying that was my favorite part of PT – the stim and ice! Well it feels great and after the work out it feels really wonderful. But… I actually do enjoy the workouts too. It feels good to be getting stronger.

Oh I must tell you about this great restaurant in Ellisville, MO called Malinche. It is so good! It’s kind of a tapas style place and reservations are recommended but so very worth it! It’s in the plaza on the corner of Manchester and Clarkson I think. Here’s a picture of my plate – a sort of taco al pastor but it was called something different and was way better than I have ever had. Flavor explosion! What are some of your favorite eating spots?

Peace my friends. I will be praying for you!

Tomorrow marks 7 weeks post left total hip replacement. The progress I have made these 7 weeks is pretty amazing. I was very impatient for a while (just read my earlier posts!) But I have taken time to really assess my progress and it’s pretty stinking amazing for a major surgery!When I first got home from the surgery I could barely lift that leg! Now I really can! I can do things now that I couldn’t do before the surgery because of the pain from the osteoarthritis. Like tying my shoes without getting in crazy positions! So many little things.I have to credit my new outlook from advice from my friend and former pastor Fr. Charles Pardee. He helped me through some really hard times in the past and he always told me to look for the small wins, the many little things, when put together make lifes problems seem small. He also taught me to bear my crosses bravely. And this is just another small cross to bear really.Fr. Charlie passed away on June 9th. His funeral mass was this morning. I have been so incredibly sad. I will miss him so much. I miss him so much. Rest in peace Fr. Charlie! Pray for me!

Tomorrow marks 7 weeks post left total hip replacement. The progress I have made these 7 weeks is pretty amazing. I was very impatient for a while (just read my earlier posts!) But I have taken time to really assess my progress and it’s pretty stinking amazing for a major surgery!

When I first got home from the surgery I could barely lift that leg! Now I really can! I can do things now that I couldn’t do before the surgery because of the pain from the osteoarthritis. Like tying my shoes without getting in crazy positions! So many little things.

I have to credit my new outlook from advice from my friend and former pastor Fr. Charles Pardee. He helped me through some really hard times in the past and he always told me to look for the small wins, the many little things, when put together make lifes problems seem small. He also taught me to bear my crosses bravely. And this is just another small cross to bear really.

Fr. Charlie passed away on June 9th. His funeral mass was this morning. I have been so incredibly sad. I will miss him so much. I miss him so much. Rest in peace Fr. Charlie! Pray for me Fr. Charlie!

I can’t believe it is 6 weeks after I had my left hip replaced. I went back in to the office to work for the first time today! I wasn’t there much because I had several appointments today (chiropractor, mammogram, PT and at the end of the day a hair cut!). But it was nice to be back to some normal life.My chiropractor had my new shoe lift today. I’m not in love with it yet but I will adjust to it I guess. He told me the leg length difference is really about 7mm. That sounds way better but its still greater than than when the swelling is up.My physical therapists were really happy with my gait today. It is getting better but I have to think about it all the time. Like “pick foot up, don’t drag” kinds of reminders to myself. I tripped a couple of times today but nothing bad, no pain other than being embarrassing. I am getting stronger and that is so encouraging.I saw my surgeon yesterday. He is also pleased with my progress. I see him again in another 6 weeks. I hope to be much stronger by then! He cleared me to swim and hike and do whatever my body felt up to. He also said I would pay for overdoing things in the evenings or the next day. So while I want to increase my activity I must be prudent about it!I have been wearing a FitBit Blaze that was my husband’s and it was a few years old. It glitched out and died. I am up to walking about 2.5 miles a day! I ordered a new fitness tracker and it should be herr tomorrow. It helps me keep track of my progress.Friends, I am sad. One of our former pastors from church passed away on Sunday. He was special to me and helped get me through some hard times. Please keep Fr. Charlie and his family and friends in your prayers.Peace.