Still keeping up the walking…walked to the grocery store again yesterday…before it got too hot..and then this morning went swimming with a group of women I have hooked up with. Since then have spent the day inside in the aircon cutting out fabric for 3 quilts for the children of one of Mel’s friends. Yes, Petrina…yours is next!!! Am so loving being back sewing again.

Ah..the cricket is on again too…yes, I am a cricket tragic…and then the Australian Open tennis is on next week…so lots of TV watching on the agenda.

Hip continuing to improve, although the changes are much slower and less noticeable now, but generally feeling very happy with it all.

Yesterday I went swimming with Mel and the kids and it was so nice to be able to play with them in the water…they are both so confident in the water, altho Jett had a little opps! episode. Family arrived at the pool and the boys all immediately jumped in…and Jett did too…forgot that he needed Mum to catch him!! I saw him jump in my peripheral vision and it took a couple of seconds before it registered that no-one was there to catch him. He was kicking madly and floundering until both Mel and I grabbed him at the same time. Scared him a bit and he was very clingy to Mel for the rest of the day.

After lunch and Mateya had a sleep at my place we all headed out to Kevin and Renee’s “ranch” where the kids had fun riding on the 4 wheelers and motorbike…they are all such dare-devils and just love being on the farm. While out there Renee, Mel and I picked a bucket of delicious apricots and so last night I made apricot jam…there really is nothing like freshly made apricot jam.

I ditched my crutches on Sunday and am now walking crutch-free. It feels so good…still keep the crutch handy during the night and if I go on rough terrain, as I DO NOT want to have a fall. The wound has healed so well and the soreness is gradually easing. Of course, for all those who have hip replacements, the biggest challenge is to stop limping. I limped for so long prior to the surgery it has just become a habit, but I am determined to break the habit.

On Monday I sent off an email to book another trip for Lyn and myself….to Vietnam and Cambodia in October. So looking forward to being able to travel painfree.

Weather is warming up…just hope it does not get too hot…but suspect it will at some time.

Another visit to the pool this morning and lots of exercising…was a bit sore last night but still felt good. After 3 weeks of having to sllep on my back, I gave up last night and turned onto my good side…had to prop up the bad leg with a big pillow between my legs…but ohhhhh…felt so good. Still struggling to sleep for long periods at night…but being on my own it doesn’t matter if I get up and read in the middle of the night. 2 weeks till my post-op check …and hopefully then I can drive!! Oh I will appreciate my little car so very much.

Jett’s 4th birthday tomorrow…a little party in town here, so will be good to see all the grandkids as Bec and Bronte and kids are coming down. It is their 6th wedding anniversary today…congratulations. One year on sunday since Eric went into hospital…how do I feel with that anniversary coming up??? Not much eard from the lady I am renting the house from this morning and she is planning to move over east and is happy for me to rent this place for as long as I want….another thing working out so well. Wow…I sure am being looked after. Now…just want that motorhome to be sold!!!!! Patience Lyn, patience.

After a couple of days feeling a bit lonely and sorry for myself after returning home I have now moved on and decided it is time to get on with life. Our attitude is so much a choice and I have chosen to be positive and get on with all the good things I can do.

STILL have the darned motorhome sitting in the backyard. So, so want to get rid of that …it is just a reminder of another life and I don’t even want to go inside it anymore. Oh well…everything in my life has worked out so well and I know it will sell sometime…but it is the one thing I get frustrated about. I am sure there is someone out there who would love to travel in such a motorhome…just gotta find them!!!

Weather continues to be totally strange….so many thunder and lightning storms and the poor farmers just can’t get their harvest finished. Think it is a competition to see who gets their harvester bogged in the paddocks the most times!!! Mark has thankfully finished, but is busy shearing now……it never stops.

Busy watching the cricket at present….great game against the Indians. Most annoyed that we can’t get the tennis on our local TV…oh well. Mort…you would be most interested in this cricket match.

Had a great chat on skype to my brother living in The Philippines the other day….he and Guy(his wife)  were in Manila to meet her 2 children who have arrived for a 3 week visit. Ah, the wonders of technology…love it!! Denise…my skype is working fine now so keep an eye out for me when you are on line. Think I am listed under Taslyn…can’t remember.

So till next time…I shall keep walking and exercising.

Mind you, it is no walk in the park! Somehow I managed to block out the fact that the surgeon was going to seriously assault my hip and that it would hurt afterwards…lots and lots!!!! The first few days you lay there in a drug-induced haze thinking…what on earth have I done??? Why did I choose to have this done to my body. The first night at about 4am 3 burley guys came in to help turn me and rub my back……..torture to the extreme!! Then the second day it is time to get out of bed and stand…yeah right!!! Who are they kidding…..but actually it turns out to be not quite as bad as anticipated. Extremely low blood pressure meant that every time I stood I almost passed out on the staff, so that held things back for a bit.

The first shower on about day 3 was heaven itself!! So nice to feel that water cascading over your body…and I was even able to manage to wash myself. So very quickly the physio starts and you are constantly reminded to keep these exercises up…a necessary, but painful process.

On day 4 I was moved down to Rehab as they were closing the other ward over Christmas. This actually proved to be beneficial as the aim here is to get up and about and living independantly as soon as possible…and the Occupational Therapists teach you the best and most efficient ways to do everything you will need to do on your own on returning home.

Due to my being in hospital over Christmas, and the difficulty in obtaining all the aids I needed to return home, and the fact that they did not need my bed, I actually finished up spending 2 weeks in hospital, which proved to be a real blessing, as it meant that when I eventually came home on Friday 30th I was well able to cope on my own. Bec and Jada brought me home and spent the night…a nice reassurance on my first night alone, but all was good and they headed home the next day.

I am walking around extremely well…mainly just on one crutch and inside the house can even manage without anything, but do so very carefully….there is no way I want to have a fall or do any damage to this new hip. Everyone is amazed at how well I am walking and coping. The hardest thing is being stuck here at the house as I am not allowed to drive for another 4 weeks……and the loneliness of being in a plcae where I do not know many people yet. I have my down times, feeling sorry for myself…then decide I just have to get on with it!!

While in hospital I befriended a couple of other women in there who have been in hospital many weeks (and months) and who face a much longer stay…if they ever get out. Sure makes you thankful for what you have. I still keep in contact with them and would love to go back and see them once I can drive again. They so appreciated my friendship and led to great relationships.

So how does this foreign body inside me feel now…mainly just heavy and sore ….no pain. Just have to keep the exercises up and get walking more to strengthen the muscles onto the new hip and get even more confident. It is SOOO nice to have that pain of the old worn-out hip gone …even if this was as good as it gets, it has been well worth getting the new hip….as I have heard so many others say.

So onward and upward.

Hopefully will get back on here on a few days time to let you all know I am up and about on my brand new hip.

This morning I went to the hydrotherapy pool to try and continue building up the muscles in my leg prior to surgery…the fitter you go in, the easier it is to recover. Well came across 2 ladeis there who were very chatty and one was 3 months post-op from a hip replacement. I had been very worried about how I was going to manage on my own when I came out of hospital. Well these ladies totally reassured me and I now know I can and will manage…and they gave me some very helpful hints. So bonus no.1.
Then I got a phone call from Veterans Affairs and they reassured me that they will make all sorts of aids and assistance available. Bonus No.2.

Whoops, wrong order…bonus no.1 should have been the time with Kathy and Terry…reliving past times and Terry feeling rather badly done by when he had both me and Kathy ganging up on him…we figured Eric would be up there laughing that it was not him getting a hard time!!

Then this afternoon had the best time. Went to see my elderly Uncle (Dad’s brother) who lives here in Esperance and he had organised for his daughter (my cousin) to come around. Now Debbie and I have not seen one another since childhood (both unsure if we even saw one another then!) so it was so amazing to catch up and learn all about each others’ lives. We both agree that as we get older, family becomes even more important. 3 1/2 hrs later I left….much richer for the experience.

Another wonderful experience since being here has been to daily watch a Willy Wagtail’s nest in a tree outside their back window. The parents are continually busy catching insects to return to the nest to feed their voracious 3 babies. Have got some great photos…yep, will get some on here soon….and has been great to see the babies grow in my time here. They now fill the nest so totally that it is almost impossible for the parent to sit on top and protect them. The wind has just started to blow quite strongly and Terry even went down and stabilised the branch the nest is on so that they aren’t blown out! Suspect the babies are about ready to fly off on their own very soon anyway.

And finally I have had a great time sharing quilting with Kathy. When I made Jacki’s totally amazing Japanese quilt several years ago, I started a carry bag for myself from the left over fabric. Got it all completed and just ready to complete the final construction….and just COULD NOT follow the instructions to complete……so in great frustration put it away. Brought it down with me and lo and behold….Kathy has made many bags and was able to show me how to get it together. So I now have the most beautiful Japanese bag to use…..will also add a photo in the next few days.

Jacki returned from her trip to Japan today and a phone call confirmed what a fantastic, enjoyable time she had. so good when a trip works out even better than anticipated.

Back home tomorrow and then just 2 weeks till a new hip…yee haa.

Headed down to Esperance this morning…a 5.5 hr drive..to visit friends for a few days. Figured that if I did not get down now it would be several months before I could make it..can’t drive for 6-8 weeks after surgery.

Beautiful drive down here….heaps of wildflowers still out. did stop several times to take a few photos but just am not able to get off the road into the bush with my hip so chose just to sit back and enjoy the flowers. Was quite surprised at how many wildflowers are still around…fantastic whites, yellows,blues…well, virtually any colour you can imagine. Frustration, frustration. Oh well ..they will still be there next year.

Have started going to the pool daily to exercise in the warm water and hopefully build up my leg muscles so that I will come out of the surgery in a slightly better state. Not looking forward to the time after I come home and trying to manage on my won…..Bronte & Bec and Mel & Mark and also Mark’s parents have offered for me to spend time with them, but I really don’t want to burden any of them, so hopefully by the time I come out I can manage on my own.

Have had thunder and rain go through here since I arrived….not good for the farmers trying to get harvest under way. Hopefully the Margaret River area got some rain …..to hlep extinguish the heart-breaking fires that have destroyed 30+ homes…so tragic. So hard to try to imagine how devastating it must be to have no home to go to and virtually no possessions.

An Emperor's helmet made from leather

An Emperor's helmet made from hair-thin filaments of gold.

The huge turtle guarding the entrance

Beautifully groomed grounds....not one piece of rubbish

Roof needs a little attention...note the tree growing out of it.

What history took place in this area!

The Ming Tomb Museum. How many feet have trodden this path?

Start to The Sacred Road...huge sculpted animals and Emperors lined the sides as it led to a Ming Tomb.

Cloisonne..unbreakable pottery. We saw them creating this beautiful 'pottery' on a copper base.

OK…trying a new background to see if I can get these photos to to what they are supposed to.

At last….think I have it figured out.

The Cloisonne was amazing…saw the girls working at making this….suspect they suffer from lung problems from inhaling the copper etc fumes over many years. And their eyesight must also suffer as they undertake long hours of intricate copper work.

Another amazing part of the roof of a different section of Beijing Airport.

One of the very few birds we saw in Beijing...an Asian Magpie I think.

A few odds and sods from my time in China.
Firstly, the currency. $1 Australian gave us between 5 and 6 Yuan…or RMB..they used either words and it was confusing at first. And when we got money changed we generally got it mostly in 100 Yuan notes. Whenever we handed over a 100 Yuan note (about $20) to pay for something they always held it to the light and checked it carefully…and often were reluctant to take such a large note.
This was the note which featured Chairman Mao…the Great Helmsman.

The 10 Yuan note featured the junction of 2 of the Gorges we sailed past on our Yangtze Cruise, so that was fascinating.

At one stage I received what I thought were 1 Yuan notes, but when they kept refusing them (and wanted the 1 Yuan coin) I eventually asked the hotel girl what they were…they were actually only 1/10th of a Yuan…so not worth too much at all. Hence me keeping them to send to you Pete.

Tipping…well right at the start of our tour we were told the amounts expected daily…and we had to tip lots of people……the bus driver, the bellboy if we used him, the local guide, the national guide and the person who carried my case down the stairs at the railway station. We were puzzled at the fact that the rates seemed higher than we had been led to expect…then worked out that it was because we were a small group and the people still had to get the same amount. Overall our tipping probably came to a total of over $200…I of course tipped Su extra for all the help she gave me.

Also a few photos of a few of the kids who were fascinated by us…and the slightly older ones always wanted to practise their “Hello” and “How are you?”

Su, me, Lyn and Tian squeezed into our train cabin

The roof of part of the massive Beijing Airport

A gorgeous little boy I befriended at the Railway Station

A little girl and her Mum in the squeezy 'corridor' on the train