Devondancer update

[devondancer]

She has left most of me intact! Shame about the fingers.

Cofaidh, when Lesley plays it she plays it slowly, or fairly slowly. Air, not fast waltz. Definitely not ITM, mute - you were quite right.

Ro

[devondancer]

One giant step for womankind, this morning: I have vacuumed our living room! Now, that may not sound like much, but I have not been able to do it since JULY! (That doesn't mean it hasn't been done, of course!)

I am pleased with myself.

Upright vacuum cleaners work just as well as sticks, for balance!

Lesley

And now it is ready for us to put the Christmas tree up!

[mutepointe]

Yep, boring old married couple. Congratulations.

[devondancer]

At last, mute! At last!

By the way, do you want any more broken crockery for your path? I lost a couple of mugs today, empty for a change! Yesterday I dropped my whole dinner, which was both annoying and messy. I shall be glad when my fingers learn which hands they belong to.

At least it wasn't the ice cream.

Lesley

[oregonden]

Hi Lesley,
I have an upright vacuum also. Hmmm...with your creativity, do you think a few well-placed holes in the handle of your vac... ah, well...much cheer and holiday wishes to you and Roland from Oregon!
Dennis

[devondancer]

Hmmm! I've already looked with great interest at the handle of the carpet sweeper, which is three pieces of very nice telescoping tube. I'm sure it really only needs to be two pieces.

I picked up the stupid stick yesterday, having been playing low whistle for a while. The stick is height adjustable, so has holes with a little poky thing that goes through them. I looked at it in my hand and thought "Which whistle have I picked up? Don't recognise this!" Then the truth dawned.

Can't wait to turn it into a whistle!

[narrowdog]

....any good that low whistle

its good to here you're up and about

[mutepointe]

Dear Lesley:

We're all set for broken china, really. Ideas on what to do with all the coffee mug handles would be nice. Think Monolithic.

So, what kind of boring things you two been up to? Have you organized the junk drawer yet?

[devondancer]

Hi, Mute, and anyone else!

Sorry you don't want the china: I have plenty! Not many actual cups, saucers, plates etc, but a lot of mosaic material. I have been banned from touching it now, before we have to eat off plastic plates.

Normal boring middle-aged couple type life continues here in Devon. Ro manages middle-aged better than I do, of course!! I can do nearly everything now, if rather slowly and clumsily, but it is good to be able to cook again. I can even change the duvet cover, if I am steadily anchored in one place so I don't fall into it (which has happened!)

We walk short distances most days, either driving to a good spot or walking from home. Hanging onto Ro and stupid stick, I can get to most places, even if he does tow me up hills, and there are a lot of those in Devon. It is so good to get out, to see our estuary and the sea, the commons and moors again.

I whistle all the time, and have played my guitar enough now to have regrown my finger callouses, which is a relief! They had worn off during my enforced abstinence, and my fingers were consequently very sore when I restarted! It is also the first time for many years that I have been able to grow the nails on my right hand to enable me to play more clearly – at work, of course, all ten nails are kept chopped off! The fingers are still woolly, and don't necessarily do what I tell them, or what I am expecting, but I play some interesting variations. The same is true of low whistle, but I am fairly reliable on the high ones.

My consultant is very pleased with my heart, which is doing exactly what it should. It is still so wonderful to have enough breath to do things. I hated that suffocating feeling all the time! I am still seeing the physiotherapist regularly and am making slow progress, although I still seem to walk at strange angles! Still, it all makes life interesting.

This Christmas Day will be the first we have had together, I think. We have obviously always had our own Christmas sometime over the holiday period, but I have worked every Christmas Day for I don’t know how many years! So there is another advantage of all this surgery! (Apart from the scars that allow me to join Mute’s club – oh lucky me.)

If you don't want our china I shall have to persuade Ro to make mosaic paths round the house! he is using boring old paving slabs at present, digging and banging while I watch in awe. He is fine and sends his regards.

That's about the latest from the devondancers, I think. Not quite dancing yet, but that is something to look forward to!

Happy Christmas to you all.

Lesley

[ambaiste]

Hi Lesley
Good to see that you are improving so much.
It is great that you get to spend Christmas day together,I too worked more Christmas days than I spent at home.
Hva a Happy Christmas and a Very Happy and Healthy New Year.
That goes for everyone.
Dorothy

[peeplj]

It's good to hear from you guys!

I hope you both have a Merry Christmas and a happy and safe holiday season!

And know that I am and remain,

Your friend,

--James

[devondancer]

Happy Christmas, everyone!

Lesley and Ro

[devondancer]

Hello, everyone.
Hope you have had a good Christmas? We have - it was wonderful to have Lesley home with me, for the first time, and in such circumstances! We have definitely been celebrating!
She has such fun with everything and it is lovely to be with her. We visited her very ancient father and her sister on Christmas Day, which I think she found too tiring, really, although she was pleased to see them again. She hadn't seen either of them since before she was ill. It was a long journey and she had certainly had enough by the time we got home again.
Yesterday we had to ourselves, and it was just lovely. Sunshine and blue sky at last, so we were nice and warm, and Lesley had carols on the CD player and kept playing along on whistle. We just enjoyed the peace, and being together. Had a short walk in the afternoon, along the beach, of course, and she loved it - of course. She has the knack of being totally involved in whatever is going on, and of involving everyone else, so her beaming smile brought answering smiles from all along the seafront. And I just want to hug her all the time - gently, as she can't be squashed yet!
We went back to cambridge just before Christmas for her first checkup at the transplant hospital and they are very pleased with her. She keeps working hard at her physio, both cardiac and her mobility, and I am just so proud of her. Thank you all again for all the love that kept her alive for me.
Happy new year.
Ro

[brewerpaul]

Thank you all again for all the love that kept her alive for me.
Happy new year.
Ro

I think I can speak for everyone here and say that it was our pleasure
A great new year to you both.

[Denny]

yeah, I think that Paul is right