Valentine's Day, you may recall, I had surgery. After which, I was squeezed into overlapping compression garments and told to wear them for 6 weeks, regardless of how difficult this made stripping to go potty. After 3 days of bedrest, followed by almost two weeks of moving zombie-style, and not lifting anything that weighed more than 5 pounds (try pulling up your compression garbs under those circumstances) I was thankfully nursed, first by Peter, then by my sister-Laura, Mom, and finally my sister-Sheryl, I was finally, officially, back on my feet, yet I was still so, so, so tired that I had to rest between bites of food! (Please don't try to diagram that sentence. You'll hurt yourself.) I am so grateful that they came here. I know I healed faster for it. And if nothing else, it was helpful to have all the company as a distraction from the pain. Sadly for them, Sher and Laura’s visits didn’t overlap. However, I think I speak for Peter and Mom and I when I say, it was nice for us to see them one at a time, because it stretched out the fun for longer. 😉

 

As of February 29, I felt ready to push myself a bit more. And right on cue, some special friends from Maine appeared! It was delightful to see them. 😁 However, when they left, I got a bad UTI. That wasn't so delightful. ☹️ But let me not forget to tell you, my friend's travel agency had a contest and I won some marvelous Mickey Mouse bling to attach to my purse, where it continually lifts my spirits. (So cute) 🐭 Until I caught the Norovirus, complete with fever, body-aches, gut cramps and BAD diarrhea, and I wanted to die. Unbelievably, I won a set of moisturizers from a local dermatologist, so at least I appeared to be a whole lot better than I felt ("It's better to look good than to feel good" - Thank-you Billy Crystal) and just as I felt human again, the leg that I broke last year, without any warning, buckled in unbelievable pain! I couldn't walk for 2 days, after which, just as suddenly, it was fixed good-as-new. --I'm waiting on X-ray results, but given that I'm pretty sure someone with a voodoo doll and a grudge pushed a pin thru my knee, I can't imagine what X-rays can show. Nevertheless, none of that could touch the most amazing thing that happened. Yes, I've saved the best for last. It was as if I won the grand prize on a game show! ...my sister, Sheryl, surprised me with a trip off of my bucket list. We went to Costa Rica! (She'd cashed in airline vacation points and designed this trip for her and her boyfriend before Covid struck and put it on hold.  Now, it was time she had to use them or lose them, and I undeservingly benefitted...hot compression garments and all!) In an amazing gift from God (or Delta?) we were inexplicably bumped up to FIRST CLASS! What?! I can't believe this all happened! I'm bruised from all the pinching!!

 

Long story short, never give up on what might be waiting for you around the next bend. Life is beguiling. People are stunning. God is good.

 

Pictures to follow. 😍 (I can only post 5. Click thru to another "entry" to see a few more)