A new Year - a new cast.

My daughter tells me that the Universe says 2014 is going to be a good year!  And that is the line I'm sticking with this year. 

It's hard to come back to this blog after being away for such a long time and so much has happened since my last post. 

I guess a brief little catch up from where I left off last January.

I came out of my cast and into a boot in last February.   I had as good of a recovery as I could from the triple arthrodesis surgery because the doctor informed us that I would need the ankle joint replaced as soon as I was ready for another surgery. 

In February I was lucky to have a wonderful visit from a blogging friend that I have been emailing and chatting with for the last five years or so.  Kim ( Stillmeadow quilting ) and her husband Tom.  It was so nice they drove all the way up from California on their way back to Minnesota.   Vancouver is not really "on the way". I was just getting out of my boot and getting mobile again so I wasn't such great company.  But Jim and I both enjoyed our first visit and hope there will be more in the future. 

Thankfully by March I was mobile enough that I was able to go to our annual Mayne Island Quilting retreat.  One of my favourite yearly get aways!  With some of my favourite bunch of quilting peeps. 

In April Jim and I put an offer on a boat. A 42ft Kadey Krogen. We had and accepted offer - had the boat hauled out and surveyed. There were some issues found on the survey and we tried to renegotiated the price. The sellers did not want to renegotiate so the offer was withdrawn and we were very disappointed. 

I was doing a bit of quilting here and there. In May I sent two Flags to Boston for  "To Boston with Love" which was started by a quilter I know here in Vancouver - Berene Campbell. She is from the QBTB retreat group of quilting peeps. It was an honor to see my flag hanging up in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston with the hundreds and hundreds of other flags. 

At the end of May I turned 55. Still not back to work with my slowly deteriorating ankle joint.  Also the last day of May was a big day - Jim retired!  Something he had been working towards and planning for 33 years!  

In June we bought a boat!  It was the boat that we had put an offer on in April. The sellers came back about 4 weeks after the deal fell though and we renegotiated a new deal and took possession of the boat on June 1st.  That was a great retirement gift for Jim!!  

Jim and I went to Alberta in June and spent some time with the two cutest grand kids in the world!  

After returning from Alberta - Jim spent the rest the month of June doing some work and repairs on the boat. Fairly minor items but they were identified on the survey as items that needed addressing. 

Finally in July and August - right through until late October actually - we were able to go out on a few trips on our boat. She is a beautiful boat - Kadey Krogen 42 - walk around.  We named her "Phoenix Hunter". We were out for total of 6 weeks on a number of different trips. The Gulf Islands - Victoria B.C. Desolation Sound, The Discovery Islands - north of Quadra Island - Roche Harbour - for a Krog-In. It was a wonderful adventure. Not to many mishaps for novices such as us.  I enjoyed the boat because I could "do it". Very little walking required. I was I able to walk any beaches or shorelines with Jim and Jenny.  But I was still away and on the boat. 

Andrew moved home and was "sort of" living with us during the summer. We enjoyed having him and his pup - Khyber around for the short time. 

As I moved into the Fall my mobility seemed to deteriorate almost daily. I couldn't even walk to the end of our street. Going to any stores - such as Costco was impossible. By October my orthopedic surgeon put me on the wait list for the ankle replacement surgery.  So we had a very quiet Christmas. Waiting for my surgery date right after Christmas. 

January 8th I had a Total Ankle Replacement ( TAR ). So I am freshly post op and right now in the plaster cast and on crutches. The plaster cast will come off January 23 and I will go into a boot. I am allowed to weight bear but I'm not allowed to walk.  I think this recovery will be a bit easier than the last one.  When I came home from the hospital on Friday and set my self up in the bed it was like déjà vu all over again!  I sure hope this is the beginning of the end!!  

I have been do a bit of quilting. 

I made some cushions for the boat. 

So that's an update!