Red and Mrs. are back to a normal routine in our backyard. Maybe this spring we’ll have some baby Reds?
Yesterday was a Red Letter Day — plus I got the photo above of Red! I went to my post op appointment with my favorite surgeon. My surgery on my foot was a little over two weeks ago. The dressing and sutures were removed. Yay! I finally get a look at my “elective foot” as Tippy Gnu from Chasing Unicorns called it. (That’s in reference to the procedure first denied by our insurance company. They said it wasn’t medically necessary.) Like I wrote before, what is necessary about walking and wearing shoes?
My foot is black, blue and swollen. The bright news? I wore flip flops out of the doctor’s office instead of the infamous boot.
The infamous boot where it sits today until next time.
I would love to toss the boot into the trash. But my surgeon said I may need to have a follow up surgery in the distant future if I have pain. I’ve placed the boot in my closet up on a shelf where Olive the cat would sit and watch birds.
I’m excited to get out of the house and I’m meeting my lunch bunch at Kiki Rae’s. It’s a cute restaurant in Cave Creek with Pacific Northwest specialities like clam chowder, fish and chips and steamers. They even serve Seattle Dogs which are hot dogs with cream cheese and caramelized onions. As a native of the PNW, it’s a treat to have a restaurant serving my favorite foods from childhood and college.
My lunch bunch are two friends from my previous life in Palm Springs, pre kids. They were graphic designers I worked with in my PR Days. When I moved to Arizona a friend told me to look them up — they moved here 10 years before me. We’re all within a few miles of each other and meet up for lunch several times a year.
Here’s to giving the boot to the boot, regular visits by Red and feeling better!
What are some of your favorite foods from your childhood?
Do you have traditional or specific foods that are unique to your area?
Yay! The boot is gone 🙂 I hope you enjoy your day and friends EA! This will sound odd but I loved my mom’s meatloaf, even more when it was cold as a leftover on sandwiches with Best Foods mayo…
Of course I know PNW foods but I have no idea if Colorado favors specific foods, although I suspect people often think of Rocky Mountain Oysters associated with the state.
It felt so good to wake up this morning without sleeping in that boot! I was so done with it.
Yes, you reminded me of my mom’s meatloaf. The leftover sandwiches with Best Food Mayo were my favorite, too. But I added a little Heinz Ketchup. I make meatloaf to have those sandwiches now, but they do not compare to what I remember growing up and my mom’s meatloaf.
What a relief it must be. Congratulations. The red seems happy at this too.
Thanks! It is a big relief to not be trapped in that boot. Red does seem happy, too. Or maybe it’s because I’m feeding him?
Very probable. ♥️♥️♥️
🥰
🥰
Bye bye boot! I bet it feels good to relegate that to the closet.
Nice pic of Red.
Here’s hoping there are baby reds soon.
It was only a bit more than two weeks wearing that boot. But the last few days were painful! The doctor had me wear it 24/7 — even while I slept. Such a relief to have it off. Yes, here’s to baby Reds.
I’m glad you’re back on both your feet. Now you can choose which foot to walk on. But are you sure you want to shelf that boot? It looks very fashionable.
Thanks! Yes, it’s nice to have two feet to walk on. I think the boot looks best on the shelf. I sure hope I don’t have to take it down again!
I hear you on the boot- Mike felt the same way. Yay to being boot-free!
I was fine with the boot until the last couple days. It was giving me more pain in a couple spots than I had with the surgery. Yes, it’s a great feeling to have it off!
Seattle dogs sound interesting. Never thought of cream cheese on them. Wow, glad that you are going out for a luncheon! Key Lime Pie is specific to Florida and delicious. There are some restaurants which serve good ones. We have a Chicago hot dog place in Tampa called Mel’s, near us, and very well known. We were in business right across from his plaza. He recently sold and the new owners are still doing well. He was a good friend to us during our cupcakerie days. Although I am an avid fan of Nathan’s hot dogs.
I’ve never had key lime pie, but I’m sure I’d love it. I am a big lime fan. That’s nice you had Mel’s across the street from you and were friends. Good memories. I like Nathan’s hot dogs too.
Hooray on ditching the boot!
My favorite foods for childhood were two of my mom’s chicken casseroles. One was with rice and cream of mushroom soup, and the other with sour cream, poppy seeds, and crumbles Ritz cracker topping. And her beef and barley stew. All taste like home to me.
I know AZ is known for Sonora hot dogs, but I’ve admittedly never tried one. It consists of a hot dog that is wrapped in bacon and grilled, served on a bolillo-style hot dog bun, and topped with pinto beans, onions, tomatoes, and a variety of additional condiments, including mayonnaise, mustard, and jalapeño salsa.
My mom had a similar chicken, rice and cream of mushroom casserole. I forgot all about it. She added wild rice and morel mushrooms she picked. She also made a delicious beef and barley stew. She always had hot soup cooking which was perfect when we’d come home with our friends after skiing. I’ve never heard of Sonora hot dogs. Sound like a bit much!
Mom-made meals are always the best!
Absolutely. I remember spending the night at friends’ homes and missing mom’s cooking.
Is all this misery stemming from when you came across the dog running free off a leash at a park or lake?
This is a separate surgery. The dog at the lake is when I broke my ankle. I was scheduled for this foot surgery and that Monday after the dog encounter I had my appointment for pre-op with the surgeon. I was wearing an Ace bandage on my ankle. She took an x-ray and rushed me into surgery for my broken fibula the next day. Now, I finally am back to square one for the original surgery. It’s a much easier surgery and shorter recovery time than the ankle.
Love this wonderful progress, Elizabeth! Perfect title for this post. Hope you are having another wonderful day!
Thanks, Wynne! I had a great lunch of Pacific Northwest seafood with my graphic designer friends today. It was beautiful and we sat outside.
Yay! So glad to read this news! You gave the boot the boot! Woohoo! 💝💝💝
It was so nice to sleep without it last night! Then to meet friends for lunch. What treats! 🥰
So good!!!! ❤️😘❤️
It truly is the little things I appreciate after being laid up twice this year! 💕
Lunch with friends is always a boost!!!!
Xo! 😘
Definitely. It’s been months since we’ve gotten together. 💕
❤️🥰❤️
Thanks for all the encouragement. I’m almost through this! 😍
You betcha! Sending hugs! ❤️🥰❤️
Congratulations about the boot being gone! Woo-Hoo and hope you don’t need it back!
Glad Mr Red could celebrate with you!
Tippy has taught me so many new words. 🙂
Yes, it feels good to be boot free! Especially sleeping without it at night. I learned that Tippy was a postman in my old home town and sometimes delivered our mail. How’s that for a small world?
I am sure sleeping with it was a pain!
WOW!! How cool! Yes, a small world indeed. 🙂
I was waking up in pain because of the boot. So glad to have it off! Yes, what a small world!
Ugh! Not a way to wake up! Very happy you can be free of it.
Always good to have those fun reminders of how small our world is. 🙂
I’m thrilled to no longer sleep in that boot. Hopefully, I won’t have to wear it again! I first saw Tippy Gnu commenting on your blog and then he commented on my blog that he delivered mail in Palm Springs. I think I wrote about the Palm Springs post office for my husband’s client Christmas gifts.
I’ll bet heaving the boot is a great relief. I never get rid of my cane and crutches, though I hope I never need them again!
My childhood was a food desert at home (my mother was a lame-o cook). So my favorite foods were nacho cheese Doritos and Slim Jims, plus going out for pizza or burgers and fries. Cheese is always number one, though! My parents would sometimes take us to a nice restaurant, so a good steak was my choice.
Here, New Mexican food is sort of a regional specialty. Lots of red and green chile. Spicy.
I liked Slim Jims too, but manage not to buy them when I see them at checkout in the grocery store these days. We had one nice restaurant in our small town when I was growing up and I’d order a bucket of clams. Still a treat for me today. We had great Mexican food in So Cal but not so much in Arizona, where I thought we would. Yes, it is a relief to get rid of that boot!
I’m trying to think of other uses for the boot. Some new use to get your money’s worth until next time. How about using it as a special feeder for Red and the Missus? Ha ha.
You gave me an idea that I could turn the boot into a bird house? Somehow I think I’ll leave it in the closet with my knee scooter and walker in case it’s needed again! I do think I’ve gotten my money’s worth from the boot at least.
Congratulations on the removal of the boot, EA! It must feel wonderful! And Red is back to normal. ❤️❤️❤️ Childhood foods for me were Midwest standards mostly, though my Cuban stepdad’s sister lived with us for several years and we all ate a lot of her delicious cooking in those days- arroz con pollo, picadillo, rice pudding with lime….
You were lucky to have homemade Cuban food. We had a Cuban restaurant in Palm Springs that was delicious. Yes, it’s a relief to be out of the boot — hopefully for good!
Glad you’re on the mend. Hmmm….fromy childhood…I remember my mom making a great pork roast as a kid so I have an affinity to that. As to unique foods, we are sort of spoiled here because it seems like we have everything if you want to try it.
You are in one of those areas that has amazing food! We are not so lucky where we live. My mom also made pork roast that was good. I never make it. I’ll have to think about that.
So glad you are out of that boot! That looks like no fun at all. I hope the healing continues. Oh, and that red bird is adorable! If you do have little baby reds, you’ll absolutely have to share photos.
I am so relieved to put that boot on a shelf. I’m reading about Northern Cardinals and hopefully this Spring we’ll have some babies. But they don’t stay long with their parents. I hope if it happens I get photos.
Me too! I wish we had cardinals where I live. They are such stunning birds.
I get excited every time they come into our yard. I got a whole bunch of photos today that I’m getting ready to look at.
Congratulations on getting the boot OFF! I can’t imagine how good it feels to be unencumbered by it. (Crossing my fingers and toes, you don’t need a follow-up surgery)
I’ve never heard of a Seattle Dog, and frankly, it doesn’t sound appealing to me. SORRY! I do love that you’ve reunited with these ladies from your previous life. I found that after my kids were grown and out, I had more time for relationships, and that is also the case with all the other mothers who were so consumed by their kids’ lives/activities. It feels like the natural order of things, right?
Thanks! I’m ready to start walking again if only my bruising and swelling would go away. But it’s nice to be out of the boot. A few more days and I hope to do my daily walks. Yes, it’s nice to reconnect with old friends. We were a swim family while raising two kids. I miss those days, but not how busy they were. I did see my fellow swim moms on the pool deck every evening. That was great!