Thursday was my first day of physical therapy for my knee sprain. I pretty much know the drill for knee PT as I have been though it three times before. Twice for knee replacements and once when I sprained my knee a couple of years ago. 


Of course each physical therapist is different so there is some element of surprise. 

After she took down my medical information and examined my knee the torture began. I call it torture even though I know it isn't deliberate (it isn't is it?) on their part, because it is painful. 


The first thing she did was massage the muscles in my leg that I apparently have damaged by limping around for two weeks. Not fun, not fun, not fun. OUCH!!!

We then moved on to the exercises, which are for stretching those now screaming muscles. She gave me the instructions to do the exercises at home and talked to me about staying off my knee as much as possible and elevating it a couple of times a day. I'll be going twice a week.


I am doing as ordered, because I want this thing healed up. I have things to do, places to go, and people to see. In other words I need to go to the grocery and to go annoy my grandchildren. 

On the way to PT I stopped and picked up a couple of books I had ordered from the library. I decided to read this one first. 



I really like the Bill Slider mysteries by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, and somehow I missed this one that came out in 2018.

From the cover:
When one of London's best-known literary agents is found dead in unexplained circumstances, having taken a header from his office window, DCI Slider is under pressure from the Burrough Commander to confirm a case of accidental death. But when the evidence points to murder, Slider and his team find themselves uncovering all the juicy secrets of the suave and successful Ed Wiseman's past.

If you like British murder mysteries and you haven't tried these I would suggest giving them a whirl. There is quirky humor, which I always like, and as this is number 21 in the series there is lots of reading for you. 

Time to go moan and complain do my exercises. 

Sometimes a baked potato sounds like the best food in the world to me, and it sure is easy to cook.

I always have good intentions to fix a nice big healthy dinner, but to be honest many nights by the end of the day I just don't feel like it. 


Last night I decided that salmon and a baked potato would make a perfect meal. I could just pop the potato in the oven and 15 minutes before it was done I could add the salmon. 

It was all going as planned until I opened the oven door to add the salmon. What was wrong with the potato? Why was there a big split down the middle? 


I leaned down to look in the oven and that is when I saw it. There was potato all over the inside of the oven. My wonderful potato had exploded and the mess was terrible. There was no way I could cook the salmon in that oven. 

As chief cook and bottle washer I made an executive decision. The salmon could wait until the next night. It was going to be an oatmeal kind of night. 


In all of the years I have been cooking I have never had that happen, and frankly I hope it never happens again. 

Monday I went to see a knee surgeon. I was really worried that my knee had failed, because it was hurting more on Monday than it had since I had injured it. The doctor and her staff were really nice and the office was beautiful. I was able to use valet parking so there wasn't a lot of walking. 


After x-rays the doctor said she thought it was a bad sprain, that the knee replacement was fine, there was no sign of any breaks, and there didn't appear to be any infection. It was soft tissue damage. 

What a relief. I'm so glad I had it checked out, and I will start  physical therapy on Thursday. I found an office just down the street, which is nice.


This is the second time I have done this in the last three years so I am going to have to acknowledge the fact that my knees are a weak part of my body and be much more careful when I am lifting. 

My dad always said that aging is not for sissies. He was so right. 

I think I really did way too much walking on my knee last week and I have been paying for it. 

I just had so much I needed to do, plus I did some things I probably should have put on hold. It's just hard for me to stay put.


Well, by Friday my knee was really hurting and I could barely walk. So I have been forced to stay home and rest. 

I spent some time yesterday morning researching orthopedic surgeons in the Atlanta area as I don't have one yet. I was able to find the one who has the best reviews and if I need to go have my knee examined I will give his office a call. He is a provider on my insurance thank goodness. 


The last time I hurt my knee my surgeon in Kentucky sent me to physical therapy and that may be what I need again. 

Speaking of new doctors, I had my yearly skin cancer scan on Wednesday. I had a squamous cell carcinoma four or five years ago so I am diligent about being checked. All clear and I liked the nurse practitioner who examined me. 


Thursday I had my annual eye exam. Loved the doctor, who my daughter recommended.. My vision is still 20/20. She said she thought I had the healthiest eyes of the day. I feel really blessed to still have such good vision at almost age 69. (Yes I tell my age. I am not ashamed of it. Age is just a number.)

The eye exam was at Emory, and it was one of the places I had to walk far. I think that was the final straw for my poor hurting knee. 


Haven't left my apartment since Thursday to even check my mail. Tomorrow I have to go downstairs to print out some shipping labels for things I have sold this weekend, but I don't have anything I have to do this next week other than drop those packages at the post office and maybe pick up a few things at the grocery.

It is going to be a cold week so I will be happy to be in my cozy apartment. 

As a woman of a certain age I was taught to never talk about money. You never talked about how much money you earned. 

I believe that those times have changed. There was some concern expressed because in my last post I showed some items I have sold and how much of a profit I made on them. I understand that concern and absolutely appreciate that concern, but here is my feeling on it. 


When I was a counselor I made a certain amount of income based on my training for that job. Of course clients could instead read self help books or ask a friend for advice, but if they wanted professional help they came to me. 

If your car breaks down you can try and fix it yourself or you can pay an arm and a leg to a trained mechanic to fix it right. We might grumble about what we pay, but we know we have to do it.


No one questions the price when someone finds a rare painting at a garage sale and resells it for millions. I wish that would happen to me, but so far no such luck.

I have had a love for vintage and antiques since I was a child. I have spent years honing my skills in the buying and selling of them. I spend hours sourcing what I sell and then I spend hours researching their value.


No, I don't generally haggle over my prices. My prices on Etsy are based on current market value, and to be honest I rarely ever have anyone ask for me to lower the price. I've learned that Poshmark is the exception. Sellers expect to get offers on there. I also allow offers on Ebay. 

Also, I will be sharing how I decorate my apartment with items that have been thrifted or purchased at yard sales and auctions. Great fun for anyone, but necessary for those of us on a budget.


I applaud anyone else who wants to go out and try their hand at selling online. It is an especially great way for women to have a full time or part time income. I hope that sharing some of my knowledge may incentivize them to give it a try.

Women should be proud of what they accomplish and that includes buying low and selling high. It indicates that you know your trade. 

I can proudly say that I am no longer ashamed to talk about earning income from online sales or about making a profit. 

People often ask me why I like selling vintage and antiques online. 

My younger sister says it seems like a lot of work, with an uncertain income.

She is right. It is a lot of work and I don't make tons of money, but I really love it. 


I know I could make more money than I do, but I can't sell furniture anymore. If I can't easily lift it I can't sell it, and these days, since my knee replacements my lifting is limited. If I go over my maximum I end up with a sprained knee like I have now. 


Also, I don't seem to have as much energy as I used to. I still do a lot, and as I recently added Poshmark as a new venue, my hunting has increased. There you have it. I love the thrill of the hunt.

I also love when I make sales, because I definitely need the extra income, but I never tire of coming across a really good find. 



It's amazing to me what people discard. The saying that one person's junk is another person's treasure is absolutely true. 

After many years of selling I am very aware of what things are worth. I guess I take after my Scottish grandmother who was very thrifty, and saved her quarters religiously. She worked hard and knew the value of a dollar.


Supplementing my income with sales is not the only way I use thrifting to help my life. I also thrift for clothing for myself and to decorate my apartment. 


I've shared some photos today of some of my finds and I thought since so many people have asked me about thrifting and going to auctions I would start sharing more of my finds with you in the future. 

As we get older and our lives change many of us need to find new avenues for our lives. This is mine. 

Do you like the thrill of the hunt or have you found a new way to supplement your income? 

Sorry this is late. Blogger was acting up, not happy with the quality of the photos, and also I forgot to write my post yesterday. OOPS!!

It was a fun Halloween. I haven't been in Atlanta with my grandkids for the last few years on Halloween, which is also Sidney's birthday, so I was looking forward to it. 


The day started out with beautiful weather. The sky was blue and the temperature was a balmy 79 degrees when I went to the post office and to fill up my gas tank at noon. I am trying to keep my gas consumption to one tank a month and so far so good. 

By the time I got back home around 12:30 I could feel the weather changing, and I knew that it definitely was not going to be a short sleeve kind of afternoon and evening.  


In fact when I left at  3:00 it was raining and the temperature had already dropped to 54. I watched while it dropped even more as I drove across the city. 

I planned on getting to my daughter's house around 3:30, but the traffic was really backed up and so I didn't get there until after 4. 

By the time I did finally arrive the temperature was in the 40's with a wind chill in the 30's. Thank goodness I wore my heavy lined raincoat. 

My family was ready to trick or treat. 



My grandson stays home to hand out the candy, and as my knee was still hurting when I walk, I decided to stay with him. 

He was dressed as Marilyn Monroe and everyone loved it. They live on a busy Atlanta street and cars were even stopping to say they loved his costume. Don't ask me how he could stand to be out in that freezing weather dressed like that, but he has never seemed to feel the cold. 

I think it is wonderful that each of my grandchildren has their own personality and are able to express it in the things that they do. 


The birthday girl loves Grey's Anatomy and dressed as Meredith Gray. Her dad surprised her by dressing as McDreamy.


Tessa's choice was of course an adorable pumpkin. (hmm there seems to be a Marilyn Monroe ghost behind her)


Even Winky got in on the action, although my impression was that she was definitely underwhelmed by the whole thing. I had to chase her down to get even one photo, so excuse the feet.

As for me I dressed completely as myself. Maybe next year I'll be able to walk with Tessa while she goes trick or treating and I'll come up with a costume then. 

Staying inside under a comfy throw where it is warm does have its benefits though.  

Grumble, Grumble, Whine, Whine.

I looked outside yesterday morning and it was gloomy and rainy. It's not that I hate rainy days. I don't generally, but my knee is still swollen and hurting when I walk (okay I know it had only been two days) and I had to get out and run a couple of errands (whine).

When I walked out the door of my building I saw this.


On such a gloomy day the camellia bush had produced a beautiful pink flower. 

It really made me stop and think that no matter how gloomy things may seem at times, there is always something to be happy about. 


There is a wonderful Yiddish word for constant complaining. Kvetch. I am often guilty of kvetching. 

I am missing aerobics this week because of my knee, but I started thinking about the man who often exercises next to me. His name is Jack and he told me he is 93 years old. Jack is short in stature with a humped back, but he is tall in spirit.


While I hear lots of moaning and groaning around me in class, I never hear Jack kvetch. He seems to be one of those people who is grateful for the things he can do, rather than the abilities he has lost. He plows through every one of those exercises. 

Today I will try to stop my kvetching. I will think of that pink flower on a gloomy fall day and I will think of Jack who is providing me with renewed inspiration. 

Later today I am going over to my daughter's house to hang out with Sidney. She is 14 today. 


I am so proud of the young woman she is becoming. What a joy to watch all of the transformations she has gone through and to see how strong and independent she is. 

Happy Birthday, Sweet girl.

You can make plans and organize how they are going to happen, but sometimes they don't work out that way.

Monday was supposed to be a very busy day for me, and it started out right. I got up at 6:30 and planned to be out of the house by 7:45. 


At 7:30 I had 15 minutes to kill so I decided to move one of my plants. I forgot that I had used some ironstone plates in the basket to give it some height and when I lifted it I wasn't quite prepared for how heavy it was. The result was that I pulled something in my knee. 

I don't take my knees for granted. I love the fact that my knee replacements allow me to do things that I couldn't do for years, but I also know that they are a weak part of my body. There are tendons and ligaments that I still have problems with at times. 


My day changed dramatically. The thrift store trip was out. The walking on the track was out. The meet and greet that I was supposed to attend in the evening was out. 

There was one thing that I was not going to miss. I promised I would give my grandson a ride home from his class and I was not going to let him down. So I iced and rested my knee and when the time came I limped out to my car.


As we age we learn to make adjustments in our lives. I don't allow the things that used to really frustrate me get me down. I used the free time I had to get some other things done. I listed things for sale online and I wrote this post. When I did get outside I enjoyed the beautiful sunny warm day.


Most importantly I loved the time I had alone with Jack Henry. He is almost seventeen and so I am grateful that I can spend some time with him. Teenagers are busy living their almost grownup lives. 

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, but when they do we can still enjoy the alternatives. 

Friday afternoon I drove down to Grant Park to visit with my daughters and grandchildren. It's just ten miles, but with traffic it can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. 

I love that a little fall color is creeping in.


Friday afternoon traffic is always bad. I take city streets when I know that the interstate is backed up, and I love looking at the neighborhoods as I drive through them. They are so varied and unique. 


My daughter, Cary, loves Halloween and she goes all in on the decorating. My teenage grandson is having a Halloween party Saturday night. I personally think she is brave having 15 teens plus her two teens over for a party, but I'm sure they are great kids and she has her husband there to help. 


Once I'm through the door Tessa takes over. She lets me greet her siblings and mom, and then she takes my hand and leads me to where she wants me to play with her. 

While my two daughters were out shopping Tessa and I had almost four hours of play time. We played both inside and outside. The temps are in the low 70s right now so perfect time for outside play.


One of the things we played was Little House on the Prairie. She was Mary and I of course was Laura. We gardened and took care of the chickens. I noticed that there were only two chickens left. Tessa said a fox got the rest of them. Ewwww!!

Cary said these two were smart. They knew that the predator was coming around dusk and going into the coop before the door was closed and getting the chickens, so they got up on the top of the fence at that time of day. They are now confined to the coop until something is figured out. 


Monday I will be going over to Decatur to pick Jack Henry up from a class he is taking and driving him home. Then Thursday is Sidney's 14th birthday and she asked me if I would hang out with her. I can't think of anything better than spending her birthday with her and then trick or treating with Tessa.

I slept really well last night. I told Cary that Tessa and I had been running around outside while she was gone. Tessa immediately chimed in and said, "you weren't running, Nana".

Nobody likes a smart aleck. 

I don't know about you, but I love having an organized kitchen, and when you live in a city apartment with a small galley kitchen it gets to be a necessity.


Before I moved into this apartment I had it mapped out in my mind how I wanted it to look. It's pretty much how I do most of my decorating. I plan in advance, and most of the time it works out just how I saw it. 

I liked the fact that there was a bare wall. I saw it as a space where I could hang things that I use on a daily basis. A space where they would be within easy reach. 


I looked online at what was available at Ikea and knew they had just what I wanted. As there is an Ikea here in Atlanta I made a trip there with my daughters right after I moved in and bought two hanging bars with hooks. 

I'm so lucky to live somewhere that has a maintenance staff that hangs things for me. They don't charge. Probably to keep someone like me from pulling out my trusty drill. 


I love how the bars turned out. I constantly use the things that are hanging there. The cast iron skillet was my mom's and its the only frying pan I use. 

Another space I've utilized is above the stove. I found the hanging wire shelf at Home Goods. It is a good spot to corral my cooking utensils, a pretty vintage plate, and a salt and pepper shaker. 


Most of the cooking I do now is pretty simple as I am cooking for one, but I definitely enjoy it more with a bit of organization.