All Filled Up

First - an update on physical therapy.

I am doing PT because there were a few things I was having trouble doing. One thing I noticed was difficulty with pumps and lids - like lotions with a pump top, hand soap with a pump top, some jar lids and child-proof lids. I could do them if I lowered them to about waist-height, but couldn't use them at counter-height. Yes I know counter-height is probably your waist height but it's not my waist height :-) These are things we all take for granted.

I haven't had trouble at the computer or knitting, but there aren't really many muscle groups involved in those. So they weren't helping either.

Being able to be specific about the problem helped the physical therapist zero-in on exercises to help. Of course PT is a stretch! I thought I was doing fine with many things (like getting my arms above my head). Then she said "do snow angels against the wall."

Ha!

It took 4 days of twice-a-day attempts before I could get my arms all the way up the wall, over my head.

If you've done PT for anything you know that in the beginning it's hard to do, but over time the movements get less painful. Then you go back for another visit, and the therapist gives you more to do, so you can work more muscle groups. The exercises take about 10 or 15 minutes, twice a day. What goes through my mind as I do the exercises is that it would probably be a good idea to do them. . . forever. Other than pumps and jar lids, I think the next test will be how easy/difficult it is to roll out the dough for hamentashen.

After the 2nd PT visit, I had yet another check up at the plastic surgeon and everything still looks good, so they added another 50 cc to the right side (now 300 left, 310 right) . . the 2nd surgery stretched things out a bit on the right so it could take a little more (or something like that). That's it for filling up the expanders and now we just wait for time to pass. Next check in is in 2 weeks.

I hiked Shanahan Ridge 2 more times last week - going up a little further each time. This is the view from top last Friday (before the weekend storms). We heard on the trail that the short route over to Fern Canyon has been icy, so we're holding off on that. Yes I now have those trekker poles that were on the corner of the aisle at Costco, and yes I'm using poles now.

And in other news, I have no idea why these popped into my head one day last week, but they did and then I had to make them. I keep thinking I'll bake cookies but then I think I don't really want to bake cookies. These take mere minutes and have no cleanup. Easy-peasy how-to below the photo. Enjoy!

Chocolate Dipped Apricots
Dried Apricots
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Optional: sea salt.

Melt the chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave (check and stir 30 seconds at a time until smooth).
Dip each apricot in the melted chocolate about half-way.
Let cool on a cookie sheet (I have parchment paper on mine to make cleanup easier). Sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Cool in fridge for about 10 minutes then store in an air-tight container (unless you eat them all right then, which happens sometimes. I take no responsibility for that).

I might try a sprinkling of chopped marcona almonds next time. That sounds scary good.