First taste of freedom.

Looking North East towards Marr.

Looking South West from Marr towards Rawmarsh.

 Two weeks ago Una's brother Fred took me to Markham Grange Garden Centre to buy Tomato plants, this was my first day out in over four weeks, I am not allowed to drive yet! On the way there we passed these newly erected wind turbines we can see them from our house but this was the first time I had been up close to them. As the crow flies, they are about 7 miles away from where we live.

 Last week he took both Una and me to the supermarket, I wasn't going to go at first then after some thought I came to the conclusion it was something to do rather than sitting around the house all day.
It just seemed a bit strange going to the supermarket as a pleasure, rather than a chore.

Fred and Una, they did the shopping Fred insisted on pushing the trolley for Una, while on the other hand I just roamed around the top deck looking at the electrical goods. I just happened to be at this spot as they came up the travelator to look for me.

Everywhere shops are trimming up ready for the Jubilee next week, a party sixty years in the making is the slogan. She has been Queen sixty years but the highlight was the Coronation a year later, 
2nd June 1953 everyone old enough have their memories of that day.
   

The X-Rays of my knees.

Mr Lee the surgeon that did my left knee, he is training under Mr Blair the surgeon that did my right knee, he was no where to be found when I got my camera out. I will catch him the next time when I go for a check up in six weeks time. I feel great, pain free I'd forgotten what it was like to stand up without hurting.

Tomatoes:- getting ready for summer.

 Tomato plants, I've left them in the tray so if any late frost is forecast I can bring them inside.

 This year I am planting into growbags, instead of using buckets.

 The growbags lay on spring wire supports which hold the canes that support the growing tomato plants.

All ready for the plants to be put in. This year I am growing three varieties of tomatoes, 3 large beefy ones, 4 medium sized ones and 2 cherry sized ones.

large >         2 Big Boy.
                    1 Super Marmande.

medium >   2 Shirley.
                   2 Money Maker.

cherry >      2 Gardeners Delight.

The test will be the taste!

Neglect.

Weeds grow like lightning.

I did not get to pull my Parsnips, Leeks or Sprouts last winter now they are growing and going to seed.

There is a brick path underneath those weeds.

This is my Strawberry patch, the white flowers are the strawberry flowers.

I might get some hens and let them run free in this allotment.

Everything is overrun with weeds.

My Pumpkin patch and raspberries plants.

Sprouts going to seed.

Due to one thing and another I have neglected my allotments over the last few months, to my cost. I went there yesterday to see how things were going and this is what I found.
Mother nature has punished me for my neglect, it was heart breaking to look at in fact I don't think I have the heart to tackle it again, I am seriously considering giving them to our Steven.
Perhaps when my knees are back to normal I might get my heart back but I doubt it, you can't do allotments half heartily the work out weighs the pleasure. 

A new start.

My knees look OK but they are shot.

These are my knees today, healing well so now it is just a matter of time when I will be back to normal. I think this will be the last time I do a report about my knees it's all over now done and dusted.
I will say just one more thing, in the photo I am stood with my ankles and knees together, nothing special about that except for one thing, I have been bow legged for as long as I can remember and now they are straight! I think I might be an inch or two taller now.

Back online.

I have not touched the computer since the 27th April it is upstairs and I am downstairs.
Today I ventured upstairs for a shower it was fantastic, I have been getting a strip down wash top and tailing, took me back to when I was a kid before we had a bathroom. In those days it was the tin bath on the hearth once a week and a strip wash the rest of the time, good old days I don't think so!

Wednesday 2nd May clips out.

Today is the day I've been waiting for, the removal of my clips. I have no idea how they put them in, but I will be fascinated to see how they come out.

Easy peasy, apart from anything going wrong I could have done it myself.

To be honest I am really glad that I have had them both done together I've had no pain from the actual joints, the pain has been from the bruising of the leg muscles. Now these are settling down I feel OK, I can't walk far but I'm getting there.
I have lost a lot of my appetite, resulting in me loosing 10lbs in weight in three weeks I am down to 12st 4lbs. For the US 14lbs = 1st (stone). I don't do metric I'm English. US 172 lbs that's me.

Home from Hospital the 2nd time.

On returning home I found everyone had decided that I was staying down stairs for the foreseeable future, until I am A1. My bed was at the back of the room behind the settee, commode porta potti in the hallway.

All set for life down stairs.

Knees update.

Everything was going great until 6-30pm Friday 27th then all hell broke loose. A sudden pain started up in my right leg all the way from my ankle to my hip bone, I could not move my leg one way or the other the pain was excruciating.
Una phoned 999 and asked for the Ambulance, within 10 to 15 mins the crew were by my side giving me gas and air, it did absolutely nothing for me! The put a line in the back of my hand and administered some morphine into me this did nothing for me so they gave me another shot to no effect.

Then came the fun of getting me down stairs, my leg was in so much pain and twisted there was no way I could be moved by wheelchair. We decided to strap me to a body board and get me down that way, it was like a mountain rescue, to cut a long story short I spent the next two nights in hospital pain free.