The day had arrived when I had to descend the stairs! Went down on my bottom and that worked just fine. With Tina there in case I fell out of the house, and Darren getting the car in as convenient place as possible I made it to the car without mishap! Darren let me get out at the drop off area at the hospital and went to park the car, a paramedic took pity on me and got me into a wheelchair to wait for him. I was seen by the consultants assistant quite quickly but then waited for about 40 minutes before being called in to have the cast removed. The guy that removed the cast was brilliant, fitted me with the boot and explained the do's and don'ts of wearing it. It has five wedges in the heel and I am to remove these one at a time at 10 day intervals. The boot also has a 'rocking' base to encourage heel to toe action. It felt very strange and quite painful to start, but he had me walking up and down the room until he was sure I had the hang of it!

But the brilliant news is, no more hopping! I can walk on it, so that will make movement easier. When we were home I managed the steps on the path and got into the house, not exactly confidently, but without any incidents. I also managed to get up all of the stairs using one crutch and going one stair at a time. He had told me if I couldn't do it then to go up and down stairs on my bottom, but not to crawl. I was going to get Darren to drop me off at the studio for a bit but when we got there it was closed.
The crocuses are coming up in the tubs at the front of the house, they have appeared since I have been stuck indoors.

I haven't done a great deal since we got home. I haven't been sitting in the window at my computer since I had the operation, but made my way across there to take a picture of the sky which was looking quite pretty this afternoon.

Holby tonight and then I may try the new thriller.

For some reason I have felt extremely tired today, it is strange how tired you can get when you do absolutely nothing! I did finish the patchwork, will probably use it as the centre of  a cushion cover when I am up and about.

I also finished off the second little cross stitch piece which I will make into an Easter card.

Sitting on the sofa I took a picture out of the window, not very exciting, but about as much of the outside I have seen for the last ten days!

I like my spider window decoration and the heavy rain yesterday cleaned the windows a bit, which were really dirty! They are not windows I can get at and although the window cleaners do attempt to do them occasionally the long pole up to here means they don't do a very good job! 
I bought a book of postcards to colour quite some time ago so sat and coloured a couple in this afternoon.

So, the day has come when I have to try and get down the stairs and out of the house without damaging myself! I am looking forward to being out for a bit but have to admit to not relishing the challenge of getting there! Hopefully the wound will have healed enough for me to progress to the boot.

This morning I thought that I remembered where I had a plastic sheet of patchwork shapes from which you can make your own templates. I would usually cut them out with a ruler and a craft knife but as I was doing it sitting down today I did the best I could with scissors. I sorted out some odd materials I had kept, most of it I gave away to the community centre. 

When I had cut out enough templates I laid them out in a pattern and marked them so as I could try and keep to a planned pattern.

Then I had to cut the material big enough for a seam allowance and tack them onto the shapes, and then start hand sewing them together with tiny stitches! It is beginning to come together.

I have gone a bit further since that picture, but will post a picture of all the pieces sewn together tomorrow.
Tina made a lovely roast dinner this afternoon and they carried everything up here so that we could eat together again. She had made a microwave sponge pudding as well so very well fed now!!
It has been a good day, I have enjoyed designing and making an item, even though I had a limited choice of material and had to be careful cutting the templates, but got my brain working!!

This morning I was letting my lack of mobility and the build up of stuff around the room get to me. Making the bed as it is high, and against the wall is difficult to make when I have two working legs, so I had a few minutes of feeling sorry for myself! I gave myself a talking to, came and finished off the jigsaw I started yesterday and was going to do some patchwork but think I must have packed the templates I have! Did find some cross stitch pieces to get on with though.

I have packed the puzzle away again now, but really like this set and if there is room when we move I will do them again and have them on the wall! Tina suggested the smaller ones I have done would make nice place mats if they were varnished which was a good idea.
The cross stitch pieces that I found were Easter ones, which is quite good timing. I had done the chick and egg but have added the details today. The sheep one isn't finished but is well on the way.

This evening has been lovely, Tina cooked a very nice risotto with pork for us all and they carried all of the meals up here so that we could eat together. Really was a great way to round off a day that didn't start with me in the best of moods. Watching Let it Shine and then Casualty so well occupied for the evening.

I have had a very quiet day today, did three small jigsaws, the 150 piece ones, they are quite fun to do and filled some time. I think the confinement is beginning to get to me!

Darren and Tina went to the new Lidl store that opened recently. They said it was really lovely and arrived back with lots of nice snacky things for me to eat!  Very tempting to have the goodies here, looks like the need to exercise when I can will be even more important. They took the vases and paints back to the studio on there way to do the shopping. Don't know when they will be glazed, the usual day is Wednesday but as it has been half term they may do an extra kiln session.
I thought I had a ball of scarf wool tucked away so went and found it to have something different to do, but I cannot make head nor tail of the instructions so have started one of the 300 piece puzzles.

They are bright and colourful puzzles and a good size. Not too difficult but they help to pass the time. I am on the second series of The Good Wife now and still enjoying it but trying not to watch endless episodes. Room 101 in a bit which always makes me laugh.

The wind built up over night and it was very windy during the morning, but quite bright. This afternoon Doris hit with full force and it has been pretty rough out there, but of course I have just been listening to it! Just watching pictures of crushed cars on the news, it has been really bad across the country.
I have spent a good part of today completing the painting of the vases. I am hoping Darren will drop them off at the studio for me along with the paints, but I doubt the firing was be done until the middle of next week

I decided to do a quick sketch of them as well, just pencil and it didn't take long, but something else to make me feel I am not just sitting here vegetating!

Still enjoying The Good Wife, plenty of twists and turns and a case fought in each episode.

I got the confirmation letter today regarding my appointment to see the consultant next Tuesday, so that is good news as it will be just under two weeks since the surgery. I did watch a couple of episodes of The Good Wife this morning, but have spent the rest of the day marking out and then painting the two vases that I brought home from the studio. I marked them with a Sharpie pen. I experimented with them a while ago, where the pen lines are will be slightly indented and not coloured, so the final effect will be very different.

The vases are quite big, the flat area is about eight and a half inches square. Once I had them marked I sponged some paint over the vases, including over the design.

I have been painting the leaves using two different purple shades. This was after the lighter one, the darker shade is still work in progress. I have spent several hours on them today.

I will probably get the painting finished tomorrow. Darren will drop them off at the studio for me so that they can be glazed and fired.
The walking frame is much better, but it still exhausts me getting around, really need to work on getting fit when I can get out and about again!

Beginning to get a little stir crazy now!! I have watched several episodes of The Good Wife, and I am enjoying them, but don't often watch episode after episode as I have been doing. 
I had a phone call from Scarborough Physio department saying that I have an appointment with the consultant on the 28th and they presumed that i would be getting the cast removed and fitted with a boot. They have made me a provisional appointment on the 2nd March, but want to me phone and re-arrange it if the cast has not been removed. I haven't received the letter yet, but am presuming it will arrive soon.
Spent a lot of the day hoping the walking frame would arrive. It did arrive this afternoon and is very compact, ideal for getting around in my limited space.

I still find getting around very tiring but it is great not to have to keep removing the crutches and then wearing them again.
A while ago I bought a box of twelve jigsaws, varying sizes, 150, 350 and 500 piece puzzles. I decided to do one of the 150 piece ones this afternoon, it is quite small so can do it on the little fold up table.

It didn't take too long and was just right for getting me do something other than watch more tv.

Will pack it away and maybe do another one tomorrow, maybe a 350 piece. Darren is working tomorrow and Tina will be out most of the day, so will need to keep myself occupied. Holby later, Isaac is a really unpleasant character!

Not a lot to report today really. I am enjoying The Good Wife, I have watched four or five episodes now. Darren and Tina have kept me well supplied with drinks, too well almost, as I keep needing to go to the loo which is a real pain! Hopefully the walking frame will arrive soon and I can put the crutches out of the way!
I got the little set of Russian dolls out, they are quite cute and I was surprised that the paints had not dried up. Only six colours, but thought I would get on with them and see how it went.

I carried on and this is how they were before I applied the varnish.

My sister gets me the Peterborough Lions quiz to have a go at every year. This year I actually finished it and sent it off. I asked for a result sheet and they send the form back, that is what is on the table. The theme this year was Out and About in the UK, some very obscure answers but I enjoyed researching it. I actually had two answers wrong so didn't go in the draw for a prize, but it was good to enter. 
I have finished the little dolls now and will give them back to Isobel next time I see them.

The pain is still not too bad although my toes do keep going numb now!

Today has been a good day. Anya drove up from Peterborough and spent four hours with me which was lovely. She came on her own so we had lunch together, Darren had bought me a chilled lasagne that was easy for Anya to get ready when she arrived. Then he had go a very silly cake which we all shared. I am sure the fact that it was pigs in mud was the reason he chose it, as he knows how much I clove pigs.

We watched Sabrina, the Audrey Hepburn film and then had a game of 'Bananas', a word game that we had played at Christmas.

Anya also set up Netflix on my chrome book so that I can watch different series without having to move to change dvds. I have started watching The Good Wife, and have several other programs already marked. Isobel sent up a set of 'Paint your own Russian Dolls', she has had them for some time and thought I might like to paint them for her while I am stuck indoors. They are quite cute, I will take a picture of them another day. I am hoping Anya is well on her way home now, I do hope she didn't get caught up in too much traffic, she his quite a lot as she was approaching Scarborough today. Feeling quite tired, so won't be too late to bed, but doing okay, not too much pain and managing to get around on the crutches when I need to.

I slept fairly well and for much longer than usual, obviously needed to catch up a bit and let some of the drugs work through my body! Darren came up with a cup of tea this morning when I was still asleep, so a good start to the day. Tina came up and sorted my breakfast and they have taken good care of me all day. 
I watched some catch up tv and particularly enjoyed Room 101 which had me giggling away! My friend got me a couple of colouring in puzzle books for when I was laid up, so did colour one page in today and did the word search as well.

A while ago I sent for three rare old films from a site called 'My Rare Films'. This afternoon I watched on called Love Story, filmed in 1944 starring Margaret Lockwood and Stewart Granger. I enjoyed that and I have a couple more to watch another day.
I am feeling pretty good, have moved around as little as possible because my chest is hurting, that is hopping around on crutches and sadly I am no lightweight! So, onward and upward now I have no inclination to be energetic at the moment.

Yesterday Darren drove me to Bridlington Hospital for 11 am so that I could have my  Achilles tendon reconstruction. The hospital and the staff are all very good, I saw the nurses, anaesthetists and the consultant in the morning. I made sure to tell them that I didn't want to be given codeine. I was first down in the afternoon, and after a battle finding my vein for the cannula The mask went on and I didn't know anything else until I was being brought round. Back on the ward and feeling okay, had a cup of tea and a nice dinner in the evening. Didn't do any 'hopping' yesterday, that was saved for today. I had very little sleep, but felt fairly well, and the pain so far had not been too bad. I have a stocking on my right leg and an ankle to knee 'pot' on the left one. Will need to have injections every day for 6 weeks to avoid clotting and problems, but have them and know what to do.

Only had the phone with me and did try to take pictures of the very nice ward but keep getting film mode without trying!! This morning I practised hopping along with the walking frame, and that I managed fairly well. Then the physios took me along to stairs in the hospital, I managed to get down and then up two full flights, but they are very different to the stairs at home. But I was passed as able to do it and Darren collected me, I was there less that 24 hours!
When we got home I realised how ill equipped for the challenge I was. I almost fell at the gate as no one had shown my how to go up a step with no rails! The man next door had arrived when we did and he and Darren half lifted me over the two steps into the porch and then the house! The stairs at the hospital have a proper hand rail, the perfect height. We had the old fashioned banisters, higher and harder to hold. Then, at the turn in the stairs there is nothing to hold onto! I was in quite a state by this time and decided to crawl.....Then crawled the rest of the way up which was much safer and I managed fairly well. But needless to say, I won't be going down for the next two weeks!! Now feeling quite relaxed and glad to be in my own environment. 

I caught the bus to town and went via the studio as Sandy left her scarf behind when she dropped the pottery off to me yesterday. From there I went into town, managed to get some new cartridges for my water filter which I was really pleased about.  I have had to get new filters several times, not because they were worn out or damaged, but because the model has been discontinued and the new cartridges don't fit! Got the bus home. I took photos of the stairs which I won't bore you with, but just going to try and show them the challenges I will have when I come home. Then I got the bagged packed and did a bit of straightening up so that it is relatively ship shape when I get home, providing I actually make it up here!
Tina was going to take me to The Mere to feed the geese and ducks so I got a generous helping of the special pellets ready for each of us. We were mobbed! Don't think many people can have been feeding them and there was very little grass left. We have never seen the birds so aggressive. The geese were attacking the other geese and swans, the swans were retaliating, at one point one had a mouth full of feathers!! This picture was taken when the others were feeding and not trying to take the bags off us!

There were some signs of Spring on the way, which was lovely to see, I haven't been anywhere a bit wild for a while.

The Mere looks lovely at any time of the year.

We had a short walk and some of the birds swam alongside in case we suddenly produced more food. One of the cygnets had brown markings rather than grey, which I don't think I have seen before.

We had a drive along the sea front on the way back, we had hoped to see the murmuration but we missed it. Apparently it has been seen regularly from the south bay. Tina parked up and we had a cup of tea in the car and shared a portion of chips. A good way to end off the little trip. While Tina was collecting the drinks I took a picture of the bay with mad surfers from the car, so not great, but you can see they were out!

I am now packed and as ready as I can be. Earlier this evening Blue decided to sit on my lap and stayed for almost an hour. She has not been a lap girl really but no doubt she will hunt me out again now! Won't be blogging tomorrow night, maybe the night after if I actually get home, but that one is in the balance at the moment.

I put the slow cooker on when I got up. was cooking casserole steak to make a pie later, along with lasagne and cottage pie. Then I caught the bus to the Sea Life Centre so that I could get my yearly pass. The tide was out when I got there but the picture was still colourless.

I went in the centre and renewed my pass and stayed to have a wander round. Love these crazy snail like creatures.

I always enjoy seeing the jellyfish.

It was quiet when I saw the otters today, a pity you have to take the photos through a screen.

They were looking a little bemused as the pool had been drained while it was being cleaned.

An attractive ray.

A small shark.

A beautiful seahorse.

In another seahorse aquarium there was a small suspended tank with minute baby seahorses that the assistant said had been born this morning! This next one is probably the best picture I have ever taken of one of the dragon seahorses.

This turtle was quite a character.

When I went out to catch the bus into town I just loved the light over the bay and really like this photo.

Called in to see Sandy at the studio, I was going to collect the pottery to paint while I am recovering but she said she would drop it off this evening. I walked home from there, had a bit of lunch and then spent the afternoon in the kitchen doing some batch baking for the freezer. Although in the end Darren and Tina had some of the pie for their dinner and will have the rest of it tomorrow.
Sandy called in this evening and saw my rooms for the first time, she hated the stairs but thought my sitting room is really cosy.