So many of my friends have heard me talk about Sandy over the past years and some of you know her. She is my dog-sitter extraordinaire. She is the one who most often stays with my boys, Lincoln and Jed, when I travel taking care of them and even neighborhood dogs like Dixie when she decides to jump the fence and let herself in for a visit (like she did yesterday). That’s Dixie in the kitchen with Sandy in the photo above. LOL. She is terrific with them and they love her. And now she can add to her list of amazing skills “in-home nurse and caretaker.” She has been the one staying with me since I had knee surgery last Tuesday to not only take care of the boys but to care for me too. And that is quite a BIG job.
I didn’t realize that it would take me so long to be able to get around on my own as it has. I guess I thought I would bounce right back like I did after the meniscus surgery but that was not the case. Plus I have needed to keep the ice therapy machine on my knee to keep the swelling down and that has required refilling every few hours, 24 hours a day. Sandy has done all of that with a smile and a sense of humor. She has been simply wonderful. I can’t even begin to thank her for all that she has done for me and the boys.
I wish she could stay for several more weeks but alas, she has to leave today to go to another job in Maryland so we are going to miss her so much. The good news is I can do most everything for myself now….very slowly but I can do it.
So here is to Sandy…the best caretaker, dog-sitter, and friend that a girl and dogs could have. We thank you for it all.
Not being mobile because of this knee surgery (see yesterday morning’s post) has me catching up on several projects including the Crocheted Temperature Blanket. I love how this thing is looking. The last time I shared it with you was May 3rd and that was the progress of the rows through April where it looks very cool and blue/green (
Today is the final day to vote in the “Best of Awards” and I really could use your help. Please take just a minute to 
I’ve missed a blog post or two and been a little slow in reacting to messages because I had knee surgery on Tuesday. Arthritis in my knees is so bad that I finally couldn’t function any longer without getting it fixed. Because of my age (young by arthritis standards) and because I really only needed the outer side (lateral) repaired, I opted for a type of surgery called 
We had a delightful group of ladies from Lake Frederick that painted hydrangeas yesterday at The Studio. What fun we had….and they created these beautiful paintings. Nice work everyone!!! Hope to paint with you again soon.
The Studio 