12/16/20

Team Effort

We’re giving it our all here at the Three Cats Ranch. Four-footed people and two-footed people are pitching in. I’m feeling bad for poor Smitty. He’s used to being my snuggle cat at night, but I haven’t been able to sleep in the bed since my accident. I tried a few nights ago, but couldn’t get as comfortable as I can when sleeping in our recliner. Smitty was so excited at my return, he yipped his approval. Then, it only lasted about half an hour before I gave in and moved back to the recliner. 


That’s my sling on the floor behind him. I’m using it about 1/3 of the time now. If my shoulder starts nagging at me, I use it until it stops nagging, then take it off. I’m trying to move as much as I can, but within reasonable limits.

As for Smitty’s troubles, when I’m sleeping in the recliner, lap territory has been claimed by Sadie. It’s an excellent time for taking care of purrsonal hygiene...


And when we’re all cleaned up, we rest serenely. It’s not a bad gig for a cat.


I was itching to bake something and, if I’m being honest, I really just wanted something sweet. Comfort food, you know. So when I saw this recipe from 12Tomatoes for Chocolate Chip Pan Chewies, I thought it was something Mike and I could do together. I already had all the ingredients on hand, and Mike did the mixing and stirring while I gathered things into the kitchen. When it came out of the oven, it looked like this. Yum.


It’s not unlike the skillet cookie I make sometimes, but this makes enough to serve 6 or 8. We cut ours into sixths last night and had it with ice cream. It breaks the “no leftovers” rule when it comes to dessert, but I figure we’re due some simple pleasures and a good dose of sugar. 

I haven’t tried to do any slow stitching since trying to sew the patch on my coat a couple of days ago. I’ll probably do some today. My thumb feels better every day, although it’s still a little stiff and sore. My shoulder is taking longer, and is still significantly painful. I can raise it a little higher each day, but I can’t hold it there without a boost from my other arm. It makes styling my hair a hit or miss proposition...mostly miss. The trend is for improvement though, so no complaints. (That isn’t entirely true...actually, I whine and moan constantly.)

Okay, so I’ve noted that I can’t link to anything with this iPad Blogger platform, and so I’m writing my posts on the iPad, where typing is easier (I have a Bluetooth keyboard), but then, I have to move to the computer to do anything fancy...which I’ll do right now and release this post into the wilds of the internet. Stay warm and safe you friends waiting for the arrival of that big Nor’easter. It sounds like a heckuva storm headed your way.

13 comments:

Barbara said...

Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the 'Titanic' who waved off the dessert cart. ~ Erma Bombeck

gpc said...

Your cookie bars look delicious - and remind me that they have named the nor'easter after me and called it a "whopper," a designation that things like those cookies are helping me maintain. I slept in the recliner for many weeks after my surgery so I certainly sympathize, and I am happy you have the added of a cat. Even so, I am a firm believer that whining and moaning help (as does sugar, of course), so don't let up.

Julierose said...

Oh yes the sleeping in the recliner really helped my torn rotator injury--I could not lie in bed either...I mean where do you put the arm?? You know?
Glad to hear that your thumb is healing well, too.

We are awaiting the first flakes (6 pm or so they say). We are all hunkered down; cars facing outward in the garage, cover for our generator in place just in case...
The winds are ramping up pretty well--hoping that there won't be power outages...
Hugs from my own recliner...Julierose

Katie said...

Poor Smitty! Such a hard life he leads. After all he does for you, you can't even sleep in the bed for him! I'm glad to hear you're still feeling better with each passing day. I, however, tried flying today at work and I think I even bounced when I hit the floor! No bruise yet, but I landed just below my hip and smacked my knee as well. Thankfully not my head and my phone was in my back pocket and also survived. It made for a great bit of entertainment when we realized it was recorded on the security camera at the cash register...and what else can you do but laugh? Perhaps learn from the experience, but for now, I'm gonna make sure there is some advil in my system before bed and hope tomorrow will be okay. I'm off work, which could be good or bad...continuing to move seemed to be best, but, well. Good thing I have four kitties to help with the healing!

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Poor Smitty, but good on Sadie for graciously picking up the extra hours of duty. What ever makes you comfortable enough to get some sleep which is important when healing. Yes, started snowing here around 4pm and it is bitter-bitter cold.

piecefulwendy said...

Glad you are able to do and move a bit more each day. Poor Smitty, having to adjust to all that change. Hope you'll be able to be back in bed soon, but glad sleeping in the chair works for now. Sadie is looking pretty as usual, and that dessert looks tasty!

Debbie said...

Yum....those chewies look good. Yes, you need some comfort food for all the pain you are having. It was such a treat to finally get to return to sleeping in the bed.....think it was 6 weeks before that happened for me.

Carole @ From My Carolina Home said...

That looks yummy! Yes, you deserve a bit of pampering right now. I hope your hand stitching goes well today, it is therapeutic to put thread into fabric.

Susan said...

Ah, poor Smitty. By the time you get to where you can sleep in the bed again, he will probably be confused all over again and so will Sadie. But it's good to break their routine once in a while--it keeps them on their toes. Whining and moaning is good therapy. It helps to release those endorphins.

Jerilea Hendrick said...

A few years ago we moved from Iowa to Minnesota to be closer to family while my mother-in-law was going thru cancer. At my son's birthday, i made a pan of chocolate chip bars for him to take to school. We quickly learned apparently in Minnesota homemade goods are illegal to take to school. We now call those bars contraband bars. We're now in Wisconsin where homemade items are still appreciated.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Recliners are made for sleeping...or so I've heard. I often spent a night in mine when I couldn't sleep but can't do that anymore because my chair has started squeaking and I can't move without waking DH in the bedroom. So it's the couch for me...fortunately it's a recliner version too.

QuiltGranma said...

We continue to pray for your continued healing! Love and best wishes!

Kate said...

I hadn't thought of the sleep arrangements. Recliners and firm couches are reasonable alternatives, but you just don't sleep as well. Hopefully you'll be able to manage the bed after a few more days of healing.