Upcoming knee surgery.

I am getting ready to go in for total knee replacement surgery in about ten days. I am not looking forward to the surgery, though, I am looking forward to be able to walk without pain. I have tried everything before I exhausted the options available to me. For the past four years I have been getting prolo-thearpy  injections, which helped push the surgery back by four years. But now, it is clear if I wish to have my former life back the only option left for me is replacement surgery. I intend to document my journey here so that I can remember how I felt and also share this blog with others who might be contemplating the same path I have chosen.

I saw my surgeon earlier this week, he felt like I was in good condition for my surgery. I have been taking iron tablets along with vitamin C to help with my blood count. I have been doing daily stretches of Yoga to keep my hamstrings in good shape. I have also been doing leg lifts so that my quads are in better shape. I want my surgery and post op to be as successful as possible. I have scheduled my physical therapy session after the surgery and am doing my best to prepare myself mentally and spiritually for this surgical procedure.

I do wish that I could have avoided knee replacement, many years of running, walking on hard surfaces and genetics played a role in the situation I find myself in today. When I see people who are running or, just out for a stroll, I am wistful. Because, that is one thing I am not able to do anymore. I have to carefully plan what activities I can do on a daily basis. If I need to go grocery shopping, then, that is the only outdoor activity I can plan for the day. Gone are the days when I could walk all over the mall, now I have to carefully plan how many stores I can go to, how much rest I will need in-between and where to park the car! All of this happened over a period of last fifteen years, slowly my mobility inched downwards. I came to the conclusion last year, after the birth of my granddaughter that I needed to be able to play with her, take her on nature walks, show her how to plant a garden. I want to be able to enjoy her fresh new world with her. After all, I moved to Portland to be closer to her. And, Portland is a city of walkers, bikers and all get out outdoors people!

I will share my journey here, if you wish to leave comments, please do so, I will do my best to answer you!

The numerology of 2014!

Welcome to 2014, a brand new year! Happy New Year to you!

The numerology of this year for the planet will be 7. This number is arrived at, by adding 2+1+ 4= 7. In numerology all the numbers are added and then reduced down to a single digit, except in the case of 11 and 22 which are master number, but more about that in another blog! Every number has positive qualities as well as challenging qualities. There are always two sides to the coin, with numerology it's no different.

7 means, this will be a spiritual and an introspective year for the planet. It will be a good financial year also! So, watch for the stock market to make new highs this year. It will be a year of fertile growth, look for mining stocks to be higher this year!

This will be a year of heightened spirituality. Hidden information will come to light and addictions will be on the rise. The challenging aspects of 7 are, being aloof, secretive and unavailable. Skepticism and confusion could also be present.

The best way to harness this energy for ourselves is to center ourselves, meditate and become introspective instead of relying on substances to heighten our senses. Enjoy the wisdom of 7, it's one of the gifts for us!

Numerology of 12/12/2012!

Well, everyone is abuzz about 12.12.12, as a numerologist nothing annoys me more than abbreviating the calendar date! Why, you ask? In numerology, we use the entire date to figure out it's significance. So, 12.12.12 is really 12.12. 2012! By not using all the numbers you are missing out on a key component!

In numerology all the numbers are added and then brought down to a single digit, except in the case of Master Numbers which happen to be 11 and 22.

Today's date would look like this when added up to bring it to a single digit. 1+2+1+2+2+0+1+2=11 which will not be reduced down to 2 since it is a Master Number.
However, when you regard today's date as 12.12.12 it adds up to 36, which in turn adds up to 9-- big difference from a master number 11 to 9!

So, what is the vibration of 11, a master number?
It is a higher vibration of the number two, since 11 is a master number.
Today will be a highly intuitive day for the planet.
It will be an altruistic day for the planet.
It heralds the promise of peace.
It's an idealistic number.
It is the number of compassion.
It is a visionary number.
The number of enlightenment.
Eleven is the number to raise spiritual awareness.
Eleven has the vibration of being able to see beauty in all things.
Eleven is the number of illumination.
The eleven vibration means that today we should all be able to see the bigger picture.
The negative of number eleven would be that we may all sit around and ponder too much and not have enough action!

Now that you know today is an 11 day what is it that you need to do? It's an eleven day for the planet, for us mere mortals we can ride the wave by being kinder, gentler and more spiritually inclined.

The date 12.21.2012, coming up in 9 days, will have the same vibration as today. It too will be an eleven day for the planet. I don't think the world will end, however, I do believe with these two eleven universal days so close together we will see changes. It is up to us to vibrate to the positive of the number eleven, let's hope that all of us can!

The medina at Fes

Today the day was spent walking in the labyrinth known as the Fes Medina, it dates back to the 9th century and really they don't want to change it anytime soon. No cars are allowed into the walled medina, not that they could even if they tried. Some of the lanes are just narrow enough to allow one person at a time. You can't be obese either, because you would not fit! Some people have to navigate going sideways.

The medina is full of shops everything is sold here. It reminded me a lot of the type of shops that are crammed together in Old Delhi as well as Connaught Place in New Delhi. People in Old Delhi don't want to change their ways either.

The streets are narrow winding and cobblestoned, I have no idea how everyone knows where they are going, to me it seemed we kept walking in a perpetual circle!

We did get to see many artisans create amazing one of a kind pottery pieces as well as watch weavers weave their threads into visual works of art. My first love being art, I wonder why I am still not throwing pots or weaving at the loom-- one day I am sure I will return to that.

It's time to leave Fes already, tomorrow we begin our Sahara Odyssey. I am anxious to touch the sand dunes of the Sahara!

Fes, Morocco.

It was a long drive to Fes, we stopped on the way to see Roman ruins. I stayed behind in the bus, it had been raining hard the weather was downright chilly and damp. I brought warm clothes with me but I was not prepared for the frigid weather we are experiencing here. The walk to the ruins looked long on uneven ground. I have not been sleeping well, nor am I getting enough nutrition. I decided to give my body a rest while the rest of the group trotted off. I needed alone time. I have come to the conclusion that I prefer traveling alone and on my own schedule. Nothing against the group I am traveling with, they are all caring individuals. It's just hard to sit across from people who are consuming meat, while I eat the same overcooked veggies again and again...

At least when I am by myself, I am responsible for finding a restaurant of my own choice. I am not locked into a designated place where the group has to eat. Also, my own schedule involves waking up when the body is ready. I don't do well when I have to be up early. I am now too used to going at my own pace.

Well, enough about that! I am very surprised at the country of Morocco, my images of this place have been arid and hot-- not so, it's lush, cold and wet! I am sure the Sahara Dessert will be different. Though our tour guide keeps telling us we are here in the middle of the winter. It's strange to see palm trees lining the streets of the towns while it's so damn cold!

We stopped on the way to Fes by the roadside, where people who had collected truffles were selling them. They had a unique way to advertising their wares. Little mounds of cone shaped mud are placed atop boxes or tins along the hi-way a few hundred yards apart, and then finally, many cones are placed on iron bars, drawing attention to the final 'sculpture'. This is the location where the farmer with the truffles can be found. Here in Morocco, they have trained dogs to find the highly prized mushrooms, because the pigs would find and eat them. Dogs just find them!

Our guide Mohamed bought a few, he has promised to make them for us while we are roughing it in the dessert. At least I will get to eat something different than mush veggies!

Well, dinner was the same veggies in a filo pastry, I think they were trying to fool me with a different presentation. Ha! They didn't succeed !

Tomorrow we go to the Medina of Fes. This should be interesting since this place is a throwback to the ninth century. I am looking forward to the sounds and aromas of the open air market.

Rabat, Morocco!

I am making this entry from Rabat, Morocco. My good friends Gwen and Jim were supposed to be on this trip with me, but a couple of weeks ago, Gwen injured herself, so here I am in exotic Morocco with a group of people I don't know. However, I find myself feeling comfortable, even though I travel alone most of the time, it's good to share this experience and meet new people.

It took a long time to get here, I left Oklahoma on Jan. 24, and got here around 3 p.m Jan 25. Today the day was spent touring Rabat, Morocco's capital. This is a very panoramic country. The history of Morocco is rich with Berber/Arab heritage, Roman ruins, mosques all cohabiting in perfect harmony. Morocco is under a monarchy which does not rule, there is a prime minister and unlike other Muslim countries, women do have more of an equal footing here. Though, I did notice most of them do wear the "hijab" which is a head covering that Muslim women wear in public as part of their faith.

My main reason for coming here is the Sahara Dessert, it has always beckoned me, must be a past life memory! We will spend a couple of nights in the dessert sleeping in tents under the open sky. I hope it will be a clear night so I can witness the beauty of the night sky. See the stars of the Milky Way clearly as seen on no place else on the planet.

I have been disappointed in the food here, I think that is part of being a tour group, where the meals are paid for in advance and they do cater to the meat eater. I think either I should pay less for a group tour or I should be afforded the same type of choices -- only vegetarian! This is something I will address with the tour company when I return home. I do know that Moroccan cuisine has veggie choices, I am just not getting to taste any.

We have another early morning bus ride tomorrow, we will be on our way to the city of Fes. If, the connection to the internet is stable I will pen my next entry from there. This passage is being written while I sit in the lobby of the hotel, while listening to really bad elevator music, which is not helping me write more eloquently!

More tomorrow...

Baking in Oklahoma...

I have been home for about two weeks and am already tired of record breaking high temps! I have no idea how the rest of my fellow Oklahomans survived this incredibly hot, hot summer. I came home to many shrubs toasted by the heat even though my lovely neighbour Valerie watered them.

The trip across Canada now seems like a very long dream! Friends ask me what was my favorite Canadian Province? I must say picking one is hard to do because the adventure was crossing Canada. Though, I did like Newfoundland, because it is so remote, and getting there was it's own journey. Prince Edward Island had a lot of charm going for it. Though Manitoba and Sasketchewan reminded me of the same type of prairie landscape I am used to here in the heartland of America. And of course, Beautiful British Columbia is aptly named! So, I would have to answer that question with-- which was my least favorite? That would have to be Quebec.

Most likely I will not travel across Canada as I did this summer. I may go to a few provinces again just to explore them more thoroughly. I would like to go back to Manitoba and see Lake Winnipeg again. Revisit Moose Jaw Sasketchewan, and spend time at the hot springs there. I would enjoy spending a couple of weeks in Newfoundland and take the ferry across to Labrador too. Prince Edward Island certainly deserves more exploration!

Before I do any more traveling to those provinces, I have decided that I will have to visit the Northwest Territories in northern Canada. One can drive all the way to the Arctic Circle and experience daylight for twenty four hours of the day! Now THAT sounds like a road trip!