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About this blog

Gizmo's,Gadgets and other musings

Entries in this blog

You asked for it, you got it

Heartfelt thanks for all the encouragement to continue blogging. It won't be particularly stroke survivor oriented now, but rather just our daily living and overcoming challenges. The big news here is Lesley is getting her outside brick bread oven built next week. The mason showed up today and evaluated the site, all OK there.   She also had a bit of luck. The local whole foods coop is closing it's bread bakery. They are selling all the equipment at bargain prices. She bid on what she wanted

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Winter's coming!

Been our usual busy people around here lately. Lesley and her mum have been busy using the new oven and doing their best to make me fatter. I have finished the greenhouse, it was a kit, not terribly difficult. I am going to have to reinforce some of the panels because of wind, but not a big issue. All other outside projects are done for the year.   Fishing is unfortunately done for the year, (until ice fishing anyway) got chased off the lake the last time out by wind and lightening. Put the c

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Wilderness trip complete

I just got back from the week in the wilderness I had mentioned before doing tent camping and canoeing. I was very concerned the knee surgery would cause me problems, but all was fine. No pain, swelling or soreness from the knee. All I noted was a general loss of strength due to 6 weeks of no exercise.   I was able however to carry the canoe and my share of the back packs and other gear. The portages, which is what the land between the lakes is called were not long or particularly difficult. T

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Where do I go from here?

Another long day to Duluth yesterday. Caused me to ponder on my future direction of treatments. We all here of things that will supposedly make us better, even promise to make us what we were again. Now that I have passed the four month timeline, I wonder. Am I starting to plateau or not. The "experts" say so. But is it a self fulfilling prophecy? We hear it from people smarter than ourselves. Also after four months it is easy for motivation to wane, so does it happen because we think it will? I

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

What to worry about, what not to.

I haven't forgotten what the name of this blog is, more gizmo's. gadgets, coming as soon as I get around to taking pictures of them.   Hostmel, come up here we'll fish together!   No, I don't make most of these gadgets, not smart enough to, but silly enough to buy them all.   What to worry about, what not to, how do we decide? Many years ago I heard one of those life changing stories we all sometimes hear. I heard of a study done by a major university on what we worry about and why.

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Waiting it out

We are waiting things out like the rest of the world these days. Lots of small news nothing dramatic to report. We got our grand daughter back home to New Zealand finally. She was trapped for a few weeks in Northern Ireland. She was visiting family and stayed a bit too long and then for awhile could not get back to NZ. We finally got her a ticket on Qatar Airlines and she is back home now, but still in a mandatory 2 week isolation. The entire country of NZ is in a lockdown until the end of April

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Uplifting letter

I don't have any more solutions for problems at the moment, just waiting for some of my previous ideas to be implemented. I did receive a most uplifting letter a few days ago.   During my investigation of Saeboflex as a treatment after my stroke, I contacted a referral they gave me. He stroked about four years ago. He spoke highly of the Saeboflex. During our ensuing conversations, I recommended Active Release Therapy (ART) to him. I just got a letter telling me in much detail how much ART ha

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Understanding good health conclusion

This will be the conclusion of my thoughts on how to achieve the best health we can. The previous entry was to give you the context of how and why I got into the subject in the first place, thus all the personal stuff. This entry will hopefully provide some ideas and at least questions you may wish to ask your doctors in the future.   As I see it there are some roadblocks we all face on the road to good health. First is that doctors are not trained much and do not practice much prevent

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley in General

Understanding good health

I don’t blog often anymore, but the topic I plan for this and the next blog is so important I plan another entry in a short time. I have been talking mostly about our travels, and as I write this Lesley is in Rome and will be home in a few days.   But now to start what I think is a very important topic we do not deal with well. That topic is our nutritional health. For the past two years I have been studying whatever I could find on eating healthy and what benefits, if any, could be ga

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley in General

Two old men and a toy

Well a bit of medical news first. Due I think to the heavy exercise and weight loss over the past few months, I am now off my high blood pressure meds entirely. Yippee. Only the blood thinner and a-fib med left. Probably stuck with them forever.   My friend I have never actually met yet in person and I are into detail planning for our trip this summer into the wilderness canoeing together for a week or so. As I previously wrote, he has some medical issues as well, is about my age, and loves to

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

two new gizmo's to talk about

Several things to talk about, first back to what this blog started out to be about. Two new gizmo's to talk about. We found a battery operated can opener and a battery operated jar opener. Both were in a Dr. Leonard's junk catalog, cost $30 each, use two AA batteries and really work well. We got them both for mum (she is 85) for her use in New Zealand. We opened everything from a coffee can to a bottle of salad dressing, both worked as advertised. I couldn't help but think about those that may o

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Traveling while we can…

Well life has been busy here for sure. Lesley had a great time for two weeks in Iceland. She saw the volcano erupting there and many other things of interest. She has convinced me to go there in July. She wants to go back and see some areas she missed and I want to see it as well, so off we go. She went to Dollywood earlier this week with a lady friend of hers and that lady’s two twin grandchildren. After a swim upon arrival, the lady got a call and her father had passed away unexpectedly. So th

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley in General

Travel, travel, travel!

'Tis the season of travel. Lesley took the new car to Illinois (600 miles one way) to visit an old friend for a week. Yesterday she took off on a bus full of Girl Scouts to a 100 year celebration of Girl Scouting in the USA. They are all headed to Savannah, Georgia, a week long trip. The day after she gets back we are headed out in our motorhome to Indiana to my uncle's 90th birthday party, (my recently deceased dad's last remaining brother) then to Texas to visit a longtime friend of mine, afte

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Tippy is here, thoughts on rehab

As I try to type this, Tippy is laying beside me wanting some affection. She has already won our hearts. Our other dog Jasmine, a Bichon, is a bit jealous, but the two of them are starting to get along after a day together.I suspect in a few days they will be fine together. They had a great time playing outside together today.   A few thoughts on the recovery process. Some will not agree with me. What I am going to say may apply only to me. I do not know if my experiences are typical. The se

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Things piling up

Those of you that have read my blogs for some time know I am usually upbeat. I must confess things are piling up such that it is increasingly hard to be upbeat. The move to TN has cost way, way more than was expected. We are recovering but it will be a year before I feel comfortable with the checkbook again. That being said, we love the area and are making friends sooner than expected.   The main reason for things piling up has been my medical issues. The new to me VA doc has ordered many test

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

The rest of my life

Another entry, will probably be too long, but here goes. Thanks to all of you I am inspired to write on. Thanks so much for the kind words of encouragement. LK I never answered your question "is the Neuromove a gizmo or gadget?" It is a gizmo because it is a fairly complicated device. Gadgets are simple things, like a shoehorn, etc. Remember, my blog, my definitions. I promise, more gizmo's and gadgets coming, but first more musings. Sue, you are absolutely right, some days the goal is to surviv

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

The oven finished at last!!

The oven is finally finished! Hopefully attached to this entry is a photo of Lesley in action and a bonus pic of Tippy a few days ago. Putting on the metal roof was a challenge, but between Lesley and I we got it done. Even with leather gloves, a few nicks and cuts, but nothing serious. The mason was kind enough to leave the scaffolding for us to use putting on the roof, a real help. The bread and assorted goodies have been coming out fine so far, no disasters yet. We are still learning how hot

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

The hill is getting a little steeper

I have noticed as of late it is getting harder to stay motivated to do the things I know help me and even those I enjoy doing. I still exercise often, but not as much as I should. It just seems to be harder to get it done. I don't do well in crowds anymore, and prefer to be alone or just with Lesley. Even getting ready for the fishing season this year was tougher than it has ever been before. However since I have had some success the few times I have gone fishing this year, that part seems to be

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

The Alfa is gone....

Yesterday I sold my 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider convertible I once posted pics of here. It just did not fit our new much travel lifestyle. Sitting here in the garage only used a few times a year made no sense, so I sold it. I really did not feel sorrow watching it go down the driveway for the last time. Our plans now include so much travel in our motor home that I will not have much time to miss it. Lesley threw a hissy fit at first when I put it on the market, but she has come around now realizing i

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Surprise ending

Well mum has surprised us again. She is now much better, back home again with a good prognosis at the moment. The blood bacterial infection is gone and the fluid around the heart and in the lungs also gone. She appears to be capable of assisted self care again. I will say New Zealand does a great job of keeping people in their homes rather than carting them off to a nursing home. A lot of daily and weekly care is provided at little or no cost to the recipient which helps greatly.   Looks like

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Surgery rehab continues, more about "Mike"

I am now half way thru my forced vacation. The doc said last week all is well, just don't lift anything with the repaired arm for three more weeks. Ugh! Boring! He even said no to my desire to walk in the woods with my dogs, because I might trip and undo all the surgery. I have regained most of my range of motion already, no longer wear a sling (to Lesley's chagrin), and no longer have pain. Next month the real rehab starts, I will start lifting weights again, will probably start the exercise bi

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Surgery done

The knee surgery was done yesterday. So far, so good. The dr. says all went well and except for the piece of cartlige removal and some polishing up the only other thing he did was drill the holes in the bone to stimulate new cartlige growth. Minimal arthritis and all else looked good.   I have taken pain meds only immediately after the surgery and have not needed them since. Lesley being a retired nurse has been pushing them on me but I have been declining. As you know I do not like taking pil

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Surgery complete, bread making ends

Well my surgery on the right shoulder (good side) is complete. The rotator cuff tear has been repaired, other junk removed. I am in a sling and will be for several weeks. I feel good now, just bored not being able to do what I want to. Sitting around watching TV and reading is not my thing.   Attached are some pic's of Lesley baking bread and us selling it at the local market. We have stopped that for the season since I can't help anymore and the tourists have mostly left town, making things

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Summer winding down & basement pic's

Summer here is starting to wind down, night time temps are bouncing all over the place and sometimes nearing frost levels. Daytime temps are still very nice, but wind is becoming more pronounced. The leaves are starting to show some color, and the raspberries are plentiful. Tippy and I pick whatever is left from the bear's rummaging thru the night. Fishing is also winding down, but has been good this year and still some to come (hopefully).   Attached are some pic's of the basement finishing

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

Summer is flying by

Well here we are with summer over half gone, just flying by. So much news in our lives. Lesley is now fully retired, and we are both finding life pretty busy. Fishing has been very good for me this summer, the freezer is full for the winter. Lesley has a garden that is the envy of all who see it. This spring I added 4 raised beds about 2 feet high and 10 feet long. I also put soaker hoses in all the beds and put a timer on the whole thing along with a fence to keep the deer out. I have no idea w

GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley