Post Op Pain in the Foot!

"Ouch!"

Happy Monday Friends!

Three days ago I had surgery on my ankle and foot, I’m doing okay but for the record, my surgeon is crazy! He may be medically brilliant but like every other surgeon I’ve slept with (yes, I’m technically sleeping while I am with them!), has fed me the same lines, “Oh, it’s a cinch…a simple procedure really…you’ll be on your feet in 48-72 hours…no, seriously, you’ll bounce right back.” To which I have replied, “Yeah? Have you had this procedure?” and the answer 100% of the time has been, “Well, no…” with that look that speaks volumes to the fact that their authority may have just been called in to question. I have plenty of faith in my doctors, but I just don’t buy that they can tell me how easy recovery will be when they have not been through it themselves. So, I’m fine, but really sore, swollen, and gimpy. I am not weight bearing yet but just this morning I was able to gain my balance by putting a bit of weight on my toes. I know me, I’ll be back at my normal pace in no time and one really good thing that comes out of being immobilized is I feel a surge of motivation to get active. 

Mason having fun on Good Day Sacramento

Mason did his spot on Good Day Sacramento on Tuesday and as usual, he had the morning anchors cracking up! You can see the clip here and if you are in the Sacramento area, you can tune in on Wednesday, February 5th to see him talking about his kitchen fundraisers on Fox 40 Mornings. As much as Mason likes cooking, he loves doing the live demos and television appearances. We have been brainstorming some other creative ideas to raise money for the kitchen project and Mason has a few that are so good, I selfishly don’t want to use them for the kitchen project. I know, isn’t that terrible of me?! I’ve been keeping a log of ideas and processes for fundraising ideas. I see how many young people need to raise money to reach their goals, or get to a great music program, travel to Washington DC for a school history trip, and so many other really great opportunities - opportunities that cost money. I see the real opportunity in the education the child gets by being able to create the means to get where they want to go. Now that’s a real gift! If you have some creative thoughts and ideas about how to raise money, I would love to hear them. I keep sharing with Mason that if you have a cause you feel strongly about, and you share why it is important people will support you, in their way, they will help you succeed. I’m certain Mason will succeed, not only because he feels so passionately about this project, but because he is simply not afraid to ask for help - just think about that, he isn’t afraid to ask for help. What could you accomplish if you knew you could have all the help you needed?

Hand painted flower pot up for grabs!

So today my goal is to get my hair washed and done. Laughing! Seriously, having to stand on one foot, in the shower, not getting my post-op foot wet while closing my eyes to put my head back to wash my hair - well, that’s a bit of a task! Dave will help me (Yep, that’s me leading by example!), but what does that look like? I don’t think I want to know, but I have to wash my hair, so off I go, asking for help and hopefully I will be ready to get something done by noon today! Stop waiting, stop wishing, stop complaining and start taking positive action. This is a day to get things done, so ask for help if you need it and live it for all it’s worth. Happy Monday!

PS Before you get back to your day, visit www.masonpartak.com and enter to win Mason's hand painted flower pot and candy to make your own cookie bouquet for Valentine's Day! Just leave a comment on the first post on the home page and you are in to win! Enter before February 5th.

The California Draught and History Lessons at Folsom Lake

Rattlesnake Bar Suspension Bridge 1866 & 2014

Happy Monday!

The California draught and history lessons took us out to the very low Folsom Lake today. As is true with all manmade dams, there was once small towns and cities under all the water that is suppose to be there. We went in through Rattlesnake Bar and the most noteworthy structure we saw was the remains of the Rattlesnake Bar Suspension Bridge dated pre 1866. All that is left of it now are the stone abutments, but even with only the stones still standing, there are other signs of the bridge like cables and other stones that were used to secure the bridge. There was a plethora of geology principles right there, so easy to see, and just fascinating to experience in real time, right now. Mason and Dave had a blast bouncing from loose, soft silty sand to super tall rock formations that just begged to be climbed. And climb they did! I couldn't tell who was 10 and who was 50, we were just beings playing on a holiday Monday. Check out this photo of Mason on what's left of the bridge today right alongside the image from 1866, pretty cool, huh?

Now I am off and running, but it won't be for long, this week is a bit of a sprint. I am taking care of details before I have surgery on my foot and ankle on Thursday. My doctor has assured me that I won't be down long and I will only need to use crutches for a couple of days, I hope he is right. Tomorrow Mason will be on Good Day Sacramento and he is still raising money for his school kitchen, I want to thank those of you who sent in gift cards and bought tickets to his upcoming fundraisers. A few of you just made a cash donation and that's awesome! It certainly takes a village and mine is the best ever! Thank you!

I hope you had a lovely long weekend, I know we did. The only really downer was that the San Francisco 49ers lost their playoff game against Seattle. I'm not going to dwell on the negative, but it really did suck! And what am I going to say now? Yep, there's always next year. Have a great week, until next Monday.

2014 - We're In It!

Happy Monday! We are well in to the new year and so far it's going great. I spent last weekend with Julie in Angels Camp and guess what we did while we were there? Nothing. Yep, we stayed in, ate good food, pampered ourselves with all the fixin's we have at home and never find the time to use, we sat in the hot tub, drank some really good wine, watched two really bad movies (Laughing, Redbox is like a box of chocolates...), and mostly we got caught up with each other. Julie and I met at the start of 5th grade, we were 10 years old so you can see, this is a friendship that truly has earned, and deserves this kind of special attention.

On other fronts, we are in fundraising mode but working at double-speed. With two big events happening within a month of each other, you can imagine what a monumental task this is. The good news is that they are very different in nature and only one includes the auction/raffle component. If you would like to help with that, a gift card from any fast food place or Starbucks would be super cool! Those $5 or $10 contributions are easy to do and they make for lots more prizes to draw a ticket for. No pressure, I just know so many family and friends would like to help but not living nearby, just don't know what they can do. :) Speaking of Mason's school kitchen, I have a meeting with the facilities people for the school district this morning and I'm hopeful the news will be, "Yes, we can..." Instead of, "No, that's not possible...." Send me some good ju-ju and keep your fingers crossed!

I suppose I could ramble on, but I will leave you with my big "Congratulations!" To the San Francisco 49ers! They won yesterday against the Carolina Panthers and if they can keep their heads in the winning mode, they can work the same kind of winning magic in Seattle on Sunday.

Have a great week and say "yes" more than you say "no" this week. Good things happen when you say yes!

A Brand New Start! Again.

NYE Mason!

It's a new year, and every year I say it, it feels so good to start new. It's funny, because in reality, it's just another day, but collectively as a society, we add a different meaning to January 1st so we have been conditioned to make resolutions, set goals, clean house and so much more. We celebrated the new year with a kids party. Mason invited several friends from school over and with the warm weather we've had, we spent several hours outside with two roaring fires, burgers on the grill, and s'mores with smoshpellows Mason made all by himself. 3 boys and 2 girls listened to music, danced, had a limbo contest, played with Legos and had a Nerf Gun war! Don't be fooled, the girls kicked some serious butt! After the girls went home, two of Mason's friends who were sleeping over gathered in the kitchen after midnight, I peeked over to see three glasses of sparkling cider raised, Mason says to his friends, "May we have an awesome school year, always be friends and not have too much homework. Happy new year guys!" As I wipe a tear of pride from my eye, I think, that's my boy!

Mason and his friends.

This Christmas we started a new tradition - letter writing. When asked what I wanted for Christmas I said I wanted a hand written letter from each Dave and Mason, sharing with me how they feel about our family and our life. I in turn wrote each of them a letter. We exchanged letters on Christmas Eve and each read them aloud. It was my favorite part of Christmas, not only because it was so personal..., but I'm looking years down the road when we all look forward to our letters and we can look back on Mason's, written in his 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 year old handwriting and see what he thought was important at that point in his life. How much more fun will it be when he has a family and they join in? Yes, this is a good one, on all accounts, a good one indeed.

The Whole Gang!

Now we are clearing the sugar and holiday goodies out of the house to get back on track with some healthy nutrition. Mason and I have two big fundraisers coming up in February and March for his school kitchen so we are selling tickets and gathering raffle/auction items. I'm working my butt off now because I am having foot/ankle surgery on January 23rd. I am hopeful that my doctors assurance that I won't be down long is right, but in reality, who knows how long I will be off my feet? The first of the two events is on February 10th, just 18 days after surgery, hopefully I'll be up and around even if it's with a lovely black boot on.

 

 

NYE S'more!

I hope you are off to a great start for 2014 and even if only for the littlest of baby steps, I hope you are moving in the direction of your personal happiness and joy. Remember, this time next year will come no matter what, so why not do something different this time around? Happy Monday!