The good news and the bad news

The good news being that the fearsome new medication is working - and the bad is that in the interim my knees have reached their sell by date ahead of me.  They are gone.  My only option medically is two knee replacement operations.  And as I won't be seeing the surgeon for 3 months, I have plenty of time to think it over.   And, of course, he may not be prepared to operate. For one thing, I can't have a blood transfusion.

But I feel as if I am too old and ill to be able to cope with hospital.

Its all a bit of a shock.   And my computer has died, taking all my info with it.   I am hoping the stork will bring me a new one tomorrow.  Captain B has been arranging things.  I can only compute at the moment when El Capitano is busy, as I have to use his machine. He is watching the Rugby just now, so I can do a hasty blog.

Some sad things happening with friends and with some on my magazine route too.

On the plus side... I was hobbling back from the meeting this morning, a slightly longer walk than usual as roadworks had eaten up my customary space, when Malcolm and Steve sped along, rescued me and drove me to my car.  It is true what Jesus said, that when you become a member of the Christian congregation you join a loving family, made up of people from every tribe and nation and tongue.

And I found this in our Watchtower study very comforting.   "Faithfulness to God is not dependent on intelligence, talent or ability".    As I don't feel at the moment I have any of those things, (going back to Gym lessons is proving very demoralising) it is wonderful to think that it doesn't matter to Jehovah, as long as I go on doing my best to listen and obey. What is important is keeping my heart full of love for my Creator, for his creation, and for his law. Everything else good will follow from that.

Jackie, Tom and Jill came over for lunch yesterday which cheered us up.  I was all at sixes and sevens doing my shopping, not knowing what i was going to give them, but we ended up with a plate of sandwiches (tuna pate and egg mayonnaise), a hot plate of sausages, Thai spring rolls and suchlike, and a cheeseboard. Followed by lemon drizzle cake (step forward Waitrose and take a bow) with my three favourite ice-cream flavours - lime & coconut, mango sorbet (take another bow, Waitrose) and some salted caramel ice-cream from Cooks.

Col was a hero and rushed out Saturday morning to get a few minor things I had forgotten (bread, eggs, mayonnaise) and did his usual superb clearing up job afterwards.

Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and we laughed a lot.