Physical Therapy: the good, the bad, and the Kitty | by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on  August 27, 2018:

Physical therapy began Wednesday, one week after rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder. I was excited when we received a call from the doctor’s office informing me that it was time to begin and asking where I wanted to go. I was also excited to learn that Lake Fork Physical Therapy is one of their approved providers, both because they are local and because I’ve heard great things about Paul and Angie. On the other hand, I was apprehensive.

When people hear that you are having a rotator cuff repair, they all have a story to share, either a personal one or the story of someone they know. Most of the stories I heard were encouraging, but a few not so much. The ones about how painful recovery would be didn’t bother me too much. I was already in pain, so I assumed the pain of surgery would be bearable. I wasn’t too worried about the discomfort of the therapy either, because many years ago I had several months of PT to treat a disk problem in my lower back. Nothing Paul did could be as painful as an elbow on a cramping muscle with the full weight of the therapist behind it – or could it?

New Review of Tatia’s Tattoo

Latest review of Tatia’s Tattoo. Many thanks to Candace Hodges:

Take a look into the life and horrible series of events of Tatia, a 12 year old lost in the life of human trafficking. She was a survivor from birth, but her strength saw her through.

Emory is not far from the horrors of this life, as it is happening in Tyler and Dallas and probably many places in between.

This book, written by a beautiful woman in our church, will take you inside the horrors, make you cry, (I definitely cried many tears), have a few laughs and really make you take a look into yourself and your walk in faith. John and I couldn’t wait to read another chapter each day when we got home from work, and then had to fight hard to put it down when we knew we had to sleep. Excellent realistic fiction but educational to those who don’t realize just how bad the problem is.

For the Silent is an organization that helps get these young victims out of their situation. Consider donating to the cause.

Can’t wait for her next book in this series. Looks like it will be just as captivating.

BookPros https://www.bookpros.com/books/15

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Tatias-Tattoo-Linda-Brendle/dp/1945455829

Barnes and Nobles https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tatias-tattoo-linda-brendle/1128875122?ean=9781945455827

Blessings,

Linda

Top Ten Things I’ve Learned from Shoulder Surgery | by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on August 21, 2018: 

1. There are a lot more things that require two hands than I ever imagined.
2. I’m not nearly as ambidextrous as I thought I was. Even I have trouble reading my left-handed writing.
3. I am even more clumsy than usual with one arm bound up, and a Grabber is an absolute necessity. Thankfully I have a very thoughtful friend who brought me one.
4. Little things like capital letters, punctuation, and spelling aren’t nearly as important when you’re typing with one hand.
5. When I’m working on a writing project I sometimes long for a quiet house and a clear schedule, but when it happens, I don’t like it very much.
6. We have many friends who are gifted cooks and who are more than willing to share their gift with friends in need. I’m doubly thankful that a couple of months ago we bought a microwave that was built in this century and doesn’t “warm” everything to the consistency of shoe leather.
7. Having people help you, whether it’s bringing dinner, stepping in to help take up the slack in your job, or helping you cut your meat, can be a humbling experience. It can also make a person feel very loved.
8. David is an excellent caregiver, but he is also a very hard taskmaster – or lack of taskmaster. He won’t let me do anything or go anywhere if he thinks there is a possibility I might reinjure my shoulder.
9. Kitty is not a good caregiver. Since I returned from the hospital, she has given me a wide berth, coming close only when it’s time for bedtime snacks. Even then she only gets close enough to grab a tasty bit before running over to David’s side of the bed to eat it.
10. Six weeks is a VERY long time when that’s how long before you will be able to use your right hand – or your left hand if you’re a southpaw.

Blessings,

Linda

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Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Tatias-Tattoo-Linda-Brendle/dp/1945455829

Barnes and Nobles https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tatias-tattoo-linda-brendle/1128875122?ean=9781945455827

Microsoft https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/tatias-tattoo/fgqpf3gzwrfd

Kitty’s Camping Experience | by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on August 14, 2018:

Last week’s column ended with the comment that David was anxious to take our motor home, which is being made road ready after six years of sitting idle in our backyard, on a test run to a local campground to see what items other than the refrigerator and generator need attention. As it turned out, he was more anxious than I thought – last week we spent four days at Thousand Trails in Point.

After checking our calendar, scheduling an outing became a now-or-much-later decision since I will be recovering from rotator cuff surgery for the next several weeks. David opted for now, and I began making lists. Sunday after church we began shuttling back and forth between the house and the coach with armloads of clothes, food, and Kitty necessities. I almost backed out when David told me that I wouldn’t be able to use the refrigerator after all, but I simplified my menu plan and added an ice chest to my list.

One of the first things David did once preparations were underway was to get Kitty’s carrier out of the shed. In the interest of safety – both hers and ours – we had agreed that it was not a good idea to let her roam free while the motor home was underway. When he brought it into the house, David put the carrier on top of a box, and Kitty immediately gave it a good sniffing, stretching up on her hind legs to reach it. I put it down on the floor and opened the door, and she went inside and lay down. She was ready to go.

She rode quietly to the campground, but when we arrived and opened her door, she immediately disappeared. After we hooked up the water, electricity, and sewer and put out the slides, I went looking for her. I found her in the bedroom, crouched on a nightstand under a corner of the comforter. We didn’t see much of her until bedtime. She wasn’t interested in dinner, but when I brushed my teeth, she appeared in the bathroom, waiting expectantly for her nightly treats. After scarfing them down, she spent most of the night snuggled against my legs or lying between David and me.

We decided not to leave her alone in an unfamiliar environment, so Monday morning David dropped me at the church and took Kitty to the house. He said she took about four steps into the living room and collapsed on the floor as if exhausted from her ordeal. That afternoon when the three of us drove back to the campground, she was not quite as ready to go as she had been the day before. David had to coax her into the carrier with treats, and she whined a bit in the car. Once she was released in the motor home, she nibbled a few bites of kibble and disappeared into the bedroom again.

After the dinner dishes had been washed and put away and we were settled down with our computers, she ventured out of her hiding place, creeping warily through the hallway and scurrying back to safety at the slightest noise. She finally made it to David’s chair where she demanded constant petting and reassurance.

Each day she became a little braver, jumping up on the back of the sofa or the dashboard and inspecting the new scenery she discovered outside the windows. She spent most of the nights on the bed with us, but I did find her on the floor in front of the driver’s seat a morning or two. The last evening before we came home, she had become comfortable enough with her surroundings that we brought out the squirt bottle to let her know that kitchen counters and dining tables are off limits even when camping. She finally settled on the middle of the dashboard as the appropriate perch from which to survey and rule her new kingdom.

We’re all back home now after a successful test run, and we’re looking forward to venturing a little further soon. Kitty seems to have suffered no ill effects from her first camping adventure. Hopefully, next time she’ll adjust more quickly – and hopefully, next time we’ll have a working refrigerator.

Blessings,

Linda

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Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Tatias-Tattoo-Linda-Brendle/dp/1945455829

Barnes and Nobles https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tatias-tattoo-linda-brendle/1128875122?ean=9781945455827

Microsoft https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/tatias-tattoo/fgqpf3gzwrfd

Moving past the roadblocks | by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on August 7, 2018:

Several of my readers have asked how the saga of the motor home is progressing. You’ll be happy to know that, although we’re still waiting for news on the generator, some good things have happened and we are moving forward. In case you missed the beginning of the story, I’ll just say that when you let a motor home sit unused for seven years, it begins to deteriorate. It may still look good, but flipping a switch or pushing a button doesn’t guarantee that something good will happen.

Book Review: Trouble in Tampa by Louise Titchener

About the book:

 Currently a semifinalist for the Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Award for Best Historical Mystery of 2018, Trouble in Tampa is a thrilling look at the Wild South of Florida in 1885. An easy assignment for sharpshooter and ex-Pinkerton investigator, Oliver Redcastle, turns deadly. A wealthy Baltimore art collector sends an employee to Florida. When that man goes missing, the rich man hires Oliver to find him. Reluctantly, Oliver boards Henry Plant’s newly constructed train to Florida. At the end of the line he gets off in Tampa to find a swamp load of trouble. He’s betrayed by an old acquaintance, and by not one, but two passionate women. Oliver is railroaded into one of old Florida’s infamous turpentine camps. There he must use his sharpshooting skill to escape certain death. But that means a harrowing trek through miles of dangerous animals, dangerous people, and shocking intrigues. In Key West he meets female Pinkerton operative, Hannah Kinchman. She got him into trouble in Tampa. But Oliver has a soft spot for Hannah. Together they fight their way through kidnapping, treasure hunts, intrigue, and the beautiful but treacherous Florida Everglades. Will Oliver overcome the many hurdles blocking his way home? It won’t be easy!

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 My review:

The title, Trouble in Tampa, is definitely an understatement in this historical novel about life – and death – in southern Florida during the late 1800s. Private detective Oliver Redcastle reluctantly leaves his ailing daughter with a trusted caregiver to undertake what he hopes will be a simple missing person inquiry. He eventually solves the case, but not before witnessing an assassination attempt, being falsely imprisoned in a hidden turpentine camp, barely escaping a shotgun wedding, being adopted by a parrot with an extremely broad vocabulary, undertaking a forced treasure hunt in the Everglades, and much more. In the beginning of the book, I was a little distracted by a style that seemed a little terse and colorless, but as Redcastle stepped off the train into the barely civilized south of Florida, the story burst into a colorful collage of unusual characters and intriguing plot twists that made it hard to put down. This was my first novel by Louise Tichener, but it won’t be my last.

About the author:

Louise Titchener is the author of over forty traditionally published novels in a variety of genres including romance, science-fiction-fantasy, and mystery. She has two published mystery series. The first is set in Baltimore and features Toni Credella, a dyslexic young woman determined to defend her sex against evildoers. The Oliver Redcastle historical series is set in the 1880’s and features a sharp shooter and ex-Pinkerton protagonist. The first two Redcastle mysteries take place in Baltimore where Louise spent many years. Trouble in Tampa is set in the area where Louise now lives with her philosophy professor husband. In addition to writing and reading she likes to kayak, admire the beautiful tropical birds in her neighborhood, and take long walks.

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Blessings,

Linda

Tatia’s Tattoo: How to pronounce her name (Video) | by Linda Brendle

 

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Blessings,

Linda