What a nice surprise to find some old friends here this weekend - Florence, I'm glad to see you're doing well - I think of you! We're getting a little break in weather today (spring has been cool, wet). I pruned roses a little late, then found critical deer had done my job over, which led to me pruning again to straighten up what they'd reshaped. Someone has to come to an understanding around here on who gets the final say on the roses :) My fault, I'd been lax in spraying repellent with the uninviting weather, now this afternoon I've got to get that done so it doesn't happen again. (((((hugs)))))

I cared for my 62 yr old uncle last year after his hip replacement. He was under the impression that he could just come home from the hospital without help...ding dong. I insisted on staying with him for a few days making meals and such. He was glad for it, as hobbling around on a cane and carrying a simple glass of water don't work well :) Make sure your hubby rolls down the support stocking you'll be wearing (like we use to do in the "olden days" with our delicate nylons)it makes getting it on so much easier. Uncle waited many years before he decided to go ahead with the replacement and can't believe he didn't do it sooner. He's pain free and thrilled to be able to do the things he loves to do without "paying" for it later. Good luck to you, I'm praying for a speedy recovery. Deborah

I'm a tad over 70 now. I have two artificial hips. Left was December 2004; right, January 2006. Needing to use steroids for asthma ruined my hip joints early. Hips are *easy*, with easy recovery. KNEES seem to be much harder! (Hips move 'back and forth', while knees have to 'rotate'.) Thanks to 'a better world through chemistry' (drugs), this is NOT a painful surgery or recovery. I borrowed a raised toilet seat, walker and cane from our Senior Center's lending closet. I bought a long shoehorn which I still enjoy using. I walked the day after surgery and came home after a couple nights on an ordinary surgical ward. DH was my 'step and fetch it' and was able to nuke frozen dinners for the first few nights. I was walking around the grocery store with him a week after surgery. (How many frozen dinners can a person tolerate? LOL) A visiting nurse came to our (single level) home to do the blood testing while I was on blood-thinners. A physical therapist came to our home to teach me exercises and put me through my paces. (DO them! You will recover faster and have greater strength.) My first hip was somewhat more successful than the second -- but I'm happy with both. I can't imagine NOT doing this so that you can WALK WITHOUT PAIN again. Oh, I just remembered that I was on a plane to Maui shortly after the second surgery. I had wheelchairs at the airports and made sure to walk around a bit in flight to avoid clots, but...no worries! No need for heavy meds after either replacement.

What you list is a take off rather than a specification. The contractor should tell you the brand, quality and type of composition shingle proposed. The copper can be reused only if it has not worn too much. The take off say it will be removed and reused so maybe it is OK. But the contractor should tell you for sure one way or the other. Ice & Water shield should be placed below the copper. The comment about the decking is confusing. The contractor should clarify what he means. Laminated layered shingles are too random to look like shakes but the texture and shadow is certainly more interesting than single thickness shingles. Without knowing the climate there's not much anyone can tell you.