Has it really been 7 months since I posted a blog?

I am surprised with myself that I have not posted a blog in 7 months. Can't hardly expect to attract readers that way, of course. So what happened during the interim? Well, quite a lot actually. The Christmas & New Year holidays came & went without very much noteworthy other than our usual family gathering. As we entered the new year I was beginning to get more optimistic about the economy and my business. Things were looking up as we approached the Chinese New Year, another big celebration in our family. This year it was to fall on Valentine's day so it seemed we would have another reason to celebrate love in our home. Then suddenly everything changed. Two or three days before Chinese New Year my lower right leg and foot began to swell and was painful. The day before the holiday arrived I was admitted to hospital with an unknown infection. I won't describe the gory detailed symptoms other then to mention that I had a fever and that the skin of my foot and lower leg was erupting with what looked like blisters & abrasions. I was given a phalynx of antibiotics. Still, after several days in which much of the problem seemed to be receding, a couple of spots on my foot troubled the doctors. Long story short; they did surgery to remove material from the swollen foot and after several days I was released. Then a week later, as the rest of the leg healed a new area on the foot became problematic and required another surgery. That and another two months on very strong antibiotics finally erased the malady except for the two scars on my foot.
Just as I was feeling 100% again, the troubles in Thailand boiled over and I was forced to rearrange travel schedules I had planned for business. There I was, all healed up and no place to go. Business is finally settling into a more routine schedule. During my hiatus I had spent an inordinate amount of time in my recliner, even sleeping in it at night, as it afforded the chance to keep my leg raised to minimise fluid retention around the surgery area. I got used to living life in a chair and when I re-animated it took a week before I didn't notice how weak I had become. Now, several weeks later I feel very thankful that is behind me.
We tend to take our health for granted and when it is interupted we are usually amazed that whatever it is can happen to us in the first place. But a disruption like this one has an impact on your thinking that won't go away. Little lessons that needed relearning included never take a small cut or skin break for granted. Clean it, saturate it with antispetic, cover it if neccessary. Keep tending it with with frqequent cleaning and new dressings (bandages). Failure to do so could lead to a serious infection, which you don't want to even think about. This is likely what happened to me (though I cannot recall a prior abrasion or cut.) I am certain that it won't happen again, at least insofar as an untended wound of any kind.