Sandra, good luck with your x-ray results. I do specialized exercises to keep my hips strong, and do the Essentrics stretching for a full-body level of fitness. Foot surgery can make a big difference (I got the bunion fixed before it became too pronounced, so they didn't need to break the bone) but feet take a longer time to heal, if it comes to that.

Initial soap-making research shows that it is best done in warm-weather (for good ventilation) and there are lots of types of soap to consider. How to Make Green Soap: An Excursion Through Time
This Ancient Soap Making Recipe Hasn’t Changed Much. Many of the soaps use "vegetable glycerin" that contains coconut oil, and though it can be substituted for others, the process involves candy thermometers and careful measuring. I buy olive oil soap at the Halal market and it's much cheaper than the soap you can see on the link. I often get the Aleppo soap (you'll see hand-cut bars through the linked listings - it's brown or green, often embossed with the company information on the top of the bar) and the Nablus variety (usually light colored in white wrappers). I'm not sure where the green bars come from. The Halal market offerings vary from one month to the next but sticking with this is probably my best bet. So, nothing much changes, but this summer I may try making some soap.

At Goodwill today I dropped off a light-weight wood unit for DVDs or books and a couple of bags of hardware and clothes.