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  My blog was filled up. I'm too lazy to clean it out. So I started a new one. |
| Each day I try to spend a little time out doors when it isn't raining. With this heat wave I've been watering my potted plants on the patio and deck, and sometimes the elephant ears n the ground above a short brick wall. I use a hose for the elephant ears but I carry buckets to the potted plants, not wanting to waste water on the slate or decking. There was a time when I didn't worry about the price of water, but those days are history. There is always weed pulling or digging, in the shade or when the sun goes down. Yesterday, I sat on a bench and used a hand shovel to dig up voodoo plants. Today while it was cloudy, I clipped vines choking out my blackberry bushes. My dad cleverly used wire fence to make tall cages to wrap around the bushes to climb. They had big spaces to reach in and pick berries. It's been over three years since Dad died, so the wires have gotten bent and rusty. Of course, I cut my arm and realized blood was dripping down my hand. I tried to ignore it and bent the wire back, but then I realized it needed cleaning. I feel like such a sissy. I stopped and went inside to patch my wound. I am on blood thinner, so I get an ample supply easily. I only recently had my black eye fade away, so I have new shoes to tread in the grass. As I went up the back steps to go in with my clippers, I realized both knees were itching. I forgot my mosquito spray. So as soon as I finished doing my own bandage, I found the anti-itch cream for my knees. Sure enough I have big swollen red spots now from enemy mosquitoes. As I spread the cream on the red bump with my bandaged wrist, I thought, "It's not my imagination. I am a sissy." I enjoy working in the yard, despite complaints, and love tending my plants. I just need a lot of protective gear and someone to take care of me! |
| It seems I am frequently pulling weeds. I am not a good gardener and I don't invest a lot of money in chemicals, organic or otherwise, or special tools. So I work a little at a time. I don't have the stamina for the heat or mosquitoes to do much at one time. And as everyone knows, weeds never stop! About 2 1/2 weeks ago, I had been cleaning up the yard, picking up things left by the children for the trash, etc., when I became distracted by the vine weeds growing across the ground into a flower bed I no longer maintain. I was bending over to pull them up, since I can't get up from a kneeling position any longer, when a bee came buzzing at me. Unfortunately, I am a cheapskate and was wearing old Nike shoes that were coming apart. I thought just for yard work, it doesn't matter how they look. The tops looked fine, but the soles were splintering. I had tried Gorilla glue, but that doesn't work like in the commercials. Small bits were still coming loose. As I turned to get away from the bee, I tripped and fell hard and fast. I believe the shoes had something to do with it, but it happened too fast to be sure. It may be that I was light headed from standing up straight and turning so quickly. I landed on my shoulder and my cheekbone. Then I couldn't get up, just like that old lady in the ad I've seen for decades! I cried like a baby because I hurt. Then I told myself that was stupid, and the bee was still buzzing over me. I yelled for help, but no one could hear. I got my hands up and dragged myself up the incline to the next flower bed which I had bordered with rocks. The bee landed on my face and neck several times, but I scooped him up with my hand and tossed him aside, fearful that he would really get angry now. I got up to the rocks and put my hands on them and pushed my upper body up. I thought I'll be here the rest of the day. I pulled one foot up so the bottom could be flat on the ground. These small actions that we take for granted become very detailed when we're struggling. When I got my arms up as high as they could go, I raised my butt off the ground and managed to get some weight on that one foot. I pulled the other leg up behind me, still balancing on my hands. When I could get my feet closer to my hands, I slowly stood up. I turned and headed to the house, knowing I had at least one sting on my arm, not knowing about others. I climbed the stairs more quickly than usual, being motivated to get out of the heat and get water and medicine. I ended up with only one sting, a heck of a black eye, a skin abrasion and bruise on my shoulder. I had a cut on my eyelid and one tiny one in the circle under my eye, and mud on the back of my shirt shoulder. I don't know how it got on the back, when the bruise was on the front and the scabs on top. I put ice on my puffy eye and drank cold water in the cool of the house. I finally found the antihistamine cream for the sting. I sat dazed for a while worried about my vision. Apparently, I did everything right because the swelling went down in about 12 hours. I didn't discover the shoulder injury right away, and that didn't bother me later. I am on blood thinner, however, so falling is always a dangerous thing. I was glad I didn't call 911, because I would have spent the rest of the day in ER. It turned out okay this time, although most of the time a blow to the head can be a severe problem for people on blood thinners. What I learned, though, is I survived this accident. I am a tough. I'm not going to sit and wait for the end to come. I will keep pulling weeds and trimming shrubs, just a little at a time. A few years ago, I could crawl on the ground under the shrubs and trees to trim them or pull weeds, but that's never happening again. That's okay. I will do what I can and what I want. By the way I still have a bruised shoulder, and a black eye, although the purple spot has gotten smaller. |
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These days I just have houseplants and one lonely portulaca that came up by seed and has bloomed this past week. I've been "home" for three months and the plants have responded well. But, I long for Thailand.
. Isn't it funny how we take things like electricity and plumbing for granted... until we don't have them. Happy for you!
