HEALING DEMANDS ITS OWN PACE.

I've always loved gardening, and the weather has been balmy and inviting. Finished the succulents and lined them up against the wall. These plants were in two over crowded containers when Karen and I started. She takes care of my plants when I travel, so I no longer do any planting without consulting her, first. She told me we'd have to put them under shelter for winter, so we decided on lightweight pots that aren't too heavy to lift.


I now have a worker who comes to help with the heavy lifting, but he tends to come when he feels like it. I've felt quite fit, so, I got the loppers and pruned the sucker growth around the second-growth oak trees in about five places.


His last two visits my helper was supposed to remov two small citrus trees for me. They got too big for the greenhouse. I moved them years ago. The lemon froze, the lime and orange didn't flourish.  I took a  hand saw and cut them down. It was hard for me, but I know my upper body is still weak. Jim walks every day, I walk with him every other day, and my strength and endurance has improved in my legs and back. For months and months, I would try the exercises given me and I would "over do" it and be back in pain. Suddenly, I seem to have turned a corner since the accident and I can now walk a brisk mile without great pain. When it hurts, by the next morning, the pain is gone.


Then I tackled a pretty big branch for my little hand saw and my shoulders and neck were telling me, "you'll be sorry!"  This is stuff for fire control and needs to be done.  This morning, I'm not sore enough to complain. My simple yoga every other morning has kept me toned,  but not enough to build muscle.  Now I feel confident I can do the therapeutic exercises I've been given and resume muscle-building tasks. I'm amazed at how the body refuted my efforts at various exercises until it was ready to heal. Now, let me see how well I do at chopping all this stuff up today.

MAKING PROGRESS.

These months of confinement have been painful and frustrating, in big part because I’m separated from Jim. I watch him visiting places I would have seen with him, all the arts in Santa Fe and Taos. Now, the West Texas territory of Buddy Holly, Waylon Jennings and other greats we listen to all the time in the Motor Home.We have never before been apart this long since we met.

This week I’ve been able to walk beyond my mailbox with minimal pain and get out in the fresh air and see some fall color.


Just looking at the leaves in the sun brings me joy.


This picture was not taken on my walk, but outside the eye doctors office. Maybe not as spectacular as the Eastern fall, but still a lovely color.


I don’t know the name of this fall bloomer, but it grows on a neighbors driveway.
I’m able to resume, (cautiously), my yoga that I’ve been addicted to for 12 years, another Hooray! And, best of all, I have a surgery date of Nov. 14th.


After much stressful delay, I’m finally beginning to see around the corner. I’ll be out of community, but the change was necessary. I must travel to St. Josephs in Stockton, over an hour distance from my home.  But, After Thanksgiving, I’ll be able to concentrate on accident related issues.  And, now that the election is over, I can quit ranting. Hah! says my son.


One compensation for being home so long, is catching up with old friends and trying new restaurants that opened since the last time I was home. My quilting friend, Kendra and I tried the new Magnolias restaurant in Murphys and were both impressed with the quality of the food. It is strictly lunch, but delish.

AFTER THE STORMS

The recent storms left us awash. Every little indentation is filled or flowing with water. For awhile I thought I should get out the oars just in case the house decided to lift off its foundations and flow down the canyon with the water. Now, in the calm, is a refreshing cleanliness and the song of moving water on my morning walk.

This is a gentle trickle.

This water is thundering.

I found seven spots where water flowed and sang within the first quarter mile from the house. I've always loved to walk this country road, in winter, spring and evenings during the summer.