Healing!

Yesterday I rose on the twelfth day since my fall and getting the wound in my arm. It was the first morning since I fell since I rose to a dry sleeve. I finally had a scab over the entire wound that can hold through the night. That’s significant progress. I’m not impeded in any way by the injury, but it hurts all the time.

I had a lot of chores to do yesterday morning. I wanted to tidy up and clean because Dana was coming at some point to deliver the boards that the cakes will go onto for transport and presentation. I had let things go because of my painful back, foot and arm, but it was time to re-establish order.

I vacuumed, sorted recycling and put the garbage out for collection, washed dishes, did a laundry and hung it up to dry in the house (and lit a fire), and spent a good deal of time attending to Freddy who appears to be feeling poorly. At 7:30, I took Her Highness walking.

As we concluded our walk, it began to drizzle and soon there was real rain falling. Hooray! And perfect timing as I have a lot of things to do for the cakes and I wanted to make another asparagus salad. So, we went into the village to shop after our walk and then we came home so that I could prep all my materials for making the salad. That kept me busy until it was time for my 10:00 o’clock Zoom with my fellow UK neurogenic stutterers.

Just before my Zoom call, I was euphoric. It was raining so hard that I heard the welcome sound of rainfall thundering on my metal roof. I was relieved not to have to think about watering the garden beds at all today. What a break, and what perfect timing. I’ll be able to get crakin’ on the first cake right away this morning without having to first water the beds.

Dana brought the boards at 14:00. I was making chocolate leaves for the top of the German chocolate cake. It was not going well, but I have more time today to make some more. It’s not easy peeling the real leaf off the chocolate that I paint onto the surface. I hope I can make enough to make a decent showing on the two cakes.

I spent the majority of the afternoon trying to make chocolate leaves. At 15:00. Her Highness and I went walking because the rain had slowed to mere mist. But what a wonderful day of real rain we had! I don’t think it’s rained like that since early Fall. We had the driest Winter that I can remember this past season. We go back to eternal sunshine today, and that means back to watering. But not until tomorrow before I start on the other two cakes. Two today, two tomorrow.

Last night, I watched The Sheep Detectives and I absolutely loved it. It’s a very clever script and it’s much more than mere entertainment. Great actors do the voices (I loved Chris O’Dowd and Bryan Cranston in particular) and the CGI sheep are fabulous. What a great movie! If you liked Babe, you’ll love this movie.

And now, I bake. I must bake and decorate two German chocolate cakes today and, at the end of the day, Dana will come to fetch them, and she’ll be dropping off two kilos of strawberries that I’ll need for the two cakes that I am baking tomorrow. Then, with that job done, I will have a break until Wednesday when I start paid work with SPACE.

My arm is much less painful today. I am very happy that my wound is on its way to healing. I’m sick of pain. Soon, I plan to see Jennifer my NP to ask her about a referral to a private clinic for the procedure that may lessen the pain in my foot. 

To the oven!

Just Another Day

I said that I’d never make the asparagus salad again that I made for my guests last Saturday because it took so much work to make it. Well … today I bought all the ingredients to make it again. It’s that delicious! I plan to make myself another one today. I also will be shopping for supplies for the epic weekend of baking: four cakes for Dana and Brent.

Yesterday was glorious but cool. I was glad that I lit a morning fire; the house stayed warm all day as a result. We all had an early lunch after a short walk, and then I read sitting in the sunshine for a while. I loved the warm sun on my skin and particularly on my wound. But I didn’t last long. The sun exhausts me. I can’t take much more than fifteen minutes. I came inside and had a nap.

Then I watered. In this cool windy Summer weather (18° in the afternoon), many plants are wilting even though I watered thoroughly on Tuesday. It’s going to drive me crazy, all my watering, but it’s vital work. When I was done, I went over to Pete and Ali’s to give them some lemons to replace the ones Ali lent me last week. (Nester’s still has no lemons.)

And then it was time for our regular evening routine. But there was a bonus: My back is recovering, partially due to the efficacy of Ibuprofen I suspect.

Up at four this morning. I have a lot on my plate today. I Zoom with my UK support group, I make an asparagus salad, and I shop for two epic days of cake baking. And poor Freddy is feeling poorly. That’s a first. I shall be very attentive today. We have no vet on the island anymore, so it will mean finding a new vet if he needs medical help. Sigh. I love my boy!

PAIN!

Tuesday morning dawned dark and cool. It was 13° at 4:00 and heavily overcast. I welcomed the weather because yesterday was a thorough watering day and the coolness of the day and the overcast skies meant the water would not rapidly evaporate. I’m already worried about Friday and Saturday with all the baking I must do, plus all the watering. Sigh.

I walked with Her Highness at 8:30, stooped like an old man. But I reckon the moving about was good for my aching back. As the walk progressed, it because less painful and my posture improved.

With my back hurting so badly, my foot hurting badly as well, and my wound hurting and uncovered, I felt rather shitty. I wanted to snap my fingers and be in a (good) care home where I had no chores and there were wheelchairs and human helpers. I just hope I’m feeling less pain and more mobile by the baking days ahead.

When we got home, I watered. By the time I’d finished the front beds and trees, the edible garden and the courtyard beds (about 60% of the watering), it was lunchtime. We all want lunch at around 10:30 on days when we’re up at 4:00. Then it was back to watering the remainder of the beds, shrubs and trees in the backyard. As I watered, I could hardly wait to finish and get myself on the chaise with a book.

It’s murder to get onto the chaise. I’ve really done something nasty to my back. I have more luck getting up than sitting down. I only read for less than an hour, and then we went shopping and for a walk. The sky had cleared and it was getting hot, so I walked Sheba early. She does not like the heat and by later in the afternoon, I knew it would be very warm.

Last night was awful. My back was over-the-moon painful. I was up at 3:30 to take a pain pill. I’m relieved that I needn’t water today. I may have to do some spot watering later in the day, but today I am bed/house bound. My mantra: This, too, shall pass. Thank God for books and reading!

I lit a fire this morning because I must wear a t-shirt so that my wound dries up again. Every night, it gets weepy and raw. I’m feeling broken and weary from pain. Sigh.

 

Killer Back Pain

Monday dawned bright, clear and cool. There was a breeze that made it feel cooler than it was (15°). My morning mostly involved functioning with a wet wound. I had to figure out how to keep warm without wearing anything that covered my wound. But I know that each day it is getting better so making all the adjustments is worth it.

My back is sore now, as well. It makes me want to walk hunched over like an old man. To walk upright, I must walk slowly. This is ungainly aging; it’s one thing after another.

I have nothing at all on my calendar this week except two Zoom calls. I love living such a low demand lifestyle; solitude works very well for me. We walked with our friends in the early morning, came home to futz a bit before lunchtime, and after lunch I lay in the sun to dry my wound, and that always causes me to crash. I came inside and went directly to bed to nap.

Then I did spot watering everywhere before settling down to read. As the day progressed by back got worse and worse. I’ve done something to a muscle on my lower back on the right side. Oh my God it’s painful, and with my back and my arm hurting so much, I am not a happy camper.

However, last night I slept in a long-sleeved tee shirt and there were just a few tiny stains on the sleeve from seepage. I wanted to not wear a bandage because the bandage makes everything turn wet and I want to keep the wound dry. I want a scab to form.

This morning began with depressing news. I agreed to bake cakes for a person I barely know but who is a good friend of Ali and Pete. I’m baking four cakes for 100 people; two are German chocolate cakes with pecan/coconut filling, and two are white sponge cakes with strawberries and cream filling. I’m going to have two days from Hell on Friday and Saturday.

Last night twice, the TV came on. The second time was at about 3:30 this morning, and I could not go back to bed because the animals wanted to eat. Sigh. It’s going to be one very long day! I shall start by watering, then we’ll walk, and then I’ll read and I pray that my back heals quickly.