Accessible Gardening Thread #12 (Compassion for...)

Yeah, I like it too. It describes the experience of dredging up such memories so perfectly. :-)Kay*

Hushpuppies!!! We are talking serious comfort food. All those foods are comfort food to me. I haven't had real hushpuppies since my mother died. Just the ones out of the freezer at the grocery store. I know I'm too old for you to adopt, Vickie. But, can I be your little sister? I'm youngest in a family of 8. I do little sister very well. I've had lots of little sister experience.
Your wanna-be sister in hushpuppies and pinto beans,
Kay*

I'd be wary of that offer, Vickie. Her elder siblings all call her "the brat". (Jim)

Well, in a family that size SOMEBODY gets to be the brat. The brat gets all the good stuff, so it SHOULD be Kay, right? LOL

I'm the oldest of four and my brother was the brat. He got all the extra attention and cool toys (I'm STILL mad about that bike...)

glitch

This message was edited Aug 1, 2010 7:09 PM

Being an old “baby sister” has its challenges. That sibling rivalry stuff doesn’t ever go away completely. Even though a
ll of us are gray haired. (Well, we would all be gray haired if all of us had hair and, those who do, ALLOWED it to remain gray. LOL.) STILL, I hear about how easy I had it as a kid. I still have to listen to those stories about how tough things were in AR or OK, when Dad was still in the Army. How much stricter Mom and Dad were when they were growing up and how I was “spoiled rotten.” (Those stories that always end “You don’t know how lucky you had it, Brat!” Alright already! I got it! In fact, I got it 50 years ago. LOL. But, they still feel some need to remind me how easy I had it. Being a good little sister though, I listen to the stories like I haven’t heard them a thousand times and assure them I indeed appreciate how much more difficult their childhoods were.. I do owe them. After all, it was they who wore Mom and Dad down. My parents were just plain exhausted by the time I came along. So, of course, I got away with more.
Once in a while, I do whine about how often I ended up with their hand-me-downs, instead of new stuff. I was 10 or so when I got my first new bike. Up til then I had just gotten the old bike someone had outgrown. But, all-in-all, I think I fill the role of little sister admirably. The baby of the family is supposed to be a brat. It is one of the job requirements.
Kay*

absolutely, kay!! :-D

I am the bossy oldest and I'm bossing myself right into BED!!

OK. I think, at this point, DD#1, at 19 yo, is an alcoholic. Drink + ADD + her age + bipolar as expressed at her age seems actually plausible. Got to do more research and talk to my therapist.

While you're at it, do something just for you.

Glad you have a therapist to talk to. That can be invaluable.

I will mention that one problem I've had with AA is the number of people who take the stance that if you do it "right" you will never have real trouble with a problem, no matter what. Not true. You are doing the best things - talking here and talking to your therapist.

Now throw in a treat that's just for you.

hugs all around, katie

At that age, Carrie, there is a real possibility that she will grow out of some of the problems. Nadine, at 23, talks of "joining the adult conspiracy." :-)
Jim's civilian doctor overruled the VA doctor and put him back on the muscle relaxers. He has been experiencing pain between the shoulder blades and numbness in one arm. The hope is he just slept on it wrong or something and the constant tension in the muscles isn't letting things slide back into place. We'll know after the Dr. reads the x-rays. Kay*

I just remembered another "hairball." This is a funny one.

Talking in an AA meeting, a thirtish man I knew said that he was ina DUI "class" and the instructor said if you had one DUI you might very well be an alchoholic. If you had two or more, you almost surely were. The man said he and his friends looked at each other and said, "Noooo. No way." He told this story in an AA meeting. At some point he had come to accept that he was an alchohholic but it took more than three DUI's/

katie

lol, I think. That's a furry one - catches in my throat.

I hope Nadine AND my DD join the "adult conspiracy!" I mean,, aside from Peter Pan, we all age eventually. Might as well be conspiring for good instead of conspiring with the enemy.

Some people have to know....What is the adult Conspiracy? Or do i want to know? LOL
DD's BF is currently in jail on his fourth.But he is not an alcoholic! yeah! right!
Carrie, Did you have a hair ball? I heard a little vaseline will cure it. ROFLOL
My black Kitty kat asked for everyone to remember her on Halloween. She'll be hiding under a pillow.
Bigtime prayers going out for Jim. Lots of good wishes too. Of course for you too Kay. You gotta live with him. (just kidding)
Vickie

Lol. Kay has started calling me Grump-pa even when the GC’s aren’t around. I’ve considered pointing out how much older she is than I am and asking something like, “If I am Grump-pa, what does that make you?” But, I like my massages and she is the source of them so I thought maybe that wouldn’t be such a good idea.
Bone spurs have started developing on C5-C6, but the 750 mg of Methocarbamol is helping. Not much the doc can do, but I have no doubt my dearly beloved will get me to choke down some sort of alternative medicine. Liquefied shark cartilage, or something. :-0 She makes me pay for my grumbling.
I thought the adult conspiracy was not telling children where babies come from, but evidently there is more to it than that. I told Nadi all about the stork when she was 18 so she knows she wasn’t found under a cabbage. I’m beginning to suspect there is stuff I haven’t been let in on yet. I’ll pass it on to you as soon as I find out myself. (Jim)

Our weather has been almost unbearably hot and humid. Tony and I both moving slowly.

Today there is a slight decreqase in temps, cloud cover and a little rain.

I think we will survive. Yesterday it seemed to be touch and go for both of us. This is the kind of heat that makes me real stupid and frustrated because I can't think clearly. Sitting at the computer with the fan blowing directly on me and still sweating.

Did I say it's been hot?

sweaty hugs all around, katie

Seems like one of those days for everyone. :-)

ROFL!!! Thanks, Debra. I needed that. It has been a long day, but it was mostly sorting and prep work so I didn't get to see anything finished at the end of the day. That was just what I needed to keep me going. Kay*

LOLOLOL. When DH carries me on airplanes (which he does), he kicks people in the head with my feet and shows off my butt (his words).

I've always wanted one of those worthy of showing off. With my hair tucked under a hat coupled with my height and my lack, I've been mistaken for a boy until I turned around. LOL. Kay*

I could really learn to love that lil ole lady. LOL Is she a newspaper cartoon?
Kay, Ya know they have special pads for that area to kinda boost the scenery. ROFLOL.
It's mostly cloudy here today and it's keeping the temps down. It's cool enough to have another weenie roast.
I've been going 90 MPH just going in circles all week. Think i'll take the day off.
I have to put eye drops in my eye every 4 hours. Am i the only one who has trouble hitting my eye with the drops. I hope no one ever uses that ability to determine how much alcohol one has drunk.

need this one today. :-)

Hello ! I just took a look at the places that sell tools to make gardening easier for the handicapped people. How great is that? I can get out of (and into) my wheel chair but need some tools that will not be so hard for me to use. Is anyone else here in a wheel chair full or part time? Sometimes I am so content sittng on the ground digging around my plants that I lose track and get stuck - meaning I have been down too long and cannot get up ! My husband checks on me periodically so I am not stuck there forever.

Although I'm not in a wheelchair my knees are bad and I've had the same experience of sitting for too long on the ground. Tony knows to keep an eye out in case I need help. When he'snot here I have to roll around until I can manage to get up. Luckily, I have no close neighbors to witness this performance.

Mableruth, are there any teenagers nearby? Most any able-bodied young person would help you and proably want little or no pay. I've learned that most people are more than happy to help me with a hand or an arm when a curb seems six feet high.

Tony has put posts by the stairs down into the arroyo. There are enough that I can move from post to post as I go up or down.

It's hot and humid here again today. I'll be leaving for Ca. in a couple of days - I have a stack of note cards reminding me of errands to do while I'm there. I'm going to the California Rare Fruit Festival in Pomona next Saturday. It's the year of the dragonfruit.

I worked a bit in my plant room this morning but it's so hot I find myself standing there with no idea of what I'm doing. Not completely unfamiliar bu usually not this bad.

More news as it happens.

hugs, katie

Forgot to say that Hurricane Estelle is south of Cabo and may head this way.

kb

Yes I have also done the "roll" Our yard is small but fairly private thank goodness

For all of you that suffer from sore backs - or any other muscle I guess - My doctor gave me some Lidoderm Patches and I do not ever want to run out of them. When I am outside and my back (read shoulder, arm whatever) hurts I ask my husband to put one of them on whichever part of me that hurts. In a very short time I have forgotten that I had a sore back. You need to have a prescription for them but they are fairly unintrusive so none of my doctors have any objection to giving it to me. I am sooo glad to have them.

Lidoderm ... I'll tell my DH to ask for them when he gets HEALTH insurance back!

ay-yup

Yep i do the rock and roll in my flowers too also in the living room when i need to get up close and personal with a pet on the floor.
Katie we'll be thinking of you and Estelle. Make her behave.
Vickie

I am happy to report that Estelle, like an old cowboy, seems to be fading away.

kb

Debra .... I can definitely dig it! Katie, I had to scroll up to see whether Estelle was your friend in CA! Good riddance, Estelle.

That's good to hear, Katie. I wonder if your stretch of coast has the same hurricane season as we have on the Gulf? I guess it must. From "July:Stand by!" to "October, All over." I have to use the silly rhyme to remember. I think calendar dates must be only general guidelines or not apply to all regions because I remember hearing of a bad hurricane that hit very high up on the Atlantic coast (NJ? Mass.?) one Halloween night. (Jim)

Don't ask me! If I didn't know it before 5th grade, chances are it's too late. I know "Red sun in morning, sailors take warning - red sun and night, sailors delight!" but I'm not sure that's useful.

We don't have hurricanes, just tornadoes and about 50 tornadoes to your one hurricane. I would argue that tornados are little things but Jim would comeback with Those little things pack a big wallup.I vote we get rid of both critters!

Well, you are little and you pack a punch. :-) It is harder to see those little things coming and get out of their way.
Think I'd rather have hurricanes. At least, you get a lot of time to prepare with 'canes. Stocking up on bottled water and emergency rations and all the other hurricane supplies has become almost routine now. Do need to check the generator. Thanks for reminding me of that. June-too soon. July-Stand by. AUGUST: PREPARE, YOU MUST. Lol. Jim

In our hurricane last September many lost their homes entirely. My friend Saul had water up about five feet in his house and lost virtually all the stock in his grocery store. With either a hurricane or a tornado if you get a hit hit your are, as they say, SOL. I, haveing done disaster relief work for the Red Cross after hurricanes, floods and firestorms, bought a home that is, at least, above the flood plane. I got some water under the doors. I had told Tony when he put the roof on not to scimp on fasteners and the roof held. I got caught on the road sixty miles north of home when the roads went out. Tony stayed at my house to be sure everything was OK. Meanwwhile, twenty-eight realtives moved into his two-bedroom home with his wife and two children who are still at home. When I got home I gave hhim a twenty pound bag of rice and a ham I had brought back. We got almost no help from the government, the Red Cross or the soldiers who were sent, though I don't know why.

Anyway, I am in LA now. Well, Beverly Hills to be precise. Went to the California Rare Fruit Growers Festival yesterday. Got six hours of good information, most of it related to subtropical fruits. I'm still sort of overwhelmed - my head isn't used to being this full.

Errands for the next couple of days, then home to Mulege.

hugs all around, katie

so good to hear from you Katie. thanks for droppin in with an update. It's nice to know, when people that you care about are traveling, have made it and are having a good time.
I hope you find lots of interesting fruits to try and at a good price!

Have a safe trip home.

Hugs,

Sheri

Got home late Friday afternoon after a blessedly uneventful trip. The van is almost all unpacked.

Tony took is father for a medical appointment today. I've had a mild bug (probably brought on by the hot weather). Slept extra yesterday. Doing short bursts of deep cleaning in my bedroom; it's the only room where I have the air conditioning on. It's kind of frustrating as it takes so much to get a noticable improvement. Neighbor Dana once commented on my non-cleaning; I offerred to gift her with the full vacumn bags. That took care of that.

My right ankle is swollen and quite sore. I had it X-rayed on my previous trip to Ca. and nothing showed up. Being overweight is probably making it worse. I'm trying to stay offit. I'm wondering if an elastic support might help.

Finally got a working sewing machine set up in the bedroom. If I put the ironing board next to it, I can do some sewing without having to get up and down a lot. I think I have ADD so I have trouble just sitting.

I brought a couple of new books back from Ca. so I may just lie in bed and read for a day or two. The dogs are more than happy to keep me company in the air-conditioned room

Hope all of your are doing OK and having great weather. We at least don't have any hurricanes coming our way right now.

hugs, katie

Katie, Have to fuss at you. (figure it's my job LOL) It don't do a lot of good to rest for a little if you keep getting up and working. Love ya. Good for you with your neighbor!!!! Have any of you ever had anyone critisize your house than volunteer to clean it for you? Probably not!
An ACE bandage put loosly might help but you'd still need to stay off of it and watch for blue toes and swelling(cutting circulation)Oh and keep it elevated.
Have fun sewing.
What books did you get? Inquiring minds want to know! Also about the fruit.
Birdie, Whats going on with you?
I've got the AC off today. It's 6:15 and starting to cool down.
Vickie