How Does Your Garden Grow?

First of all, before even starting, I would like to know how a day goes from so good to so bad.  Here I sit, iced and elevated, and without a smiley face on the pain chart, even having taking Vicodin and Tylenol a couple of hours ago.  See - that's why I need this blog.  I need to document the ups and downs and downs and downs and ups.  "People" have said that even with an artificial joint, one can be susceptible to damp weather.  I know with my real knee there were days I had to use the cane because my knee buckled and the pain was so bad - when the barometer dropped and it was a day such as today.  I was hoping that phenomenon would be gone with the knee replacement, but I have to prepare myself that perhaps it is NOT a thing of the past. 

The only reason I am chalking my current situation to the rain is that I had a perfectly good morning, in spite of the early thunderstorms and even went on an adventure.  But the amount of activity I did today in no way is reasonably reflected in my current status.  This too shall pass, I know, but it's very annoying.

So - to the title of my blog, and my adventure of the day.  I have a wonderful friend who is also my personal gardener.  I know beauty when I see it, but in no way am I able to produce it.  Last year something brought me to her house and I was amazed to see the most beautiful "wild" gardens I have ever seen.  They weren't wild but because everything was native and perfect for the location, it seems as though angels, and not a human, designed it.  On the spot I asked her if she would come work on my house.  I have several monstrous yards (back, side, front, "way back") and in 20 years of living here I couldn't even manage to grow a lawn, let alone have some semblance of a garden in any of the areas.  I had been throwing in perennials and annuals year after year, but with no plan of action. 

Kathy came last year and started on a metamorphosis that I only wish I had started 20 years ago, not 2.  There is still SO far to go, given the land that I have, but every time I drive up to my home I have a smile on my face. I always give her a budget and let her pick the plants (or sometimes I will bring home a dozen or so and let her figure out what to do with them).  But today, I was ready for an adventure.

And, herein lies my victory for the day.  First of all, I couldn't have gone out any earlier with her because she has a small car and there was no way I would have been able to bend my knee enough to fit into her sardine can (lovely as that sardine can is!) but I knew I was ready to go for it.  I  comfortably got myself in the front seat and off we went to one of my favorite nurseries.  Part two of the adventure.  It's a very large nursery with many different areas.  All on rocky gravel which I maneuvered quite skillfully.  Then between each section are huge grates to catch the run off from their watering - also requiring maneuvering so that the crutch wouldn't get stuck!  Then once you make it from one end to the other picking out what you want, you have to repeat the entire route because something you picked up at the end might go perfectly with something you saw at the beginning - but you wouldn't have known that until the plant was in your cart. 

Hmm... now that I am writing it all down maybe that DOES explain my current predicament!  When we got home I left Kathy to plant the containers and put a few things in the ground and I went straight to sleep.  It's still (and probably will be for a while) a situation where any activity beyond walking around in the house will fatigue me.  I think what happened, though, is that when I went to sleep I didn't "assume the position."  This means on my side, with a pillow between my knees, leaning "just so" on my my side so as to not put any undue stress on my legs (upper or lower), etc.  I just conked out.  My leg was probably under me in such a position that it stressed the knee.  It CAN"T be the walking in the nursery or the PT I did in the morning.... Maybe it isn't even the rain. 

But, that's one of the bumps along the road that I have to make sure I don't panic about.  It is what it is.  Hopefully ice and elevation will help, and in another couple of hours I'll take something for the pain.  And, my husband is cooking a fantastic dinner - so that, for SURE will take my mind off things! :)

Enjoy your evening!
Miriam