Where is Montgomery Scott when you need him...
Practical Matters For Physically Challanged Gardeners#4
LOL. I saw a t-shirt at a Star Trek convention that read: "Beam me up, Scotty. There are no intelligent life forms down here." (Jim)
Jim, I think Einstein said the same thing. LOL
Carrie we want to know all.
Gotta have some of that mint someday.
I do good riding. It's getting out and walking that does me in.
Vickie
Vickie, I have found mint (any) and its relatives - lamiums, monardas, lemon balm, etc. - to be un-desireables in my garden unless safely in a pot. But then, I don't weed much. I wish the thyme would jump into the weedy cracks in the patio!
Ladies and gentlemen, I need to first DL all the pictures I took. I was trying to write an article about wildflowers of Northern CA (as seen from the highway) but some that were in bloom on the way up weren't on the way down. Or maybe I realized they were cultivated after all. Lots of purple allium, for instance, beautiful, but not a wildflower. Not to my knowledge....
I picked up a car seat back massager today. One of those that slips on like a seat cover that you plug into the cigarette lighter. I will probably llike riding/driving more now. Well, after I get the truck's air conditioning system working right again. Of all the times to give me trouble! Heat index puts it over 100 today. But, we are expecting rain tomorrow to cool things back down.
Welcome back Carrie. Hope you enjoyed your trip despite the heat. It really gets to me these days. I'm hugging the AC and eating ice cream. lol. (Jim)
Getting up on soapbox now. No need to agree. I have to say that I think that visits to PT are always worthwhile, and that you will learn exercises to do at home. PT doesn't last forever - they will usually only approve a few visits. Pain can DEFINITELY be affected by the way you use your muscles. PT is painful at first - maybe plan a day when you can rest for an hour afterward, before you have to drive home (is that possible?). But PT is not just for while you're there, like a massage. It's learning how to use your body in a healthier way. I drove half an hour and it was worth it to me. I got stronger and able to use my legs more. (For a long time it wasn't worth it but when I had aggressive goals that I chased aggressively, it became worth it.) Stepping off soapbox.
Carrie, I agree. Last summer I was stricken with back pain so severe it limited what I could do, and actually how long I could be up and about. The Dr gave me pain pills, but I don't want to rely on them for the rest of my life, and so I had him refer me to a Physical Therapist, and it helped immediately, and as long as I continue the exercises at home, I am much better. Not pain free, but to the point that I don't rely on the pain pills, only use them now and again.
Walking is helping me build back the leg/thigh muscles, as well as the lower back. Some days at first it was hard to see any progress, but if you will stay with it, there are definite positive results.
We are leaving in the morning to go on vacation, but will have my lap top with me, and may check in from time to time. You all try to stay cooler.
I have gone thru PT once. That is where I got my cane and was taught the proper way to use it. Learned to exercise in a way that did not cause further damage and so forth. Carrie, did they put you thru PT every time there were noticeable changes as the MS progressed?
I know there have been some internal changes in my condition. What I question is whether they are significant enough at this point to warrant making changes in the way I function on a daily basis. Since I am prone to falls, I’m afraid they may want me to step up to a walker or w/c. I’m not sure I’m ready for that. I’m only 48-years-old. Seems a bit pre-mature. Like giving in to the DDD before I absolutely have to. I know I will need PT again at some point to adapt when a truly new stage comes. I just feel like they are pushing things more quickly than necessary. The 4-hour round trip would be a pain. But, I guess my resistance really comes down to making changes when the VA thinks I should or making changes when I think I should.
Haven’t spoken to the PA who handles my case face-to-face yet. Just her nurse on the phone. I will try to keep an open mind when I do see her.
Bonnie, I once laughed at "mall walkers". Now, I'm seriously considering becoming one. I mean, there you have a perfectly level surface so falling is unlikely and there is climate control so rain, snow and gloom of night need not interfere with your exercise program. It makes a lot of sense. Have a great vacation and STAY WELL on this one! (Jim)
Jim, I tried mall walking for awhile, but I'm so naturally lazy that I stopped making the effort to drive there pretty quick. :-) The boss bought a treadmill for the office, so I now get to use that and do get on it three or four times a week. You are right that walking on the level, climate-controlled surface is really good for you if it doesn't hurt too much to make the laps. You could have fun with it, too. Dress up in exaggeratedly funny "old" clothes, Groucho glasses, beer can w/straws hat-put the Monster Lo-Carb cans in them. The possibilities are endless...
Debra
hi guys,
I,ve had a pretty bad night and have decided to go to the emergency room and get admitted to Senior Care for Depression. I'll be fine just need a little time to recoup.and get some med problems and meds straightened out. Did'nt want you to wonder why i was'nt here. Will be thinkin of you.
Vickie
Vickie, I am glad you made that decision. With all you have going on, a little breathing space is probably a good thing. :-) We will be thinking of you, too. Please let us know when you are back.
Debra
Mall-walking, lol, never heard of that! Of course my 16 yo DD would love it but would come home $50-$100 poorer every time ...
Today I went to the Y (which has adaptive equipment) and used the reclined bike for 20 min.! That's a lot for me! Debra, it's divine that your boss bought a treadmill to use at work; that's what I want DH's boss to do.
Vickie, right decision and I hope things work out. PLEASE let us know if you can!
Jim, they may not be trying to move you to a WC but rather to forestall the move?
Carrie, not if you only allowed her to go in the early hours before the stores open. :-) The malls here open the main door about 45 minutes before the stores open, a lot of mall-walkers go then because it is, obviously, quieter and much less traffic. Get her in, get her out, no withdrawals from the pocketbook. :-D
Debra
I agree with Debra, Vickie. It is a good decision. Getting out from under the stress and getting the meds straightened out has got to be a good thing. But, the Granny Goons and the Grumpas reserve the right to bust you out when we need you. Lol. Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.
Debra, there is a mall walking group that haunts the mall during off hours. Don’t know if I can keep up with some of those speed walking old ladies. But they are nice and offer encouragement as they flash by. Lol. I’ll have to take Nadine to work until she gets another car so I’ll be making trips to the mall anyway for a month or so. If I can resist the temptation of rewarding my good behavior with a stop at the food court on my way out it should work. :-)
Hm-m-m. Didn’t think of that, Carrie. There is a RadioShack in the mall that could present a danger to my bank account. I’ll just have to keep the goal firmly in mind. A thinner waistline, not a thinner wallet.
Kay has been working on the propagation and seeding benches today. Working both with what is on the tables and putting a weed barrier down beneath them. It should save us maintenance and daily upkeep work in the future. There are more than 30 feet of outdoor propagation benches so keeping the grass and weeds from growing up beneath them has been a time consuming job. . With about six acres, we need the nursery benches operating. I don’t know if we could afford to do what we do if we bought all our plants from the nursery as potted specimen. Fortunately, we have the time and Kay thinks growing from seed and propagating are the most fun parts of gardening.
The only plants that caught my attention on the benches today were some new kinds of basil (new to us, anyway.) and some Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus). The latter look like hibiscus to me, but Kay says it will develop an edible fruit. Of course, we are talking about a woman who eats maypops and cilantro. To me, the first taste perfumey and the latter soapy. I do have a viable theory about Kay’s taste for cilantro. I remember Momma Helen threatening to wash Kay’s mouth out with soap when Kay was a child and repeated words she heard on the docks. I theorize that Miss Helen must have had to carry out her threat. I know how stubborn my dearly beloved has always been. Miss H probably had to carry the threat out repeatedly to get the lesson across. Hence, Kay developed a taste for soap. I also remember other mothers making that same threat. Could I have stumbled upon the REAL reason behind cilantro’s popularity? :-) Have a blessed day, Everyone. (Jim)
Jim, I loovvvvveeee cilantro. Eat it on salads, Tex-Mex, Thai...
Have a really healthy Turk's Cap. Thinking of putting in a couple more along the fence line.
Kay, you are my hero. Seeds and I are not mutually compatible....:-)
'Night, all. Sleep well.
Debra
Morning. My neighbor brought me half a pickup truck load of mulch, which has been sitting in my driveway. The driveway and side yard are configured so I can't get the trash and recycle containers from back around the mulch pile to the curb for the solid waste guys. Since it takes a month for me to fill it, not been a problem until now, but figured I'd better take advantage of the kids coming over today before it gets to be a smelly issue with ALL the neighbors. LOL Might get the kids to plant the Gomphrena I've had potted up, too. They're blooming, but kind of leggy. Some reseeded from last year, so I have hopes for this year's crop.
Debra
Debra, you stumped me with “Gophrena”. Globe amaranth? Oh, Man! Am I going to have to start exercising my brain too?! :-)
Recently, I’ve seen the flowers below everywhere. They bloom on a small tree. I’ve seen it growing wild and in cultivated landscapes. I guess I’ll exercise my brain some more by trying to find out what it is called. Then, I will crawl over to the Plant and Tree ID forum and beg them nicely to tell me what it actually is. Lol. (Jim)
Yep, globe amaranth. Red ones. Had purple planted last year, too. Like them a lot because they don't need supplemental water. :-)
Looks like Crape Myrtle.
I'm no help, I was going to guess camellia because of the leaves and because we don't have either here, but Debra is way more likely to be right.
Debra, don't be scared of seeds. Start with a 16 oz cup, punch some holes in the bottom, add 4"-5" of potting soil, and sprinkle the seed of a wildflower you like or something that self-seeds, or that your neighbors can germinate successfully. (I'd make suggestions but I'd be wrong because our climates are so different.) Cover or not with a little soil, depending on the directions on the envelope. Make sure the seed wasn't packed in 1993 or anything. Water it frequently with a gentle spray or stream so as not to disturb the seeds (not a hose). Don't leave it in scorching sun - I would put it in the sun but my sun is quite different from yours! Maybe filtered sun? Start with something easy. I had my first triumphs with marigolds and bachelors buttons.
Jim, I am pretty sure it is Crape Myrtle, it's all over the place here. Have some in my back yard. But I could be wrong, so you should maybe put it on the ID request?
Carrie, I will be a big, brave girl and try some. :-)
Here are the kids from today. That mulch pile is a lot bigger than it looks.
Debra
Max and Kristen pulled the choking grassy weedy stuff from around the Cannas, spread the mulch, and were happy the whole time. They are good kids. Next time, Max will get on the roof to trim three branches laying on it and sweep debris. Kristen will pull Bermuda(?) from around the roses. ugh!! I hate those horrible runners.
esm deffinately Crepe Myrtle. I once had a house with the most beautiful 30+ft tall one that was so beautiful this time of year. I also loved to use the flowers as you have shown in your picture for making pressed flower pictures. that was many years ago however.
Sheri
THANK YOU, ladies. I knew it must be something a long-time southerner would not have much trouble recognizing. I hated to ask folks here and go back to "just a yankee" status. You know, it is when people defend your right to not know with a comment like: "You can't expect him to know that. He is just a Yankee after all." lol. (Jim)
I'm no "long time southerner", just happened to havve had a Crep Myrtle tree. I was born out west and all but 2 relatives still live in the 3 west coast states.
It’s called “payback”. LOL. I seem to recall the man who made the post above found it quite amusing when my daughters and I marveled over trees with interesting colored trunks and delicate foliage on a trip to Canada. As I remember, he found it hilarious that my DD’s didn’t recognize such COMMON things as birch trees. My daughters grew up near St. Petersburg, Florida where a birch tree is definitely not COMMON. Is there a plant EVERYONE would consider “common”? Dandelions, maybe?
Working in the garden in the early morning does have perks other than just avoiding heat. The blooms are always at their best and you can completely miss beauties like this if you get out too late.
Photo: A dark blue Morning Glory
that is a gorgeous blue.
I have that one also.
Still have this area to pull. This is the "Before" the kids got to it yesterday.
Here is the after. Did a pretty good job, don't you think?
Texas Sage is blooming.
Oops. Picture.
This one is a bit blurry, but don't those leaves just look like duck down?
Just checking in, I am on vacation in Myrtle Beach S.C., and having a wonderful time. It did rain tonight, but the days have been absolutely beautiful. Have my lap top, and am trying to keep up with my "watched threads" so I won't be so far behind when I get home.
If you want to sign me up to enjoy some beach time for you, please say so, I did that for 2 people on another forum, and they say they feel more reaxed!!
Bonnie, I would be forever grateful if you would sign me up, too. Haven't had beach time in 20 years and am past the point of merely 'needing' it. LOL
Debra
Sheri, blue flowers are my favorite. I know morning glories can be problematic, but what other plant has so many incredible shades of blue.
You got teenagers to do real, honest-to-goodness work, Debra? That is amazing! Lol.
Bonnie, I would appreciate it if you could do about 30 minutes of walking on the beach or swimming on my behalf tomorrow. That way I can honestly tell Kay I got my half hour of exercise. Make sure to have fun doing it so I can say that I even enjoyed it. (Jim)
Jim, it is even more amazing than you know. That young man is 19 and has had more issues than many twice his age. Hooked on heroin at 16, stole to support the habit, went to rehab and has been clean for more than a year. A few months ago, his mom was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer. No family beyond his younger sister live in the area. We were concerned about his stress levels, so we came up with a plan. The office has a full kitchen and we sent dinner home twice a week around Mom's chemo. Only HE had to cook it (Mom DOESN'T cook). Now he's pretty good at it! The boss decided Mom and the kids needed something lively around the house as a distraction. He drove the kid 50 miles to get a shelter puppy they saw online. Which immediately developed Parvo and spent 10 days at the vet--on my boss' dime. But the pup has become a joy to the mom and has helped her cope, too. The girl in the picture also works for us. They are taking the same college classes this summer, have completed two and start the third tomorrow. When needed, I loan the kids money for textbooks and such, and they pay it back with labor at my house. All in all, even counting only the satisfaction of seeing this one doing well, I think I am getting the vastly better end of the deal. :-)
Debra
jim and Debra, I have no other takers, so will be enjoying time on the beach for both of you. Of course, I will give you separate slots, so that you won't feel cheated!!
Debra, that is quite the undertaking for you. I am so glad to hear that you are helping that boy out. It could be that you may be the only positive influence in his life. I am sure that he will be overwhelmed by his mother's illness, and I feel better about you being there for him. This world needs more people like you. Those who think they are out of chances, but someone to give them that last chance. Bless you.
We are having a good time, and have the rest of the week. I will be coming home a few pounds heavier, and a lot browner. It seems to be a good tonic for me,as I am sleeping better, even on a horribly horribly hard bed.
Oh, Bonnie, beach for me too, please. I am in an awful mood, terribly cranky, a nice relaxing nap on the beach is just what i need! Don't know why this thread didn't come up for me until now - I missed so much! Is that MG Grandpa Otts, Kay, do you know? I have some that have reseeded - dunno what kind they are, just garden variety, ha ha.
Carrie, you have every reason to be in a cranky mood and I hope Bonnie's beach time for you helps. I'm visualizing you sitting on sand, cool breeze, brilliant water, and a nice icy drink in hand...
Debra
Thank you, Debra, if it were REAL beach time, it might REALLY help. But I am trying to visualize myself feeling less panicky and more relaxed. What kind of MS is yours? (Is there a better way to say that so you don't have to own the MS? What kind have you been diagnosed with?) That Texas sage is pretty - too bad you have to live in TX!
This is a funny comment, but I think all the local things - Texas sage, California poppies, New England asters, whatever else I can't think of - are so pretty! Of course they only bloom 2 weeks a year in one micro-climate, so Burpee or whoever has to hybridize them into something the rest of us can grow too.