I finally bought my pond last Monday 8/15. I almost didn't get it because my daughter's car needed repairs and gutted my budget, but I decided to buy it anyway. Then I planned to install it this past weekend, but my sister had emergency surgery with complications on her gall bladder, so I was with her this Friday and Saturday. She is still in the hospital in ICU with a blood clot in her lung and on blood thinners. Then last night, upset over my sister and trying to sidestep my affectionate cat, I fell, popped my knee out of joint, reach for it (screaming) and tried to get up, popped it back (unintentionally, still screaming), and felt the most excruciting pain ever. My DD came running, convinced our elderly dog must have suddenly died to account for my screaming. She persuaded me to go to the emergency room. I received a x-rays, a percocet, and a splint. Today, it is swollen, bruised, and throbbing, but tolerable.
Just to say--I do have the pond. I am putting it in the backyard next to the screened porch instead of at the front entry. Lowe's pond options are pretty good, and I got an 86 gallon one with pump, waterfall, and fountain--$99.
At last, I bought my pond.
Oh, my goodness! What a terrible time you've had! I hope your sister gets better soon. I know how stressful it is to have someone in ICU... just know that she's getting the best care the hospital can offer in there, round the clock. I know what you mean about daughters... go one (23 yr old) and still have to help her out occasionally. And I can not imagine the pain you suffered dislocating your knee. It's a good thing you went ahead and got it x-rayed and all, though. You wouldn't want there to be other damage gone undetected. You would then suffer even more until finally coming to the realization that something else was going on.
You will be SO excited when you do get the pond in. I just put in my first one a couple of weeks ago. I still have a little work to do to finish the installation (redistribute some dirt piles around the sides and fountain piece) and do the landscaping around it (which will be the fun part) and voila! Paradise in your own backyard!
Heal quickly!
Gail
Thank you, Gail. I am glad my sister is in ICU and making progress. It's very nerve wracking. My knee is coming along pretty well--at least I can bend it today. I have been looking forward to this pond for so long. My future s-i-l will be visiting for a week, and I hope he will help my DD and I to install it. He has a lot of experience with gardening and ponds. Do you have a picture of your pond?
Nancy
OMGosh! Good thoughts and prayers for you!
Good luck on the pond installation. We found it very calming. Lots of hard work and worth every second.
Still have to put in the falls. We have a few fish, a few plants, and it's lovely to sit next to. Next year we're going for a bigger one.
Here's mine.... please ignore the missing shingle. Got damaged in a hail storm and I haven't bothered to go buy replacement... YET.
Glad your knee is better... being able to bend it comes in handy, huh? I can't imagine trying to get around without bending my leg!!
Gail
casey--pretty pond--I like the stone surrounding it, and it looks as if you have stones inside it too. I'm not surprised you want to go bigger.
gardenergail--I remember seeing and reading about your pond when I was browsing the threads. It sounds as if you had a lot of fun building it. It took me forever to get a section of facia fixed from Jeanne. Storms can be annoying sometimes.
My sister is still in ICU. I am getting scared. I thought the problem would be resolved by now. Here's my inspiration pond her husband built a few years ago. It doesn't have fish or plants right now, but they are planning to add some soon.
This message was edited Aug 22, 2005 6:56 PM
I know exactly how you feel! My DH had an accident last year(cut his thumb off), My DM had a very serious by pass this past spring, my DD had a baby (my beautiful granddaughter) with major complications, on July 18, then my DH had another accident on Aug. 7th. He fell off a ten ft. ladder, crushed his wrist (thumb on the left hand and wrist on the right hand), so basically he can do nothing, and the pain is unreal. He went through wrist reconstruction on the 12th. My pond is the only source of sanity at this moment. I guess it is the only thing that keeps me sane. I really do enjoy the calm. I could sit by it for hours. Look at my lilies four and five times a day. Hurry up and put it in!! You will have so much enjoyment in this crazy world of ours!!
meag--The staff I work with have had so many ordeals; I feel fortunate. One co-worker last spring was returning from the prom with a trailer load of decorations. The trailer came unhitched. She got out to access the situation and was hit by a speeding drunk driver, thrown 66 feet from impact to landing, and airlifted to the hospital. The Florida patrolman handling the scene said he had never seen anyone in her condition make it alive to the hospital. She had a plate, rods, and 18 screws put into her leg. She's back at work this year on a walker. I am amazed. As I lay on the porch in pain, I was trying to figure out how Donna managed to survive. My little ordeal seems puny by comparison.
As for my sister, I just spoke to her again this evening, and she sounded much more like herself and thinks she may go home tomorrow. She's now in ICU because there are no available beds to move her into. I am thankful to God.
I am sorry to hear of all your troubles. I hope your granddaughter is pulling through and your DH is healing. It is nice to have a tranquil spot to escape the craziness.
I keep starting to type and just don't know what to say. Words escape me and nothing I can think of can relay the way I feel. What a tough time you have had, meag. I'll bet it seems like "what next?!"
It IS amazing what the human body can withstand, isn't it? That poor girl that got hit by the drunk driver.... MAN! How tragic! She is truly lucky to be alive and her recovery, I'm sure, has been a long and painful one.
It makes you realize just how blessed you are. I'm sure my day will come... my dear daddy is not in good health and could literally drop dead any minute, so every minute with him is a blessing. He's only 67, but has already had at least 2 heart attacks and his heart only functions at about 30% of normal and bypass surgery would not correct the damage that is done, but he still works a desk job and mows his 1 & 1/2 acre yard (riding mower, of course), but we all constantly worry every time he gets to feeling bad. As far as that kind of injury/accident/tragedy you've been through, though, we have been very lucky.
I'm glad your sister is improving, fireant, and that your leg is healing. You better be careful! It won't take much to injure it again. But as meag said, once you get the pond in, there's such a tranquil, relaxing feeling you get sitting by it. Soothing. That's the word.
My pond was REALLY hard work but lots of fun with my buddy, Nancy. We have become such friends the past year. I didn't really realize that I had lost contact with my "friends" over the years until I found her and the only way I can explain it is that it's like we were separated at birth and then found each other later. My long lost sister. She keeps joking about moving to TX but I got news for her... it ain't happenin'!!! lol
Gail
Gail your pond is just beautiful!! I have also been watching through the threads. Fireant, I agree with Gail, please be careful with that knee. It's in a weakened state and won't take much to hurt it again.
Gail and Fireant, my thoughts and prayers are with you both. My DH says that when you think you are at the bottom, and you just can't take anymore, just look around, there is someone who has it just a little worse than you do. And you know what, for once, he just might be right!!
Thanks for your compliments on the pond, meag. I just love it. And you sure are right... just look around and you can always find someone that has suffered more than yourself. It's easy to let yourself start feeling "down" over little things that some people would consider the most minor of problems. The tragedy of others is what brings us to our senses sometimes.
So, fireant, have you scheduled your installation date yet? You mentioned your future s-i-l coming to visit and possibly helping... is that going to be soon?
Gail
My future S-i-L is coming Friday (from Michigan). He'll be staying for a week, which is the week before my daughter returns to college. His grandmother has a pond that is 8 feet long, and he helps her with it. Mine is small by comparison. Monica's booked up their time pretty full, but she said they would help with the pond. With the heat and humidity here, my stamina is not very good. I need all the help I can get.
I am wearing a smaller knee splint today. It helps to brace it. It looks worse than when I went to the ER with it--swollen and bruised. I could still dig the pond even with the sore knee. It's just the humidity that wipes me out now.
Fireant, don't you dare try it by yourself!! You don't want to do more damage!! It doesn't take much when it's tender to begin with. My brillant DH said riding the mower wouldn't due much damage, yeah, right!! With a wrist full of screws,plates,bars and who knows what else. The vibrations did just wonders, not only he suffers, and so do I !! It just kills me to see him in so much pain. Please!! don't try it by your self
The heat is too much for me to dig. Plus working all day wears my knee out, so I am waiting for the weekend.
My sister is finally out of ICU, but still uncomfortable with a pain in her right side. I hope they do a full MRI to check it out for her. Her DH says she will be there for another couple of days. The lung doctor is not ready to release her. I'm going down to see her.
I'll get the pond installed. It'll just take a little more patience.
Start us another thread when you do! And don't forget to take and post pics, 'ya know! I think the only ones I wish I'd taken that I didn't were the hole in the ground and us sitting it down in there... or maybe when we were crawling around on our hands and knees in the dirt trying to pack it down around the outer sides... THAT was pretty! lol But like meag said, don't try it alone! Let DD's fiance do the "tough stuff"...
Gail
I will, Gail. That would have been a sight, you and your friend in the hole.
It was. We were crawling around on all 4's pushing dirt in around the outsides and had dirty legs, dirty arms, dirty faces, dirty clothes... we sure looked a sight! Like a couple of kids that had been out riding bikes on a dirt road all day! Of course, it was dry and brushed off (mostly). If I'd taken a bath instead of a shower it sure would've made a ring around the tub that night! lol
Gail
I'm not a very experienced gardener, but one thing I have learned is that the beautiful results took a lot of time and sweat and effort. (With the exception that some of the too perfect results probably were from the sweat and effort of hired professionals rather than a garden lover.) Gardening is also a good excuse for playing and getting as grimy as a kid again. I remember my mom hosing us down before letting us in when we were kids.