Among Friends

[Desert Lily]

We're in the midst of another heat wave in E. PA, & those mid-90 degrees temps bake garbage in the trash can in the garage. The smell was so bad each time I opened the lid & then the kitchen door from the garage. There weren't any spills in the can, just baked garbage. We put our trash cans out on Sunday nights, & I was so glad to get it out of the garage.

After the recycle truck was here this morning, I washed the can using Gain laundry detergent, buckets of water, & a broom to scrub it b4 rinsing. Then I left it in the driveway with the lid wide open to let the sun dry it. When I wheeled it in, I sprayed the inside with Lysol. Another fun day in hot paradise.

[Bird mama]

My sister came over on Saturday and we worked in the front yard.  I have 3 leafy shrubs in the front yard garden bed and I trimmed the sides with the hedge trimmer and she trimmed the tops.  While she was on the stepstool trimming the tops of the shrubs I rolled down to the sidewalk and studied the branches on the silver maple.  I usually check branch length over the pedestrian sidewalk and trim anything can could potentially brush across a tall person taking a walk.  That was pretty easy to do because I could pull the branch down, clip it and let it go.

Before I broke my foot I put many bags of dirt in the low lying areas along the back fence. My intention was to level off the ground and eventually plant.  Some weeds and strange grasses grew pretty tall and I didn't address them on Saturday because I was exhausted from working in the front yard. 

I decided to tackle the back fence yesterday for a couple of hours.  I gotta tell ya, necessity is the mother of invention, lol.  I don't have a cart (will be buying one) and I knew crossing the back yard on one leg and a walker was going to be exhausting.  I have a Scott's spreader and used it like a cart.  I bungee corded the small rake, cordless string trimmer and a paper lawn waste bag to the spreader and dragged it behind me.

The grasses and weeds were alot for the string trimmer.  I needed a machete   Anyway, I got on my knees and pulled out weeds and emptied 14 40 lb. bags of topsoil and spread it.  I have 8 connected panels of fencing that run along the back fenceline and my goal was addressing the ground in front of 4.  I ended up getting 5 done before I ran out of gas.  I'm a bit sore and stiff today (arms, shoulders) and incredibly proud of what I achieved.

I did something else constructive yesterday morning.  I have bathtub with a shower head on the wall and a shower curtain.  As much as I love an old fashioned claw foot tub, I find myself grateful these days that I don't have one.  I know that you can buy plastic cast covers that allow you to take a shower and keep your cast dry.  I haven't gone that route for a couple of reasons: there's elastic at the top (say knee area) and there is no way that I am constricting blood flow on my right leg; the bruising from the tourniquet used during surgery is still healing.  Also even though I have some non slip things on the bottom of the tub, ain't no way I'm going to stand on one leg and try to take a shower.

When you take a bath, you're in the tub lengthwise.  Your feet usually point towards the low end of the tub and the faucet and your head points towards the high end of the tub.  In order for me to take a bath I sit in the tub cross ways and rest my cast on the toilet next to the tub.  Basically I'm sitting in the tub facing out with my right arm aimed towards the low end and faucet and my left arm facing the high part of the tub and tile wall.  I know it's crazy.

I am grateful that I am the size that I am and that I am limber   My bathing style since surgery has been a combination of human pretzel (like a circus act) and break dancing (rolling around in tub trying to get shower head to rinse off soap).

I ordered 2 different shower heads from Home Depot before the holiday.  Yesterday I installed the dual shower head and I gotta tell you.  I still have to be the human pretzel as far as my position in the tub but it was wonderful being able to take a complete bath start to finish and really feel rinsed off.  I recommend dual shower heads - that extra shower head on a hose is a fabulous thing.  I've been bathing my body in the tub and shampooing my hair in the utility tub in the basement.

When the cast comes off and the walking boot goes on I will be able to include my right leg in the tub.  I know me - I won't be comfortable standing up for a while and this extra shower head will be a Godsend.

[Desert Lily]

@Bird mama  Good to hear that you were able to make progress with the soil in your backyard safely. And nice that you were able to enjoy a full shower.

Would a shower stool be of any help when you get your cast off?

[Bird mama]

I happen to have a lovely shower stool/bath chair @Desert Lily   I haven't put it into the tub at this point because I really don't need one more thing to navigate around.  I have what I would call a galley bathroom - more narrow and rectangular.  There is a small area between the front of the toilet and the wall across from it that allows me to crawl into the bathtub like you mount a horse.  Again, glad I am tall and long legged.  I kneel down, swing my left leg over the tub wall/rim, fidget a little and land up on my rear end.  All of this is happening at the high point of the tub where a normal person rests their head.  If I put the shower stool in the tub, even if it put it near the low end of the tub more directly under a shower head then once I'm in the tub I have to fidget to actually get up on the chair.

It's take less energy to just sit down crossways and start washing up.  When I could use both of my feet I still took a bath first and then rinsed off thoroughly under the shower.  I was never much of a straight shower girl. 

My strategy could change once they remove the cast and see if the walking boot they gave me can be properly fitted.  I don't think they're going to say here's the walking boot, good luck.  I think I may still have to avoid putting pressure on the foot until I start rehab.  

Does anything of this make sense?

[just bee]

[Snicks1]

Good morning.
Got my hair cut this morning. It's another rainy day, think I'll just veg out for the rest of the day. Can't think of a thing I'm all that interested in doing today, lol.
Have a good one.

[viva923]

hey all

it is a blazing heat hot day here and super sticky humid

dh did the bj run-he is back home-doing walmart run this p.m.. (this a local run)

did hang out-

got morn walk in early

not much else.later guys

[mousiegirl]

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@Bird mama wrote:

My sister came over on Saturday and we worked in the front yard.  I have 3 leafy shrubs in the front yard garden bed and I trimmed the sides with the hedge trimmer and she trimmed the tops.  While she was on the stepstool trimming the tops of the shrubs I rolled down to the sidewalk and studied the branches on the silver maple.  I usually check branch length over the pedestrian sidewalk and trim anything can could potentially brush across a tall person taking a walk.  That was pretty easy to do because I could pull the branch down, clip it and let it go.

Before I broke my foot I put many bags of dirt in the low lying areas along the back fence. My intention was to level off the ground and eventually plant.  Some weeds and strange grasses grew pretty tall and I didn't address them on Saturday because I was exhausted from working in the front yard. 

I decided to tackle the back fence yesterday for a couple of hours.  I gotta tell ya, necessity is the mother of invention, lol.  I don't have a cart (will be buying one) and I knew crossing the back yard on one leg and a walker was going to be exhausting.  I have a Scott's spreader and used it like a cart.  I bungee corded the small rake, cordless string trimmer and a paper lawn waste bag to the spreader and dragged it behind me.

The grasses and weeds were alot for the string trimmer.  I needed a machete   Anyway, I got on my knees and pulled out weeds and emptied 14 40 lb. bags of topsoil and spread it.  I have 8 connected panels of fencing that run along the back fenceline and my goal was addressing the ground in front of 4.  I ended up getting 5 done before I ran out of gas.  I'm a bit sore and stiff today (arms, shoulders) and incredibly proud of what I achieved.

I did something else constructive yesterday morning.  I have bathtub with a shower head on the wall and a shower curtain.  As much as I love an old fashioned claw foot tub, I find myself grateful these days that I don't have one.  I know that you can buy plastic cast covers that allow you to take a shower and keep your cast dry.  I haven't gone that route for a couple of reasons: there's elastic at the top (say knee area) and there is no way that I am constricting blood flow on my right leg; the bruising from the tourniquet used during surgery is still healing.  Also even though I have some non slip things on the bottom of the tub, ain't no way I'm going to stand on one leg and try to take a shower.

When you take a bath, you're in the tub lengthwise.  Your feet usually point towards the low end of the tub and the faucet and your head points towards the high end of the tub.  In order for me to take a bath I sit in the tub cross ways and rest my cast on the toilet next to the tub.  Basically I'm sitting in the tub facing out with my right arm aimed towards the low end and faucet and my left arm facing the high part of the tub and tile wall.  I know it's crazy.

I am grateful that I am the size that I am and that I am limber   My bathing style since surgery has been a combination of human pretzel (like a circus act) and break dancing (rolling around in tub trying to get shower head to rinse off soap).

I ordered 2 different shower heads from Home Depot before the holiday.  Yesterday I installed the dual shower head and I gotta tell you.  I still have to be the human pretzel as far as my position in the tub but it was wonderful being able to take a complete bath start to finish and really feel rinsed off.  I recommend dual shower heads - that extra shower head on a hose is a fabulous thing.  I've been bathing my body in the tub and shampooing my hair in the utility tub in the basement.

When the cast comes off and the walking boot goes on I will be able to include my right leg in the tub.  I know me - I won't be comfortable standing up for a while and this extra shower head will be a Godsend.

@Bird mama   WOW!  What is that which you tell injured people to do, "take it easy,"  That is a ton of work being done in a cast.

Due to my knee injuries, I bought a chair to sit in the tub while I shower, now I stand, but the chair is there in case I need to sit, and I do sit when exfoliating my face.

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[mousiegirl]

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@Snicks1 wrote:
Good morning.
Got my hair cut this morning. It's another rainy day, think I'll just veg out for the rest of the day. Can't think of a thing I'm all that interested in doing today, lol.
Have a good one.

@Snicks1  That is how I feel every day, lol, except when there is a project ahead, then I get going. 

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[Snicks1]

Sunny here today, and on the cooler side (mid 60s) right now, so that's great, but my yard is so soggy from 2-3 days of rain that it's impossible to even think about doing anything outdoors. Oh well, such is life. I heard from the contractor a few days ago that he plans to have some of his crew start breaking up the concrete that surrounded the old pool, within the next 10 days or so, but I've heard that before, so not getting excited until he gives me a solid date when work will begin. I'm looking forward to it, and dreading it, all at the same time, lol. The dog will be beside himself the entire time, that's the part I dread. In the meantime, I guess we'll take our walk now, while it's still cool. Have a good day.
Oh, and btw, @Bird mama, lol, you might want to take it just a bit easier, you're seeming more and more like me, doing all that work, with a serious injury.