Roses, roses, roses

Hello, Gorgeous

crocus

The garden year begins again.  Regarding my arm injury.... yeah, well, Rome wasn't built in a day. My recovery has been very slow with many small setbacks. It's the proverbial 2 steps forward, one step back, though maybe more like 1 1/2 steps back. I'll get there.

Summer's gone

The rains have come and they are welcome to me.  Good-bye long hot dry summer, too hot, too dry.

Despite the physical set-backs, I did still have some good times in the garden this year. Hopefully, I can heal up well and get back to it next year!    Garden 2015

Slowly but surely (?)

This foto is from May, when I was still quite swollen and in a lot of pain.  Today, as August is turning into September, the swelling is gone and I only feel a little twitch of discomfort.

"Only a twitch" provided I avoid several types of movements that involve gripping and twisting, and lifting anything more than about 15lbs tops (the cat is 13!).  It's still quite easy to aggravate and takes a few days to settle back down if I do something stupid.

Sigh.

I don't know what this means for the garden next year (or, ever). I've had some ideas about how to manage my work differently, both in terms of time and tools -- but even that is contingent on me being well and with some strength returned.

Fingers crossed -- on my left hand.

Ow-ie

So... turns out you can get tennis elbow even if you don't play tennis. You can get it from doing a whole lotta yard work, especially with the repetitive motions involved in weeding, pulling up blackberries, and wielding hand shears like a ninja.

So... I'm not going to be working in the garden for two, possibly three weeks. And I need to rethink my work pattern so this doesn't happen again.

UPDATE May 29:  So, 3 weeks is looking more like 3 months. I'm in physical therapy now and making great progress, but I have to accept that the risk of re-injury will be great this year.  Gardenbooty has ceased for 2015.

I can still do a few things with my left hand only and my boyfriend is helping with the absolute necessities. My hope is that the fantastic progress I made this year will mostly hold and in 2016 I can pick up where I left off, but with a different work pattern. No more 3-day weekends.

More mugwort