Sittin On A Porch

Sittin On A Porch
Our little back porch

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

500 miles

It has been a busy few days.  Saturday Bug and I started removing 500 feet (okay not miles) of PVC horse fence with a goat fence liner.  We removed the goat fence first then started popping off the post caps and then pulling out the running boards from the 6 inch square posts.  The corner posts were cemented in, but the running posts were just planted deep.  Very very deep.  I mean like a 7 foot tall post and the fence was about 3.5 feet above the ground.  It was not 4 feet tall, so the rest of the posts, set at 8 feet were buried deeper then they were above ground.  They were like iceberg fences.  Bug would drive the tractor up to each post and I would attach it to the strap on the bucket and he would pull it up.  I would then swing the post out so we could lay it down on the grass. 

The corner posts they had poured the cement into the post.  Not at the base using the post stand that they sell you attach the corner posts to.  So there were globs of cement that leaked out from the posts at the bottom and along the sides were the running boards were slipped into.  The cement went all the way to the top.  It was insane.  All of us peered into the posts with amazement at the amount of cement used.  It took us three days to get the fence removed, and stored behind our new house where it will stand one day. 

Yesterday while we were working on the fence Dad called and said Mom had fallen and he couldn't get her up.  He wouldn't call 911 until I got there to get her dressed.  She ended up falling three times in total.  The ambulance came by twice.  The second time they took her to the hospital.  She was so exhausted by that time she didn't even argue.  We were exhausted too.  When Dad headed to the hospital behind the ambulance we felt guilty but we were too tired to go.  And I have not had a flu shot and going to the emergency room when I am this worn out is not to be considered.  I was worried to death over Dad, but we had worn ourselves down further then I would have thought was even possible.  We are numb from the physical exhaustion, and with Mom falling and going to the hospital it completely overwhelmed us.  Dad took one look at us and understood.  I was almost falling asleep standing still for a minute.  We have just been so busy, and then add in pulling up fence. 

Why would you ask that we do such a crazy thing?  Well, we saved at least $5K on this fencing.  Okay, we would never have bought this fence because of the cost, but it will look wonderful in the back yard and keep the dogs safe and the chicken coop will also be in this area, so an extra layer of protection.  We questioned ourselves at the end of each day why were we doing this.  But now that it is down, we are proud of ourselves.  Every inch of our bodies hurts.  Even after powerful pain meds I would say my pain level today was between 4 and 5. 

Mom is doing fine.  We got Dad to leave her in the room for about half an hour to go downstairs and get some food.  He had not eaten all day, and I am not sure that either of them ate yesterday.  Mom will be in the hospital for a few days while they run tests and try and find out what all is wrong.  She may have had a heart attack, maybe not.  She may have a UTI, probably, but maybe not.  That is as far as they had gotten so far today.

I had a doctor appointment today with Dr. May.  I thought it was at 11 but it was actually 11:45, so we had time to run by the Goodwill.  Bug found towel bars, shelving, hooks, toilet paper holder that all matched and will look gorgeous in one of our bathrooms.  We stopped by Lowe's while I was at the doctors and found the same towel bars.  One package with a towel bar, towel circle and toilet paper was almost $15 more then we paid for 12 pieces.  Oh yeah!!  We are getting some lovely things.  I found a set of sheets, cream colored with palm trees embroidered on the pillow cases and the flat sheet.  I found them for 1/2 price of what I have seen them on sale in those bed places.  score.  Then I found a shower curtain for the upstairs bathroom.  We also found mosaic tile pieces in the color of the shower to replace the purple turtles.  Yes, the upstairs bathroom has a hand tile shower with the bottom portion not matching the walls.  At all.  Nope, purple turtles in turquoise green grass aren't that bad in themselves, but the simply do not match the rest of the shower.  Since the purple turtles are only about 2 inches wide and run as a border near the top of the stark white bath room tiles.  We found these lovely little mosaic tiles that have the right colors, including the white from the wall tiles and the smaller brown/sandy floor and seat tiles.  Bug looked up how to take the turtle tiles down and replace them with the new ones.  And again, we paid less then a fourth of them at regular price.  These had a limited number left and were going out of stock, so they were really reduced.  It takes time.  It takes looking, but Bug is amazing at finding great deals.  Just little pieces of special things here and there.  Touches of us healing our wounded home.  And we enjoy the hunt.

Not only did we get over 500 feet of fencing, two kinds, but we also met some lovely people new to our area.  I have mentioned the garden club, Opera House, Art Center and Chamber of Commerce to them, showing them how helpful they are in finding the special moments in our magical little community.  As we were talking it came up that they had a new matching set of washer/dryer for sale.  We ended up getting the new matching set for the cost of the dryer he had ordered at Lowe's.  We went into Lowe's to explain that we did not need the washer and dryer any longer.  They were, "Okay."  We said that with the money we were saving we would like to go ahead and get our micro/fan hood.  They said, "Even better"  and then we found a great deal on a new vanity/counter/ sink for one of the bathrooms.  We have bought a couple lights and feel like we are ahead of the game.  We have only bought things when they were on the list of needs, and they had to be ones we both liked and it had to be quality at a good price, value, over cheap.

We close tomorrow.  Tomorrow we will own over 10 acres.  Mini land barons.  hee hee.  I do feel over rich in land.  I have friends with literally 100 acres, but owning these couple of pieces of Florida land, I feel like the richest person in the world. And tomorrow it will be real.  And a house.  Cement, wood, PVC, copper, insulation, plastics, natural products all held together for us. 

And now the fun begins.  Stripping wall paper, replacing a roof, replacing ceiling, drywalls, move window, remove carpet, lay floors, paint walls, build islands and tile work and decorating.  I am so tired that just writing all those things is done with a numbness of body and mind.  We will not be doing all the work.  But we will be doing as much as we physically can.  We are testing those limits now, and learning a lot.  oh, ouch, a lot.  But we still feel good about what we are accomplishing.

I am excited.
I am so very tired.
When Dr. May saw me today she looked a little concerned.  I was worried because the amount I weighed when I walked in and the amount I weighed when the doctor came in was over a pound difference.  I am having stomach issues and they completely wipe me out.  No wonder.  I weighed myself 15 minutes apart, only a stomach issue changed anything.  So I know I have a weight issue.  She did not know about the fence, or the truck cap so the weight loss, and change in numbers for the labs, but the same scan on the PT were worrying her.  When I explained all the things we had been up to, she laughed and said that explained the numbers.  That maybe I need to take a little rest.  Don't stop, just be a little more thoughtful of what I am doing to my body when I am doing things healthy people at my age do not do often enough.  She said no wonder I am fatigued, loss of weight and increase in pain level.  I laughed and said, I couldn't wait to tell Ms Geraldine that and knew the look and clucking noises she would give me after I told her about the fence.  The ladies in the lab had giggled and asked me about my tick head.  We all giggled over the tick incident they also giggled and laughed at me when I told them about the fence.  They all agreed that together they could not take down 100 feet of fence.  Well, that is because one said it was stupid, she wouldn't take fencing down no matter what.  Then when I told her how much the fence cost she had second thoughts.  We giggled and hugged and I headed on. 

The doctor and I discussed my meds usage and she thought it was very reasonable and she likes to know how much I am taking to help judge how things are progressing.  We talked about how long can someone keep going.  Not like in so many years as much as what would be the next marker so to speak.  She said that imagine I am in as much pain as I currently am in, and exhausted, like right now, and shortness of breath, even more often then now, and imagine that was from watching a Hallmark movie.  See, little did I know that I was bringing the Doctor's visual aid.  It made a very clear and concise image in my head.  It also gave me a point on this ray.  I have my starting point, I know there is an ending point, and now I have another point on that ray I think of as my life.  It gives me perspective and a guide as to notice what causes the consequences of my actions.  My actions.  I feel a little more in control.  If I do not want to feel like I do right now, be a little moderate.  When I start feeling like this with out being full open, I know then to let the doc know that things are changing.  Life is just easier with a manual.  Even if you have to write it as you go.

The Japanese magnolias are in full blooms.  There is a block or so just west of the courthouse where there are at least six magnolias in all their luscious pink/purple full glory.  Not to be out shown there are also camellias the size of saucers on huge old bony trees.  The camellia exhibit in Monticello is next Saturday.  We are hoping that people still have camellias in their yards and they bring them in to show and to be identified.  They are camellias in the yards of this county that are 50 - 60 years or older that may not exist anywhere else but in someones back yard.  There were quite a few established camellia gardens in Monticello.  The Tallahassee and Quitman Camellia clubs are helping us with our exhibition.  They hope to find heirloom plants that no longer exist outside of our little community.  It is hard to know how valuable knowing about long lost specimens can mean to a group dedicated to promoting them.  It also tells us stories of how and where these plants started and where they have travelled.  It speaks to me of lace gloves and hankies, tea dresses and lemonade sipped as I walked through gardens of neighbors filled with their hearts desired fulfilled.  Some were avid propagators, others just loved gardening and often their plants were given to them by their grandmothers/fathers, aunts/uncle, parents, best friends.  I always assumed that all gardeners had some plants like that.  All the southern gardeners I knew did.  And I knew as many men who gardened as women.  

The azaleas are peaking out more and more.  Ours are starting to bud out, but still a week or two from the first bud opening its face.  The red buds stand out and the green is starting to fill in the empty places.  I am sure that there will be at least one more cold snap.  The weather predicted for the next week or so are all in the 70s for highs and 40 - 50s for lows.  Pretty darn perfect and I hope to get out and enjoy some of it.  I hope that it stays this way forever, but it is still February, not that far past middle and freezes here are not unheard of in March, even possible in April, so enjoy this hint of spring and live for the moment, I say.

So, basically even pulling fence where the temps were at least 10 degrees colder then this week, we enjoyed the sunny weather.  I have whined through the winter, I still believe to be the worst ever, maybe.  But right now, it is "what winter?" 

It is late and I need to lay down.  We are both just barely holding on to consciousness.  We both hurt all way through and out the other side.  We are worried about Mom and Dad.  I need my pain meds.  I am able to live with a little more pain because I know where it is coming from.  It is just pain now, not scary.  Not knowing is scary. 

So tired.
So happy
love the tile
love the appliances
love the lights
love the bath hardware
love the sheets/shower curtains
closing on our house in just hours
I love Mr. Peabody and Sherman
and the way back machine
I am really tired
 

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