So, my back is absolutely killing me. So's my neck. I've got a bit of a "buffalo hump" starting back there (not a dowager's hump, which is down farther and caused by tipping/crunching vertebrae). This is caused by sitting with my head/neck craned forward, which, it turns out, I do a LOT of. I had no idea. I knew my posture was a mess, but I hadn't realized just how abysmal it really is until I started trying to tuck that chin and straighten that back.
Ouchie!
So, the temps were supposed to dip down low, which necessitated a hauling in of the plants. That was day before yesterday. Imagine my horror when I came in that night to find our kitchen table crawling with slugs. SLUGS! Uncalled for! I cleaned them up, but ew, you know?
Speaking of plants, I went to a neighbors to warn her about the upcoming cold temps and to ask for some cuttings from her Wandering Jews (http://plantsarethestrangestpeople.blogspot.com/2008/09/wandering-jew-tradescantia-zebrina.html). She was happy to give (she has many, many plants), but was bothered by my dainty, tender snipping of stalks. She said, "Just grab a handful and yank." I didn't want to ruin her plant, so I gave a little tug. She rolled her eyes, stomped down the back steps, and grabbed an ARMFUL. She YANKED, and there she was with a brimming armload of plant. She handed it to me and shooed me out the door. Told me to come back tomorrow for whatever else I might want.
Wow!
Scheduling wound me up not having a chance to go to her house the next day. When I got home from taking our boy to Hapkido, there was a GIGANTIC plant, pot and all, on the front porch. This one Moses in the Cradle ( http://www.ag.auburn.edu/hort/landscape/dbpages/583.html). Unlike the Wandering Jews, the Moses in the Cradle is toxic, so we couldn't just let it hang out on the floor or on the kitchen table like we did with the WJ (which, along with my lavender, is now occupying the entire kitchen table!). We wound up taking it upstairs to hubby's office, where it's sitting quite prettily on a stool in front of the window. Hopefully, it will fare well. I'd love to have it outside, come spring!
Now, the embarrassment. My neighbor's house is frightfully clean. Like spotless. No prepping for guests, no catching her off-guard--the house is always spotless all of the time. Even with her two grandsons living there now. It's . . . humiliating. My house isn't filthy, it's not awful. It's usually presentable, and a couple of times a week it's really good (except for the computer desk, of course). But when compared to hers? Oh, shame. So today, my arthritic joints and screaming back cleaned. One of those BIG cleans, where all the knick-knacks get pulled off the media towers and dusted. Where shelves that have been the landing spots for all sorts of dreck for a year get sorted and rearranged. I mopped, I scrubbed, I swept, I vacuumed. And now?
I hurt.
I hurt, and it still doesn't look as clean as hers. But I think she could come in and not feel panicked at the clutter. And that's going to have to be good enough, because I don't have any more in me this day.
Ouchie!
So, the temps were supposed to dip down low, which necessitated a hauling in of the plants. That was day before yesterday. Imagine my horror when I came in that night to find our kitchen table crawling with slugs. SLUGS! Uncalled for! I cleaned them up, but ew, you know?
Speaking of plants, I went to a neighbors to warn her about the upcoming cold temps and to ask for some cuttings from her Wandering Jews (http://plantsarethestrangestpeople.blogspot.com/2008/09/wandering-jew-tradescantia-zebrina.html). She was happy to give (she has many, many plants), but was bothered by my dainty, tender snipping of stalks. She said, "Just grab a handful and yank." I didn't want to ruin her plant, so I gave a little tug. She rolled her eyes, stomped down the back steps, and grabbed an ARMFUL. She YANKED, and there she was with a brimming armload of plant. She handed it to me and shooed me out the door. Told me to come back tomorrow for whatever else I might want.
Wow!
Scheduling wound me up not having a chance to go to her house the next day. When I got home from taking our boy to Hapkido, there was a GIGANTIC plant, pot and all, on the front porch. This one Moses in the Cradle ( http://www.ag.auburn.edu/hort/landscape/dbpages/583.html). Unlike the Wandering Jews, the Moses in the Cradle is toxic, so we couldn't just let it hang out on the floor or on the kitchen table like we did with the WJ (which, along with my lavender, is now occupying the entire kitchen table!). We wound up taking it upstairs to hubby's office, where it's sitting quite prettily on a stool in front of the window. Hopefully, it will fare well. I'd love to have it outside, come spring!
Now, the embarrassment. My neighbor's house is frightfully clean. Like spotless. No prepping for guests, no catching her off-guard--the house is always spotless all of the time. Even with her two grandsons living there now. It's . . . humiliating. My house isn't filthy, it's not awful. It's usually presentable, and a couple of times a week it's really good (except for the computer desk, of course). But when compared to hers? Oh, shame. So today, my arthritic joints and screaming back cleaned. One of those BIG cleans, where all the knick-knacks get pulled off the media towers and dusted. Where shelves that have been the landing spots for all sorts of dreck for a year get sorted and rearranged. I mopped, I scrubbed, I swept, I vacuumed. And now?
I hurt.
I hurt, and it still doesn't look as clean as hers. But I think she could come in and not feel panicked at the clutter. And that's going to have to be good enough, because I don't have any more in me this day.
First thank you for visiting and commenting on my blog. I am sorry I am so late. I have know idea what happened!
ReplyDeleteAs for the Wandering Jew, the other monster poisoness plant and the neighbor's clean house, are you sure you aren't me...maybe a younger version? I would have never cleaned my house were it not for some very clean friends and neighbors or visitors. I still have plants that were given to me as cuttings. I water them and have a visit with an old friend.
Take care of those aches and pains. I can assure you that they will not kill you...even if you wish they would. Sigh!
b
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