“So, what have you been up to?”
“We’ve been busy around the farm!”
“What all is keeping you busy?”
“Farm chores!”
This may be the never-ending story of my life. There is always something to be done around the property. Grass to mow on repeat. Trees to cut down. Wood to haul and stack. Feed the herd (by herd, I mean those humans that keep expecting me to make food for them several times each day!) Garden. Laundry. Endless projects. And, goodness we don’t even have farm animals yet!
I mentioned in my last post some of the ugly realities of farm life. There are times when things are so beautiful and lovely, when it all just works out perfectly, and you do a happy dance on the walk back to the house. But, other times, life is rough. (And, I know it could be way worse! Yes, I killed my seedlings, but I was able to replant and purchase new plants, all while still buying produce from the store!)
A few days after killing those poor seedlings, I had another real life encounter…
Not long after we moved in, I was able to get several dead trees chopped down for free! Imagine my frugal delight, and the rude awakening when I saw the “mess” that was left over. We still hadn’t purchased our own chain saws and my husband was just about to leave for his month-long work trip. The dead jungle had to stay put a bit longer.
When he returned, we bought the necessary equipment and began the monumental task of cutting up, hauling and stacking the wood. (This is great for our wood pile!) It was a fun family affair. Everyone was hard at work (although the kids took several play breaks!!)
If you can’t tell already, this story has a bad ending…. But, it didn’t involve the chain saw!
At some point during the day, I must have done something to really damage my left shoulder. (I have had surgery on my right, and that one was not hurt at all!) For several days, I could barely turn my head, I couldn’t get up out of bed alone, and I alternated between hot and cold packs, Tylenol and a plethora of essential oils. I made it to a local chiropractor (but of course, since it happened on Saturday, I had to wait until Monday) and was able to get a small amount of immediate relief. The next day, wasn’t much better as I was still in pain and had an incredible amount of stiffness. By the end of the week, the pain had mostly subsided. But, even now, if I turn too fast, I can still feel that “pinch” behind my shoulder blade.
It’s been about a week and a half, and I’m feeling mostly back to normal. But I am now a bit more hesitant about lifting or throwing heavy objects. I can’t afford to spend several days down, unable to move or function, because we are just so busy on this land!
This beautiful land seemed to offer an apology by growing these stunning yellow flowers all around the area where dead trees had been! A perfect splash of color after a painful week.
