As the air gets brisk here on the mountain,
I feel the need to get home.
My family sends me photos of leggy plants and late blooms.
There are deadlines to be kept. One is for fall and the other for frost.
I have kept garden journals for decades. The entries are by months.
All I have to do is flip to the Octobers of the past to see what needs to be done.
Both fall and frost must be taken care next week. My family will help me. I appreciate their support. I have given away dozens of plants. I will continue to down-size my collection, until it is a size that I can manage and move by myself.
There will be a flurry of cleaning and preening all plants the must go into my workshop. It will take on the look of a crowded jungle until spring. Plants will cover every surface and hang from the rafters.
I do not clean my gardens outside until March. The mess is a haven for insects and wildlife over the cold months. I may add extra mulch around some tender favorites. I will need help for this, too.
I am still wobbly and in pain. Hopefully that will end. My left hip will be replaced on October 24. This hip was damaged by a fall on August 4, 2024. My whole left side was jarred and jammed just two weeks before my unsuccessful surgery on my right hip on August 24, 2024.
I have been in constant pain for 18 months. I have thought about this quite a bit. Mostly I think of my precious Daddy who had rheumatoid arthritis for decades and kept moving. I also catch myself hobbling like his mom who had arthritis and wore shoes that were too small and too pointy.
I also think of the miles I ran on roads and sidewalks before there were properly cushioned running shoes. I still have a habit of carrying heavy loads, because I do not like asking for help. I remember all the times I waved off men in parking lots who offered to help me load 60 and 90 pound bags of portland cement and masonry mix into my vehicle. I worked like a man with the joints and muscles of a woman.
Now, I need help doing many mundane tasks. I do not like this helplessness. My hope is that I will be strong again in the spring. I will be more cautious with my repaired and healing body from now on.
Next week, I will need help with these fall and frost chores. Seasons do not wait for us to be ready. They come when they come.
Not sooner, not later.
Are you ready?
FLOW going slow…for now.
floweralley 
I’m so sorry to hear about your pain. I hope your next corrections go well. As I have moved, I get to start over in my garden with my restrictions in mind.
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I am also carefully choosing all new adoptees.They must be deer resistant and resilient.
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I’m glad you have others to help you, Flow, and though humbling, it is good for you to let others show how much they love you. 🙏🏼 Take care!
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Thank you Eliza. I am fortunate.
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Gardeners can’t procrastinate! I hope everything goes well.
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My son and husband know the drill all too well.
Grateful for the assistance.
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The best advice my Mum ever gave me is that people like to help, as it makes them feel good. I remember that almost every day, despite my stubbornness to try and do things alone! Now I find I am constantly reminding my Mum of her own words….
Good luck with getting your plants indoors, and all the best with the surgery too. 🤗
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My sister has said that to me many times lately. I have always been a joyful helper. I must be careful not to break myself again which will require even more support from others. Thanks Cathy
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So glad you have help. Take care! And I hope the next operation is more successful than the last. Following the advice of a master gardener, I don’t cut back my plants in the fall and instead wait for spring. Really, it’s not that much more work in the spring, and it saves me a boatload in the fall. Win-win!
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I am glad to have Master Gardener approval. Thanks Laurie. I have the best surgeon around. He has a dream team to assist. I am grateful.
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As always, Flow, the things you share and write about resonate with me in so very many ways. I am glad that you have family close by who can help you as you travel through this season of pain and less-ability. I foresee a time in the next year where I will be in a similar situation, as I just received a diagnosis of “severe osteoarthritis” for my knee pain. The pain has definitely driven me to rethink my gardening with an eye to a future of not being able to do as much…actually, truth be told, that future is already present.
Take care, Flow, and keep on inspiring others.
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Thank you bfll. You are a treasured, kindred spirit. Pain is like punishment. I will be glad to have this surgery behind me. I am much more selective about how I spend my time and energy now. Thank you, as always, for your comments and encouragement.
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