Good Therapy

As Bekah and I sat and looked over the May lunch menu, there was one whole week where she pleaded with me to be able to eat hot lunch every day.  I  let her indulge and it just happened to be the week after my dad ended up having surgery on his neck.  I decided since I was going to be out and about doing Bekah's lunch blousing (I only go to the school when she eats hot lunch) that I would check on him each day.  My mom was grateful as she had to work. 

My dad's yard is a paradise of sorts in the summer.  He keeps 90+ geraniums in pots in a green house all winter and brings them out in the spring (or almost summer which is the case this year), he has 250+ rose bushes (we lost count along time ago and he keeps adding more) a very large lot of grass along with some trees, lilacs and various other plants.  My dad's yard has won awards and could easily be pictured in Better Homes and Gardens (I think his is better looking than most I have seen in that mag). I love to sit on the porch swing and just take it all in. 

I knew with his surgery that my dad would be anxious to want to "get the yard done" but wouldn't be able to.  I get my stubborn streak from him so I knew that he would either re-injure his neck or be depressed as he recovered which would make the recovery process arduous for both him and my mom.  So I put on my work gloves each day and did some yard work.

Growing up my dad just did all of the yard work (to be honest I didn't have much interest in it) and since I have been married, we have lived mostly in places that came with yard maintenance.   I got to do things this week I have never done before.  I power washed (I love this!  Everything gets so clean and shiny and it is just satisfying to look back and admire your handy work), I weeded with various tools (I had mostly done this by hand before), I used the weed wacker to edge the lawn (I almost killed myself as I got the chord wrapped in it and my edge looked a bit more like a serrated knife than a straight edge), I pruned and replanted and hung geraniums (pulling the 30+ baskets out of the green house gave me a great upper arm work out).  Today I put in over 7 hours.  I got burned by the glorious sun that finally decided to show it's face in the PNW and I am sore but it felt so good to give back to someone who has done so much for me.

This was just what I needed to pull me out of the funk I was in!  I didn't even think about diabetes or numbers (except when I took a break to run to the school for a bolus).  It was amazing therapy!  I get to go back for more tomorrow (I think I'll wear some sun screen).

Here is a picture I found of David sitting in one small corner of my parents' yard and another of he and Bekah in another spot.  (you only get a glimpse of the mini roses here, he has amazing climbers and various other varieties)   I'll be sure to post some current pics when the yard is all in bloom (too bad I can add the smell).