Imagine a woman who simply wanted to clean the dirty siding on the far side of her house. There she is, bucket of water and bleach by her side, long handled brush in hand, working away at a task she has put off far too long. Lots of trips back to the inside of the house in order to dump the dirty water, then back outside to refill the bucket. As she blithely walks on the uneven ground, she steps in a hole, twists her body and falls to the ground, thereby straining the muscles near her right knee and badly wrenching her already problematical lower back.
Well, obviously that’s me. The knee is all better but my back? Not so much. I’m walking around like an old woman. Sitting makes it worse, standing eases the pain. Last night, I watched the last hour of the baseball game flat on my back on the floor. Right now, I’m wearing my flannel pajamas, an old shawl that I knit a few years back and a heating pad on my back. The pain is getting to me, yes, but mostly I’m just ticked off that I am so incapacitated. I don’t do incapacitated well.
So let’s look at my new pumpkins. I did manage to get out yesterday to buy some yarn – my need to make something during the colder weather has taken over. I’m going to crochet a throw for the den. On the way home, I stopped for some cider donuts (husband’s request) and I saw these neat pumpkins.
They’re called Cheese Pumpkins. The color and funky shape called to me. I was going to buy one but I was using my debit card and a $10 minimum was required. So I bought two. There is nary an orange pumpkin in sight this year at Mockingbird Hill Cottage. I’m loving this more subdued, subtle coloring. And I have to thank Tracie for jump starting this with her gift of 3 white pumpkins.
Don’t you just love that stem?
In other news, Don shaved off his mustache and goatee the other day and it took me 3 days to notice the change. Does anyone else have this problem? He was patiently waiting 3 whole days for me to discover and comment on the new look and I didn’t come through. See? I always tell him that it doesn’t matter to me whether he has a beard or not. Obviously, I proved my point.
One more photo of our trees in their fall colors:
Have a wonderful Sunday. Me? I’ll just be hanging around with my heating pad.
Cleaning the OUTSIDE of your house- that’s ambitious. Hope your feeling better soon- I sure understand the frustration with not being able to carry on your normal routine.
beautiful colors!! Don’t have yet in TeXas – 85 here today.. hopefully soon .. we will see a change in the leaves! Love your blog.. love your house.. hugs!
wow, the colors and your home are gorgeous…we don’t get fall colors here in CA.
and I love those pumpkins!!
Claudia, oh my word, are you okay? Sounds so painful!!!
Although I am so happy you found some pumpkins which are spectacular!!! Never knew there were so many different ones around!
My fingers have been itching to get back to my crocheting or knitting…usually have both on the go…
Hugs,
Margaret B
p.s. any more info on the house down the road?
Claudia please take it easy. Sit and crochet. You deserve the rest and rehab after falling in a hole, trying to scrub your house clean! The fall colors on the trees are beautiful.
The leaves are beautiful. I hope you feel better. ♥O
Claudia, I am so sorry you injured yourself, and I hope and pray that you will be feeling better soon. That is no fun to be holed up inside, flat on your back. I hope the heating pad helps. Does it hurt too bad to stretch?
Love the pumpkins and love that pretty tree in your yard.
Feel better soon…
XO,
Sheila :-)
oh claudia,
that sucks about your back and not noticing your husbands shave. that is just too funny.
~janet
Ahhhh…. Claudia! I’m sooooo sorry to hear about your owie. That’s just horrible. Back pain is so stinking annoying, isn’t it? I hope you’re up and running ASAP.
Love those pumpkins… How cute are they?….and you take such LOVELY pix. I’m going to work on it….. I miss the boat there, for sure.
Have a wonderful afternoon.
Huggies,
Spencer
PS….thank you for your prayers for my girlie.
Oh Claudia, I’m soo sorry to hear about your fall and the ensuing injuries. I’d come over to help if we were closer.
Take it easy (although I know it’s hard to do sometimes) my friend.
Enjoy your Sunday resting.
Leann
Oh My! This is what we get for trying to do home cleanup, I do the same stuff..get all gung ho and then hurt myself normally..I hurt just reading this Claudia. take care girl..
Love the pumpkins..love love love your trees..what a wonderful time of year, all laid up or not, its still wonderful.
hope you heal up quickly and can enjoy the fruits of your labor…
Barb
HI CLAUDIA,
LOVE YOUR PUMPKINS, I NEVER BOUGHT WHITE ONES, THEY ARE JUST LOVELY. I AM SO SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR MISHAP…WHO NEEDS IT…..I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN. MY KNEES ARE LIKE THAT EVERYDAY..BUT…LIFE GOES ON. I’M STILL CROCHETING MY THROWS FOR MY CRAFT SHOW, DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR COLORS YET? HAVE A NICE DAY, AND FEEL BETTER. RIZZI
Claudia -your posts are like letters from home. Your note about your husband made me laugh out loud, and your back ache had me a-prayin’ for you. Thanks for sharing your daily life with us. (:
Now, I’ve heard of cleaning the inside, but the outside. Ok, yes, I do that too.
What’s this I read you have picked up a hook again. Can’t wait to see your progress. What else is a girl to do with winter on it’s way and football on the tellie.
Relaxing Sunday Wishes,
Kate
Hello, My name is yvonne, and this is my first visit. My! you have had an interesting life. Sorry to hear about your back, I have been there and done that. I am wrestling with a spur on my heel at the moment. If it’s not one thing it’s another.
Feel better.
yvonne
Claudia your pumpkins are lovely, but first of all get well soon and take care of yourself,
Ana
I’m the same way when Hubby gets a haircut on the face or the head. Shame on me, but it takes me days to go, “hmmm, there’s something different about him”.
Take care on the back… been there and it’s NOT FUN! Time and care…. if you can, get some of those Therma Care thingies that you stick on your back. They help big time.
DI
Ohhhhh noooooooooo! Poor thing. Have the clean shaven man of yours go to the drug store and get you Icy Hot patches…..the large ones for your back. You will then get some relief without being attached to the electrical outlet. I have such a stash of Icy HOts (no other type…just these) that my fellow thinks I should buy stock in them.
Then, you might want to try MY new hobby……acupuncture. Although, unless your insurance covers it, it may be costly and you always need several treatments. I wish you speedy recovery….and want to mention I grimaced when I read your knee went wonky….shivers.
xox Rella
I just love your sweet cottage all nestled in the woods. The tree colors are so pretty.
Sorry to hear about your mishap. Please take care and get better soon.
hugs
Sissie
I have never seen this kind of pumpkin! Love it!
.. I fell in a hole while taking the pictures in my “walking with Bailey” post and I’m still ticked about my stupidity. My back is thanking my profusely too. *sigh*
Feel better Claudia –
Oh sweetie…sorry that you hurt your back….gosh darn it! I know what you mean by feeling incapacitated (did I spell that correctly?)
I have yet to score any white pumpkins or gourds…I’m still searching though!
Hope your back feels better real soon.
P.S. I had to giggle about your hubby…Marshall gets his hair cut..apparently quite frequently but I never notice it. Poor guy!
Deanna :D
Oh my friend..that is sooooo me right now…I have a heating pad on my back too…totally did something yesterday. You are sooooo right standing helps..sitting is dreadful.
The only way I got my macaroons done today is that it was standing and my back was able to cope.
Nothing worse than backpain..so I am sending you ooooooodles of love…do you ice your back as well…I use heat and then ice.
hugs to you…get better.
xoxoxo
Those pumpkins are wonderful! I love the fall color outside your home.
So sorry to hear about your injuries. Darn those domestic catastrophies! On the bright side, I’m really, really glad that there were no bees in that hole you tripped on. (Tee hee!) Okay, really~ I am very sorry to hear of your recent mishap. Please take care, and heal soon!
Hugs,
Jill
I have never heard of cheese pumpkins. Love them. Love the color.
Coming from a house with a bad back (hubby) and a bad knee (me), I feel your pain. Best wishes for a speedy recovery…
Susie
Oh!! I am so Sorry about your fall, Moist heat is ral good for strained muscles.
The tree by your house took my breath away. It is funny, generally I hate the color orange but when the fall leaves show it with all the other fall colors, it seems right. I am glad to see though that pumpkins come in other colors besides orange!
feel better soon,
cyn
OH Claudia, your back sure didn’t need that fall! So sorry you are laid up! Your photos are so beautiful and I had a good laugh about your husband’s disappearing facial hair…
So sorry to hear about your back. I know how that feels! Hope it will heal soon.
Love your autumn pics!!!
Oh my goodness Claudia! My house is lucky to get hosed down once a year!
I hope your back is feeling better, it’s so hard to stay down when you don’t want to!
Love the cute pumpkins!
Hello dear incapacitated friend, I hope this comment finds you feeling a bit better! I know what you mean about hating being deterred by any physical issue – it really gets to me as well. We must just be the kind of people always thinking and doing! I was laughing about Doug’s shaving his goatee and moustache – things like that happen all the time to me. I just don’t seem to notice changes like that in FHFB and friends. I wonder about my overall level of attention sometimes. I’m at my dad’s today and ready to head back home in a bit – it’s a beautiful day here in NJ. Ciao, bella!
Well, if there’s any truth to the saying that “misery loves company”…here I am just reviving (barely surviving I should say) from a bout of stomach flu. Heating Pad-check! Knitted shawl – Check! Furious over incapacitation – check! So there you have it…I’m so sorry for your fall and injury. Hopefully you will heal quickly.
Sending some BIG HUGS your way…
Coralie
I’m so so sorry, Claudia! Hope you’ll be well in no time! I had a horrible backache the very first night/day I was in England. I could barely breathe.
Your pumpkins are adorable- can’t wait to purchase a few, too… they won’t be for display use only, as I have such a mess at home, but hopefully will enjoy them in my kitchen before making something yummy out of them!;))
Hugs,
Monicax.
Just loving the splendor of the trees!
Claudia- I hope you feel better soon! I love the new pumpkins- such texture!
Poor you Claudia! I don’t have back trouble but my hubby does every now and then and I can tell it is painful! Feel better quick.
Oh My Claudia,
Feel Better! Tell Don you need a power washer for Xmas! Love the pumpkins. Hugs, Liz
No more cleaning of the house claudia!
Sorry girl.
I hate it when I have to slow down cause not able to function.
Your yard is soooo fall…love it.
Heal well and fast,
xoxo~Kathy @
Sweet Up-North Mornings…
Hello girlfriend,
Well……you just had to go and do it…..didn’t ya’? I know incapacitated very well….it’s my middle name. I’ve had 14 surgeries on my knees and back combined…..I know incapacitated!!! One piece of advice “STOP IT.” Get a younger neighbor or relative to handle it and pay them with a pie or beer or somethin’, but quit tryin’ to do all that kind of stuff yourself. Another piece of advice – When you are lying on the hard floor with a heating pad on, get your legs up on a ottoman or something so that you look like you’re sitting in a chair but lying on your back. Your thighs should be at a 45 degree angle from the floor and your legs (calves) should be lying on the ottoman at a 45 degree angle to your tush. After 15-20 minutes of heat, switch it out for an ice pack. Repeat when possible. Amazingly, if you could manage to sleep like that, well you’d be a little stiff in the morning, but you would be able to walk upright. One last trick – use an exercise ball to stretch out your back. Lie, fully extended on your back over the ball and totally relax your body. Let out all the air, take a deep breath in through your nose, and slowly exhale as you let everything relax over the ball. Stay for 5-10 minutes and gently roll over to get up. It helps stretch out the spine and muscles that have bunched up as protection. Anything else…..take two advil and call me!
Love ya’
Meri
I am sorry to hear about your fall. Back pain is the worst. Don’t you just love a heating pad though!
Poor Don. He’s a tuff nut, I would have cracked and said something DAYS before if I was waiting for someone to notice something like that!
Hello Claudia,
I love your pictures of autumnal trees and your little pretty house.
I hope by now you are feeling better and please do not do too much, spare your poor back !!!
♥ Hélène Glehen – a French artist, fond of roses and romantic stuff ♥