Ba da bump
Monday June 17th 2013, 10:37 pm
Filed under: Family,Life

You know how cats, caught up in something suddenly out of their control like skidding across a newly-waxed floor, will at the end feign perfect poise and studiously lick their front paw as if to claim they meant to do that?

There’s this one scruffy bit of tree-wannabe I’d wanted gone for a long time, we all had but nobody had ever quite gotten around to it. It split into two branches slightly overhanging the neighbor’s yard between their orange tree and their garden.

Never a good thing to shade away someone else’s fruit to any degree, even if there wasn’t much to the thing. I hadn’t talked another neighbor into taking down her battered kitschy Snoopy with the broken windmill arm that she’d put on the shared fence and was shading one of my peaches slightly, but it gave me incentive not to be that neighbor.

Pride goeth…

Those two branches were thick but I finally decided I could at least give it a try. I could have mentioned my resolve to my tall strong husband, but thought, nah, he’s busy with something. Got out there with my aging clippers held straight over my head, got a good grip on the smaller branch, looked like I might actually be able to cut through this thing after all, I was putting everything into it–

–when the trunk that I didn’t know was rotten suddenly gave way at the bottom. I was flipped over backwards, hard.

There were two thick tree roots running in tandem above the ground and my spine exactly lined up with them. Richard happened to look out in time to see the end of the fall and, he said, my head bouncing back up again.

Knocked the wind out of me.

And maybe the sense.  Ah my, the perfect poise moment. Part of me was able to think, I really shouldn’t be lying here with the sun on my face. The UV rating was 1 out of 16 before I headed outside but that’s still a 1 and I really ought to get up and inside now.

Willing myself to move just wasn’t getting it to happen.

It’s quite peaceful on this fine evening, looking up at that blue sky and all those green leaves.

Richard, rushing out the door, reached me by that point, wanting that not to have just happened, wanting to help, and the back-to-reality of having my sweet husband within view helped me focus.

There was the wry thought as he helped me carefully up, of, and *tomorrow* I’m supposed to have that injection for my med-induced osteoporosis.

He got me icepacks and I wondered what would complain the most later vs right then. The answer so far is the right shoulder, holding up the heavy clippers that had twisted downwards and then missed me (ohthankyouthankyou). At least we know we did what we could for it. So far I seem to have gotten off really easy, all things considering.

The squirrel escalator at the side of the fence got it way worse than I did.

So glad Richard was there.

Next time I might, y’know, tell him first what I was up to so he could volunteer to go do it himself. He certainly would have.

 


12 Comments so far
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Sending healing wishes and lots of love! I understand how sometimes you want to try to do something ourselves before asking for help, even though people are happy to do it. (oh no, that never happens to me…. :))

Comment by Kelli King 06.18.13 @ 12:19 am

Ouch! You’re lucky the tree was the only thing that broke! I hope you feel ok.

Comment by Jody 06.18.13 @ 4:47 am

I can’t tell you not to do that. I have a tendency to climb up shelves and cabinet to get something that is to high up for me to grab easily. You just don’t think to ask the tall guy. I suspect you might do the same thing…….

Comment by Afton 06.18.13 @ 4:56 am

Oh no! And I so understand the I-can-do-it part of the whole rationalization. Yikes! I so hope you and your shoulder are feeling much better today.

Comment by DebbieR 06.18.13 @ 6:24 am

Ouch! So sorry to read about your fall but understand the need to “do it yourself”.
Will keep healing thoughts heading your way.

Comment by Mickey 06.18.13 @ 7:09 am

oh no! I understand your wanting to do it yourself, but really, next time ask for help!

I’m so glad Richard was there to help you up

Comment by bev 06.18.13 @ 8:19 am

My dog Scruffy & I are still getting accustomed to his not being able to see. Thinking he might like to be outside with me, I worked outside a bit. I made a sudden move. Realizing it, he backed up quickly, and his head hit a big pottery jar resulting in a beautiful ringing sound, clear as a bell.

I hope all outdoor accident injuries are minor and heal easily. To the best of my knowledge, Scruff didn’t experience any lasting effects. I hope you don’t either.

Comment by RobinM 06.18.13 @ 8:29 am

Sooo sorry to hear your senses all deserted you. I hope they soon return.

Comment by Sherry in Idaho 06.18.13 @ 9:09 am

Ouch! I pray for your swift recovery. I have not fallen down (yet) this year because there are some things that maybe I could do, but Cliff is here!

Comment by Donald Meyer 06.18.13 @ 9:16 am

Oh, how often I’ve done things myself that I should have asked DH to use his height or strength to help with. Had a year of physical therapy for the rotator cuff injury that I inflicted on myself by doing some tough pruning up too high. Is it the pride or what? Hope you heal quickly!

Comment by Joan 06.18.13 @ 4:55 pm

Oh my word! I hope everything is ok and not too sore. Totally get the “I can do it” idea, but sometimes we really should have a supervisor on hand!

Comment by tinebeest 06.18.13 @ 10:05 pm

Yeah, there was a reason why I didn’t go up a ladder this past weekend with no one else home…

Glad you’re okay!

Comment by Kathy in San Jose 06.19.13 @ 11:14 pm



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