Monday, July 30, 2018

Coping with Age



Monday's dahlia and marigold bouquet. 

These days 74 is not that old, but someone should tell my body that. Or more specifically, my right leg. 

I have been dealing with arthritis in my knee for a long time. Then it settled in my hip, making me very inflexible on my right side.  I have had x-rays of both several times, and the verdict? Yep, you have arthritis. I have been fortunate not to have much pain and have been able to walk, keep up my physical therapy exercises,  and garden relatively easily, but the deterioration is definitely progressing. 

Now my right ankle seems to be under attack too. That is a recent development, and I am monitoring it for now. Also new, spasms in my right shin, just under my knee, that cause my leg to buckle. That's not a comfortable feeling when I'm going up or down stairs, so I hold on tight to railings.  

We have not been going for our three mile exercise walks for a while now, because it has been so hot, and other things get in the way for early mornings. Besides, we are not early risers. With the heat, we stay up late to give the box fans time to cool off the upstairs bedroom. Monday I decided to go for it, so we got up, grabbed a glass of orange juice and were out walking by 7:00. It was cool enough, but after doing 2.25 miles, Tom's ankle hurt ( he aggravated it standing on ladders), and my foot and ankle ached for much of the rest of the day. Not good. So, we'll see. 

This weekend Tom added grab bars in the upstairs bathroom. I have been asking for them for a while, because when I do my health inventory before my annual Medicare Wellness Check, that's one of the questions they ask "old people". Now I can check that off, and besides, with my leg issues, I feel a lot safer now. 

Getting older is not fun, but at least we can do a few things to make it safer.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Another Monday bouquet from the garden, and there's Charlie, begging to come in. Sorry, Charlie. 

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Powelswood Garden

From the NPA Open Garden book, "A Northwest pleasure garden tucked in a Federal Way neighborhood, the three acres of Powelswood are nestled against another thirty-five acres of native successional forest. The forward-looking garden harmoniously blends luxurious foliage color and the powerful lines of defining hedges against the backdrop of its native trees. It is English in inspiration, with distinct garden rooms, that range from woodland to sub-tropical in feel, featuring more than a thousand varieties of trees, shrubs and perennials."

With that description, enjoy the tour. 







































































Back to where we started, a cool, shady place to rest a bit before getting into a hot car for the drive home. 
Three wonderful gardens on July 14th, another great Saturday of NPA garden touring.