Welcome To My Winter

aahhh... winter time.... in the desert southwest. Crazy, huh?!?

Yup, my first tomato from the plant I planted about 4 months ago is ready to be picked! Fresh garden tomatoes in February... only in the desert, my friends.

I got to do something today that I haven't done since October.... work in my garden pulling weeds! You just don't know how exciting and great this was!

Last October 30th, I blew my knee out running to the school bus for our field trip. I knew I had done something serious as soon as it went. Since then, I've had a lot of pain with each step, mri's, x-rays, countless hours seeing doctors and even more in physical therapy. The good news is that surgery is on the back burner and we are hopeful that the physical therapy will continue doing its magic on healing my knee. The bad news has been how much this injury has impacted my day-to-day life. I've had to learn new ways to walk, get into my Tahoe, walk up the stairs, move my leg in the middle of a night's slumber, bend, sit, get up off the floor...everything. It's been extremely frustrating.... And all the worse by the fact that I have not been able to go out and work in my gardens. I also have had to give up my Thursday night yoga class which I was doing faithfully as a committment to myself.

I've been a good girl and have grinded my way through ump-teen hundred weighted leg lifts, steps, bicycle pedals, balancing acts, band pulls, hamstring stretches and all the other sub-masochistic activities exercises I've had to do to retrain my knee (and leg muscles), strengthen my whole knee and leg, regain confidence in my body and keep a positive attitude that it will get better! And it has! To the point that I went back to my yoga class 3 weeks ago. My instructor was so glad to see me back and I picked up where I had left off...and it felt so good! I was even able to do the 'hero' pose!

Today is suppose to be cloudy and rainy.... uh, yeah... right. Sunny, clear and beautiful, I made my way out to survey the abundant amount of weeds partying in my garden. It makes me sick and sad to see the state of my garden. 'Hmm... let's pull this guy out. Hmm... maybe this one. And this one... Okay, I'm feeling ok... let's bend down and get this guy.... Okay...let's just dive in and get the job done!!' So I did... and it felt soooo good! Yes, my knee is a bit sore now. But a few ibuprofen and it will simmer down. The pain in the knee is so worth the happiness in my soul to be able to return to something that I love to do, and have so missed!


Look who I found! Just enjoying his day in the garden as much as I am... Hello, Mr. Inch Worm!

....inching his way through life.

Off to buy a few items to make my famous chili in my Le Creuset. They are predicting rain this afternoon (um..it's not), tonight and all day tomorrow. I've rented a movie for the evening, too!

What's this?? Clouds??

Ahh... slowly building overhead ... teasing me...

Come on clouds...build up thick and gray...bring those rains to make my day!