I found another positive from breaking my hand.

When returning home after walking to Mona Vale to purchase a few groceries and collect our mail at the post office, we met our neighbour, Bill walking toward Mona Vale. In February, this 80+ year old neighbour tried to paint the side of his house not long after we moved into our house, the first time. He is very independent, lives alone, and couldn't reach the peak of the dormer so piled a step ladder on a table. Unfortunately, the legs of the table gave way, he fell, broke his wrist, several ribs, and probably had a concussion but walked to the hospital across the street. At that point, we exchanged phone numbers and encouraged him to call next time or just yell till we heard. He had a cast on his arm for a few months and had sore ribs for about that long as well.

When we saw him Thursday, and showed him my cast, he laughed. After apologizing for laughing, he said that it made him feel good to know that he wasn't the only one to fall. He went on to say that he had lost his nerve after his fall and hadn't even gone out much. My broken hand gave him the courage to try more things, again.

In our weakness, we encourage others to be strong.

Mark offered to paint the peak of Bill's dormer, in a month or so, when we borrow an extension ladder from our friends to paint our entryway. We will see if he will let Mark but we can at least offer a safer alternative to a ladder on a table top.

The Dangers of Composting and Moss

While sifting my compost, I found all sorts of strange bits of aluminum, nails, plastic, etc. I separated them out and after adding the new compost to a large pot on our deck, I headed to the garbage bins to throw out those foreign bits.

(The photo shows what was left after I fell and tossed most of it into the air)

Unfortunately,I headed down the side of the house with the “slimy moss covering the brick” walkway (we’ve had so much rain lately that we have a great crop) and both my feet took off over my head.

(photo :moss at another spot)

We walked across the street to the hospital and four x-rays later the doctor decided that I have a fractured thumb bone in my hand. So I now have a cast to my elbow on my left arm. I also hit the end of my spine and several other spots for they have all started to ache.

The Doctor has me on pain killers and anti-inflammatory medication for he said that tomorrow I will feel worse. It only took 3 hours including x-rays, not bad for a small hospital.

I have a new appreciation for parts of the human body like opposing thumbs. My pointer finger and middle finger work well together to grasp things but my thumb is much more nimble; except now when it is immobilized.

Speaking of body parts, have you ever noticed how fantastic lips are? They are soft, and sensitive but strong. Not even air or water can seep through if you don't want it to; hence food stays in even chewing. Bones or other skin wouldn't work in quite the same space.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made!

By the way, today we sprayed vinegar on the moss to kill it so that no one else will fall!
(Photo: walk after the vinegar treatment. We live on a hill so this walk is on a slant.)