2025, Family, gardening, Mysteries, Nature

Weed Whacking

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Mothers’ warnings and bits of advice run through my head.  I’m assuming (hoping?) I’m not the only one.

Don’t run with scissors.  You sound like a cow chewing her cud (usually with gum).  You two girls quit fighting – you sound like fishwives.  Close the door – were you raised in a barn?  Money doesn’t grow on trees.  If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?  Your face with freeze that way.  All of these were heard during my childhood.

You’d think that with all these tropes running through my head, that I would be more careful. 

Between YA being out of the country and me having blown my knee out, the grass got out of control.  YA was eager to get to it last Friday and I was happy she wanted to work on it.  Since my knee was tender from going to State Fair the day before, I did the knee-friendly stuff.  Moved the aidirondack chairs and little table, wound up the hose and then the exciting poop patrol.  I headed out in my shorts and zorries.  Easy peasy.

Since it had been so long between mowings, the grass has overgrown the sidewalk so I decided that I would do some trimming.  No knee bending for this.  You’d think that getting an electric edger out of the garage would set off some of my mom’s advice in my head, but…. Nope.  While YA was still mowing, I started on a few edges along the flower gardens.  Almost immediately a piece of cedar mulch whipped up and took a chunk out of my ankle.  I decided to move to the sidewalk at that point.  After I did the sidewalk, I tackled the little patio.  It was then that I twisted a bit and in reacting to the knee objecting to this move, I ran the edger over my toe.  Ouch was an understatement.  Luckily no nearby little children were out in their yards to hear me swearing.  The cut wasn’t deep but was about two inches long, going from the tip of my big toe, diagonally down the length of the whole toe. 

I have two pairs of gardening shoes that live on the back porch.  If a smart person were living at my house, they would have grabbed a pair of those shoes before plugging in the weed whacker.  And if my mother had been around she also would have admonished me to put on a pair of those shoes.  But once again, no Nonny and no smart person either!  I liberally applied antibiotic cream and bandages for the first day or so and both injuries are healing up nicely.  But I feel a little sheepish admitting this. 

Done anything silly/stupid lately that you should have know better about? 

21 thoughts on “Weed Whacking”

  1. Thankfully, I haven’t had any roaches for many months. Last Friday, I used Raid at potential entry points just in case. I over sprayed at the door to the furnace. Yikes! No bugs but too close to the Birds! Stupid! The aviary is on rollers so into the bathroom they went for the weekend until the smell was gone. They were NOT happy with the relocation!

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  2. OT: This is from today’s Writer’s Almanac:

    It’s the birthday of the novelist and playwright Robertson Davies, born in Thamesville, Ontario (1913). In the 1930s, he was a successful Shakespearean actor in London, until 1939, when all of the city’s theaters closed down because of the war. Davies decided to return to Canada and look for a new job. At the encouragement of his father, he took over the family newspaper. The stories that he covered — sex scandals, murders, children locked in basements — eventually inspired him to write novels. He said, “I have been among people who would make your hair stand on end. And this is where I find the stuff I put in my books.”

    He’s best known for his Deptford Trilogy, Fifth Business (1970), The Manticore (1972), and World of Wonders (1975), which revolve around a boy from small-town Ontario, who grows up to become involved with magicians, millionaires, and modern-day saints.

    Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.®

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  3. Oh no! So sorry to hear about all the pain and frustration! I’m glad you have a YA to take care of the lawn. If your knee is hurting today because of the twist, use RICE – Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. And a nice, warm mineral salt soak for your toe. That maybe wasn’t your day for lawn care!

    I do silly/stupid things every day. You want me to narrow it down to one thing? I don’t think so.

    I’m trudging up and down all the stairs I have here, carrying totes and boxes filled with books, etc. They probably weigh around 40 pounds each. I hope I don’t fall. I’ve been moving things from all the way upstairs to all the way down into the garage. I moved it all upstairs ten years ago when I moved here. Now I’m moving it all down. Of course, down is easier than up, but my body is ten years older, grumpier, and heavier.

    I wouldn’t have brought so many plants home this spring if I’d known I was going to move. I’ve taken all the tomatoes I can, all the peppers, and all the eggplants. Yesterday I made a large batch of pesto for the last time. Today I will take the grow boxes down to the garage and put an end to the marigolds for the season. Then I’ll have several flowering plants left. I need to make a trip to the City compost site.

    Closing is a week from tomorrow. Then painting and cleaning begin. Moving is September 12. If I think about this too much, I start to feel anxious, so I’m just doing it every day.

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      1. It’s a townhome in Dundas, which is only about a mile from where I’m living now. It’s all on one level, so no more stairs. It’s an end unit with windows on three sides rather than just one. It will be much easier for me to live there once I’m comfortably moved in. I’m grateful to be able to do this now while I still can manage it on my own.

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  6. I have done a few dumb things today. Very distracted. In addition to Sandra, I discovered that my SSN has been compromised. Dealing with all the steps you go through for that. Done what I can when I am with her. Will soon go home and deal with the rest without doing anything else stupid, like messing up making pressed coffee, forgetting two key things at home, trying to get into the wrong car, etc.
    Clyde

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  7. Last night I was using a grinder and cutting wheel to remove tires from rims. I bumped my hand a couple times with the grinder wheel. Nothing deep and no bloodshed. I showed Kelly and said it was good I have tough skin.

    Scars make good stories VS.

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