17 JUNE 2020 TIME OUT

I am having to face the fact that my body has its limits. I will readily admit that I can often be stubborn. The garden beds that I have created are mostly completed and they have been planted. I am now waiting for the larger plants to burst into bloom. I am constructing the paths in between the beds. It has been so much work and with no help what so ever, and the grass is now so tall that it is going to seed. I am doing my best to eliminate the grass all together by laying down black plastic and covering it with a thick layer of free mulch obtained from the local landfill. The grass must first be cut as close to the ground as possible and since I do not have a mower or a string trimmer, the only way I have of doing it is with my grass shears. Besides causing pain in my neck, shoulders, and back; I think it is contributing to the stomach pain that I have been experiencing. It is truly hard work and time consuming, as well. The problem is that we have already had some days in the 90°s. By the time I complete my morning chores and get my blog written and posted, it is around noon, at which time I go outside to work for several hours in the hottest part of the day.

I am going on my third day now, of not feeling well at all. I am weak and have very little energy. My stomach has been hurting, accompanied by diarrhea and a slight headache; as well as periods of profuse sweating and then feeling extremely chilled. Still, I keep going. There is so much to do and only myself to do it. Added to the gardening and filling wild bird feeders and bird baths, I now have the care of five baby chicks. It dawned on me yesterday that these symptoms have been occurring nearly every year for the past twenty years and almost always during the summer. I had an intuitive notion yesterday to make a glass of water with apple cider vinegar and maple syrup added to it. This is a drink, called switchel, which provides electrolytes. I also nibbled a few soda crackers. I felt slightly better. I now see that I have most likely been suffering from heat exhaustion from working for hours on end in the hot afternoon sun and not staying hydrated. It is time for me to change the way I have been doing things and put an end to this needless suffering.

Thirty years ago when I had my own home and was raising my daughters, I would often go out in the evenings to work in the yard. It was always cooler and peaceful at that time of day. Or, I would work in the shade. Now that I am gardening only for myself again and not for other people, I can do that again. It is a simple solution. For today, I have no choice but to honor my body’s need for rest. I have even had to forego my daily exercise routine, to which I have been committed for nearly a year. My inner doctor is telling me to rest. It is telling me to take time to simply enjoy what I have already accomplished. So for today, I am calling a time out.

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