I helped an elderly neighbor cut up a huge tree limb that fell last night. Finally got to use my new chain saw. #helpingneighbors #tomboystyle #winterstorm

A photo posted by Vicki O’Dell (@thecreativegoddess) on Jan 11, 2017 at 9:40am PST

If you have been reading this blog for a while now, you know that I am an avid gardener. One day last week, on Wednesday to be precise, the weather was really nice and I was able to go outside and get some yard work done. I started out by picking up sticks that had fallen out of the trees during the windstorm the night before. I would pick up an armload and then go and dump them off at the fire pit and then go and get some more. It was far too wet to use the tractor and trailer and the walking around felt good. The longer sticks I broke in pieces and the smaller ones I just tossed into the fire pit.

I had gotten most of the backyard cleaned up when I noticed that the neighbor behind us was sitting in a lawn chair in his back yard. Very close to the property line and near the woods. I looked at him and he waved at me and I decided to go over and see what was going on. I had seen earlier in the morning that a large branch had fallen in his yard. When I got there he was using a small hand saw and was sitting in a lawn chair. A very large older gentleman smoking a cigarette and sawing a giant tree limb with a hand saw. I knew that it could take the whole day, if not more, at the rate he was sawing.

I asked him if he had an extension cord that would reach to the area where we were standing. He said he did so I told him to go get it.  I went to my garden shed and got the new electric chain saw that my husband had bought for me last fall. Super light weight and easy to start compared to the old gas chainsaw we had been using.

Well, it took about half an hour or so and we had that big branch cut into manageable pieces. He thanked me profusely and I put my saw back in the shed. I grabbed some small flower pots and headed to the garage. I had purchased some flower bulbs daffodils and tulips the weekend before for a very good price. My husband had admonished me to be sure that they got planted and didn’t go to waste. So while the ground was pretty frozen I planted as many as I could in the flower pots and then I moved on to my raised herb garden.

I planted as many as I could around the edges and then finally had to step into the middle of the bed to get more bulbs planted in the center. I figured that they could come up in that bed this spring and then I would transplant them where I really wanted them later in the year.

I backed up a few steps to see if I had room in this garden for a few more bulbs and that’s when I tripped over the edging of the bed. As I was falling backward I heard two snaps – one in my back, and one in my wrist and I knew instantly that I had broken my wrist.

It took me a while to figure out how to stand up considering my right hand wouldn’t bend, and certainly hold my weight, but I finally managed.

Stubborn as I am, I was determined I was going to get the last few bulbs in the ground. I got a few in and realized that there was no way I was going to complete this job.

And then I fell and broke my wrist. Blerg!

A photo posted by Vicki O’Dell (@thecreativegoddess) on Jan 11, 2017 at 12:26pm PST

I walked into the house took off my boots, my gloves and my muddy pants – boy, did that HURT!

I asked my husband to take me to the emergency room. Sure enough, the ulna (the bone in your lower arm on the pinky side) down near my wrist is broken.

I’ve done quite a bit of reading the past week but very little creating. It’s really hard with one hand – especially when it is your dominant hand that you cannot use.

The Dr said I would be in the splint 5-6 weeks. One week down and it seems to be healing. The thumb side of my hand was pretty bashed up and bruised but it’s healing quickly.

Now I just have to decided on and order the rest of the stuff I want to plant this year.