Hot--Humid--Too Soon

A week and a half ago, we had snow.  Now we have 84 degrees and 67% humidity.

I don't like to sweat!  I never used to sweat!  I had heat stroke when I was 15 years old and the heat has bothered me ever since.  But--I kept the heat inside me, which is not a good thing.  Now, I sweat!  Which is a good thing.  But, I hate it!

Slimy moisture all over my face and arms.  My hair turning stiff and crunchy from the salt in my sweat.

I feel so much better when it is cool--even cold.  I seem to have more energy.  The heat drains me and makes me dizzy and shaky and....tired.
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Karen called me yesterday morning.  She had gone with her daughter Helene, my eldest grand child, to see the ultra sound of Helene's "Avocado Size" baby.  When Helene first told me she was pregnant, back in March, I immediately said, "It's a girl!"

Karen told me yesterday, "It's a girl and everything is perfect!"
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I got busy planting my Zinnia seeds yesterday.  I have a raised garden on the west side of my shed.  In the garden, I have grown strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, and Zinnias.  I like the Zinnias best.  I like to have them to cut and make bouquets to take to Pearl and Jackie and Dar and for my own house.  They are a humble flower, but very colorful.  The hot sun reflecting off that white shed, directly onto me--made me sweat.

4 packets of seeds.  36", 24", 17" and 6".  Worked up the soil.  Put my rows in with the rake handle.  Put in the seeds.  Tamped them down with the flat part of the rake.  Good to go!

How do you pronounce Zinnias?  Friend Chris said in Texas they pronounce it, Zine Yahs.  Two syllables.  Here we call them Zin ee yahs.  Like it's spelled.  Three syllables.
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Then I got started on planting the annuals I had bought for my porch planters.  It's a shady spot to work.  I sweat.  Something happened that has never happened to me before.  I make out a list of what I want to plant.  I count how many plants I will need.  I take that list with me.  This year---I ran out of plants!  So--I have to go back today and buy more.
How did I miss the number I needed?  Senility setting in!

I painted the white railings on my porch and got some gray paint to paint the steps.  Three years ago, the guy at Lowe's convinced me I should STAIN the porch.  That stain has not worked very well.  Last year I got regular, exterior white paint and redid the railings.  This year I got Valspar Porch and Floor paint and will do the steps and maybe even the porch floor with it.  So there!
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Around 5:00 I came inside to cool down.  I noticed two teen age girls walking up to Jackie's house across the street.  I wondered what was going on, as I didn't recognize the girls.  Then I saw them bend over and I saw Jackie's feet.  I grabbed my phone and ran across the street.

Jackie, also planting her annuals, had fallen behind her SUV.  Unseen from the street.  She had lain there for 30 minutes, yelling for help.  I was out on my porch and hadn't heard her.  Dar came home, and walked into her house, 50 feet away, and hadn't heard her.  Pearl, who lives across the street from Dar, was sitting out in front, chatting with her daughter, and hadn't heard Jackie's cries for help.

Jackie can't just stand up from a prone position--who of us at 70+ can!  So the two girls and I got her onto a rug and dragged her over to her porch steps.  Then we boosted her up (it took us 3 tries as she is not a skinny woman) up onto the first step and then up to the next and on and on until we got her onto her porch.  I helped her into the house and tried to get her to go to ER, but she was having none of that.

She kept gasping for each breath and holding her side.  Broken rib?  Cracked ribs?  She's on blood thinners, maybe internal bleeding?  I just sat with her.  She was calm.  I was calm.  Then Dar, who must have finally seen the commotion, came busting into Jackie's house, all hysterical like she gets.  I could see the look of disgust on Jackie's face.  We finally got Dar calmed down and out of there!

She finally let me call the ambulance to take her a mile up the road to the little hospital.  "Just to check you out."  Four hours later, she was back home.  So glad that she had gone because they checked her over really well.  They also worried about internal bleeding or even a brain bleed.  CAT scan.  Ultra sound.  X-rays. 

She is fine, but sure is going to hurt more today and even more tomorrow!
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Then, all of a sudden it was 7:00.  I was sitting inside, sweating, refusing to turn on the A/C and in walked Pearl!  She hasn't been here in 8 months!  She had walked down--with her walker.  We were having a great chat and in came John and Maizey.  Pearl loved seeing Maizey.  We three had a nice chat.

Then, all of a sudden, it was 8:30 and my phone rang and it was my sister.  She wanted to know how I wanted my portion of the estate sale money.  I didn't really want to talk about it in front of my guests, but just had to ask, "Well, I don't know.  It depends on how much it is."

Less than I expected, although I tried not to expect anything, but enough to give me a nice emergency cushion.

My guests left and I called Susan.  We decided she will keep it in her savings account and when I need something, she will write me a check for the amount.  She has a fit that I keep cash in the house, but never lock my house when I go away.  "Your neighbor's know you never lock-up and they could come in and steal your stuff!"  Obviously, she lived too long in New York.

"My neighbor's would never do that.  We watch out for each other."

"Well then, anyone could come in and take  your cash."

"So, you think, someone is going to drive in this park, drive up and down each street and finally, pick my house out of the two hundred homes, and decide to break in?"

This way will work good, for both of us.  I will not have the temptation to go to my "stash" and grab some bills to buy a spur-of-the-moment something I think I need.  She will feel better that my wee inheritance is safe.  If I die before the $$$ is gone, she will give the remainder to Pammie, who is my advocate.

Susan and Chuck are going to use their share to FINALLY build a deck off their living room.  I am going to leave my share intact.  I have saved enough to get my painting done and half what I need for my living room carpet.  So--I'm a happy camper.

I thought that knowing that $$$ was there and mine would give me a great sense of relief.  Strangely, I have already become less worried and rather content knowing I had nothing.  Being poor for many years and really destitute for the last 4.5 years, I have learned how to live on what I have and if it wasn't always enough, it was okay.  I have made it all these years, and found a real appreciation for whatever I have.  I can't say it has been easy.

I lived the first 45 years of life very comfortably.  Never wanting for anything.  Divorce took that away, but a few jobs, kept me fairly good for 12 years.

What did St. Paul say?  

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."