6 month recap

It's been about 6 months since my last post, I've been a major slacker! Here's the highlights:
I had a ridiculously amazing tomato harvest this year!

Nice, right?
I went out to Cali and visited some of my favorite people,

including Ameryn Marie of  Oh so Nifty! Who makes a mean organic  S'more!!

And, I had my 20 year high school reunion, which was actually really fun. I got to see some people I haven't seen since high school.

Upon my return back to good old Rhode Island, I managed to put my hand through a glass window; I know, brilliant. It needed 4 stitches, and my right hand was pretty much out of commission for a month.  Once the stitches came out and the swelling went down, surprise!! I had cut the tendon and couldn't bend the top knuckle of my finger. I went to a surgeon who explained to me I had 3 options:
1) leave how it was and just deal with it
2) fuse the top joint, so I could have the ability to pick stuff up, but could never bend that spot again
3) have a 2 part surgery where they repair the little sheath in my finger that the tendon slides through, wait 3 months, then go back and do another surgery and repair the tendon.

For me, #3 was the only real option, but it meant I was going to be literally without the use of my right hand for a minimum of 6 months.
It meant no knitting, crocheting, sewing, or crafting for a minimum of 6 months. Not to mention I wouldn't be able to do much in the way of gardening, and I usually start my seeds in February.
But again, for me, it was the right choice, and I scheduled surgery for early January.

Turns out I was majorly lucky. I awoke to the Dr telling me I would only need one surgery. That in his 30+ years of surgery, he had never had it happen before, but my tendon hadn't receded down the finger. It was still through the sheath hanging on by one very tiny vein.

I still have to do a ton of physical therapy, but only one surgery. Six to eight months recover was now 6-8 weeks! I am so thrilled. And now when one of my BFFs has her baby this summer, I will actually be able to hold him or her and spoil the crap out of them with lots of hand made stuff :)  Yay!!

A little support please

 Last night as I lay awake in bed, miserable because it was so hot and humid and our 150 year old house has no airconditioning, I decided today I would do something productive. Something blog-worthy even.  So I was super excited this morning when I woke up and it was a wonderous 62 degrees instead of the low 90s it has been lately. First order of business, take the poor dog for a walk. It's been a few days and he has been relatively patient, but I opened my eyes to this...

 I guess he was done being patient. We were inerrupted about halfway through our normal route by a baby skunk who decided he wanted to play with us.  Bosco was thrilled! Me, yeah no.  So we turned around and came home. Next order of business, the garden. I'm growing my vine plants (butternut, honeydew, etc. ) up and over an archway I made from a cattle fence panel. It works fabulously to keep the vines from sprawling out into the lawn and it also keeps them from getting moldy so close to the ground. However, once the fruits start growing, they have to be supported or they become too heavy for the vine and fall off. Can't have that.  It was time for me to find a way to support a few butternuts. My internet/pinterest research concluded the best way to support the fruit, while still allowing it to grow and breathe, is to put it inside the leg of an old pair of panty hose. Genius!! So I cut up a pair I've had in my drawer forever and headed out to the garden. Mission accomplished, but.....

I swear I'm not 12, but I couldn't help but giggle at the newly supported butternut.  I can only imagine how they will look as they get even bigger. I'm so easily amused.