Hey brother, can you spare a dime?

  No, but how about a meal?  I could do that. It's that time of year again, when the food banks are all coming at us with pleas for help. The Boy Scouts are having their canned foods drive, local churches are doing things too.  As a matter of tradition, I have always donated to help families in need, especially at Christmas and Thanksgiving.  One year I was told that they "didn't accept home canned foods--too much chance of food poisoning."  I nearly died laughing. Then they told me what they would accept, and it was a bunch of empty caloric food like substances.  And I demurely declined to donate that kind of stuff.  I did wind up going to buy bags of potatoes and donated those. Hysterical, isn't it?  Now, around here anyway,  they are asking for donations of fresh garden produce in the summer, something they don't get enough of. I always donate some, but mostly I grow what we need and I can and freeze and well...YOU know.  I have been trying to think of something I could do this time of year, being rather short of funds, and started thinking about the local womens shelter and wondering if maybe I could like, cater a nice meal for them around the holidays. Since we live so far from town (20+ miles)  whatever I do would have to be there and not here, at my home.  I nearly always find some one who is down on their luck, has no family here, --something, and invite them to our house.  Some years I throw a little pre-Christmas soiree and have a nice evening of soups and desserts and breads...  Last Christmas I didn't want to do anything. This year...I don't know. Guess I ought to decide soon.  LOL

  So, back to the real world. The post High Holy Day of Gluttony olympics that takes place at my house has made me almost giddy.  As you can imagine, the Turkey Stock race was crazy, and is finally finished.  I had my roaster going for what seemed like forever, and the end total was 27 assorted pints and quarts of turkey stock. Some plain broth.  Some mostly broth with some turkey. Some mostly  turkey with broth.  And the beautiful jars are all finished, all sealed, and all awaiting labeling and putting away. THANK GOODNESS. 

  Last night I started tackling some cleaning jobs that were long overdue. Mainly our bedroom and the big master bathroom. Yuck. Today  I did things that normally get left undone, like vacuuming under the bed,. cleaning mirrors and scrubbing back behind the toilet where no one can reach. I scrubbed floors and took down curtains and washed them. I cleaned windows and windowsills. I scrubbed the sink and vanity and shower.  I took the cannister vacuum and sucked cobwebs off the ceiling and out of the corners and in doorways and windows. I cleaned both nightstands to within an inch of their lives. (Books, books, and more books!!) We have a dresser that is a really long and heavy thing    ( dinosaur)  that collects every thing imaginable--if himself walks into the room with ANYTHING in his hands, that's where it goes. Well, gentle readers...you can now see the wood top of that bad boy!!!!  And it's clean--I furniture polished everything, including my big sleigh bed.  I stripped the bed and washed the sheets. I got everything vacuumed,. the slipcovers in the laundry, 2 loads of laundry done (small loads)  and made a turkey pot pie with biscuits on top for supper.  And right before I started that pot pie...I suddenly was in excruciating pain (left hip) and could barely walk. Feels like a pinched nerve. I sat for a while and tried to take it easy, but it still really hurts, so I guess I'm going to the dr tomorrow morning.  I'm pretty sure I did it trying to vacuum 4000 pounds of dust bunny colonies out from under the bed. Because I can't move that bed (and NO--I didn't try)  so I resorted to squirming around on my belly and reaching and stretching--pretty sure I looked like I was playing a game of Twister with myself.

  This sucks. All I could think was--I don't have time for this. (But at least the turkey is all done.)

  When I got hurt, my pelvis was crushed. So there was lots of nerve damage and stuff. For years I would have to go to the doctor every 3-4 weeks for injections of a time released painkiller/steroid cocktail that he would inject into about 8 different nerve areas in trigger point injections. It hurt like hell, but the good news was that I could walk. This feels kinda like that...but I haven't had to have them for about 5 years now. I hope that's not going to be the deal this time.

  So...the Irishman is home safe and sound.  And he came home bearing gifts and with lots of dirty laundry and many anecdotes of family fun. And all I can think is, I'm hurting so bad that I can't stand the sound of his voice. Anyone's voice, actually. lol

  I have a lone pain pill here leftover from another time and I think I'm going to take it and go to bed.  We'll re-assess things when the sun comes up. The big question is, do I go to the Chiropractor, or just go straight to the Urgent Care?  Guess I'll have that answer when I wake up. All I can say is that I'm lucky to have a very high pain threshold because otherwise, I'd be in the ER right now.    :)


  Have a grand night, duckies.


Namaste.