Friday, May 29, 2009

Weird Day

I was draggin' my wagon today. Lots of hard physical work outside all week, and then last night after I woke at 2 a.m. for a potty stop, I couldn't go back to sleep. Tossed and turned until 3 when I turned on my book light and read until 3:40 when the book hit me in the face. But then when I took off my glasses, put the book on the nightstand, snuggled down and tried to sleep, I was wide awake again. My antics were causing my bed partner to toss and turn, too, of course. I don't know why I don't just get up in those circumstances and go into my quilt room and quilt. Don't know when I finally dozed off into real sleep. When Roy woke this morning and half sat up to see the clock, he collapsed back down letting out a prolonged groan. I said, "Did we miss breakfast?" He said, "Yeah, and lunch, too." Well, it was only 8:15 but that was much later than we usually rise and shine.

When I sat up to put my feet on the floor, I got a shooting pain up the right side of my rib cage. No worry. I knew exactly what I had done out in the garden yesterday that caused it. Nothing that a small surgery, a week of bed rest, three months of physical therapy and some morphine won't cure.

Dear Daughter stopped in for a short visit last night and I gave her a nice bunch of my rhubarb, the first I'd picked this year. It looked so good that I went out first thing this morning and picked enough for a baked goodie of our own.

Came in and used the rhubarb to make a dish of Rhubarb Crunch . . . the best Crunch, Crisp, Crumble, Crackle, Crungle, whatever . . . I've come up with. Good thing I had it because the fella who put in our solar energy system (who's become a friend) stopped by this afternoon with his seventeen year old apprentice son to say hello. They sat at the kitchen table and chatted while sampling the Rhubarb Crunch. The son, who usually doesn't have too much to say, was working his spoon pretty hard in his bowl to get every last little morsel cleaned up. Finally, he pushed his bowl away and said, "That was the best rhubarb dessert I've ever had!" High praise, I felt. (If anybody's interested in the recipe --- it's really not my intent to subject you all to too many recipes --- let me know.)

Other than picking the rhubarb this morning and watering my sprouted seeds in the garden and the seedlings I'm hardening off on the deck in preparation for planting them, I didn't make it back outside to work all day. That's okay though 'cause, as I say, my energy level was lagging and I maybe needed a non-physical rest day.

That blankety-blank Agnes (my maid) didn't show up again today. Haven't seen her all week and her list just gets longer and longer. Boy, the help you get these days. I'd better get to bed. Somebody's got to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning.



4 comments:

RuthieJ said...

I swiped some rhubarb from my neighbor who doesn't do anything with his and made a couple of pies. There's something about that first rhubarb dessert of the year that's oh-so-yummy!

I'm sorry to hear about you working so hard and not getting the rest you need. I found out earlier this week when I tried to donate blood and my hemoglobin was too low that fatigue and stress are also contributing factors to that condition (which would partly explain why I've been so tired lately). So I guess my body's trying to convince me to take better care of myself and I bet yours is too Mama Pea!

MaineCelt said...

Rhubarb IS one of those Spring Tonic plants... I suggest a day of lazing about with good books, nettle soup, and rhubarb desserts!

Yesterday I made stew from one of our overgrown broilers-turned-stewbirds. I was worried he'd be a bit tough, but the stew came out really nice and the meat was tender after only a few hours of simmmering. I added brussels sprouts (which turned surprisingly creamy and sweet), carrots, parsnips, onions, and some red potatoes I roasted a bit beforehand.
I saved out 1/2 the breast meat and made a bit of curried chicken salad with dried cranberries and almonds for today's lunch. I'm having a very happy chicken day!

Later, I'll send you MY fav. rhubarb recipe--a coffee cake that I love so much, I often asked for it on my birthday when I was growing up.

Mama Pea said...

Ruthie - Thanks for the kind words but I'm just fine. Haven't felt this good in Y-E-A-R-S! Just needed somebody to grump to so you dear blog readers were the beneficiaries.

You, m'dear, do need to take better care of yourself. Stress is so difficult to handle but for our own good, we HAVE to learn how to do it. Sending hugs.

Mama Pea said...

MaineCelt - I have no doubt your broilers/stewers are/will be wonderfully good chickie meat. Heck, I stew our 3-4 year old roosters and get them tender. Nuthin' wrong with the flavor either.

I love brussels sprouts but would have thought they might have added too strong a flavor to your stew. Now that I know they will work, I shall try some.

P.S. I'm coming for lunch . . . the chicken salad sounds WONDERFUL!