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The past couple of months have seen a multitude of doctor visits (in addition to the stitches). Part routine physical (which, at 40, involves some new phrases), part finally looking into various aches and pains. After the physical, blood tests, trip for an EMG and to a hand surgeon the results are:

• Minor carpel tunnel syndrome in the left hand (the hand without many problems)
• Ganglion cyst in right wrist
• torn ligament in right middle finger (which hurts like a bitch and will take a year to heal)
• possible thyroid issues

The good news, the rest of me is just fine and dandy. I continue to have good cholesterol levels and the other test all look good.

Sunday brought stitches for me,
    Monday a broken toe for she.
Tuesday’s the day for scorching hot pan
    With which I have burnt my hand.

On Sunday we set about finishing off some of the garden beds around the house and garage. We picked up a few plants for around the patio; planted some grasses behind the house and bought some new shady plants.

We also finished putting in the bed on the side of the garage, which is were the blood comes in. Whilst cutting the edging to fit my knife slipped and slashed my knee (warning: graphic photos), which required four stitches.

The Rochester Urgent Care was fantastic and had me sewed up in no time. Here is a snippet of my favorite exchange:

Doctor: “Was the knife dirty”

Me: “Well, it was a utility knife I keep in the garage and I was kneeling in dirt cutting plastic, so I’m going to say ‘yes’ to that.”

The old wooden fence is gone. Long live the vinyl fence.

Never again will I worry about parts of my fence falling down. In the end, there were at least four sections held up by rope, twine and pure momentum.

For comparison, I give you before and after, looking from the house to the back of our lot. And the reverse view: before; after.

If you look closely in the second set you will also see some of the patio work I did this Spring. For a better idea, here is the old cistern that was outside our backdoor. We had concrete work done last summer and I have now finished the landscaping.

And for good measure, I helped my neighbor add a matching section of fence at the front of our houses.

Project Totals:

• 35 posts (and holes)
• 33 fence panels
• 2 gates
• 45 80lbs bags of concrete

A big thanks goes to Sarah, she helped with a couple of large sections, kept the house running, Olivia entertained, etc.; my Dad; Jack; my father-in-law; and my neighbor. They all pitched in to tear down the old fence, dig some holes and install the new fencing.

Three years and an hour ago my daughter was born.

Happy birthday princess