We built a 20x20 deck on the front of our house in 2005 and the last time I was able to really spend time decorating it with plants was in May 2007. Motorcycle Man had bought me approximately a pickup truck bed full of plants - annuals and lots of perennials. Plus I had about 50 solo cups with
seedlings of Moon Vines and all other kinds of wonderful climbers. All of these beautiful plants were lined all over the deck floor and the tables just waiting for me to grab a shovel and get out in the yard looking for just the right spot for each one.
But.....that was when I got "the call" from my doctor telling me that the MRI did indeed find what was wrong with my legs and feet - it was an egg size tumor in the spinal cord. I had been going to doctors for over six months trying to find out what was wrong with me. Either I was in such intense pain I was barely functional or my legs and feet and abdomen would start burning - I would describe it as going to McDonald's and standing in oil in the deep fryer.
Off I was to surgery the very next morning, leaving all my beautiful plants and seedlings at home alone. I stayed in ICU for over a week and then in a step down room for another week. When I came home all I saw was my sad plants on the deck - drying for a drink of water, looking out over the deck rail just wanting to jump into the ground and find their home. I could only feel sympathy for them as i was ushered quickly into the house. No, Mama would not be able to help them in their time of need - she was not able to walk at all and was bedridden for months - many, many long months. As she still had two more emergency spine surgeries and another month in the hospital plus staff infection and a tear in the spinal column causing spinal fluid to want to get out. My poor little plants were on their own and all Mama could do was watch them from her post at the window and pray for them.
Now about this time, Motorcycle Man took pity on the poor pitiful plants and opened the blinds in the bedroom so I could watch as he loving planted each and every one. Picking the dead leaves off and brushing the dust off of them and them stood there with that lovely watering hose and gave them a huge gulp of much needed, much wanted, life giving water. He was their Hero and mine too. My plans ws to have planted them scattered all over the yard - front and back - but he in his knowledge of where I would spend the rest of the next several seasons planted each and every one where I could view them from my bed or the front deck as I was able to be moved out there. He gave me a sanctuary.
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