The bad patch that is this New Year so far, manifested most recently as a patch of ice.
On Martin Luther King Day (January 20) I was having a very productive day. I wore my insulated paddock boots, since my hiking boots had recently finished their useful life. Here is a bit of handy information – paddock boots have very poor traction. There was an unexpected snow that quickly covered everything. I was almost done with chores at the end of the afternoon, and headed over to the woods to feed Licorice (her preferred feeding station).
I did know about a frozen puddle on the driveway, but I didn’t see it because of the snow. Before I even realized I slipped, I was thrown into the air and came down HARD. Relieved that I didn’t hit my head, I was dismayed to think I might have broken my shoulder. After a good amount of cursing and moaning, I finished up and went to the studio to tell Harry I needed to get an x ray.
We drove to Urgent Care on death defying roads (my high blood pressure on arrival had less to do with pain than with fear of sliding off the road). Nothing broken – they told me I had a contusion (a bruise). How embarrassing! But then, why could I not raise my arm? The roads home were still pretty bad, but when a trucker told us about the 22 car pileup that had closed the highway just south of here, we felt like the night could have been a lot worse.
Marianne Mansfield came to the rescue, and has been doing all my chores. I think the horses are probably getting better attention than I give them! And she loves cats, which, given our overabundance of felines, is wonderful.
Marianne ready to turn Bart out 
Marianne hard at work 
Marianne is always smiling
I will spare you all the subsequent details, but I do have a traumatic rotator cuff injury, involving the subscapularis and the infraspinatus – one partial tear, and one full tear. And a torn bicep. No more arm wrestling for me!
On Wednesday, I had a stem cell treatment at Bluetail Group in Chesterfield, and I am already improved. Horse showing is on the calendar again.
I do have to rest the arm until February 12, but then I will be back in action, preparing for Ohio at the end of March.
In the meantime, Marianne and Harry are doing all the work, and I am healing apace, feeling very fortunate indeed, though pretty stupid.
The Carpenter sisters are always good for a laugh, and laughter is always good therapy. Laura and Dorothy stopped by to speed healing… Laura brought a therapy doggie…
Dorothy and Laura laughing 
Laura and Dreidl
Today, was a record warm day, horses naked in February, and even flowers blooming!
Bart without a blanket 
Oisin and Stone 
Barely February and flowers in bloom
In my down time I read Jon Katz’s Bedlam Farm Journal blog. He is both an inspiration and, sometimes, an aggravation. This is one of his pictures of his dog, Zinnia. Most appropriate…
Bummer! Thanks for the update, it is good to know you have lots of help. Be well soon ❤
Laura’s dog is darling. I’m glad to know that you have someone to do the chores as well. I signed up for the blog, but I used to get them via my e-mail address, so i’m Not sure what stopped that. You didn’t tell me about the bicep tear. I don’t think i’ve Ever known anyone who had a bicep tear. I always knew you were unique.😜 Take care of that.
You never mentioned most of this when we talked. I can’t count on you!!!! We hope you feel better. I will tell you about my Costco robbery. Thanks for including us in the blog. Jonee
Anne, Bummer- heal fast. Yep, paddock boots have no traction!!
Well, the good thing is—-there is only way to go after your 2020’s start——-and that way is UP!!
Anne, the delay in learning about this scary incident reminded of of learning of your broken vertebrae after you already were over the worst of it (if memory serves, that was back when the world was still cranking out new gen-X-ers). If you were to catalogue all body parts you’ve ever seriously injured, I would bet it would be significantly longer than a shopping list for one of your famous Thanksgiving dinners. Get well soon and, if it’s not on there already, be sure to add “world-class expert at injury recovery” to your résumé!
PS, so many great pics in that post!!
OMG I was reading this thinking “If she can’t go to Ohio I am going to come and break her other #@%*!-ing arm!!! “
So sorry you fell , I’ve fallen twice this winter due to over exuberant young horses getting over anxious to get turned out in the mornings , we still have sheets of ice , get well soon , and of course give Bart a cookie for me M