I’ve started this thread to share my own “Survival Tips” and hope that others will share theirs too.
2006 was a dreadful year for me. I was still recovering from life saving surgery; my housebound mum was very ill; the care home that my son with learning difficulties had been happy in closed down, replaced by “Supported Living” which caused endless problems; my husband died suddenly, leaving me to run our business and deal with 30 tons of vintage lorry spares; and to cap it all, in December 2006 I was nearly killed in a car accident that left me virtually unable to walk, using a walking stick, too young for knee replacements. (I’ve now had them, and can walk miles again).
Fortunately, my eldest son is very much like his dad, a very practical man, an engineer and so much more.
GARDEN
We have a very large garden and No.1 doesn’t like gardening. He gave the “Evil Eye” to the borders in the garden that I could no longer look after, I couldn’t even kneel down, so he insisted that all the borders had to go. This was really painful as our garden was the result of 30 years work. I gave away all the plants on Freecycle, saying bring your own fork, The rockery went.
Now I just have a very tidy back lawn, No.1 son or his brother M cut the lawn whenever it needs it.
My “compensation” was having a wider patio, with flower pots and troughs, easier for me to tend. However this may be the last season for most of them, as I’m increasingly arthritic. More tips later.