Sometime last week, I woke up after having “slept wrong” with what I thought was a pulled muscle. I now think I have some form of sciatica. I can’t bend at the waist normally; when I straighten up, the pain in my left leg is excruciating. It abates with rest, but then I forget, and bend again–pet the dogs, pick something up off the floor, things like that–and it flares up again. Yesterday afternoon was the worst, trying to straighten out the dog beds. I wound up flattened, in bed, unable to move much.
There’s been an upside to this, of course. I was able to read for hours, getting about 2/3 of the way through an old favorite, The Seven Storey Mountain by Merton. A definite silver lining to this cloud.
But, this can’t go on. So today, it’s a trip to the doctor. I might have resisted a bit longer, but Mary is planning a trip to the US, and in my current state, I wouldn’t be able to manage around here without her. Thus the doctor.
So today, moving very carefully, I’m forced to take it easy until we leave for the hospital. What a shame! I was forced to go outside, on a beautiful–no, stunning–morning, with a cup of coffee and putter around on my lovely new work tables. Weeded out some potted plants, potted up the two chayotes–they’re on the right-hand table–composted some poor, overgrown seedlings. Enjoyed the morning. Relaxed. Can’t be weighed down by a To Do list because I can’t do anything except dishes.
And wondered if that wasn’t the point of this sciatica thing (if that’s what it is). I put nothing past the mind-body interaction. I have been too burdened with all that “has to be done” lately–getting a lot accomplished, but typically, only able to see all that’s left to do, not what’s been done. This morning, I looked around at what is practically a park after Darío’s work yesterday, listened to the birds, got my hands dirty–I don’t stop often enough.
To make things even more interesting, there’s La Gringa’s post today. She has the best possible advice for living a long life here in Central America–and being happy as well. It’s funny, but very well put.
Filed under: Potrerillos Arriba, health
Hi Joyce;
Wondering what type of compost arrangement you have; I only started my compost heap in Panama last November and it is simply a heap, contained by three walls of blocks about 3′ high. Turn it over weekly. Here in Canada, I have an actual plastic composter but I can’t say it works any better; one year later I don’t have anything to put on the garden soil. I am new to composting and would also like to know the ratio of compost to soil you put around your plants.
Thanks
Sam
Oh, sheesh, also I hope you are feeling better soon!
Sam
Hi, Sam,
Bsically, I have the arrangement you do. It’s really a “box” of cyclone fencing a meter on each side and 4 ft tall. I also have “lid’ on it–just a frame with cyclone fencing that Darío has assured me is useless. The rationale I’m left with is that one of these days, I’ll put a tarp over it.
I’m thinking of putting cement blocks around the perimeter at the bottom to foil the dogs, especially Fred, who have show their usual ingenuity in getting at rotting garbage, their favorite food.
I don’t even turn it. I was astounded, with our first composting efforts, to find out just how fast things decompose here in the tropics.
I have no “ratio”–we just cover the garbage, whatever it is–food scraps, yard waste–with dirt and leave it at that. It certainly is working, given the rate of shrinking of the pile!
I’m one of the world’s laziest composters. In WA, I used to “sheet compost’”– bury kitchen garbage in a raised bed I wasn’t using. This really was illegal because of the supposed attraction for rats, but I never had any trouble–probably because of the number of cats and dogs we had. This method worked quite well and rather rapidly.
Given where we lived and the problem with blackberry vines, I had a HUGE ramshakle affair for composting blackberry vines that I hacked down during the year. it would take 3-4 years to decay naturally, but no one can imagine the satisfaction i got from putting that compost in my raised beds!
I know that there are lots of methods for speeding things up, but a) I’m far, far too lazy to do that work and b) there have been some studies that show that the quality of compost done by the rapid methods doesn’t work as well as when you just let nature take its course. Naturally, I believe all those studies!
Composting the way we’re doing now is recent for us–just a few months. Originally, I bought 3 55 gallon drums and we composted in those. what really blew me away is that using this method–you get a liquid!!! Just about everything breaks down to a liquid. This is the reason by the way–the rate of decomposition in the tropics–that septic tanks here last abut 50 years. there’s no need to pump.
Joyce
And after all that verbiage, i didn’t answer your last inquiry. I never had any ratio. I never had enough compost! So I had to ration it out anyway. Plus I solved the drudgery problem by sheet composting, which I STILL think is the best way to go. I may yet revert to that in one of my veggie raised beds.
(snort) Never worry about ME! I do take care of myself eventually!
But thanks for the sentiment.
Joyce
Sam, after all that–just thought I’d let you know a practice I’m carrying over to Panamá that worked–and is working here–quite well.
I used to mulch quite heavily, primarily with grass clippings. the advantages of mulching are too numerous to go into here, but what it did, after a season, was break down into the best topsoil you can imagine. With the veggie beds, that was worked into the soil the next time I planted. With the flowers and shrubs, it was a perfect top dressing for very little work.
I’m doing the same thing here, only with rice or coffee husks. Longer to break down, but already, in less than a year, I see the results.
Joyce
Hey, Joyce!
I couldn’t help myself but to point out that you have a great composting blog hidden back here in the comments!
We recently did a lot of garden cleanup and have a huge compost pile. If things go as they usually do, it will never be turned, but will turn itself into lovely black gold.
We usually just sprinkle it around root zone of the plants. Above the soil but beneath the mulch is best, but it will work itself down through the mulch, too. I also work it into the soil in new plantings, but I’ve read that it is less beneficial due to the heavy rains.
Sam, in this climate you almost can’t go wrong no matter what you do. Sometimes our compost is 80% wood shavings and other times it is 100% fresh material. The only thing I’ve had a problem with is grass clippings getting matted and stinky when we’ve had too many. We also have the 3-walled concrete block enclosures. Turning and moistening will speed the process.
Joyce, I do hope the doctor can help you soon!
Well, La Gringa, I do tend to talk about trivia on the posts. Then someone has the sense to ask me a REAL question, and many times I do have something to contribute!
I can’t do anything 3-walled, thanks to the dogs. Got be 4-sided somehow, and looks like concrete blocks around the perimeter. Both Fred and Ethel are flat-out Lab geniuses at snagging garbage, the more decomposed the better. I’ll never forget the three day period when Fred had the breath from Hell, and I couldn’t figure out why. Then we discovered that part of a 55 gallon drum that held only partially decomposed garbage had rusted out, and good ol’ Fred was snacking at night! There are times when dogs are just plain disgusting.
Just got back from the doctor. I can not believe how much I just paid for medications. But that’s tomorrow’s whine.
Joyce