A golden leaf fell near the pond and landed at Poppy's boot as he walked home from hunting this evening...
He picked it up and brought it home. I've been terribly worried the leaf was meant for the fairies that lives near the ferns. The moon is bright and nearly full tonight, perfect for crossing the pond to the far side where Fairies meet...
Seriously, the leaf is huge, and what kind of leaf is it?
We finished the fried chicken for supper tonight and there in Poppy's piece was the pulley bone, or wish bone. The only way to get the pulley bone in a piece of fried chicken now days it to cut up a whole chicken yourself...and that's what I did. Poppy said, hey, why don't do a post and call it the leaf and the pulley bone. :)
Growing up, Mama always cut up a chicken to fry with three pieces of breast meat, one containing the pulley bone. I remember watching her. I must have stayed under her feet all the time.
Always in the kitchen with mama, or standing behind the sewing machine watching her sew. I remember once being in the kitchen while she was busy cooking. I dropped something on the floor, bent down to pick it up and raised up under her dress and apron. She said, "oh good lord"! as she moved from over me, pressing her dress down with her hand. I was very small, not meaning to get in the way. Dear sweet mama.
Oh, look what's blooming...
trouble is, we have no room for house plants, neither do we have enough light. Log cabins are dark inside. This Christmas cactus has grown huge. We sat it at the end of the bar where a tiny bit of sun comes in this time of the year.
Okay, can I tell you about my broken wrist. Do you think the cast is ready to come off??
I broke my wrist on Oct. 10th and wore a splint for one week, waiting to see the orthopedic specialist. The orthopedic doctor put a cast on my arm for three weeks. He then cut the cast off, x-rayed my arm again, said the bones were healing but my wrist would not be exactly right. He suggested surgery...but still left it up to me. I didn't want surgery so he put a new cast on my arm and told me to come back in one week. He cut the new cast off, took x-rays, gave me a velcro brace to wear during activities, and set me up for physical therapy.
My thinking was...you break a bone, wear a cast for six to eight weeks, the bones grow back together, you get the cast taken off.
So, I've worn a splint for one week, and an actual cast for only four week. I can't stand to be without this velcro thing. My wrist feel very weak and fragile.
I also asked the doctor about my shoulder pain. X-rays showed no cracked or broken bones so he gave me a steroid injection in each shoulder. Which helped immediately.
Thank you friends! be back soon...and around to visit.
Love,
Henny Penny
My Christmas cactus is blooming too. I guess each person is different when it comes to broken wrists. I had the cast on for 6 weeks.
ReplyDeleteThank you Red.
DeleteMaybe your wrist is just weak from lack of use now and in time it will get strong again.
ReplyDeleteYour leaf looks like a sycamore leaf. They are huge leaves.
That's probably it. Thank you.
DeleteI love your imagination with the fairies. Your Christmas cactus is gorgeous. I'm sorry your wrist is still so week. I think that's normal after being immobile for so long. I'll be praying for you Henny, that the pain would be much less and that you will be completely healed.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Betsy
Thank you so much Betsy.
DeleteI'm glad your shoulders are better but I sure wish your wrist was better too. I've always heard that when you first get a cast off you will feel very weak at first but if it's too bad I'd tell the doctor. Henny, your Christmas Cactus is beautiful! I've never seen one with two colors on it. I love the thought of the fairies in your woods! I see you even found their little table. I hear they are very resourceful and if they want to do something they find a way! Please be careful with your wrist and feel better!
ReplyDeleteThank you Bonnie. I think I'm just afraid my wrist will break again. I did rake leaves today, with the velcro brace of course. I think maybe there were two different cuttings in the Christmas cactus post. Probably should have separated them.
DeleteHenny, I'm so sorry that your wrist is causing you so much trouble. And your shoulders! I'm glad that you were able to get those steroid shots; they're a miracle. I hope the relief you're getting from them gives your shoulders time to heal from the jolt of your fall. It sure is not fun to hurt all the time! That Christmas cactus is absolutely beautiful. Is it 2 of them in one pot? I love the fairies' table. Poppy was so thoughtful to bring that big leaf for them. :) I don't know if they still cut their chicken breasts into 3 pieces at KFC, but many years ago they did. My dad loved that center breast piece so much that we always let him have it. I hadn't thought of that memory for years and years and years. Take good care of that wrist so it can get stronger. The therapy can help with that if you do it on your own several times a day. At least it worked for my husband after he and a ladder went down outside one year and he dislocated about every little bone in his hand. Surgery, pins, and therapy with a lot of practice on his own helped him get the strength back in his hand. It just takes time, lots of time.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Peg. Gosh, your husband's broken hand sounds just awful. I actually raked leaves today, wearing the velcro brace and it felt good. You're right about the steroid shots...I have felt like a new person. Thank you for such a nice comment. Oh, and about the piece of chicken with the wish bone, all three of us kids wanted that piece. It has always been my favorite.
DeleteMy Christmas cactus is in exactly the same
ReplyDeletecondition as yours Henny..so it should be in
'full' bloom by Christmas!
I think the leaf was meant for the fairies to..
Never mind..they'll have to swim across the
pond/lake..HeHe! Oh! Hang on! Fairies can fly
can't they..! :).
You did'nt say..did you and Poppy put your
little fingers either side of the wishbone,
pulled it, and the winner make a wish...! :).
And..there's only one way to cook a chicken,
and that's whole..! I love my meat on the
bone..!
And..Yes! I grew up next to mia Mama..learnt
ALL my cooking skills from her, sat in the
high chair as a toddler..with a knife in one
hand and an onion in the other..thankfully
l still have my fingers..! :).
I was raise eating mostly game..or 'Roadkill'
as l call it..we certainly lived off the land,
and l still do..nothing goes to waste in my
home..!
Hope the arm/wrist heal up soon, though l think
you have to accept, at our age..it takes a little
longer..but, you'll get there, in a few weeks you'll
be chasing Poppy with your broomstick..HeHe! Bless! :O).
✨ 🍑 ✨ 🍑 ✨ 🍑 ✨ 🍑 ✨ 🍑 ✨ 🍑 ✨
Oh! Yes! Meant to say..the leaf is a
DeleteSycamore leaf..they are four to six
inches in diameter...!
So big enough for 4~6 fairies at one
time..! 🧚
Willie, thank you for the nice comment. Hope you're right about the Christmas cactus being in bloom for Christmas. Aren't they pretty! I think you loved being with your mom the same as I did. No better place to be than beside her. She taught me so many things. Poppy and I forgot to make a wish and pull the wish bone. Good grief! Need to check on the fairies tomorrow. I will do that.
DeleteHow Breaking a Wishbone became Tradition...
DeleteAs the Romans traveled through Europe, they brought this tradition with them,
and the English eventually adopted this practice too...
The tradition of breaking a turkey/chicken wishbone started with the Pilgrims,
and term of a wishbone was created in United States in the mid 1800s...!
The bone must be completely dry and brittle before it will snap, which can
take up to a few days...! :).
Hi HENNY,
ReplyDeleteHere is hoping your wrist mends and you can feel a whole lot better and be back to your usual self. Best Wishes. KEV.
I agree with Willie, that's a sycamore leaf. You should be able to see the white tree bark in the winter. They are magnificent trees. My neighbor broke his wrist in summer of 2020. After the cast he wore a velcro brace for months before he felt it was safe and strong enough to go without. Maybe with winter coming you'll have less to do outside and it will heal quickly. I hope so for you. We had snow on Sat. 13 and then 68 yesterday. What weather. Lynn and Precious XX
ReplyDeleteLove the Christmas cactus... always reminds me of my mother-in-law (who passed away several years ago at 98). She would always give us cuttings of her Christmas cactus. As for the faeries... yes, I do the same. Left a penny in the Faery garden in Ireland when I picked a flower... and once left a toy matchbox fire engine in the woods under a tree in Maine for the faeries (made me laugh when I thought of how much fun they would have with that). I do hope your wrist heals well. I agree with you with giving it a chance to heal on it's own and waiting on any surgery.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize at first the "pulley bone"/wish bone was next to that leaf, I would say that is a good size leaf, I don't know much about those things. I'll look up the Sycamore to find out more about it ( from your comments). My cactus is also in bloom, about 3 buds worth. I don't know if it is a Christmas or Easter. They are light/dark dependent I read once, so many hours of each and they will bloom. Yours looks vibrant and happy.
ReplyDeleteI agree... it's a sycamore leaf... the tree where the bark looks like its peeling!! My neighbor has two and we end up with his huge leaves!!
ReplyDeleteThe mushroom looks like a fairy tea party is about to happen. What you call the pulley bone, we called the wish bone. One child on each side, make a wish, pull and the one who gets the larger piece will get her wish. I wished for a dog a jillion times and never got one so I can’t guarantee that this works! Physical therapy will make your wrist and hand strong again. It is no fun while you are doing it but we’ll worth it in the end!
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what our pond fairies do... gather in the evening near the big rocks across the pond. I am almost sure of it. When I broke my wrist, I did everything that I wasn't supposed to do. My hand and arm swelled something fierce and turned the darkest ugly purple you can imagine. I wore a cast for six weeks and was given a big old black velco brace to wear for at least another six weeks. But, it was hot summer by then and my arm got so hot and sweaty that I tossed it aside. My wrist was weak and I had some numbness in my thumb and forefinger. I googled about that and read that it sometimes takes up to two years for a wrist to fully recover after having been broken and after surgery. I couldn't hold a pencil properly to write, nor could I pick a needle up off the table. I did some exercises that I found on line for awhile, but finally just kind of quit worrying about it and went about my daily routine the best I could. Then one day, I realized that the numbness was gone and that I could hold a pencil correctly. It just happened. It has been over six months since I broke mine. I didn't have therapy and probably not a very good doctor, but I think I am going to be okay, and I am sure you will too. It does just take time. In the mean time take care, don't lift heavy things, and maybe finish writing your fairy story. I would love to read the rest of the story. :~)
ReplyDeleteMary, thank you so much for the nice, helpful comment. Guess I should have finished a story about the fairies. The leaf looked just right to carry a few fairies across the pond. Oh, I do have the big velcro brace, and it feels wonderful. I'm afraid to take it off. I'm glad to know your hand is feeling normal now. I can not make a fist. My fingers will not close together. Encouraging to know this should go away. Thank you!
DeleteI think that is a sycamore leaf...too tired to read all your comments. Someone may have already said that or said something different. I am not positive. but that is the first thought that crossed my mind when I saw the pic.
ReplyDeleteMy mom made me learn to cut up whole chickens when I was young. Now you hardly see a whole chicken. Back then I think more women cut up their own. And we cut them up just like you are talking about. And on the side of the breast is this little flat bone that mom also cut away and fried separate. It was just the perfect bite of chicken.
Oooh - that is a pretty leaf!
ReplyDeleteI think your wrist may just be weak from not being able to use it. Hopefully it will get stronger as you start to use it again.
Oh, I do wish that your wrist felt totally normal and you could go out and do just anything using it. But as several people said you haven't been using it and that would weaken any part of your body whether it's having been broken or not. The Dr. did see the x-ray and surely wouldn't have sent you off it if had looked iffy at all. I think you should wait a while and see if it improves and if you are still worried about it go back to him and ask him about it. That's part of the Dr's job to answer any questions that their patient might have. And if it would put you mind at ease that would be worth a lot.
ReplyDeleteHey Victoria. Thank you. My wrist is feeling better every day. I raked leaves yesterday and it didn't hurt, in fact it felt wonderful to be outside. This velcro brace is wonderful.
DeleteThat is a big leaf alright....or a very tiny wishbone! I love your Christmas cactus, blooming to beat the band! How beautiful it is! I do hope you had your cast on long enough and that your arm and wrist will start to feel strong again....hoping physical therapy will help. I had my cast on a lot longer than you, but then they insisted on doing surgery on mine. Now it's as good as new. I hope that will happen for you, Melba! Wishing you all the very best!
ReplyDeleteHey Diane, It is a big leaf and an extra small wish bone. :) I get signed up for physical therapy this Monday. I'm happy to soon be going. My wrist actually feels a little stronger today. I just need to stop rushing it. I'm glad your wrist is good as new...I probably should have gone with the surgery the first time the doctor suggested it. Thank you Diane.
DeleteI love your story about the fairies and the leaf as their boat. :-)
ReplyDeletePraying your wrist feels strong soon.
And I always love when you share stories about your mom.
Love, Carla
That is a huge leaf! We used to call it the wish bone and used to argue over who got to give it a go! We usually put it up to dry out and I am sure Mom threw it away.
ReplyDeleteThe physical therapist should give you exercises to make your wrist stronger...it all takes time:)
I have happy memories of helping my mother in the kitchen, but she hated me watching her sew! I taught all my children how to cook, so I hope they have happy memories too.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the Wee Folk found another leaf to make their journey :)
As we grow older it seems it takes longer for things to heal, but it does happen. It took two years for my broken foot bone to heal, but one day I noticed it had - something to look forward to (but I hope your wrist heals quicker than that!) Mxx
Dear friend if you do the therapy your wrist should get stronger. It just takes time depending on the kind of break. Could the leaf be a type of maple??
ReplyDeleteI have not cut up a whole chicken...it takes skill which I do not possess. Good for you for doing so.
Well take care friend and I will pray you get your strength back in your wrist soon. Hugs!
Our furry friends can surely get us into trouble now and then. Two years ago at the end of September a black kitten appeared on our porch. We have no neighbors, she wasn't a feral cat, and nobody wanted her - but she wanted us! As soon as she was free of fleas and had a vet check she came in and has never once tried to leave. A month or two later I came down the stairs without enough light and felt myself stepping on her. I yelled as I twisted and fell backward trying not to put my weight on her. She was fine - my ankle was broken! (Ever since then she's never walked near my feet - a blessing because I'm old and not too steady.) I didn't need surgery, thanks to the Good Lord, but wore a walking boot for 6 weeks. Afterward I had pain and swelling for quite a long time. Someone once told me a fall can be a life-changing event. We aren't always as good as new after a break heals, but time usually takes away the discomfort. I truly empathize with you, and know how frustrating it is to not be able to do the things you see needing attention. Someone said with winter coming there's less work outside, and that's a blessing, too, while your healing takes place. I'd forgotten, too, about the wishbone since we rarely buy a whole chicken. Never heard it called a pulley bone, which is what it really is! Your fairies surely found another leaf boat to get to the other side. No shortage of them now! My Christmas cactus lives on the porch in summer, and at an east window in an unheated upstairs room. It's blooming, too, and I amost gave it away.
ReplyDeleteGod bless and keep you and yours, and may He oversee your healing.
Ruth, thank you for such a nice comment. Oh, your fall on the stairs sounds awful and I can just picture it. I would have probably done the same thing, trying to miss the kitten. Falls are so scary. My doctor has started asking, have you had any falls lately? My yearly wellness check is next Wednesday. Guess I've got a lot to tell him. :) Thank you Ruth.
Deleteso sorry about your wrist. I hope it completely heals. The Pulley bone brings back such warm memories for me. I can not tell you how many times I made a wish on the pulley bone when I was growing up. A big thing with my family. I do believe that you have yourself a big sycamore leaf. My husband grows hundreds of sycamore trees. And...your Christmas cactus is so big and pretty. I have one, but it's not near that big and it is just now starting to bloom. Please take care of that wrist and don't overdo with the Holidays coming.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteLove your big leaf story and sorry you were worried about the little fairies. :0) .. That Christmas Cactus is beautiful..wow.. I hope your wrist will continue to heal without the surgery..maybe just needs more time like you discussed. I remember one of my bigger sisters would always say as soon as she saw the fried chicken coming..."I've got the pulley bone"... and she wanted it for a "wish bone" which I am sure you know that story, too. I was younger so would just sit back and watch the drama over that little piece of chicken. :0) .. Good memories. I was walking my doggies on the neighborhood streets one day and had dropped a bag(nothing in it, lol)..and looked for it as I walked back..I thought I saw it but it was as in your story..just a "big leaf". Have a great Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteThank you! My sister, brother and I used to argue over the wish bone too. I can just hear one of us saying, "I called for it first", didn't I mama? That's funny about your bag. It must have been a big leaf too. Hope you have great Thanksgiving too.
DeleteThanks for the post on the wishbone! I love reading about your Mama. She sounds so much like you actually. Hennie, I hope the bones are healing, I'm sure they are and the ligaments and muscles need to heal too, so just remember, it won't be much longer! Happy Thanksgiving dear!
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed reading your post this morning......such a sweet memory of you and your mother in the kitchen. Yes, we always hoped to find a pulley bone to make a wish when we were young! Hopefully the fairies found another good leaf in the woods. LOL I still have some large leaves like yours.......in a frame. A very dear friend of mine was from Vermont. She and her husband had located in Texas and once lived across from our home........this is how we became friends.........She went to visit family in Vermont and knew how much I loved leaves, and brought me back some of the most beautiful and colorful leaves........like yours. I dipped them in paraffin and framed a few. My friend has long since gone from this world........and how very much I miss her! When I look upon the framed leaves..........they always bring a smile and a memory of her. Your Christmas cactus is lovely! Do take extra good care of your wrist. Hot dissolved jello to drink is a good thing for breaks and joints. Just dissolve any flavor gelatin jello that you like in hot water and enjoy a hot soothing drink. It does wonders. Happy Thanksgiving to you!
ReplyDeleteI think that might be a sycamore leaf.
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas cactus is also beginning to bloom! It's lovely. I also don't have a perfect window for it right now because I moved my dining room table away from the window and into the middle of the room, for company. Poor cactus.
I hope your bones mend and grow together again perfectly, HP. Heal well.
I know, the old days were 8 weeks and the cast was heavy. I always thought maybe the cast being heavy caused the muscles to stay strong to move it. But maybe the new ways are best? But it would not seem so, as the bones were not healed at 4 weeks. Can you call the doctor's office and ask if the bones were seeming to mend more in the last set of xrays right before the Velcro? Our wrist bones look like bird's bones to me, so delicate. I will pray for you. A Rosary a day keeps the doctor away! I think that is a Bigleaf Maple. They are wondrous trees. Don't worry, the fairies have a second way to cross creeks and rivers. They bow to Mrs. Spider and ask if they may have some of the tattered silk of her web. And they make long ropes into rolled ladders they throw across the creek. Sometimes a sweet moth or even a frog will help them out, or a kind bird. And then off they go!
ReplyDeleteI remember wearing a cast for 6 weeks as a kid, it felt like forever! I hope your wrist and shoulder will heal soon! Those steroid shots do help with pain though, I'm glad you got some relief! Oh the fairy world...that was sweet to read! :)
ReplyDelete