After sixteen years I finally established a butterfly garden here at Casa Tipton-Kelly.
This is just the start. Now that I have the basis established for our butterfly garden I plan to expand on it. Few things give me greater pleasure than our backyard. This year it has been especially hard to work in our backyard because of the heat and humidity and now the mosquitos. But I got the base established which was a huge accomplishment.
I need things like this butterfly garden to balance out my now restrictive life as a caregiver. No more quarterly trips with my good friend Pat. At least not for the foreseeable future and I have a feeling, not for the rest of my life. Bill's health has stabilized but he still needs my help dressing, washing and feeding. A large part of his handicap is his blindness, he just can't see. Also, he's physically weak, so weak he can't even dress or undress himself. Thankfully he can now go to the bathroom by himself even though he needs to wear Depends, probably for the rest of his life. I help him change every morning when I help him wash himself. Shower day is every third day, which he hates but being the type of person he is to take short cuts on personal hygiene, I just can't take the chance he gets an infection. His lower legs are much better, less swollen and no oozing liquid that I have to change the dressing daily.
I've pretty much settled into the routine that I'll be here at Casa Tipton-Kelly for the next few years. My main concern now is that I stay healthy enough to continue to take care of Bill. In the meantime I'm going to build the best butterfly garden here in Sussex County, Delaware.
5 comments:
That is beautiful, Ron! It’s a joy to look at; I can only imagine how pretty it is in person. Great job!
Ginger
I am proud of you! This butterfly garden project is just what the doctor ordered. I used to cultivate the weed called Milkweed just for the butterflies.There are about a dozen different variants but they all attract the butterflies-especially the Monarch. One of my neighbors hated the Milkweeds and said that they were common weeds that grew along the backroads out in the rural areas. Well she was right that it is a "weed" of sorts. I used to open the dried pods and let the downy, fuzzy, cottony seeds float in the air - alot like dandelions gone to seed. I had the Milkweeds growing all over my property. I loved the ones that had the orange flowers. Look into Milkweeds online. They don't require much care but the Monarchs love them. I am glad all is stable for now at the Casa. Beware of your health but don't worry your self sick or to death over it. Be safe. Be happy! Adieu.
What a lovely butterfly garden, Ron. Look at all those butterflies! What a nice investment
to your property, which is so pretty. Putting in and caring for gardens can be very therapeutic....and good aerobics! It's too bad Bill can't 'see' the end results of your labor.
Enjoy your garden. Did you ever get that stove fixed?
Paranormal John
Woody,
I'm very happy with my butterfly garden. Gives me some peace, which I badly need these days. I'm familiar with milkweed and other plants like the Joe Eye plant and butterfly weed that butterflies love. I intend to build on this butterfly garden. My oasis in a sea of chaos and frustration these days as a caregiver.
Ron
Paranormal John,
No, I haven't had my oven fixed yet. The repair company is having some kind of personnel problem. They left a message on their answering machine that they're not taking any more calls because of, I forget the exact language they used, "family business problems." Whatever that is. I can use my oven but instead of BAKE I have to use ROAST. I'll let this problem lie for a month or so then try to contact them again.
Oh I am so happy with my butterfly garden because it does give me some peace at this time of my life when I so badly need it. Being a 24/7 constant caregiver is very stressful. Living with Bill before he had his strokes was bad enough but now, his stubborness is hard to deal with. I'm going to post a rant about it today.
Ron
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