“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
– John Wooden
A soft rain is falling this morning on the quinta. Midnight is curled up on the bed, while Lily restlessly dashes in and out the door getting wetter and wetter. I’m sitting on the couch writing while trying my best to elevate my right knee, which is playing up. It has been a bit niggly the last two weeks, but yesterday decided to balloon like a ripening melon. Back in Abu Dhabi Michael’s back is still troubling him. He will see the sports physiotherapist again tomorrow, and I will make an appointment with a local acupuncturist to see if she can sort my knee out.
In the meantime we are both working on waxing and waning to-do lists, as we prioritise what the most important tasks are to fit into the time and physical ability we have available, during his next visit. We both have no choice but to laugh at the irony of taking on the physical demands of a quinta in middle age, when our bodies are riddled with mysterious aches and pains. Luckily we both stubbornly believe that it is a lifestyle that will bring us better health in the long run.
We are surrounded by the excellent example of a generation of Portuguese in their 80s and even 90s, who still toil away on the land, moving the way our bodies were meant to move. So, from decades of mostly sitting, both our bodies need time to readjust, and while we wait for that to happen, we do what we can.
As my outside chores were hampered by my knee, I finally sat down to make a video about digging the trench, which forms a vital part of the irrigation system for our planned orchard.
I wrote about it in the blog post, A Busy Week on the Quinta, a couple of weeks ago.
As Michael will be back mid-July, I guess I need to start working on that promised blog post and video of the actual irrigation system and planned orchard . . .
Portuguese Words:
joelho – knee
dor – pain
dor nas costas – back pain
chuva – rain
teimoso – stubborn
sentar – sit
Written by: Jolandi
Much luck with your knee and Michael’s back. “Moving the way our bodies were meant to move” is right but our bodies forgot all about it (yours are almost there though). I’ve loved the video and that it includes both cats too. Their jobs were of highest importance. 🙂 All well to you!
Thank you, Manja. In so many ways, I guess you are right that our bodies are adjusting – especially mine, with a fairly consistent supply of outside work getting me to move so much more than I’ve done in years. I have an appointment with an acupuncturist tomorrow, so fingers crossed she will be able to help. I hurt my right knee in 2006 when walking the French route of the Camino Santiago de Compostela and wonder if it has something to do with that old injury, or if it is something different. I know they say that the cells in our bodies replace themselves constantly, but so often old injuries come back to haunt one . . . So who knows what is the case with my knee and Michael’s back!
I’m glad you noticed the cats. I love that they are forever around us, clearly making sure we do things right. What will we do without them? 😉 – Jolandi
Hopefully Michael’s back gets sorted out and heals before his next visit. As for your knee, I sympathize. I too hope the acupuncturist can heal the problem. It can be frustrating when there are so many things you want to accomplish. Your bodies will adjust to the manual labor, just hang in there. Loved the video. What you both accomplish must be exhausting, but so rewarding. Life there looks peaceful, it must bring you so much joy.
I hope so too, Terri, especially as we have quite a couple of projects we want to work on. I experience a deep sense of peace on the land, even in those moments when I/we work really hard. And yes, you are right, finishing projects bring us a lot of joy. I’m dashing off now to see the acupuncturist. Fingers crossed it will have a good outcome. – Jolandi
That video was surprisingly relaxing to watch. Perhaps it’s the music, perhaps it’s the same kind of relaxation my father would enjoy while watching a construction site. I know how hard all of that work is however, so kudos to you and Michael and Tim for taking it on yourselves! I’m glad you had an excavator to dig the trench: doing something like that by hand would take you forever and leave you incredibly sore, speaking as one who’s done it. (A much shorter trench, mind you, but the city forced us to keep making it deeper. We kept hitting tree roots, which were why we had to replace our sewer drain in the first place.)
Do be careful with that knee! Not taking care of it when it’s angry and sore can often result in an injury that requires surgery. My paternal grandmother worked hard all of her life on a farm, but was lucky to have never suffered any permanent injuries. My father, a garage mechanic, was in pain all the time due to repetitive stress injuries to his hands, feet, and lower back. Standing in one spot all day is as bad as sitting! I try to be careful, stretching before a big task in the garden and quitting when I sense my body has had enough: but a life sitting at a desk has taken its toll as well. It’s good you know this. I hope it heals quickly.
Oh my goodness, Hangaku, I cringe to think you had to dig a trench by hand. Even if it was shorter. What an immense task. We would never do that, as we are quite aware of our physical flaws and capabilities. 😉 Your experience sounds like a very frustrating one.
I will definitely take care of my knee. Just the idea of surgery makes me flinch. I’m super scared of that. You are right, our bodies need a big range of movement, and whenever we engage in the same repetitive patterns, we also suffer. Your approach to paying attention to the needs of your body is certainly very wise. I’ve learned to do that through years of yoga practice, but I do find myself every once in a while, when I want to get a job done that I push harder than I should. At least I’m very aware of it when I do. Fingers crossed acupuncture will sort out my knee issue. – Jolandi
Such hard physical work! It isn’t any wonder that the both of you are suffering pain. I hope that the acupuncturist will be able to help you; my husband had treatment for back and leg pain and was very sceptical beforehand but was helped so much he has recommended acupuncture to anyone we meet who has discomfort! I also hope Michael will get relief from his back pain. I love to see your cats scampering about on the quinta! They look as though they are enjoying their new life!
It’s good to know that your husband found relief through acupuncture, Clare. It is not something I have much experience with, but I thought I will try that first before resorting to conventional medical care (which hopefully I won’t have to), as I’m not sure a doctor will be much use at this point in time.
The cats adore their new life – at least that is what it looks like to me. If I go for a walk or work anywhere outside, they follow or join me, which I obviously love. – Jolandi
Moving heals. A short but powerful truism that I come back to when injured. You’ve captured part of it in your phrase “moving the way our bodies were meant to move.” I find as I get older that trusting in my own body’s reparative powers is so important. I took an awkward step off a high storage bin a month ago and sent my back into spasms that gave me no relief from pain for two full days. On the third day, crippled and in agony, I told my husband I planned to walk a few miles. I did, verrrrrry slowly, and at the end I felt a little less stiff. This past weekend, a month later, I completed a mountain climb I had been working toward and thought was lost with my injury – 33 hours of hiking straight up a steep mountain over and over again until I reached 29029 feet (height of Mt Everest) just for FUN! Ha! But seriously, you are making yourselves stronger every day. I am glad I learned the power of movement in middle age as it is keeping me ready for the next 30 years of physical labor and activity, Your movement as part of meaningful work is all the more powerful!
Oh my goodness, Lex. You never cease to amaze me. So you’ve done it again! I can remember you wrote about that climb before (not sure how many years ago now), and I can distinctly remember how I thought I would never be able to do something that demands such commitment and endurance. Hat off to you, especially as it was so close to an injury. You are right – movent does heal, and our bodies should really move way more than we think they should. I picked up my new battery operated strimmer on Wednesday, and have been out strimming the last two mornings. I love how I can see the result of my labour immediately. It encourages me to want to do more, and although my knee isn’t perfect, it certainly feels better. – Jolandi
What a big job this was! I’m glad you were able to get Tim’s help for digging. I had to make a smaller trench here for a water pipe, and rented a “trencher,” they called it, which is a big machine that digs a narrow ditch, and not as deep. It was hard for me to use, and intimidating, but I managed. Thank goodness I didn’t have to dig it by hand, like Hangaku. Then I laid hard pipe and did all the connecting joints myself. It took me a couple days (with roots and rocks) and I’m so proud of myself for doing it. You also must keep having opportunities to feel pride for the work you complete. It feels good to decide to do something and then do it. It sorta makes up for the pain that comes after, haha. I am in total agreement with you that despite the work, this place and your new lifestyle seem like healthy choices. And such beauty in all directions must also be healthy. I got a kick out of the interested cats, and enjoyed when Lily exchanged some words with Michael, and later chased Midnight off. It’s also great to see you here, on your land.
Oh my goodness, I so love and admire your spunk, Crystal. Not to mention all the interesting things I learn. I’ve never heard of a ‘trencher’ before. I love how empowering it is to learn that one can do things one perhaps have never thought of doing before, until it becomes a necessity.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the antics of the cats, but as you are another cat lover, I guess you would have noticed it. I only saw the little scene you referred to when I was going through the recordings to cut the video, and I had a good giggle. I’m so glad it got captured, so I just had to use it. They really are an important part of quinta life, and I absolutely cannot imagine my life here without their company. – Jolandi
The scene where Lily chases Midnight? It gave me a good giggle too and I’m glad you spotted it and included it. 🙂
I’m also super-glad that they managed some of their usual antics in front of the camera, Crystal. They are so much part of life here, and I will always when I can, include them in our story. – Jolandi
I remember wayyy back when I was much younger doing hard physical work and even then it was a doozy on the body. Of course, back in those days, the body recovers quickly, not like now! Ha!
Hope you both feel right as rain as soon as possible. I’m sure in no time, you’ll be old pros and all this physical labor. 😉
Nice work with the video, too!
Thanks for your good wishes and compliment regarding the video. I trust our bodies will adapt to a new physical way of living sooner than later. 🙂 I must admit that I’m really enjoying most of the physical labour, especially strimming, as there is such a clear and immediate result. I far less enjoy cutting the suckers off the base of the olive trees, as that is such horrible backbreaking work. But it is wonderful to spend so much time outside. I love it, especially after living for so long in air-conditioned spaces. – Jolandi