The big seed trade from last month should be in the PO box tomorrow! Technically I think it was there on Saturday, but our post office has reduced hours on Saturdays, and I didn't know it was there until after they were closed for the day. I'm very excited to see what arrives!
My other big seed trade should be happening later this week with everyone sending out their cards and seeds I suspect on or around the 7th. I will know more about that one tomorrow. I've got 47 trades going out for that one, and I don't expect to get nearly that many back - but perhaps it will come back to me in karma down the road. I still remember kind people giving me extra seeds and trading with me in the beginning when I really had nothing of value to trade. Paying it forward I guess.
I emailed a seed company yesterday (or was it Friday evening?). I asked them if I could send them a couple of my rarer tomato seeds for them to grow out and offer commercially. The Cow's Tit tomato (said to be the absolute best paste tomato), and the Pink Sunshine (my personal favorite that I have been unable to track down a source for and my stash is dwindling since this year we didn't get any ripe tomatoes due to a late start). I have not heard back from them yet, but I'm guessing that's due to the weekend.
I never did hear back from the government regarding the rules and regulations on tobacco leaves and the ability to sell or trade them if they are dried but not processed.
I've got my multiple appointment day this week where I get to visit a physical therapist, get an ultrasound, and then meet my new primary care doctor all in a block of several hours. What fun. I'm still contemplating going without medication to help them possibly see what's causing the problem. I'm quickly loing faith in the medical system and in the end it's only me who suffers when I let my pain meds lapse. I'm leaning more and more toward going to the Mayo Clinic. Yes, it will cost me a small fortune and would mean Tony loses time from work, and it would mean paying for a hotel and figuring out child care... but at this point I've already got three Urgent Care and one ER visit, an x-ray, a CT scan, and months of chiropractic care worth of bills, with no sign of getting any answers, plus this week adding on three more appointments... Why not add to it - especially if it offers the chance to actually (finally) get to the bottom of what's causing all the pain in the first place and getting it corrected so I can resume life? I can't help but feel like the doctors are clueless, they each contradict one another, and each seems to just want to pass me on to the next person. It's frustrating. I tell them I don't want pain medication - I want answers. What is the problem and how can we fix it? Not just a pain pill addiciton that masks an underlying problem and labels me a pill seeker. The one ER doctor actually got mad at me for refusing pain meds! I'm wondering if he had a bet with the nurse (who was also terrible) that I was just another "seeker" in looking for narcotics. Guess what - I'm not! Why is that so hard to believe? Surely most people suffering from debilitating pain want answers and a permanent solution, and not just endless medications that can cause side effects, addiction, and long-term problems.
Tomorrow is supposed to be the last day above freezing in the forecast. Time to stock up on more straw, and start figuring out what we'll be winter sowing this year! I'm so excited to winter sow again this year. It's addicting! This year though I have to limit myself to perennials that we can move with us and annuals we can potentially sell. The extra money will help with moving expenses, but that also means that chances are we won't have a garden next year as we plan to move.