I love watching the wild birdies and I feed them all year round. At this time of year and on through the winter it is especially important as wild food becomes more and more scarce.
I was concerned how I could feed them whilst I had the cast on my foot so before my op I arranged with a neighbour for him to come and feed them for me. I am very grateful because it is so lovely to open the kitchen curtains in the morning and see the sparrows and the blue tits, the robins and the blackbirds, the starlings and the wood pigeons feeding.
Yesterday I decided that I was stable enough on my feet to try and feed them myself. The burning questions were how to do it without getting my foot and cast wet, how not to slip over and how to keep my new orthopaedic wedge shoe and its twin clean.
I plotted & schemed yesterday and by breakfast time this morning I had a plan. With the help of the too-big wedge shoe, a plastic bag, a regular boot on my right foot, Ginger the crutch and a lot of patience I did it. I fed the birdies all by myself! It took a while but I did manage to get to the greenhouse then across the grass to to the bird feeder and back without mishap. And most importantly, I felt safe doing so.
It was extra special watching the birdies that came almost immediately to feed.
I was surprised at how uneven my lawn is. I know it has dips in it but I had never before been so aware of every nuance in its surface. Even though I was balanced on my high orthopaedic wedge on the left and a thick-soled boot on the right it was like I was walking barefoot. I can't really explain it other than my body was using other senses to 'feel' its way across the grass. It was so noticeable and really rather incredible.
Our bodies are fantastic in the way they adapt, and adapt so quickly. We do not know what we can do unless we try. We can have very many limitations yet we can always do more than we think we can.
Pushing myself today gave me a little extra achievement under my belt and increased my feeling of independence and at this time when I am having to work so hard on my mental health, as well as my physical, these are both welcome and necessary.