Valley Gardening: SLV Health, wheelchair, squash

What a great week! On last Saturday, we fostered out the three puppies we had been raising since they were a week old.

Fabulous homes, fabulous owners who didn’t hesitate to spay and neuter. Responsible folks. And then, Diana Hamilton with VHL, brought in three more puppies from the same litter(s) on Thursday and they have all been fostered. It is kind of weird, sleeping all night and not having whining puppies in our sun room. Thank you to all the folks at Valley Humane League.

On Thursday, I got to take my friends Leo and Maria to the SLV Health Regional Medical Center for an appointment. I had called the hospital a week earlier, asking if they had an old wheelchair in storage that they would be willing to part with. I was afraid that Maria’s chair was about to collapse.  It was a lucky day, because the employees have a fund that they all contribute to for these kind of projects, and before I knew it, a new chair had been ordered. Wow! The chair is taller, so Leo can stand up straight and Maria sits higher and has foot rests.  Thank you employees of SLV Health, your gift is so appreciated.

As I get older, I am trying to do more than one project at a time. Trying to get organized — sometimes it doesn’t seem like I am getting very far, but ….this week was a turning point. 

A lady (if you recognize yourself, please come in, so I can give you a hug) had come into the store months ago and had given me a couple of wigs because she knew we helped the SLV Cancer Relief Fund.

I looked at those wigs for months, always thinking I needed to do something with them. They were high quality and hadn’t been worn. I decided to take them out to the Oncology Dept. at the hospital, not knowing if they could or would take them or not. At least, I wouldn’t have to worry about doing something with them was my thinking.  As I walked in the door, I saw a woman in a wheelchair who had lost her hair, I’m guessing from Chemo treatments. 

I looked at her family and at her and asked if they would accept the gift of a wig. It was white, so that fit. They said that they had been looking for wigs online.  Gift accepted and I left, feeling awesome.  I’m not a church-going person, but I am pretty spiritual. Many, many times the stars align and things like this happen and I am so grateful. How could I ever guess that helping Maria would also allow me to help someone else. Remember, it had been months since these wigs had been given to me. I love when the stars align.

Meanwhile, spring is getting closer. I ordered 21 different types of squash this week, and a bajillion other seeds. Life is so much more than zucchini, way more. Some of these varieties take quite a bit longer to grow, but it’s worth it.  And no … it is not time to start your seeds indoors. Squash, pumpkins and cucumbers do not like to be transplanted when they are too big. The seeds sprout fast, almost in a few days, so if you want plants to put out the end of May, get started the middle of May. Otherwise …come in a get the basic squash plants from me during the end of May. Squash are very sensitive to frost, so be patient.

I had a customer donate a beautiful hand-made quilt this past week. She made it, but wanted to remain anonymous, even as I told her I was going to claim to be the seamstress — right?

Actually she donated it for the SLV Cancer Relief Fund. I will be putting it on display and then at the next SLVCRF fund it will be put up for auction. Come on by and take a look at it.

I found out from Xcel workers and a city worker why our lamp posts in downtown in Alamosa are marginally lit. The light bulbs are white and yellow and orange, and the rest are out. The posts are so old, that parts are no longer available, and Alamosa/SLV are last on the totem pole to get these needed parts. I wondered why the posts by my Flag Project hadn’t been repaired — after calling Xcel in early November. We don’t have to worry about this problem on the south side because we don’t have the decorative posts.  We don’t have trash cans either. Oh, well.