It knocked down the tree house. Our poor darling tree house. Loved by many, many children. Such a loss.
This shot was taken through one of the broken windows in the barn. Yesterdays left over tornado winds went for windows and doors.
The second thing is that I was looking out the kitchen window when I saw a small barn door break loose and begin to knock itself to bits, so in my ballet flats and a pinny (I was making cakes for the kids) I quickly ran out to fasten it again. I was very quick. Very agile. Like a woodsprite dancing through the wind and falling branches, laughing at the storm. I grabbed the door and hauled it against the wind, latched it back, called out to Sheila not long now darling, she grunted back trying not to show her resentment at being locked in. Daisy went ‘yoo hoo.’ Soon Daisy Paisley. Soon, I called at the top of my voice like a song. I was the King. I had it all in hand, I called. We have had storms before darling, I said to Boo, who leapt and whined at his first bad storm. .. We are OK.,I said,
On the way back to the house, I ran across the grass and up the path, leaping for the steps that I had climbed a thousand times before, I never step on the first one I always run up two and sometimes three at a time, with the wind at my back I could leap the whole lot I thought and did, but a growl came from the sky, the skies lights dimmed and the wind let loose with its other ideas – gathering its forces. After beating up on towns along the way, it hit one of its 60 mile an hour gusts. And as I reached the top of the steps it picked me up, said – that’s enough of you – and threw me back down the wet steps, backwards, no purchase, no stopping. I had this sublime moment when I saw myself tumbling down on my back, twisting then hitting each step with my little bottom, like a caricature, a joke, a cartoon, a doll. The wind roaring about me with all the fury of my past, my ears sung with it, snarling, biting and then I hit the bottom and all was blue and silent and I thought .. Am I hurt? Is this bad?
Wind moved on, flicking his cruel sharp tail at my uncombed unruly hair, hurling his abuse at the saddest sky, Sky could not help. Wind had had his say. Sky, my Rangi, could only watch. I wept for him. I cried out for home.
I slid to a halt with one foot beneath me and one stretched out and watched one of my little shoes fly out ahead and Wind zipped back and blew it out of reach then laughing like a dark cloud in a cupboard, he was gone.
Rangi watched as I sat very still and took a deep breath. My minds eye, blue as blue, moved about my body counting bones and muscles. My skin a canvas stretched thinly above muscle and tissue. All present and possibly correct. Wait, Rangi and my Mother (who has been dead for years) said. Stretch each limb first so we can see. All four were good, though the legs were slow to obey. There was a delay. Get up, I said to them. NO, they said back. I used ‘language’ my legs ignored it. Wait said my Mama.
After a while, after cruising through my body checking and rechecking, I had trouble getting up. The hurt was in the deepest bone, a primal bone, a comical bone. A pivotal yet laughable bone. The coccyx, the tail bone, the glutimous maximus. I would say rise, get me to my feet and it said. No.
Now, I know you are going to tell me to get to a doctor. All the doctor will do is give me drugs. Pain relief. Probably codeine. Take two of these he/she will say after 30,00 dollars worth of xrays, then go lie down. For reasons that I do keep close to my chest, I choose to have nothing to do with doctors At All Anymore. (Note the capitals) I have had more than enough of them when I was young. And have not seen a doctor in over 25 years. I know this might make you mad but I am your test case. Let’s see how long I can go without entering the deeply screwed up medical world. Food cured me. Just me though. I am not saying you should do this. But do not tell me to see the doc. I know what is wrong with me. It will be OK.
I have a miniscule hairline fracture in the left quadrant of the lower bit of the coccyx and then I bashed up the sacroiliac joint. Only a little, a teensy hairline fracture at the most. I can point to the bone for you but it is so BORING to discuss .. and very painful to sit upon. All this without xrays.
It will get better in its own time. I will be a wee bit slower than normal for a while. The animals don’t care. I don’t care. Being here is the most important thing.
Because not far from here, very close in fact, there is dreadful damage from the tornado that whipped up this wind. People have lost their homes. So it could have been much much worse.
Love your friend on the farmy,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
137 responses to “The Bad Wind Came and Did Two Bad things”
Were they Ruby ballet slippers that you were wearing when you skipped blithely out into the wind? I’m the last person to tell you to see a doctor; you are obviously good at listening to what your body is telling you. But oh Miss Celi, do be careful. What will all your lovely creatures do if you hurt yourself properly next time? Two things: Me takoto te tūroro ki raro, which is good advice, and another, which you are already working on: E rua ngā mea tino nui e matea ana e te tangata: Ko te ora roa, ko te hari… If you have any comfrey, either ointment or pills, use it. Brilliant for healing broken bone.
The first thing I thought this am when I was watching the coverage about the damage was “I hope Celi and the farm are ok.” Glad to see you all made it without worse damage!
Do take care ,at least some Motrin to help the stiffness. I,ve had a great fall on ice and hit the coccyx. A donut pillow is a HUGE help for sitting more comfortably. So relieved that you, John and the animals are safe after such a howler.
I was going to give exactly the same advice on the doughnut pillow!I twisted the coccyx once so I know the pain you are going through, and sitting is a pain in the…..!!
I have an old doughnut pillow..nothing to look at but it works..let me know!
john is at walgreens as we speak.. silly me, i should have more respect for the conditions.. still pretty windy today too.. c
oh my dear! I understand about doctors and the whole medial industry….. You know your body – and I believe you know how to cure yourself too. You may need to find the right pillow or chairs for a while to be comfortable when sitting – It took me about a year to get over the pain of a broken tail bone. Stay active as much as you can.
Hugs and prayers – and more prayers for all who suffered in the storms.
Oh, yes, Anna Shortcakes is so right. We all thought of you and Linda I am sure…and the others of you, I do not know, who live on the Great Farmlands of the United States. It is impossible not to worry about you even though we know you are able and agile and capable and ingenious…Dear Fellowship friend, I am so glad you are alive, that the great big tree branch didn’t fall on your head, that all your dear animals are safe and accounted for. Do they get scared? I am, as the Italians say, a “fifona” in a bad storm. It only take a sky like the one in the last photo to send me either under a bed or out in it (somehow, sometimes, being right out under it makes me feel safer)…anyway, I’m relieved you are OK. No need to explain the “no doctors” bit. We are like that, too, my honey and I. As much as possible, that is. xxx Take it very easy.
Would sitting on a heating pad help Celi? Do whatever you can to be comfortable. Maybe a bit more time in front of the fire with good books would be a good idea for awhile. xo
I was very worried about visiting you on the farmy today after seeing the news. So relieved to see that most things are still standing but so sorry that you got hurt.- a very tender spot that. You talk about food taking care of your health so maybe you need to research the kind of diet which will provide a wee bit more bottom padding! Look after yourself and let the barn door flap next time!
Christine
Like when roller blading!!!!! Good idea!!! I could use a little more padding back there too! LOL
Absolutely!
We are tough I also have had my fair share of medical it is good to rest and ice and heat are wonderful things. I saw all those storms did in so many states and of course I thought of you and it doesn’t surprise me it is you who run out to care for all that is askew 😦 Sending you a gentle hug as I know that area of pain all too well. Stay safe and in touch OK??
Glad you are – relatively speaking – OK. This post was extremely well-written and interesting. We aren’t friends in real time so I can say this without worrying about you getting angry with me: please see a doctor just in case. Whatever happened 25 years ago . . . well, that was 25 years ago. God Bless and best wishes.
Oh Celi! I couldn’t read your words fast enough. I’m glad it’s not too serious, but ouch! I fell on my tail bone when I was 12 and it knocked the wind out of me (I fell off my cousin’s mushrooms platform shoes, no less! On the concrete of the church basement!) that photo of the bruise-blue skies is ominous! We narrowly escaped in Yorkville, but I was scared! I’ve never been in a situation like that.
I’m glad you’re not more injured, and as many have iterated, you are truly in touch with your body so you’re probably doing yourself a favour avoiding the medical profession. Stay well.
Oh no, no, no! but you are okay as are all the critters and the house is still there and your body will heal because you know exactly what to do to make it all better! So there. so we are thankful for much today.
Sad that you got hurt, sorry for the damage but glad that for your farm an your body, overall it was on the more minor side, sorry to see and read about the huge amount of damage this storm did..
I thought of you yesterday, too, as my husband was watching the football game in Chicago and fans we’re being told to seek shelter. I don’t know how far you are from Chicago, but not all that far, I suspect.
Now you know me and my prairie girl experiences with tornadoes and fear of them. I would have raced to the basement at the first glimpse of ominous skies. But that is me and you do what you do. I am so sorry you were tossed about, but grateful the injuries were not worse.
Take care, my dear, and allow yourself to heal. Perhaps allow extra hands to assist on The Farmy if that is an option.
Tree houses can be rebuild and tailbones will eventually heal ( this I know quite well. Twice).
Spirit and fortitude are our painkillers of choice.
I am so glad that things are not worse, not that this isn’t bad enough. Do slow down and allow yourself to heal properly. Some extra hands sounds like a great idea. And truly, I am glad to hear that you and yours are safe, and that you are almost sound. Do take good care, Celi.