I wanted to plant bluebonnets in front of the house. They are native, beautiful, drought resistant, and hardy - once they are established. I bought bluebonnet seed and learned that they should be planted between September 1 and December 1.

A large stand of oak trees divides the front of our property. My plan was to plant the bluebonnets on either side of the oaks. The construction workers and torn up the grass in those areas driving their equipment in and out. I just needed to clear out the rocks.

I worked hard to get one side of the yard cleared. I planted half of my seeds. Everything was going well, except my knees were achy. I got out one of my favorite books, "Anybody's Sports Medicine" and read this under overuse injuries in knees. "Squats can be the most harmful exercise of all. At the least a squat subjects the back of your kneecap to about seven and a half times your body weight - about 1,000 pounds per square inch." No wonder my knees hurt. I had been squatting and picking up rocks.

The book recommends rest and exercises to strengthen the muscles around the kneecap. I started those. I also started bromelain, ginger, and glucosamine (without condroitin because I'm Type O) as recommended in the BTD Encyclopedia. I improved slowly. It took about 10 days, but my knees returned to normal.

Yesterday I went out to water the bluebonnets, and they had sprouted! My excitement turned to dismay when I saw that a rain shower had washed some of the seed into an area where the bluebonnets could not survive. I went into high gear, moving the tiny sprouts and building a rock barricade to protect from further erosion. I over did it. My knees are achy again this morning.

I'm back to bromelain, glucosamine, andginger. I'm going to have to sit or kneel rather than squat when I do yard work.