Where's My Membership to AARP?

This past weekend, God blessed us with fantastic weather - weather that would permit us to finally get some things done around the outside of the house.  Which was really good since we're aiming to get the house on the market this week.

So, taking advantage of the warmer days, I gathered the kids to bag the leaves that I would rake.  (What?  You don't wait until almost Spring to finish raking the leaves?  Oh, well, welcome to the upside down world of Shalee.  We raked all but half of the backyard last fall, then overnight the cold weather came to stay for several months.  This was our first opportunity to take care of it.)

Anyway, after raking a bit, my left foot developed a really painful cramp, one that started by my toes and worked it's way across the bottom of my foot.  It hurt so much that I gasped and my breathing became more labored.  After a couple of moments, the pain receded a bit, but only enough to travel to the other foot too.

"But I'm a mom, and I have to get things done while I can.  I can still do this!" I kept that encouragement running through my head.  Mercy!  It hurt... and I really wish that I had a recording of what I looked like.  I was contorting myself in all sorts of position to ease the pain while still raking.  I would have laughed at myself if I could have seen myself stretched to the max while still gathering leaves together.

My kids, not ones to miss much, inquired what I was doing.  I said, "I don't know what's going on but my foot really hurts!"

And my son, as sweet as could be and with profound wisdom, stated, "That's because you're getting old, Mom."

Man oh man...  if I was having those cramps because I'm getting old, then I don't dare tell him how I feel after shoveling and spreading mulch for 4 hours.  He'll tell me that death's knocking on my door.