Ed and I woke up to a stellar, sunny day. It had been a quiet night. What a relief! Whereas the previous night, Isis came in and out of the farmhouse no fewer than TEN times (he doesn't have a cat door, so someone -- thanks Ed! -- has to let him in and out), last night he stayed away. I thanked him profusely this morning.
Today is the day to set the parameters of out veggie garden. Ed is suggesting that we dispense with fencing for our peas – donkey or chicken, they're all wrong. String. He’s convinced it’ll be more attractive and effective to use string. Well alright, I’ll give it a try. Let the man create and design. He thrives on this in life.
There’s another Ed idea that I am less tickled with: the tomatoes we planted in flats? You know how you’re supposed to put in a few seeds and then thin them out as they sprout? That’s not Ed’s way. He wont “thin.” He’ll laboriously cut the soil and separate the seedlings so that we don’t “kill” a sprout or two.
I ask him – why don’t we just plant one seed per pod next time?
Because they’re not all supposed to sprout.
I leave him to his job. My daughter and her fiancée stop by for a country walk, city (Madison) people that they are. We go the way of the Nature Conservancy trail.
The last time I did this walk, it was midnight and the snows had covered our way. That was just a month ago – February 24. Today? Well now, today was very different.
Evening comes. I have a few difficult phone calls and then a wonderful family dinner and then it is all set, over and done with. I think to myself – you can never get others to feel good about life if they’re hell bent on feeling angry at what life has dealt them. You can’t force others to take on your story line, your praise of the good stuff. You just cannot. And that’s okay. But in the process of trying, you can get knocked around a bit. Today I got knocked around a bit. It happens.
For once, he said exactly the right thing.
And now let’s consider tomorrow. A bright day, no? I look forward to breakfast among daffodils again.
Ah, yes, we do get knocked around. I don't like it any more than you do, but I think, and I believe you do also, that some hours surrounded by all the good and beautiful things in our lives helps take away that sting. And it is for this reason that we take the time to see all the good, and the beautiful, even in simplest and most ordinary of days, because otherwise we would have to carry those stings and bruises with us for far too long.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful and ambitious garden plan! It looks huge. I can't wait to see it this summer. And I can't wait to find out where you are headed for Spring Break (and to come along vicariously).
ReplyDeleteJoan - we never met, but you know me well!
ReplyDeleteBarbara - it may be too ambitious! I already put in the 5 foot peas along the 3 foot lines and the 3 foot peas along the 5 foot lines! Lesson learned: never sow peas and talk on the phone at the same time!