Investment

It was a strange morning. 

I felt the need to get things done - and I couldn't decide what to do. 

I didn't want to do any of the things that needed doin'. Things like - sew dresses, cushion, and curtains. Things like - clean the fish tanks. Things like - finish the laundry. I thought, I REALLY need to get those delphiniums in the ground - they're going to die. But it's windy. And sprinkling. And cloudy. And WINDY. Yick. 

So I researched cell phone services and read blogs - looked outside again - hoping for better news and it still sounded like a train was driving through the trees across the street. Not better. What am I supposed to DO if it doesn't stop?? I asked. I really need to plant my flowers. They've been WAITING! 

Then an image popped into my head. Of my mother. In the rain. With muddy jeans, damp, curly hair, and a red jacket. Gardening. I decided I'm pathetic, changed my pants and shoes, grabbed my shovel, my rake, and my lawn mower and got to work.

As I worked my way, frustrated, through my flower bed, I couldn't help but wish I'd invested my money in some Black Gold last Fall, rather than the Playdoh that I now have to work with. There is seriously some parts of the soil that is so filled with clay that it is entirely worthless to work with. I spent most of the day laboriously mixing in the multiple bags of mulch that I had previously dumped onto the garden. It was NOT the most rewarding day of gardening. Feeling overwhelmed as I dug around and UP flowers that I've been haphazardly placing every-which-where --- I started wondering why on earth this is so hard for me?? From generations of gardeners and farmers (who probably got far too little credit for their horticultural artistry) and I start feeling defeated by a plot of dirt twelve feet long and five feet wide??!!! Gardening is in my blood. It calls to me like a Siren . . . but today . . . 

I felt about as effective as my shovel. :)

I suppose you're only as good as your tools! :)

I once had a beautiful, sturdy, red-handled shovel. My children loved it. It ran away. Apparently. This lovely little number was inherited with the house and obviously didn't fare well against the strength of the sticky soil. I used it backward and forward as it would bend. It was pitiful!

Only about half of this can is rocks that I picked out of the flower bed. The rest are clods of unusable clay. Nice.

Lots of work left for tomorrow.

The girls discovered a piece of moon in the garden today! Awesome. So awesome. It was their treasure for the afternoon.

By the time I called it quits for the day, my back, legs, butt, shoulders, and hands were all shaky and weak. I could barely hold Elsie normally. I'm proud of myself for completing this huge task. Not really looking forward to tomorrow when, rain or shine, I plan on mixing another bag or two of mulch in - but the hardest part is done. Hopefully it was worth it!

Monday night we decided it was high time to plant a tree in our front yard! I'm happy.

The girls had a blast helping daddy dig the hole! :)

Look at that! Real grass. A real tree! Amazing. I thought this day would never come! :)