Season's Greetings

'Tis the season! I absolutely love Spring. During the past week, nature has exploded like fireworks all around us. This is my first Spring in my new hometown and it is glorious. Everything about it says freshness and love. I can't stop thinking about how spectacular it is.
When I look at the flowers and the trees blooming I am so thrilled with what I see as if I just awakened from sleeping through the seasons of the past fifty years.

Last weekend was the first dry weekend in several. I didn't get out to the country house until late in the afternoon, but D had been working in the garden all day, as is her custom when the sun shines. You may not know that "working in the garden" encompasses gazillions of related activities. When I arrived D was assembling one of two tillers that had been in boxes until now.
Earlier she had driven to the local gas pumps to fill the five gallon, red plastic fuel containers.
One of the included screws, or bolts, or whatever thing it was, didn'd fit a bracket properly, so that required her going to the workshop to rummage for another one. A roll of four foot high, rusty wire fencing covering the baby pea plants for protection against intruding animals had to be unfurled, stretched, and measured to be transported into the garden where it will provide pea vine support. And the list goes on. It makes me aware and appreciative of her labor and planning that is part of having this garden. This is no simple project. If you are thinking about moving to the country and growing food, I want to suggest that you ask someone who has done it before to tell you about the things in addition to the planting and digging. Maybe you could begin with container gardening or co-gardening with a mentor.

With the arrival of Spring brings lawn care! Last Friday I believe that 90% of all residents mowed! The smell of fresh cut grass permeated our town. I've never lived anywhere that the whole town mowed at the same time. I expected to see Andy, Opey, and Aunt Bea waving just around the next corner! The flowers, the grass, people outside visiting with their neighbors, the buzz of the weed-eaters...

My front porch and deck at the apartment needs some sprucing up. Lowes has some pretty hanging flower baskets that I'd like, but I can't believe how expensive they are. I don't know how long it takes for flowers to bloom from seeds, but I need to find out because surely there must be a cheaper way to have beautiful flowering pots. Of course that requires patience, and I really want the splash of color right now, but I am trying to tame my desire for always having instant gratification.

Yesterday I joined a local Freecycle group. Since hearing about it I had been interested in the concept of people giving away things that they don't need so that those items don't end up in a landfill or as trash in puplic places. No strings attached; just post what you have to give away or even what you want that someone else may have. All free. Very envir0-friendly. You can go to www.Freecycle.org and get info. There probably is a place nearby you. It was somewhat of a hassle to register (the groups are through Yahoo.com) for membership, and it took about 30 minutes, but I think it is worth it.

If you are interested in a human interest story that I have been following, do a www.google.com search for Susan Boyle. She was (until now) an undiscovered singer who is a contestant on Britian's Got Talent. It's like American Idol. I am completely fascinated by her. There is a www.youtube.com link where you can hear her sing that is well worth any time you take to find the link.

To Everything There is A Season. It's true.

I am happy and well,
Sallie