For someone who suddenly has a lot of time of time on her hands, I seem to have an awful lot of things to do. Very high on that list is to take care of the approximately 8,253,013 things that should have been taken care of months ago. From housekeeping to filing to listing things on ebay/Craigslist, I have a whole bunch of catching up that will be happening in the weeks ahead. SILVER LINING. I'M LOOKING FOR YOU.
I should probably be embarrassed by the fact that on that list of things that were way past due was a giant box of spring bulbs that probably would be better off if they were, you know, in the ground instead of in a box. But, it wasn't entirely my fault that October came and went without them getting planted. Because of a major shipping snafu, they have only been here for two weeks. Only. Heh.
So, as I waited for Alexis' school bus to pull up to our driveway, I started digging.
The garden is ugly this time of year, with everything either dying or dead. Brown leaves and dry stalks are the norm, although this year everything is a bit off. A few of the rose bushes are blooming as the mild temperatures have fooled them into thinking that they should still be around. They aren't completely fooled, however, as they are scraggly and rough in appearance. There are signs of spring bulbs already breaking through the ground, a fact which is mighty depressing. Cold weather will happen eventually, and it's going to shock those early sprouts. They aren't going to be happy at all.
As I finished digging a trench for 50 new Thalia daffodils, Alexis' bus pulled up. She bounced off the bus, a vision of energy and hope and enthusiasm. "Momma, are you planting flowers?" she asked. "Can I help?" she begged.
Of course, my dear. Of course.
She ran into the house to change clothes and then returned with her own little pink gardening gloves in hand. She wore a grin in her face and had an urge to please me in her heart. We had a very rough weekend that ended with me yelling at her, something which I rarely do. She was mouthy and rude and sassy and generally acting like a jerk and I finally lost patience and went coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs on her. I would worry that I had hurt her feelings when I yelled, "You. Stop talking and go to time out until I tell you that you can leave," but OMG THE MOUTH ON THAT CHILD.
Since then, she's been an absolute pleasure to be around. Really.
So she set out to help me plant the bulbs, all the while chattering. "Momma, the bulbs are really ugly now, but in spring they're going to be SOOOO beautiful!" and "I can't wait to see how pretty the garden looks!"
And then she said it. The thing that made me stop and look at her and silently thank her for being my little ray of sunshine in a moment of darkness.
"It's a lot of work now to take care of all of these ugly little things, but it will all be worth it in a few months."
Yes. Things are ugly now. But, with some work, by spring they'll be beautiful again.
Thanks for reminding me to focus on that, Alexis.
