First Dirt

Friday and Saturday were spent digging in the dirt. The thought occured to me while I was joyfully toiling away that it is silly to pay for therapy when there is a patch of dirt available. Gardening brings life into a totally different focus. I realise while gardening that I am touching something that has survived millenia and continues to grow and change as it always has. That kind of makes any bumps in the road of my life seem pretty insignificant. I think that if everyone in the world were to garden, things would be very different. It is difficult to get fired up in the heat of the moment when you are immersed in the stoic perseverance of the earth. You just realise that "this, too, shall pass".

I am happy to see that my irises, tulips, and daffodils are up and stretching out their leaves. I was very unhappy to see the condition of my gardening tools. Due to their age and the occasional stint of being forgotten in the yard to be weathered by sun and rain, I recieved many pinches and slivers from them in my two days of playing in my grown-up sandbox. I am pleased to report that duct tape DOES fix everything. I wrapped those tools top to bottom, and have had no troubles since. I even thought to wrap them in red tape so they will be easy to see and collect when I am done in the yard for the day.

I am teaching baby all the joys of gardening, too. I have had her out in the yard with me both days, and yesterday she had her first "campfire evening". The outdoors has opened a whole new world for her. She seems to be enjoying it immensely, but I have to keep her off the ground as she is in that stage where everything goes in her mouth. We'll see how she does later in the season....