The Disaster Beyond The Laundry Room

I have just spent an hour out in the garage cleaning and organizing. I found the surface of my sewing table! I need to commit to doing at least an hour out there every day until it's not terrifying. Sorting things out and putting them away. Throwing away trash and recycling cardboard. Random things pile up over the winter when I don't spend much time out there! The putting away of things has been vastly improved since I purchased a steel storage cabinet and scored a large metal shelf unit that my neighbors were getting rid of. This is totally doable. I just need to do it. All I have to do is watch one less episode of Evil.

I Adore This Woman So Much!

 

Truth

 I can name them all. Can you?

The Miracle of Soil, Sun, and Seeds

The garden is planted! Four tomato plants, green beans have not yet poked through the soil, yellow and green zucchini, and cucumbers. Plus basil and cilantro. Thus far we have lost one cucumber plant and a rosemary. It has been cool and cloudy with the exception of a couple of very warm days a couple of weeks ago so this might be slow going. This is my third state to plant and tend a veggie garden in so I expect this will be a unique experience compared to South Dakota and Colorado. This is the sunny corner of the yard and I always start off gardening season with high hopes. There is something so lovely about stepping out into the yard and bringing in a just-picked tomato or beans to prepare for supper. Oh, I forgot to mention the mint. Mint is a magical plant. Even a brown-thumbed gardener like me can grow it. 

Brrrrrrrrr!

It is 64 degrees F in the house. It is 58 outside. I find myself in the odd position of needing to warm up a bit before going outside to work in the yard. It is May 25. I am running the furnace. Although I have fully rationalized this, I know that my stoic Norwegian grandmother would be disappointed in me. My chilly toes that are swathed in thick socks would be disappointed if I didn't crank up the thermostat. I have chosen warmth over stoicism. My Southern half has prevailed.

 

So Pretty!

 Flowers. As promised.

It's in the Water

I have an exceedingly large bucket of useless trivia. Well, it was useful back when I was involved in trivia contests. Now it is merely entertaining. At times. The tap of occasional insight might very well be in my backyard. It's stubborn in dispensing insight, even water, as I must turn it on and off with a vice-grips. Dubious and misleading I try  to steer clear of. The fount of all knowledge does not exist. All I know is, it is most certainly not the internets.

  

It's Coming Right Along

It's still a bit of a disaster. But today I made serious progress. I charged up the batteries and mowed the backyard! And I finished hauling soil into the large raised bed in the vegetable garden area. So we're pretty much ready to plant.

The plants I dug out of the shade garden area are in a new spot next to the garden shed. I think they are ivy geraniums and now they will get 4-5 hours of sun a day. They're pretty spindly from growing in the shade so the additional sunlight will help them thicken up. The flowers are so pretty! I'll get a photo of them when more have opened. I'm pooped. Time to shower and perhaps send the son out to pick up some dinner.

 

I. Just. Can't.

 

Tis Beltane!

And I shall celebrate by watching The Mists of Avalon. Just look at those fierce, magical ladies. I have always adored the King Arthur legend, but I was especially drawn in to the feminist revisionist version written by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It's only fitting that the women are front and center to this tale. At that point in time in the British Isles, pagan societies were matriarchal in structure. Women held positions of power and were revered. Maybe I'll dress up. Maybe not. But I always wear my blue crescent moon tattoo that was inspired by the sacred markings the priestesses of Avalon were embellished with. Though mine is not on my forehead. However you might celebrate this festival of fire and fertility, do so safely. Honor the union of the King Stag and Mother Earth, it is from this that all life flows. Blessed be!