Yard Therapy
There is something be said for hauling around bags of mulch and spreading the contents about the garden. It’s this: they’re heavy and they’ll make you sore. They also make the garden look nice, but it’s wise to remember that between tattered and nice there is work and it involves heavy bags of mulch. The disappointing bit is that my body tore right into the work and only thought to remind me later of what I’d done. It’s still talking to me this morning.
Oh, well. I had a good day in the gardens and yard, and I’ll try to repeat some of the work today. Besides mulching, I also trimmed deadwood and removed unwanted plants, primarily a lantana growing alongside the driveway in spot that was inconvenient. It looks much tidier now. There’s a second one that needs to go as well. That will be first up, or out, today. I’m also going to try and remove some unwanted grass in the same location. That will require a bit more effort just because Bermuda grass is deep-rooted and tenacious.
After I finished my work yesterday, I decided I’ve been unkind to January and February. I believe our relationship only soured because of circumstances. When I worked, I was up before dawn and home after dark. I never saw the sun. Now. I can get out in it, the sun, as I did yesterday. It feels good. There were also the February deaths of my grandfather and mother, one was in ’53 and the other ’68. Big events for a young man. And I believe the counseling I received to help me deal with my wife’s passing helped me deal with those deaths as well. Bonus. I’m glad I went to get help.
John W. Wilson is the author of The Long Goodbye: A Caregiver’s Tale