I have been away from blogging awhile and have recently become full time care giver for my 84 year old dad. Now I must fit gardening around his needs and a continuous parade of therapists aides and nurses. But I have so much to be thankful for. The first being I still have a father! Second I have a loving husband who helps me with my fathers needs. And thirdly that I have a garden and ponds to escape to. Pull some weeds. Tend to some transplants. Gather eggs from the chickens and watch as the ducks glide across the pond.
I hope to give some insight to others who may be dealing with a busy schedule and their love of gardening! I am as many of you may be, a NURTURER. Always taking in animals, buying the half dead plants at the garden center, caring for the elderly and my grand kids and yes even taking in needy teenager when our own children were growing up. God gives everyone a gift or two and I guess this is one of mine.
With many warnings of BURNOUT I make it
my job to find little opportunities to chill out.
Lemonade on the porch, a peddle boat ride
around the pond and taking my kids up on their
offers to sit with him while I run to the store . I also got some yard help,,, something
we said we would never do.
THEY NEVER DO ANYTHING RIGHT
right? One young man was not willing to learn
weeds from flowers he only wanted mindless
jobs, we found later he was drinking so much it truly hindered him mentally and we sure didn't want him using power tools. But at the suggestion of a dear ducky friend of mind we found MARTY.
Marty rides his bike to our house one day a week and works like a horse the entire time. WE still prefer to mow our own lawn, something hubs refuses to give up. Marty has helped us get our flower beds under control after HUBS had a bout in the hospital and we took a two week vacation. He knows the different weeds and he knows about native plants. He PULLS weeds not just whacks them down.
I still have not let him loose on my most beloved beds or near my veggies but he is slowly earning my trust and allowing me to have time to enjoy the things in the garden I enjoy most!