Boredom

That’s right, boredom makes me nervous. I’ve never been the type to sit around and examine my navel. Action is my meditation. My mind can roam freely over thousands of things and be relaxed while doing the springtime yard work.

I know I’ve often mentioned the “List”. The list is stuck to the wall by my computer. It’s a list of all the activities I should try or get involved in during the winter – or as I love to call it – the Dead Zone. Between about January tenth and the beginning of mud season, I mine the list for activities and distractions. During that time, I can not be described as happy-go-lucky. But turn the clock forward a bit, and I spring into action ( so to speak).

Yard work and the garden

Right now I’ve been prepping garden beds, planting seeds, cleaning up the window boxes on the side porch, and about a dozen other things. I need no list, stuff just happens. I still have to clean up the leftover mess from making maple syrup, and order three more cords of firewood.

Back in my tiny Woodland Garden, this is the season to be walking the paths – rain or shine! Trout lilies and bloodroot finished blooming towards the end of last week, and over the past two days, I’ve watched tall meadow rue and blue cohosh begin to throw up their flowering stalks. Red bud is starting to bloom, also! You need to walk the trails every day, once or twice, miss the morning stroll, and you’ll miss that marsh marigold open up. The space is tiny, but even a small area can be filled with wonder.

Although I am busy, it is a sort of mellow, almost meditative busy. I take time to savor the day. To a passerby or neighbor, it might be odd to see me walking around the backyard, bending over to examine what might be taken for weeds.

Pratulum delenda est!

It’s easy to find my house. Just look for the place with no lawn. Not even a tiny patch. It’s all plantings. Lawn work was one part of spring and summer activities that I despised. When the kids were little, they much preferred running around on the mulched trails in the woodland garden. It was a lot like being on the hikes we all loved, but with the bathroom nearby. So nobody objected when the lawn disappeared bit by bit to the garden, the woodland garden, and the plantings out front. None of the neighbors showed up with protest signs and torches. In fact I think some of them envy me. Unlike them, I have no issues with dandolions. The dandies can’t compete. So yes, I established a practice of deliberate lawn homicide, or in Latin, Pratulum delenda est. And you can quote me on this.

The next phase out front are some large planters. I have also completed the workshop reorganization, have three or so other carving projects planned for the months ahead, and have many things to keep me from being nervous. that can wait until next January.