I'd planned not to get near electronics for several days after last weeks political debate and unwarranted judgments leveraged against me, which resulted in the deletion of 5% of my Facebook "Friends". Then there was truck repair after truck repair that kept Mike here and one more step away from repaying our debts, yet time for him to wean off his prescriptions that he has lost coverage for and may even not need anymore. And wouldn't you know I'd have PMS in the midst of it. I kid you not, it's been a factor in practically every single holiday, milestone, and special occasion for well over a year ...not sure yet what to glean from that.
The dishwasher quit. The TV quit, but only after 16 years and 5 moves.
I worked out every day last week and not once this week with Mike home. The ups and downs have me spent. Spring is turning into Summer and the upkeep keeps me with my nose just above water.
Yesterday I was sitting in the car next to the garden, watching the little ones hunt for wild flowers and discovering things in the brook masked by leaves. I thought it was a little dangerous but that was the fun in it for them. I was pouting that no one came with me for the family "push" I'd been waiting for all week to get the garden in shape, even though I knew they sent me away for some surprise. I'd told them I only wanted simple garden things and was practicing my gratefulness at whatever they had gone overboard with. As much as I detest self pity, there I sat in it. One setback after another gets me there, feeling stalled out.
Right then in that moment, I had the option to hand it up the One who knows my direction, reason, and rhyme. If I'd let it vaporize, I'd return to appreciative groundedness. Then again, one good scream would've felt good but alarmed the kids and neighbors, alike ;) So, I wrote another note on my paper to "fix Jeep!" and got out to look at the deer tracks they'd found, which aggravated me even more: that soon they'd make their way past the human hair barrier whe'd made, since no fence was being raised yet.
We rambled around enough to find an easy path to the creek. My mood was instanteously lighter with the "secret" place we'd found covered by low lying limbs. There were moss covered logs and rocks swept with shallow water to navigate. Macklynn said he loved it and he quickly made plans with Madalynn and me to get our water shoes and return soon. All told, we were gone from the house almost 3 hours when we heard Michael's motorcycle up by the garden. As we were making our way across the field, McKala drove the Wagoneer up.
You see, McKala caught onto my desire to get the old thing working to use as our garden transport. Our sleek black van was looking more like a truck. While she was gone with Mike to get oil for his truck, she thought a battery would make a good gift for me. They got it going and out of the barn so that she could steam clean and pressure wash it. It's still not roadworthy with its crack all the way across the front windshield, "iffy" brakes, and doors that have to be lifted to close. It has sentimental value because Mike, per my request, went and got it for me from Athens, GA when our first two were little. When we came to North Carolina with it in 1997, gas costed 89 cents per gallon. It's been driven all over in the snow and woods, wrecked, and left sitting. It's just right for what I need and when I get the accessibility to match pictures with words, you'll see why it's so fitting for our adventure in gardening. The hundreds of lightening bugs that descended on us, you'll have to imagine.
Today began with McKala, who's stepped to the plate in Megan's stead. Megan directed a "big" Mother's Day since she was 10 years old. McKala came downstairs with bacon laced pancakes AND an omelet, with juice and coffee. It was a good thing because I might not've made it to church since I'd been woken at 4 with Madalynn, 5 with the cat, 6 with Mike's phone, and 7 with McKala's cooking (and when the earplugs were finally rounded up). Glad I made it to church because he reminded me of the story in II Kings, I think, when the mother was provided with abundant oil to free her sons from bondage and to supply their ongoing needs ...because she prayed and obeyed.
While I talked with my mother and Megan, McKala went on to make strawberry ice cream, which was to be followed with planting my herb garden and spa treatments pondside. The rain had other plans. I could see that McKala was drowsy and bid her a good nap. Miranda had gone before her, exhausted from the vacation she's had. The guys are moving in and out of consciousness on the couches, while Melody waits to do my pedicure on the front porch. So, I'll leave with what I read on the wall at the local nursery, "Gardening is a way of saying you believe in tomorrow." So is having babies. Happy Mother's Day.
