Mary, Mary, quiet contrary - How does your garden grow?

With Silver Bells and Cockel Shells

And pretty maids, all in a row

One of my favorite “rooms” is our back deck.  We had it built our second summer in the house.  Richard, who at the time was still “just” my boyfriend, took a back seat to the planning and execution of the deck.  So, while it was still a joint effort, I think I hold it a little closer to my heart as something huge that I accomplished myself.  A friend from high school, John Boswell, built the deck for us.  He did a fantastic job and I’d highly recommend him. 

Though I could have put a roof on it when we had it built, there was a tough decision to be made.  Roof it or buy furniture so we can sit comfortably on it.  Haha!  We opted for the furniture, a beautiful new grill, and a giant umbrella from Costco.  (Seriously, the umbrella is huge!  It’s heavily constructed and covers almost the whole deck.  It’s amazing.)  That first summer, I covered the porch in potted flowers and spent a lot of time on it.  We put lattice along the underneath and planted a lovely garden around it.  Wish I'd taken some pictures when the lillies were in bloom... 

The next year, however, I spent much less time out back.  We got married that spring and I bought an obscene amount of potted flowers for our front and back porches.  Unfortunately, that summer, I was not a very good gardener and all of our plants died tragic deaths.  I vowed that this summer would be different!  Since I had more time available to me, I would plant seeds (cheaper) and nourish our existing gardens.  I was determined to plant some vegetables and have a yard to rival my parents. 

Well, they were good intentions.  We did start the veggie garden and I’m super excited by what it’s produced so far.  I pulled off my first cucumber today; it’s huge!  The corn is coming along beautifully and I’m hoping that the small ears that are starting to tassel turn out to be scrumptious!  I have managed to weed my existing beds and nurse one plant that was struggling back to good health.  I have no potted flowers; the one I started in the house didn’t make it.  But I’m not beating myself up about it too much. 

Today, I cleaned off the back deck.  I swept and hosed it all down, rearranged the furniture a little, and straightened up the yard.  Sitting back now, I feel so good about what I accomplished this morning.  I got sweaty and feel totally refreshed.  The porch looks worlds better.  Our little Japanese Blood Maple is doing splendidly!  I have a small rose bush that’s blooming with these bright pink roses.  My bird feeder is swinging in the breeze; though, it’s empty and needs seeds.  I’ll pick some up the next time I’m at the store. 

There’s something really amazing about surveying one’s land.  Granted, we have a tiny little yard rather than some huge plantation.  But when I look out over our freshly cut grass (thanks, honey!) and see those bright pink buds or the leaves of the corn waving in the breeze, it makes my heart swell with pride.  I think to myself, “I planted that.  Watered it.  Watched it grow.”  It’s almost like it’s a part of me and I’m a part of it. 

I am so grateful for life today. 

Scrubbing Pots and Watching Her Garden Grow

I know, I know!  Torturous wait! 

Well, it’s Week 1 of my new life.  Last time we talked I was planning on taking a sabbatical from work.  Things turned out to be a bit different than originally planned and I ended up resigning my position with the National Park Service.  To make a long story short, my husband and I decided that it would be best if I just moved on rather than linger on the fringes hoping for things to get better.  They were very kind and offered me several wonderful alternatives, but in the end it would not have changed the reasons for my unhappiness there.  I left them officially to concentrate on starting our family and trying on a new lifestyle.  So I was able to leave on happier terms.  I am happy and content with this decision. 

So, onward to my new lifestyle!  So far things haven’t changed much.  On Monday, I welcomed my Grandmother back to West Virginia and spent the afternoon chatting with her.  We’ve missed her so much and the whole family looks forward to her spending her summers with us.  We were recently informed of her decision to move into an Assisted Living facility – in Chicago.  Needless to say, we were all a little upset about this decision.  She had been living with my Aunt and Uncle, who just sold their house and are moving back east.  We were all hoping that she’d be moving back east as well – with them or with my parents.  However, she’s decided that it’s best for all parties involved that she take this new path in life.  While I wish her decision was a little different, if it brings her happiness, I’ll stand by her.  She’s a well loved lady… I’ll be sad to see her leave in July. 

Tuesday was rather lazy.  Richard is off on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so we kind of lounged around.  Today, however, I conquered the kitchen!  It was nice to get some order back to my house and since the kitchen is solely my domain, it was a pleasure to return it to its former glory. 

Our little garden out back is flourishing!  We planted radishes, carrots, onions, corn, cabbage, bell peppers, and cucumbers.  Everything is growing!  I’m not sure what it will yield, but it’s a good start and I’m excitedly watching it grow. 

No news on the baby front.  I’ve started on a medication that supposed to help regulate my blood sugar and help me to lose a little weight.  So far, the results have been positive.  I haven’t lost much, but hoping that my new schedule will allow me to focus on upping that number.  I’ve pushed the pause button on using the fertility monitor for this cycle.  I feel like we’ve got enough going on right now that I don’t need to add further stress.  I know that might sound a little silly, but I get so wrapped up in the whole process.  Ignoring it, for the moment, feels like the right thing to do. 

So that’s it in a nutshell!  I promise to be better at posting things in the coming weeks.  It’s been a little crazy and I didn’t want to wax on about my job drama.  Now that it’s over, I feel like I can move forward with a more positive outlook on the future.  I’m excited about my new lifestyle and hope that I can accomplish all the goals I’ve set for myself!