Spring Gardening and Thoughts on a Friend Leaving

It's a beautiful Spring day. I believe all of my plants have survived their move from the garden of my previously loved home. They were dug up when I had no idea of color and the ground was dry because of no rain. So it is a pleasant surprise that they lived. A dozen iris, daylillies, lavender, lambs ear, coral bells, cone flowers and bee balm just to name a few...about 25 different kinds of flowers. They were brought in two trips in the trunk of my car and then stuck in the ground while construction was going on to finish my home. I have put a picket fence around the small back yard and planted a grapevine and 2 blueberry bushes along it. Also have a small plot of about 8 x 10 for my kitchen garden. My lettuce is already up about an inch. Planted 4 strawberry plants in the corner. All of this an experiment to see what will grow.

I smiled last fall when a friend from my old hometown was passing through taking her husband to hospital and brought me 6 buckets of dry manure from their barn. Only a true gardener would know what that did to my little garden plot. The ground is super rich. The 3 dogwood trees and Japanese Maple are starting to leaf and I planted a pear tree. I have my grandmother's pear preserve recipe and maybe the trees will bear next year.

It's hard for me to believe that one year ago this home was under construction and that my other home sold in two weeks! That I am ever thankful for especially with the housing market sales at an all time low.

This morning was sad for me. Debby, the young lady who has been staying at my son's home while he was in Thailand, came to say goodbye. She is returning to the Netherlands. She came to Vanderbilt University in Nashville to write her thesis. There was no room at the University and my son agreed to let her stay in his cottage. His home is across the street from my new retirement home. She would visit me and share her experiences at school and of new friends. I would welcome her to have dinner with me several times a week. She loved my cooking and took home some of my dessert recipes that were favorites for her. She surely made it easier for me as I missed my son while he is gone to his second home of Thailand. I wish her a safe journey as she leaves for home in the next several hours. I will surely miss her.

Another day in the journey through life.