Recently, that happened to me- for just an instant, anyway.
When my mom and brother Kiner were here this past weekend, we went to visit my aunt- my mom's sister- who lives about 40 minutes from me.
I don't see my aunt all that often. Our lives are very different, and we are both busy in our own little worlds.
My aunt's world is not one I usually admire. She's had a hard life: teen pregnancy, domestic abuse, divorce, a mentally ill child, money problems, a grandchild at age 32 (OMG- totally not kidding), and most recently breast cancer. To name a few.
She's handled it all with grace and a smile. A good sense of humor. A resilient spirit.
Recently her passion has been running a greenhouse on her property, which is where we visited her on Saturday.
Everything about a green house in spring is wonderful: the smells, the glowy light, the warmth inside when it's chilly outside.... Even the bags of dirt looked cheerful.
My girls were in heaven: getting dirty, planting flowers, filling pots with soil to "help" my aunt.
Marin was so excited to wear her new gardening gloves, that- on the way there- she fell asleep with them on. She loves her gardening gloves... and digging in dirt.
The wee little sprouts, popping through the soil, looked so fresh and hopeful.
The flats upon flats of tiny specks, soon to be blossoming flowers.
The vibrant colors of the plants a little further in their growing were cheering.
It was a lovely way to spend a chilly spring afternoon. We packed a picnic. We got dirty. Kiner even talked to my uncle about buying a greenhouse. What was involved, costs for heating/cooling, etc. (He's always up for a new project.)We were all charmed, I think.
But then I looked across the rows and rows and rows of things growing, things needing to be watered, tended to, groomed, and cared for.
Rows and rows and rows of plants that would die if not given proper attention.
And then I realized that my aunt planted ALL OF THAT. (The next photo is half of her greenhouse).
And then I realized I'm much too lazy for a greenhouse. 
7 comments:
Even before you showed us the volume of her greenhouse, I was thinking, this looks like fun... for one afternoon. I am DEFINITELY not cut out for that type of work full time. My goodness.
You have your own greenhouse, my dear. You are growing three beautiful girl plants (and maybe more some day) and doing a wonderful job at watering, tending to, grooming and caring for them. You aren't lazy at all.
KS- that is a sweet image... of my little girl plants, sprouting a little higher each year...
And it is true that there are season for everything. Probably the "running a greenhouse single-handedly" does not coincide with the "raising small children" season for most people.
Love the pictures!
Oh yes. I always want to imagine myself in other people's earthy lives and then realize I'm too lazy to even buy a hanging basket for my front porch until we're halfway through spring. Ah well. Perhaps a different time in my life. My days are otherwise occupied for now.
Oh! I used to do this! It wasn't my own greenhouse, though, I just worked there. But what I mean is that I tended plants day in and day out. It was sometimes a very pleasant and satisfying job.
Swistle- between your greenhouse experience and your pharmacy work, you should be able to come up with some Niiiiiiiice cocktails. ;) Probably some money in that too, yo?
Post a Comment