Real Education

I've been away. It's been educational. Tidbits garnered during the last two weeks:

1.  If you've flown your yard wizard in from Southern California for the week to design your space, go out and help with the work, sore throat or not.  But bundle up even more than you think necessary.

2.  If your body says rest because it is nearly ill, not listening and continuing to push forward allows the bug to get real momentum.  It will get your attention.  It will make you rest! Bottom line: it's worth it.

3.  If your chest is tight from the bug, cayenne capsules can help get things moving. However, putting them into a touchy stomach means they may be rejected (ejected).  Your flaming mouth and lips will make you more cautious next time.

4.  If you cough up "dirt socks" all night long, in the morning your bedroom will smell like a foul laundry hamper.  Fling open the windows as soon as you can gather your strength to do so.

5.  If you wake suddenly in the night having to cough up the heel of a sock and also needing to pee, get to the pot before you allow yourself to cough.  Keep clean underwear handy.

6.  If you're in the middle of your 4-AM-cough-until-it's-all-out (two pair of dirty socks worth) and your mind takes off to write a blog about it,  take heart!  You are getting well!

7.  Slowly, slowly, the body wins.  The bug wears out.  The body gets well.  However, a tentative, nearly-well body is no match for the splendor of plarking to flesh out a new yard, front and back.   Let's just see how much I've learned!

Get To. . .

Ferny rosettes of young Knapp Weed

"It is, indeed, my pleasure to. . . " I like those words so very much better than "have to." Can you feel the difference in your gut when you try them on for size?

Lush green heart eager under last season's dried growth

Recently it was my pleasure to remove Knapp Weed from the  county property next to my house.  Last summer the green plants with deceptively charming purple flowers swooshed in the breeze of the traffic going by.  Winter turned the tops grey-brown.  The purple flowers turned to seed heads.  The dormant plant resembled baby's breath, but chunkier.  The energy of spring has the perennial gathering steam for a new year.

Tiny, tell-tale pompoms that mark Knapp Weed.

Knapp Weed is considered a noxious invasive species here in Oregon.  The roots release a chemical that discourages other plants from growing.  Letting it go unchecked is not a good idea.  So Michael, another volunteer, and I marked off a section of the affected land and took it on.  Three hours of focused effort equalled ten bags piled at the corner for the city to pick up.

We'll go after it again one of these days.  Two more "get to's" ought to do.

Ready for pick up

Shall I?

What an honor to observe the results of molecules
joined so elegantly in Beauty.

Got to thinking the other day.  The spirit of this writing, about how we look at our duties, chores, general activities wants to carry on, even in this New Land.  Is there still a space for it?  Is there yet an appreciation for the thoughts of blessing even the most ordinary of tasks?



For some reason, I feel a pull, a drawing toward the expression of the sacredness of all movements in this life.

Perhaps your opinion about the continuation of "Things I get. . " is not as important as the overwhelming benefit to the writer.  But I'd like to hear from you just the same.  Your thoughts matter to me.  Shall I write here again?