There is More

I didn't feel so great this morning, kind of sad and gloomy, so I got up, made an omelet and a pot of coffee (Yeay for Coco!) and went back to bed to talk to a friend on the phone and then read for another hour.

Mid-morning someone drove into the driveway, so I got dressed and went out. It was warm enough to be out without a coat. I checked on sheep. No new lambs. Checked on goats. No new babies. The kids were so darned cute I had to cuddle them for a few minutes. Is there anything cuter than a baby goat?

Then a shovel grabbed my attention and I cleaned out some chicken manure. Not all of it that needs cleaned out, but at least one small zone. Placed it into the wheelbarrow to be ready to go to its destination out in the compost in the garden.

The sun was so warm, the sky so blue, my feet were drawn to the garden. While out there, I noticed that the garlic that Patrick planted a year and a half ago, that did nothing last year, was up. Over three inches tall!

Resurrection.

I went in, had some coffee with Rachel, ate some leftovers, then got the shovel and returned to the garden. I dug out a couple of our little beds, pulled out the wire grass (at least part of it), and then made my way to the trellises. Dug out around them for the peas. Spread heavy hay mulch in a couple of other bigger beds, preparing for potatoes. Spread the biochar that Thomas made for me in another big bed.

Still felt kind of low and depressed, but not at a crippling point. I kept thinking that the work would make me happy, but it didn't. I didn't want to talk to anyone. See anyone's face. Even so, crumbling up chocolate colored soil does a soul good.

I noticed that my seemingly dead sage bush is showing signs of life. Little bitty sage leaves around the base.

Resurrection.


I saw one tiny volunteer cilantro plant coming up.

New life.

Still feeling miserably low, I went in, grabbed a piece of the Russel Stover's Pecan Delight that the girls gave me for Valentine's Day. Ate it and asked my baby sister a gardening question by phone. Ate another one. I don't even eat candy!

Thought about how my sisters are such better gardeners than me. Went back out and planted a package of peas. Some beets. A mixture of lettuces. More cilantro. Spinach.

Not rows and rows. But enough for us. A start, anyway.

Thomas cleared out the debris I had tossed onto the deck, weeks ago, from the closet deconstruction project. Patrick and Maggie worked on some other chores. Laundry, clean rooms, hay feeding and watering. Nora took care of gathering eggs and feeding and watering the chickens. She found the first goose egg of the season! She rode her bike in the driveway for hours. Rose took care of her chores, then went out on the pond, to row on the raft. Then she looked at salamanders. Then she ran, barefoot, through the hay field. Then the girls took all their dolls out in the wagon so they could get fresh air.

I can't say I feel really happy right now. But satisfied. Tired. And satisfied. No matter how much I fussed at my children today, I sure do love them. And I sure do love our farm. Now I better go make some popcorn for supper. Do we have to eat?