My Mr. Man and I did do as best as we could to create a decent Christmas for our children. We got them a live tree and decorated it, I got them lots of holiday candies, and I even made holiday cookies. They each got wrapped gifts from family. I did all of this because I felt that I had to create some semblance of normalcy for them. They understand that their grandmother is no longer with them, but at the same time they are also looking forward to treats and gifts (regardless if their father and I weren't 100% in a festive mood).
At this point, we are trying to find a new normal. A new way of life. Maybe next might be better. I hope all is well with you. Did you have Blue Christmas this year too? Or was it a much better Christmas than mine?
I haven't had time to write actively about my garden this year. We got spring weather early in our neck of the woods. Then it got really hot and there was no rain. To make it even worse, there were wildfires from the west and the north that gave turned our air smoky. When late summer hit, it finally rained and we had spring at the end of summer. Now, we are having a mild fall, like last year. I haven't really clean up my gardens either. It's been hectic, to say the least. Then my mother-in-law passed away.
Yes, you read that right. My mother-in-law passed away in October. She will be missed so very much. To me, she was kind. She loved to garden and I enjoyed talking about the weather and gardening with her. She had been sick for a very long time too. Even though I told her during the summer that she had twenty more years to be with us, I'm not surprised that she chose to leave us in October. She's lived a longish life and I'm happy to know she is no longer in pain. To everything, there is a season.
 |
| Image Credit: Enkiquotes.com |
I discovered several weeks ago that an Old Friend was, and probably still is, grieving his heart out. His oldest son passed away over a month ago in a "freak" car accident. His son was still relatively quite young, going on thirty years old. My heart goes out to my Old Friend. And of course, to his son's family and friends.
It's never easy for the old to bury the young. Especially when it's a parent burying their own child. As I thought about my Old Friend and his sad situation, I was reminded of my parents' (they too buried their son). To this day, I know the heartache and sorrow they carry for my brother has not gone away. I think it is something that just is. A different state of being and there's no cure for it.
As a mother to a father, I give my condolences and only wish the best for him and his family. I'm sure my Old Friend has lots of family and friends to lean on for support. And regardless of our spiritual beliefs, I know that love never ends and his son still loves him very much.
Hello, Lovelies. Is it already July? I've been gone for too long. It wasn't intentional. I've had so many blog post ideas, but life kept getting in the way. I've been trying to find time to blog and write in these semi-trying times (only semi-trying because there are effective vaccines for Covid-19).
Life as I once knew isn't the same anymore. I'm trying to get it near to what it once was. Of course, it may never get back there. Yet, I'm finally trying to insert some kind of control over my life. For the past year and a half, it's been my Mr. Man, and my boys. I was distance-learning with my oldest, and trying to entertain all of my children while Mr. Man worked from home.
Amid the chaos of living through a pandemic, the only constant I had was my gardening. In the summer of 2020, I returned to gardening again and dreamed big. Gardening saved my mental health during a time when there was so much uncertainty and so much quarantining. It was wonderful to not only see things grow and dream of a bigger garden (and a happier, brighter tomorrow), but to start teaching my boys about gardening.
Then this summer, I really expanded my gardens. I love being in my gardens and I don't even care if there's nothing for me to do. I love being with my plants and checking on them. I find watering is a chore (I have been thinking about installing drip irrigation), but it is time alone with my plants. It's also, believing in tomorrow and a future. Even though it's barely July, I'm already noting what I'm going to do differently for 2022 and what I hope to plant.
How are you doing? How does your garden grow?
Yes, I am ready to leave 2020 behind. For as much as 2020 was a dumpster fire, it did have its moments (e.g. I gave birth to my little boy). And I know that COVID-19 isn't going anywhere, but it's nice to be able to symbolically declare that I am starting new, taking back my future, and letting go of the hot mess that is 2020.
So, my dear friends, I wish you a wonderful 2021. Here's to a new beginning, a better year, and hopefully more connections with friends and family.
There's an advisory that we're getting our first frost tonight, with the temperatures going below 50 degrees F. (Such an early frost is so unusual, but then again, we did have a very early spring.) As much as I didn't want to, I took out many of my tomatoes and whatever pepper plants I had. Usually, by this time, the garden's a mess and I've given up on it. Yet, this is the first time that I didn't want summer to end and I really didn't want my gardening exploits to stop. Gardening has been good for my soul, especially with Covid-19. But, all good things must come to an end.
In addition to a handful of semi-ripe tomatoes, I picked the rest of my jalapeno peppers. I also pulled out all of my tobasco pepper plants. They had lots and lots of yellow peppers on it, so I'll try and see what I can do with those yellow peppers. I really wish the peppers would've turned at least orange, but it is what it is. Maybe next year, I'll plant the peppers earlier (I'm hoping to start them from seed).
It's time to think about fall, clearing out the garden, and continue dreaming about spring. I hope all is good in your neck of the woods (considering all of the forest fires occurring on the West Coast). Stay safe.
