Gardening is a therapeutic experience for me.
You ever wish you could see into the internet and peek at your internet Word press friends in real life? I was just really thinking about you guys today. This summer has been going fast in some ways and slower in others. Since my spring vacation to Hawaii, we have not been anywhere. However, living in Seattle does make for many fun days in the summer time. Our weather has been phenomenal this year. In fact no rain for 40 days for you disbelievers out there that think it rains all the time in Seattle!
This summer has been spent in quiet contemplation at times, driving with one of my sons who wants to get his license (hence quiet contemplation keeps my nerves in check), gardening, and many other small projects that add up to more than 24 hours in a day. Heck, I am not complaining. It is my belief we were put on this earth to stay busy and productive. So I guess that is what I am doing. Yeah. The yeah is for my 16-year-old who says that about thirty million times a day.
For you gardener friends, my yard has brought me much joy this year. I actually am not really a green thumb, but I did take some time and worked very hard to get my yard in better shape. I wish I had a before photo to show you because you would not have believed the mess. These photos I am sharing show off some of my hard work, but there is so much more to do. How are all of you all doing and better yet what have some of you been up to?
alesiablogs 
It looks lovely Alesia! Lovely to see you here again! xxx
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Sue,
Thank you my dear. I hope to be at my usual daily posts by the time the kids are back to full time school in about 5 weeks.
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Look forward to it, Alesia! 🙂
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The yard looks good. Very meditative. I got myself a brand new knee on July 10, so I have spent (some of) my summer vacation in the hospital and rehab. I’m pretty much back to better-than-normal, now, but still doing out patient physical therapy. My cane is officially in the closet since the weekend, and Cupcake and I are back to walking in the park.
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Wow!!! You have been one busy gal! Glad to know you are doing well….Give Cupcake a big kiss from Linus and me!
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looks really nice, mosquitos are not chasing you inside then? they are here, they used to spray but now they don’t any more and they are getting out of hand. I have to sit in the sun to reduce their numbes but even then I have to hit some when they land and start to bite creepy little monsters.
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I love Seattle because we don’t have a bug problem really..haha thx for reading!
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I was wondering the same about you. Glad to see you posting. Hope to see you more often.
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I am here! Donna I hope your summer has been fantastic!
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What a beautiful garden and patio! I too love to garden but mine is in it’s early stages and not nearly as ambitious.
After some extra work weeks I went on my vacation visiting friends and family in Virginia and New York. When I returned I was greeted with a email that confirmed that i had located my birth mothers family…a research project that I have been actively working at for almost eight years. And, I just celebrated my second anniversary with Mr. Perfect. So July has been very good to me!
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Mrs. P—congrats on finding your mother. How incredibly awesome. WOW!!! Mr. Perfect…I bet he says your Mrs. Perfect…right Mrs. P. ? : )
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condo world now for me, alas no more gardens and no space for craft projects
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on July 31, 2013 at 8:26 AM Edit
Gardening does not come easy to me, but I had no choice. As I age, I am sure living in a condo will be glorious, but I certainly would prefer one with a view of the ocean! : )
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Hi Alesia. It’s nice to see you back blogging. It seems like the NW has been having the best summer weather anywhere. Enjoy it while it lasts. Ours has been very unusual, but the extra rain and humidity has made gardening easy; we just watch it grow! Like you, I’ve been contemplating and also trying some non-blogging writing. Unfortunately, the plan has been better than the execution! I hope your health and wellness program is still going well.
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Thank you. I have lost 28 pounds. The walking program has been a big part of this weight program. I will share more about it on a blog, but for now I m feeling so much better!
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Congrats on getting some work done on your yard! I really need to do that for mine, too … but, like you, I am not much of a gardener. I did manage some weeding today. And I am hoping my dad will help me to build some flower beds out in my back yard when my parents visit in a couple of weeks. It would be good to get started on that yard improvement project — finally! 🙂
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Good for you! Thanks as always for dropping by!
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Nails gone, cuticles ragged, soil permanently imbedded into dried swollen, cracked fingers. Such is the fate of the avid gardener.
Hours fly by as I yank and toss prickly cheat-grass, lambs quarters and tumbleweed aside for the chickens. I slowly straighten an aging back and gaze over the formerly barren land. A slow smile pulls my sweaty cheeks taut as I gaze over the swaying black-eyed-Susans flanking the wetland berm.
When people visit, they mistake me for the gardener, not the owner. I usually do not correct them.
Am I a gardener? I am not sure. I am compelled to create beauty with both flowers and words…it is not a choice. I crave the process. It buoys me up in hard times.
When the landscaping is finished I will move on to another location and simply repeat the process. My Sisyphus task. Gardening is a process not a goal.
I am delighted to have found Alesia through serendipitous circumstances: I am related to her husband and we are currently discovering what this connection is.
I will be starting a blog soon. I will talk about life’s twists and turns. I hope my struggles will give others strength and courage as have Alisia’s. Please visit me there when it is up and running. In the mean time keep smelling the roses, poppies or daisies, what ever is handy.
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I absolutely loved the way you bring out the experience of gardening in this comment . I can not wait to read your blog! Jane you will be so successful in this adventure.
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