I live to garden lately. I rush home from work to make raised seed beds in the veggie garden, plant, prune, dead-head, weed, water, and talk to my plants. So when the weekend comes, I'm out there playing in the dirt.
I collect old coffee grounds from work for my blueberry bushes and see carrot peelings and pulled weeds as treats for the compost pile. I tell earthworms to encourage their friends to move to their neighborhood. Fallen leaves are potential shredded mulch. My rain barrels all have names. Yay! I love, love, love playing outside.
So imagine my dismay when I couldn't go out and play in Nature this weekend because of. . . well, Nature. I have never seen so much pollen at one time all trying to get into my lungs. Mother Earth is evidently very horny this weekend. Pollen is visible in the air and covering everything with a yellow film. She laughs at deeds and mortgages.
So all the windows are closed and the AC is on just to filter the air. I'm medicated and curled up in bed with Earl Grey and Blanche, my Shitsu nurse.
Yesterday, before my face began trying to explode, I did get the inside of the house cleaned. It had been sorely neglected by me lately. If it's between playing in compost and dirt or vacuuming and dusting, there is no contest. Never has been.
I know how fortunate I am to have a house to clean, air conditioning to filter the air, a Shitsu to nurse me, and a half acre to play in. I am truly one of the most fortunate people on the face of the Earth. I have medicine and a neti pot to relieve sinus pressure. Pollen means life, after all. Sort of like labor pains I guess.
So bring it on Mama! Remind me I'm not in charge here.
HA!! I love this post...I was just thinking yesterday how I haven't seen much activity on the blogs. I have assumed that everyone was outside in the dirt (that's where we were too and it was GREAT!)
ReplyDeleteWere you a dirty kid too? Meaning mudpies were your specialty in your pretend kitchen, or even in the real kitchen?
ReplyDeleteThe pollen has been bad (or good really), around here too—mostly from the olive trees, the planting of which is not allowed any longer. The bees have done their work on the citrus trees, and they're full of infant fruit.
We "own" just a small piece of Earth, but there's always more room to plant. I think Martha is going to plant a grapefruit tree
this next weekend. She likes dirt and mulch too.
"I couldn't go out and play in Nature this weekend because of. . . well, Nature."
ReplyDeleteGreat line!