Sunday, April 10, 2011

Week 15 - Clone This Week!

Although the week started off on a downer, it turned out to be a good one. The weather was gorgeous, I made progress in my yard and ended with a long weekend. What’s not to like?

The downer was a phone call letting me know that the Library Foundation had decided to rip out 3 of the perennial beds in favor of (gasp!) rocks and more grass. While I wasn’t surprised (I’d actually predicted it when the new president – the one who kicked me off on a technicality and then surrounded himself with bobble heads who nod in agreement every time he opens his mouth – was elected), I was completely disheartened. These were the very beds that I wrote my first grant for and spent countless hours tending in the past five years – weeding, mulching, even starting new plants from broken stems after a hail storm. Anyway, we were given until Saturday to remove any plants we wanted to salvage. Five whole days. Gee, thanks!

I surveyed the beds before knitting, seeing there was plenty that I could find new homes for, and then went inside for knitting therapy. Andrea bailed me out when I had to rip out an inch on my color work mittens and couldn’t get them back on the needles. It’s good to have friends. : )

I had planned to go to the pool on Tuesday but got held up at work, leaving just late enough to make it not worth getting wet. So I spent some quality time with my campus cats and then went home for Plan B – gardening in the gorgeous weather. I started by the air conditioner and just kept going until I had gone all the way around the house. I was tired but felt great about my progress. I also figure I got a better workout than I would have had in the pool. Win win!

Wednesday at lunch was the first get together of the new UNL knitting group. I drove over to the Beadle Center and we met in a conference room. It was lots of fun and I got to meet some new knitters. By then I’d also decided to take Friday off to meet Lorri and Sarah at the library to dig plants. I ended the day at the pool then home for Survivor. What a nice day!

Thursday flew by. I had a nice lunch with Dodie at Panera and then crammed to get everything done before my day off. I ended up working late so didn’t make it to the pool but was OK with that because I’d be getting a gardening workout in the morning.

I slept in on Friday and met the others at the library at 9:00. It was damp and chilly but we had a nice time catching up, talking plants and digging. When we finished earlier than I’d thought we would, I suggested we go to Hansen House (a historic house in Wahoo where Lorri maintains the gardens) and plant the 2 bushes we’d dug for there to save time. While we were planting, a reporter from the Wahoo Newspaper showed up for some pics and an interview. I insisted she not feature my butt in the air while planting so she cropped accordingly. What a relief! It was still cloudy and cool when we were done there so I decided to keep going at home and planted a rose bush and three lots of perennials in the parking strip. It took a long time digging out the old rose bush and I was exhausted and ready for a shower. I had a late lunch and spent the afternoon knitting. What a perfect day off!

It was supposed to be pushing 90 degrees on Saturday so after a hardy breakfast, I headed right outside. I spent two hours clearly the back bed around the maple tree, sweating buckets in the process. I had just sat down with a huge glass of water taking a much needed shower when Nora called. She was coming to Wahoo with scones in hand for tea and to dig up some plants. I ran around neatizing the house and just finished as she drove up. She had Drew and Elise with her so we had a little tea party. After she left, I started my chores and did some more knitting. It had hit 89 degrees outside so I was cowering inside, where it was only 76 because I’d shut up the house and pulled the shades to keep the sun out. Andrea popped by after dinner to drop off more of her home brew and we chatted for awhile. Yet another nice day!

Sunday dawned much cooler. The front they’d forecast to come through mid day had come through overnight so it was cloudy and cool. I was feeling like a third day of knitting would be too decadent and I wasn’t feeling up to gardening for a third day in a row so I just started doing chores and let the day unfold. I did end up outside doing low impact gardening – weeding mostly – on and off all day in between cooking all kinds of things. By the time the day was over I had a frig full of food ready for the week and I hadn’t knit a stitch. Still, it was a wonderful day and a nice end to a wonderful week.

If the rest of April is this happy and productive, I’ll be on cloud nine and my yard will look like a magazine. OK, it’s not likely but I can dream. There’s no time like spring for fresh starts.

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