Serenity

I went to the garden center yesterday. This is one of my very favorite places to be in the spring time. Only this year, it was mixed with a whole lot of sadness, too. Normally, I love to roam around the center, planning which veggies I'll get there, what flowers I'll plant and where and just investigating what new items they have this year.

Yesterday as I wandered around, I had only gone for a couple of herbs and 2 single tomato plants, I felt sad. I was excited to see so many beautiful flowers and lovely herbs and veggies coming along. But, I have no where to plant them. I did manage to get a couple of pots set up with a tomato plant each and 3 herbs each. These are called "Sauce Pots" as they have the necessary ingredients to make homemade tomato sauce. Such a fun idea that I made one for my sister in law's very belated birthday gift.

Having no where to plant is living like a nomad. I have to confess something. I dispise living like a nomad. New house/apartment every year was my norm from the time I was 18 until we bought our second house at 37. Even our first house was only a two year endeavor. I counted how many times I have moved in my life...are you sitting down?... 24 times in my life. UGH. To say I am completely S-I-C-K of moving is putting it mildly. And we are now facing another move due to the mold issues in our current rental. And, I also am no longer a good renter. I long to be settled -to know that where I plant those perennials will enhance my future summers and that I am, year after year, adding compost and health to the soil in my garden. When you rent, you don't have that luxury. I have been given permission to put in a garden here, but we'll be leaving again before it comes in. If the next place we want to be works out, I've been given permission for chickens AND a garden, but it's too transient when you rent. What if I need to move again? Can I take the chickens that have become my pets? Have to give them away and chance that heartbreak? or a dog for that matter. The boys would love to have a dog, but, we rent. What if the next place doesn't allow dogs? Give away the boys best friend? No chance. Once I have a dog in my family, it becomes like a furry member of my family. I would no more give away my son then my dog.

So, it's all on hold until we can find Music Man a new job, sell that ball and chain condo and get to a place where we can buy again. We love Chester and want to stay here, but it's so very expensive here. Renting is the only way to go for now.

Being that I felt saddened by my stroll through the garden center, when I got home, I decided to make some adjustments to the front porch on our house, and cheer myself up. I bought 8 pavers that look like slate and put them on the edge of my porch. The surface of the porch is hideously ugly. Broken concrete, crumbling in some places with a lot of dark places from mildew in the places that don't get enough sun. Anyways, I wanted to add some visual interest, so put the pavers on the edge removed some furniture we rarely use there, added all the flower pots and I think it came out kinda homey. We have this magnificent Norwegian Maple that hangs over the porch, keeping it cool in the summer. Though it leaves a whole lot of debris, too, it's a small price to pay for this amazing tree and it's company. The birds love this tree and use it all the time as a way lay to our feeder which we've placed right under it.

Hoping for you a bit of your own serenity, ~Peacemom