~Living a life of sophisticated domestication deep in the heart of Texas~

Saturday, April 27, 2013

I used to think....

....that was just about all that was required for being pretty happy.  Well, nowadays I tend to disagree with that idea.  I've found much more interesting and rewarding and exciting and exasperating and wonderful levels of happy, and I'm grateful. 

However, I will say that having a lovely garden and somewhere to dig and plant and pull weeds and trim and pick flowers is just about the most therapeutic place in life to be for many of us.  I come from a long line of happy gardeners and have spent many lovely hours with a basket of blooms.  A few of you know that I kept a pair of bright red garden shears in my car where they were handy to trim the lavender and roses away from the driveway edge.  A few others know that when I lived in Oregon and had a spectacular hydrangea that people liked to "sample" a pair of shears could be found in my mailbox by the front door.  My house happened to be on the local walking tour, and more than a few "walking tourists" passed by my house to look it over and left with a bouquet, lol.  My Nana used to spend long hours in her garden and she often said it was what made her happy.  As the years went by her expanse of green lawns turned into various flower beds and she'd pretty much dug up and planted and pulled out and replanted the whole property.  It was a riot of color and filled with birds and bees and became the perfect backdrop for her bright red house. 

When I was on my own everything in my garden seemed to be pinks and blues and purples and lavenders and soft whites.  I love a red geranium and have found it to be the most hopeful plant to have around here in my part of Texas, if I want it to last and bloom and not over-bake in the hot sun, lol.  Nasturtiums are a favorite and many of my friends will roll their eyes when I mention once again that the squirrel who lives in our yard most of the time absolutely loves a nasturtium salad with his pecans.

Anyway, this isn't really about gardening.  Nor is it about libraries, although I will mention that SGTex and I enjoyed watching the dedication of the George W Bush Library the other morning.  Our liberal friends have punished me more than a little for admitting to liking the ceremony and having something pleasant to say.  I do believe they feel he should be tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail, as their bitterness seems to be still somewhat fresh and more than a little deep.  That's okay, for them.  I guess I've got more important things about which to concern myself, to my way of thinking.  It seems like it's not too much of a shock to think that a past leader of the USA might have a presidential library, too.  All the others have gotten one, or a chance at having one.  (eyeroll)  SGTex and I have always been quite lucky to be at home together to enjoy some big event on the news, and this was just one more of these and we enjoyed it in our particular way, so I'm grateful, even if it is celebrating someone from the (gasp) "other" side of politics, haha.  We're liberals, but we're not too (two?) angry liberals.

Our life is changing and over the next couple of months there will likely be some upheaval.  Already, I'm starting to adjust to the idea of new schedule, new circumstances, the notion of a new location and all kinds of new ways to see and experience things.  Do I feel a headache coming on?  A slight one, but that's okay.  ;~)  It's stressful, but it's a good stress.

I gave up a garden and a library to get this far and am going to make plans for a new garden and a new library to enjoy, down the road a bit, which isn't so far after all.

Toodles!

Shawn
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