Busy Birds and Busy Erin!

Hello Followers!

Everything has been put on hold with the garden these past few days. I have been extremely busy working towards better opportunities...hopefully more details on that soon! And, after fighting what I have been calling "allergies" for about 10 days now, I have finally given up and think I may be, uh....yes, a little under the weather. Despite this, I had a restful Sunday with plenty of sunshine and low humidity. Unfortunately, I had no energy to pick the ever growing weeds out of the garden, but will hopefully feel better soon. 

The birds hatched and as you can see-aren't they the ugliest little things? I have tons more pics to come of the now huge plants in the garden and of my recent visit to Roanoke and their farmer's market this past Saturday.

I am claiming positive hopes for tomorrow and appreciate your thoughts and prayers during the next few days. I promise to update tomorrow with more pics and hopefully more energy!!

Wanted: Electrician to install spotlights

If I keep working like I do, I may need my dad to come up here and install some lighting so I can "night garden". Either that, or maybe he could send me one of his head band things that has a light attached so it actually shines from your head. SO attractive. I left at 8:30am this morning and got in after 9:00pm. I am burning the candle at both ends right now, but also feel a sense of hope and calm about where the future leads. But, OK, I have to be honest. There was a bit of fun in my day today too. Although it was a holiday for most, I worked all day. But, last night before bed I remembered that it was one of my dearest friends and co-workers birthday today (which happens to be just four days after mine and the same as my grandfather's "Pop"'s birthday was). For the sake of his privacy, he shall remain nameless, but let's just say not everyone gets the opportunity to work alongside a now 77 year old personal trainer who has never had a mojito. This alone called for a celebration! By the end of the evening he was telling every one of his birthday callers that he had marked this birthday with getting to know the mojo (yes, pronounced moJO, not moHO). I found myself laughing out loud in the shower tonight when I remembered his wife asking him to sing me his Jewish song that she had taught him about a foolish Jewish boy falling in love with a non-Jew. My friend's wife is Jewish, he is not. Just one of the many examples of tonight's fun. My, my. How full I feel tonight. I mean, I might be too full of myself, but not everyone gets to spend the evening with two 70ish year youngsters laughing, singing, sharing advice, and talking about the season finale of Ugly Betty. What an amazing time in life! 

Bigger than EVER!

Was out of town a couple of days, came back and WOW! Everything is HUGE. Pictures to come soon. In the meantime, I'm going to figure out how to harvest lettuce and spinach. Wahoooooooooooooo! So much fun! 

Tweet Tweet from a real bird

What amazing things you can see on a breezy cool Monday afternoon! I decided the only exercise that I could talk myself into was to do laps around the neighborhood. Imagine the comments you get when you are walking one lap, running, walking, running, walking. It reminded me of running the straights and walking the curves at track practice. When I breathed in the air it smelled and tasted like the 800 meter race I would wait all day to run at the track meet. On my laps around I smelled the honey suckles and remembered my friend Robbie teaching Alli and I how to pick em and suck the sweetness out of the middle of 'em. Mmmm.  I also met two of my neighbors Lou and Katie. Katie, Lou's 14 year old Golden Retriever, is barely hanging on. I had so much compassion for this stranger losing his dearest companion. Sighhhhh.

I also saw this beautiful fuchsia flower on one of my rounds and I even slowed down to gawk- mouthed wide open-at its bright color. I have no idea what it is. A tall stem and huge snow ball like blooms but spikier. 

And can you believe my adventures aren't over yet? Mrs. Robin has decided to build her nest right on top of my outdoor light. She actually stands there, looks at James (the neighbor's cat) and me, and tries to stare us down. I pull James over to the other edge of the lawn and pretend like I don't care if she lands on the nest and warms those poor little babies up. But one wrong move and she's off again. I only managed to reach up and snap a pic of the eggs, which I had to see to believe. It's too tall for me to actually see in there, so my camera was the only option without getting too close. I remembered reading a story when I was little that said not to get to close to the bird's nest or the mom will smell your scent and abandon them in the middle of the night. Is this true? Funny how some things stick with you for life.

On a complete random note: I have to point out that in the midst of this natural bliss, my next door neighbors have been blasting the first two songs on Beyonce's new CD for three straight days. This is quite humorous not only because I also have a warm place in my heart for Beyonce's Single Ladies, but because my neighbors are deaf. Seriously, no joke.

Positive Thought for Today

I have to say that I would love to make it a habit of daily reading a meditation like the one to follow, but have not yet gotten the discipline to do it. But, today and usually always, it was exactly the words I needed! This is from a book that my mentor and past yoga instructor, Carver, sent to me in D.C. last year by Iyanla Vanzant.

"I am now receptive to the idea that I may be blocking myself from receiving more than I am holding on to. As long as you are holding on to what you have, your path of possibilities is blocked. The holding can be mental, emotional, or physical.  In any case, it is a sign of fear. If you are aftraid to lose what you have, it means your consciousness is grounded in lack. Somewhere in the back of your mind, there is a belief that there is not enough to go around. There may also be a belief that when it comes around, you will not be on the receiving end.

Holding on is not the same as taking care of what you value or protecting that which is yours. Holding on is what most people do when they are afraid they don't deserve more. Holding on is what we do when we settle for less than we want. Holding on is what we do instead of asking for what we want and then taking responsibility for creating it. When you really believe that you are worthy of the best, that you deserve the best and that there is enough of the best for you to have plenty, there will be no need for you to grab or clutch or squeeze what you have. You won't worry about what you have. You will not watch over what you have. You will no longer live in fear that by losing what you have, your life will somehow be diminished. When you can stop holding on, you begin to realize that your blessings cannot be taken away, nor will they go away until the Universe is ready to up the ante.

Until today, you may have been holding on to things and people in fear that they could not or would not be replaced in your life. Just for today, allow yourself to imagine what your life would be like if your hands and heart were to receive something better than what you are holding on to right now. 

Today I am devoted to opening my hands, my heart and my life to receive bigger blessings!"

Back Roads, Blue Highways, Humpback Rocks, and Sunflowers

The rain held off today and I was out there pulling weeds right up until I got scared of the lightening getting brighter and the thunder LOUDER. My friend Tony, who is about 88, told me that we are having perfect weather for the plants to grow and boy, do I believe it! Sun, sun, sun, and rain just when they need it. I haven't watered really at all since I put these things in the ground. After a very busy and trying week, I had basically forgotten about the garden until this morning when the sun came up and I stepped outside and was nearly knocked down by the size of them. I mean, wow! I can really tell it. AND, I can even see a few corn sprouts coming up! I feel like I'm back in kindergarden when you make your mom a little potted plant for Mother's Day and then bug her for the rest of the summer to help you water the little sucker. But when it blooms-unbelievable. I still feel that childhood excitement every time I see something sprouting and growing. Pictures to come soon for proof, but I was too busy today climbing mountains, eating hot dogs, sunbathing, napping, blogging. 

I am now listening to the program on NPR: Back Roads and Blue Highways. I feel about 100 years old doing this on a Saturday night, but it is a great program-find it on your local stations! MUCH needed reminders of why I love Mississippi and miss it terribly this time of year. The flowers above are a happy from my friend Sean to make me smile. Today I savoured every second of Virginia, every second of being doted on, every possible small thing that made me smile and I am so thankful for it. 

Because of my work situation these last days and weeks, I have been forced to think about possible changes to come sooner or later, and I guess it has made me a little sentimental. Reflecting on the day, year, and 28 years (well, on Thursday, I will be 29, but dang it!-I have 4 more days, OK?!) reminds me to be thankful and comforted that although it doesn't feel like it: it will all be alright. I will probably look back at this post this time next year and see even more changes that surprise me. Change: will I ever get used to it?

Flowers not veggies

Long, long, long week. These make me smile. All blooming in my yard-planted by Brigitte the neighbor.

Just say no to drugs and use Spring instead!

Internet is finally working! So sorry for the delay in update folks. Sundays are my usual time to catch you up on what is happening, and no signal. Anyway, today I felt so rich: I had a place all to my own to sun bathe, garden, and transform a shed into a sunroom. If you count a sunroom being a room with two windows. For me, it is much added space where I actually have a table and chair to eat a meal on and a window view of the garden.

On a personal level, this past week was trying, but hence the title of this post: Spring makes it all better. The high today was 75, the sun finally came out and we didn't have any rain! What a positive way to end a hard week. The humidity was low and the rare breeze was lovely. I planted corn in my bathing suit...hot pink corn from Uncle Hughey. Hhmmmm. He must have requested the color just for me. Aunt Rhonda said it was to ward off the bugs, but I know. He knew the only corn fitting would be some with a little spunk.

Also, today I actually saw one of my, I don't know, 10 onion plants actually sprouting up! Although I was jealous of the neighbors who were all perfectly putting on a show next door..perfect in a row. I was excited to see one shooting up amongst what I think is weeds. I'm scared to pluck what I think is a weed out in case it might just be an onion. I am so glad that this was my major conflict of the day. Another treat: blue irises bloomed just for mother's day. As the sun kept shining, I really watched the blue ones get bigger and the yellow buds just bursting to pop out. Probably tomorrow. I am so thankful for my neighbor who got me into the gardening in the first place. She planted the irises and I love seeing them when I walk out of my door in the mornings!

Check out the pics of me in the garden, my patio, and my new "sunroom". 

Tornado Watch and Flood Warnings

Well, at least this is a Virginia Spring that I won't forget. My bedroom opens up to the backyard and garden. I can just hear those little baby roots crying to me now wondering why the heck I decided to plant them when the monsoon was on its way. Ok, joke's over. I get that I need to learn how to let go and that this like every single other thing in life is out of my control! I wonder how many of these examples I have to be shown before I learn this hard lesson. Going to try to take deep yoga breaths and blow healing air out to what is now the water garden. Please send some positive energy up here to Virginia! At this point, just a flicker of sunlight would give me immense hope.

Gardening Withdrawals=Zumba Inside

Day five of straight rain and at least five more predicted. I had no other choice than to sweat out my frustration. Two words: ZUMBA VIDEO. If only I could figure out how to video myself and post it, I'm sure I could beat out that singer Susan lady on youtube. For those of you who have seen my tiny apartment, you can only imagine how bad it hurt when I did that back kick and landed my foot in the closet.

After my rush of endorphins I mustered up the courage to venture outside to take a peak at my plants. Only one death to report so far..the jalapeno pepper. The rain just beat its spice of life right out of it. On the other hand, the rest seem to be doing OK. Especially the colder weather ones. They look like they are loving this weather. Looked extra perky tonight. More pics of their growth to come soon, but I'm waiting until you can actually see a difference. Maybe I should re-name my garden Charlie Brown. 

Rainy Sunday makes me homesick

If you can tell that any of my plants look like they have grown at all-please give me some encouragement! As you can see above, I made a wish for each and every one of them. It has been raining all night and day here.  Yesterday was more on and off though, and I was able to plant my warm weather veggies! I'm sure my neighbors thought I was nuts out there praying to the heavens when the thunder started just to hold off a bit longer. I did get my tomatoes, peppers, herbs, zinnias, and squash in the ground though. Whew! The weather report says that the low this week should only be in the 50s, so I decided to go for it. Now, I am just waiting on the corn seeds to come in the mail from Uncle Hughey and I'll be done with the planting! 

I have to admit that yesterday was a bit challenging. I struggled with what to buy, how far to dig, how to make a hill to plant the squash in, and when it was all done and as I was looking over it, I sort of, well, panicked. What if I didn't do it right? What if nothing grows? What if I didn't follow the directions correctly from The Idiot's Guide to Vegetable Planting? All of this nonsense put me into a fitful mood and I have been wishing for my mother and aunt's wisdom ever since.  Just like a child, I want someone to assure me that like life, you gotta jump in there, move forward, and see what happens. Some things work out, some plants grow, some die just like some of our hopes and expectations, but some of them live and thrive and turn out to boasts their huge fruits. If just one of my little seedlings do that, I will be ecstatic! I guess it is not totally ironic that even in my garden I have to be patient. My generation wants everything to happen immediately: great job, plenty of money, unconditional love all of the time from everyone we meet. If I can be patient with myself through this life, I surely can wait 55-80 days for the tomato plants to produce fruit! 

On another note, I have to mention that I just happened to be helping a member out at the gym with her exercises and ends up that she manages the nursery where I went to buy my lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower after I had a complete break down at Lowe's. What a blessing she was to me yesterday! I know none of you could imagine me being pushy. I mean, going into her office, begging for help for a "first time gardner" and asking her to speed it up because the black cloud outside was making me nervous...well, at least I did offer her a free personal training session! All jokes aside, without her, I would have been lost and am thankful that our paths happen to cross.

For now, I will let the rain soak my new plants and finally get to that cleaning since I am forced to be indoors today. Not near as exciting as the garden, but absolutely necessary!