On gardens and started projects

So the back garden is now finished. I've posted pictures on FB (I do so wish I'd posted some "before" pictures, but you'll just have to imagine a field of weeds. I've also purchased 300 feet of hose (never occurred to me to think about how to WATER the back 40), and it seems that things are going to settle in and look really nice in a couple of years.

I have realized this summer exactly how awesome this location is for having a seven-year-old. There is the creek out back, the big backyard (now that I've cleared out the woodpile and Kevin hauled off what was left), the island in the creek (now suitable for camping), and the playground just up the road. I have fallen in love with living here this summer, which isn't bad for a place I'd originally moved into two and a half years ago with the intention of it being temporary. I've been looking over my posts and draft posts for the past year, and there seems to be a common theme of wanting to get projects done and get my motivation back. I spoke to a friend who told me one of the things she loved about me was my work ethic. Had this been an old friend who'd known me for years, I would have thought she meant the ethic I had in the past, as I've been kind of a sloth of late. But no, this is a friend who has known me for only about two years now - what I consider one of the more slothful periods I've had. I told her as much, and she pointed to the garden, the clearing of the island, the clearing of the woodpile, moving a library, helping Jess move, pretty much completely renovating the apartment - I've been pretty busy, as she pointed out. So I accept that I have my motivation, I just need to direct it a bit. It comes down to a morning ritual and figuring out what is important to accomplish. Working on the garden seems to be a good start. We'll see where it goes from here.

Gardening and cleaning and preparing

So on an impulse, I bought a pair of hydrangeas. I've always liked them, and the bountiful poof of colors they have. The front yard is the domain of Wendy downstairs, and I wouldn't even DARE ask about sharing space. So the hydrangeas are going out back, in an attempt to reclaim some of the back forty. If those two do well, then I'll look into the possibility of getting more to fill out the back. They would make a great backdrop to the end of the yard, I think. August is upon us, and as a teacher that means getting revved up for the year at hand. It means getting things in order as responsibilities start creeping up and then the crashing of September is at hand. So today is a day of cleaning and setting up aspirations. I need to streamline some things, clear out some things, and finish up a few projects that have just been lying around the apartment. I also plan to make some commitments to an August "challenge" at Zen Habits, so I'm going to do the writing challenge again. Seems like a good plan, and something I keep trying to do. So I'll be posting odd Facebook posts about word-count again. Bear with me. Hope summer is going well for you too. Future posts will hopefully have more substance.