Prelude to Summer

We’re awaiting the delivery of a lot of pea gravel. Some number of yards, Gerry tells me. It doesn’t compute in my brain, but I know it’s going to be a lot, so we’ll stick with that. Right now, he’s in the garage assembling a second wheelbarrow he picked up this morning at Canadian Tire to prepare for the week’s activity. It’s going to be a busy one.

The grass in our backyard is all but dead. I won’t show you a picture of that. Half of it didn’t winter well. No matter. The poor shape it was in inspired us to do something radical and remove the lawn completely. Goodbye, grass. Hello, raised bed gardens. I can’t wait. Stay tuned for an “after” image in a few weeks.

Meanwhile, the hot weather means my spinach has started to bolt before I have even harvested any. We moved the bed to the shade under the gazebo; I’m not sure how much that will help. I pruned the tomatoes this morning. The cucumber seeds I direct sowed are doing so well; I gave up on the ones I tried to start indoors a few weeks ago. I’m not liking what’s happening to the leaves of my green beans; I’ll be paying close attention there. Other things like Swiss chard, green onions, and basil are coming along at a swift pace.

In the front yard, irises and columbine are in bloom. The hostas grow bigger by the day, peonies are in bud, and an assortment of as-yet-unidentified plants continue to grow and change. It’s a joy to watch it all unfold.

I just finished reading an adoptee memoir: Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal by Jeanette Winterson. I found it a tough go.

This morning, Facebook reminded me that six years ago today I received a copy of my original birth certificate from the Government of Saskatchewan.

Last evening, I received a message from a cousin I haven’t seen in 40ish years making plans to connect this summer (which I’m really looking forward to!).

These things combined, made me realize something about the role disconnection has played in my life. I need to write about it, but I’m still processing it. Procrastinating too. It’s healing work, and one must be in the right frame of mind to tackle that.

Maybe in a few weeks when I’m home alone, I’ll revisit what I’m chewing on today. Or maybe not. Maybe simply understanding is enough.