Azalea Afternoon

Azalea Afternoon

Oil on canvas, 8x24

Call me at 860-442-0246 or email me

if you are interested in buying this painting

The other day, I felt compelled to go out and rake the streams of tall cut grass that littered our yard after Peter mowed, two weeks too late.

I grumbled and grrrrd and thought plenty of dark thoughts until it occurred to me that, instead of just doing this one stupid task and letting myself slide into grumpiness over it, I could make it part of a plan.

As soon as I got that idea, the task lightened immeasurably.

So the plan is this: Get up, do my morning dog, cat and dishwasher chores, and then, before I do anything else, before I open the computer, before I have breakfast, I will go out and work in the yard for one hour. Set an alarm, start a task, and stop at 60 minutes.

Every year, I do my yardwork and gardening in big, unhappy gulps. I am always late, always weeding a patch that is so weed-filled that the task is impossible, always planting a month late, always tackling the impossible. No wonder it makes me crazy!

Today, I spent nearly an hour weeding my little shade garden. In the remaining time, I transplanted a couple little evergreens that I felt sorry for, after yanking them out of the shade garden.

Tomorrow, if it's dry enough, I will begin enlarging my new rose garden. If it's still wet, I will prune the overhanging branches that keep slapping me in the face.

Meantime, the Kinney Azalea Garden is still in bloom and lovely.

Thanks for reading!