Sunday Letter: 09.02.18

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

Is it just me but weren’t we celebrating Memorial Day last weekend!? Time.Slow.Down. Soon I’ll be dead! LOL. But seriously, Happy September and Happy Labor Day Weekend, too. If you are enjoying a three-day weekend, I hope you use it in a way that makes you silly-happy. We have friends with us this weekend—football watching and lots of laughter for sure!

I even cleaned out my refrigerator to make room for extra food and drinks.

The Whole Enchilada

I took this picture Wednesday morning around 8:30. Everything aligned to create a wide shaft of sunlight just above Mt. Sequoyah. As we walked into the sunrise, I urged Lucy and Annabelle along, trying to hurry past the electrical wires, hoping to take the perfect picture without manmade objects spoiling the view.

But not to be rushed, Lucy and Annabelle stopped and sniffed and peed on every curious weed. Early morning is their time. The smells are fresh, the sidewalk not yet baked by the sun.

By the time I had a clear shot, the shot was gone, the clouds scattered, the sunlight dispersed into any other morning. And I thought of nature’s lesson about enjoying the moment, being present, recognizing imperfections as part of the whole picture. These inconsequential things we dwell on, these dents and cracks and stains and blemishes and electrical wires and trucks parked on the side of the road aren’t imperfections at all. They’re life. And life really is ahhh-max-ing.

Rose Wrangling

In early spring, we planted climbing roses on either side of our stone wall. Then, we let them grow wild. Roses aren’t going to attach themselves to the wall. They need a little guidance.

Last week, I wrangled the roses up and over the wall using rebar we uncovered in the backyard of our rental property two blocks away. Reuse, recycle, repurpose, y’all.

It was a simple project. I spray painted it a stone color because that’s the color I had on hand. (If I hadn’t painted it, my new trellis would have been a bright silver against the wall, and I didn’t want that.) Now, the whole unruly bed looks better, and all the plants have room to breathe. Even small garden projects can make a huge difference. So stop putting them off. (Talking to myself.)

You Get What You Pay For

While I paint doors and trim, I’m reminded of the saying, you get what you pay for. ? Momma is moving to our cottage on Walnut in October. Finally, we’re getting there with the bathroom remodel that morphed into nearly a whole house re-do. (You know how that goes…)

I’m excited about having her just around the corner!

Still, I’m no painter. And I’m lazy about taping and using drop cloths so…

All the Plants I’ve Loved Before

Autumn sedum is just shy of blooming in our neighborhood. Every time I walk past it, I think of the very first sedum I planted in my very first yard at our Dallas house on Lakemere Drive. I remember exactly where I planted it, how it looked when it bloomed, how by the time we moved, it had spread into an entire section of the side bed.

I recall many of the plants I’ve planted at places I once called home. I remember where we bought them, and often even the particular weather and season of the year. Not only that, I think of plants that grew on the farm when I was a kid, Rose of Sharon and bearded iris that decorated the home place, Aunt Lavern’s shade trees.

Each time I move (not that I’ve moved that much), I always want to dig up my plants and take them with me. Except on a few rare occasions, I don’t. But I hope they’re thriving. I hope the new people take care of them, appreciate them, realize each root, blossom, and branch has a history. One year, John gave me a Japanese Maple for Mother’s Day, and we planted it just outside the bedroom window on Lakemere. I wonder how tall it is now, and if it ever misses me.

School Kitchen Tip:

Wipe the shelves every morning; look over the food and plan to use leftovers at the next meal if possible; avoid crowding the shelves with messes. Use small dishes and put things of a kind together. Keep liquids where they may be seen easily. Meat and food needing the greatest cold should be kept on the bottom…When you go to the refrigerator, work quickly, set out near by all you will need, and always close the door, even though you may have to open it in a few minutes. (The School Kitchen Textbook, Mary J. Lincoln, 1917, Chapter VI, Care of Refrigerator, Pantry, and Garbage)

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I’ll say goodbye for now, my Sunday Letter friends. And Happy Labor Day weekend!

xo

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life. 

[tweetthis]A Sunday Letter for your #LaborDay2018 — ramblings from an Arkansas farm girl. [/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:
Willie Nelson & Julio Iglesias, To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before