Everything sublime is as difficult as it is rare. Baruch Spinoza

Sunday, May 21, 2023

Cycle of Life


My son got some sad news last week. He has another family through his bio-dad, my first husband. His aunt from this family has congestive heart disease and is in hospice with very little time left. He said she isn't conscious but seems peaceful. I always liked her. She was a force of nature. Actually, I liked them all, there were eight kids and his mother, who was probably the kindest person I ever knew. Sally was the rock in this family. I was divorced in 1976, so my contact with them pretty much stopped then, but I have fond memories of a welcoming group of people. My first husband was a good guy, just terribly addicted to drugs and alcohol. Matthew says he is falling apart, Sally did a lot to take care of him. I guess he's hitting the bottle hard. It's tragic all around. 

On to a lighter topic....we did get most of the plants planted. Mark has office work to do this morning but will give me his undivided attention after lunch, replenishing the soil in my eggplant tubs and some flower pots so I can plant. I found I can sit on the stool, that was used as a mounting block, for weeding, which is a huge help. The past three years of neglect have done a number on the plants by the barn. It sure did feel good to accomplish something, even something as small as this.

I have four large water troughs I use for planting. There is a lilac bush near them, so I picked myself a shaggy bouquet. I planted the bushes almost thirty years ago.


This photo is just because I like the vibrant color of the vegetables as I sautéed them for soup. I'd made vegetable stock on Friday and vegetable soup for lunch yesterday. They look so fresh in the pot!


It's a lovely day, bright sunshine and mild temperatures. I'm looking forward to finishing the planting, at least for now. I know I'll be adding more. I really want a trumpet vine to replace a dead clematis but I haven't found any. I may need to buy online. My grandma had a glorious trumpet vine trellised on the front of her house. My grandma meant everything to me and that plant represents her in my memory. This year. I'll find and plant one this year.

Let us enjoy the day and maybe a memory or two.

12 comments:

Boud said...

Sorry about your family loss. And I totally understand about certain plants having significance through the people we associate with them.

When I grew peas I found that the only authentic ones to me were Little Marvel, which I later found my mom grew. I hadn't known the variety name, but that explained why they were just best, because familiar, as soon as I picked and tried them.

e said...

I love the shaggy lilac and I'm sorry for the family loss.

Val Ewing said...

I associate a beautiful flower garden with my grandmother, she introduced me to 4 o'clocks and a moon flower among many others. IF I knew half of what she had forgotten...

My ex in laws are still my friends and I still lightly keep in touch with them.
--not the ex though.

It sounds like Sally was a huge influence on everyone around her.

Lori Skoog said...

To have such caring thoughts about past family members says a lot about you.

Water troughs make great planters. Flowers or veggies? Or both. And mounting blocks can be very handy. Little by little you are getting a lot done.

Sandra said...

Boud, trumpet vines and crab apple trees bring grandma to my mind. Interesting about the peas and totally understandable.

Sandra said...

e, the lilacs don't last long after being picked, but the shaggy bouquet was good while it lasted. Sally's family is devastated, including my son.

Sandra said...

Val, you got lucky in the grandma department too!

Because I didn't keep my son from them I have always had some knowledge of what happened in the family. Sally is a strong personality. She was also funny.

Sandra said...

Lori, that family never harmed me. I was always treated well by them. The youngest, my husband, got the family curse passed through their father. He and another brother, who is now dead, had hopeless addiction. My former husband finally got free of meth but couldn't stop drinking. I wish I could have traded Mark's family for this one!

I have tomatos, a zucchini and fennel in the troughs.

Anonymous said...

So sorry about your Son's Aunt. My first Husband was an Alcoholic and Drug Addict...if they get clean and sober they never can do it ever again...Dawn the Bohemian

Far Side of Fifty said...

Lilacs! They smell so good! Ours are not blooming yet.

Sandra said...

These started blooming last week. You have a different climate up there!

Sandra said...

Thank you, Dawn. He was a decent man with a powerful demon on his shoulder.