April Showers Bring May Flowers

I have spent almost every evening and every Saturday and Sunday in the front yard for the past month. It has been so therapeutic for me... to put on a pair of dirty old jeans, sneakers, and pull my hair back out of my face and work - to push my muscles to the limit with a mattock, a shovel, and a stack of paver stones. It's usually such an intensely introverted thing for me, but almost every day I've been out I've had the company of my next door neighbors Kristin and Joshua, and their two kids. We've taken trips to Home Depot together, traded azaleas, given advice, and enjoyed some cold beers together. It's been wonderful to feel so connected while doing something I love so much. Even Clint has been out helping me lay stones and spread out mulch.

Last weekend I got to do something wonderful: I played plant consultant for Josh and Abby! We went to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens plant sale and where they picked out a camelia and crape myrtle, and then to home depot where I advised them to buy some blue rug juniper, japanese holly, and helleri holly. God I swear if I ever had a third career it would be in landscaping. Something about it gives me such a feeling of accomplishment and joy.

If we ever get our camera back I'll post some pics, but until then, feel free to stop by and have a beer and check out the progress. I'll most likely be outside.