The Gardener's Touch

As I've mentioned in previous posts, my grandmother was born and raised in a traditional Christian home in South Carolina. As such, I never saw her stray from the rules of her conservative upbringing. She attended church on a regular basis, worked hard during the week, and rested on Sundays. She was kind, a little opinionated now and then, and one of the most prolific gardeners I've ever known.

Once in awhile however, she became angry. And on more than one occasion, I was the cause of her agitated state. Most of our disagreements occurred when I was a kid, usually when she caught me doing something stupid, like using all of her tinfoil to roll my hair before going to Bible school.

On these occasions, she'd take a deep breath, put her hands on her hips, and just stare at me for a few seconds. Then, in a voice infused with a southern accent, she informed me why my behavior was foolish and encouraged me not to do it again. She never cursed or spanked me, although there were times she had every reason to.

To this day, I truly believe her patience and her gentle spirit contributed to the success she had in her garden year after year. She could grow anything green, including grandchildren. And for that, I'm most grateful.




 

Crissy Can't Grow Hair Anymore

When I was kid, I had a Crissy Grow Hair doll with auburn hair. To make her hair "grow" from short to long, or to change the length from long to short, you just turned a knob on her back. I soon found out, however, that if you actually cut Crissy's hair with scissors, all of the knob turning in the world would not restore her luscious locks. So it was, after a couple of left-handed haircuts by yours truly, my Crissy doll became a less attractive version of herself who spent most of her time at the bottom of my toy box. 

As a gardener, especially during the Winter months when I cannot work outside, there are days I feel like a Crissy doll with a bad haircut. I become a little less animated, my smile is superficial, and honestly, I'm not much fun to be around. 

On these days, a magic knob would be nice. Just a few clicks to the right or left and presto chango! I'm back on track and my hair looks fabulous! A fascinating concept if you think about it, and a real time-saver. But until that knob is invented, I'll comfort myself with the thought that Spring is just around the corner. And I'll leave the haircuts to the professionals!

Expect the Unexpected

Several years ago, I visited an old farmhouse that is perched atop a hill. As I drove up the dirt and gravel driveway, I thought I saw a white mushroom stuck in the muddy embankment. After exploring the farmhouse, I walked back down the driveway to take a picture of the mushroom. When I leaned over the ditch to view my discovery, I was both surprised and delighted to find the object I thought was a mushroom was actually an old porcelain doorknob! Using my hands, I freed it from the soil and wrapped it in a tissue.

The takeaway? When possible, allow yourself a little extra time to investigate the world around you, ditches and all.  You never know what you might find!

My latest treasure - the porcelain doorknob.