It's a rainy Monday morning here in North Carolina. It must have rained through the night because today I'm awake feeling deeply rested and strangely younger. I have no idea how it happened that I woke up with no pain, which makes me realize that lately I have been suffering with a total body ache through my bones. It has been painful to walk down the stairs every morning. This aching is accompanied by periods of cranky and tired. I'm sure I would feel better about relationships, my work, home school and the day to day running of the household if I felt better.
Is this new painful me a result of habits? Too much time online followed by driving myself into exhaustion at the gym to make up for the sedentary hours here? Or do I simply need to make adjustments in diet and vitamins? I'm learning that aging is a process of figuring out how to feel better.
Just when I needed it, a healing therapy is arriving.
We are going to build a garden.
It will nearly fill our entire yard. Richard has designed an amazingly beautiful plan that includes a series of raised beds and a GREENHOUSE!
We found all of the glass at the Greensboro Architecture Salvage at an amazingly affordable price. Some of the glass is broken, but we will be able to make repairs. The glass has come in the form of windows from old houses that were demolished, and now they sit just waiting to be given a new life in our yard.
Some of you remember that in my working life outside of home I was a garden center manager. So this event in my life right now is a dream becoming a reality; an intention evolving from a long buried hope.
Oh, a garden is one of the best things in the universe! Pardon my hyberbole, but I could go on and on about all the benefits of a garden. Y'all's plan sounds spot on. Big, well spread, and growing wonderful things. Healing therapy indeed! It just makes me want to say, "Ahhhh!"
ReplyDeleteI do hope your aches and pains disappear with the advent of the garden. Take care of yourself!
Ask Thisisme and Desiree and they will testify that tending a garden is good for what ails you. I applaud you for using salvaged glass for the greenhouse project. Plan your work and work your plan and you will derive a great deal of satisfaction from it.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt there is something so satisfying about preparing a meal with veggies you picked fresh from your garden. Pretty as some veggies may look in stores you never know what may have been sprayed on them. Good luck with your project and Shady gave you two very good examples of ladies with the "green touch".
ReplyDeleteWhy how exciting...I love to garden but have a hard time doing so after the back surgeries. I will look forward to gardening vicariously with you!
ReplyDeleteHugs~
that sounds so nice! i'm not a gardener (never had a place to do so) but i remember working the garden with my mom as a kid. hated the spiders!
ReplyDeletei think we tax ourselves trying to be everything to everyone. glad you feel rested.
Hi Jenny. A new garden (and a greenhouse as well). How exciting! I'm sure that tending it and making it, will lift your spirits no end my friend. Don't forget to take lots of photos for us to look at, as you set it all up. I'm sorry to hear that you've been getting these pains. That is enough to pull anyone down. How interesting that you used to be a Garden Centre Manager. I love browsing around these centres and looking for nice plants to buy and bring home for the garden.
ReplyDeleteI've heard that gardening is the perfect exercise for women as we get older -- something about keeping our bones strong and our joints flexible and our core solid. It's something I personally haven't found enjoyable but many of my friends just love digging in the dirt ... they say it's therapeutic! The raised beds are an excellent idea to help prevent back strain.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds so cool!! I bet you'll enjoy building it too. I look forward to seeing the finished result.
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