What's Been Happenin'

If projects are to be successful, planning needs to be done and can be exciting.  Cleaning just simply needs to be done.  At some point.  Period.

This past Wednesday we made a trip to the big city to check out some materials for upcoming projects this spring/summer/fall.  One can only do so much on-line (an option for which we're grateful) and sometimes new ideas are gleaned and others jettisoned by viewing materials in person.

It made a long day (much longer than planned since we ended up arriving home just barely before dark after having to drive home through rain and fog), but one that we both felt was a profitable one.  Now back to the drawing board with our plans.

You'll be happy to know, dear lady who writes wisps of words, that not only are we thinking and planning work-type projects for the upcoming months, but also recreational outings.  (At this point, we're thinking these will be day trips as I'm a real fuddy-duddy who likes sleeping in her own bed at night.)

Last week brought us a welcome rise in temperature, the warmest we've had all winter, and with the accompanying rain lots of snow melted very quickly.  Almost too quickly.  We have no serious flooding but do have standing water in places we've not seen before.  Papa Pea joked he may have to put on waders to venture into the wood shed when filling the wheelbarrow because of the depth of the water on the ground in there.

After the almost spring-like feel of the above freezing weather, the last two days have been in the 20s and all that standing water has frozen.  Daughter and I were very carefully making our way across our back yard yesterday on the way to one of our storage sheds and as we shuffled along she commented she felt like an old lady navigating the alternating smooth ice and the icy ruts made by vehicle tires.  But that's the only way to go, taking very small steps to avoid a foot zipping out from under you . . . and the rest of your body coming down on a very hard surface.

I've been taking advantage of these last days of winter to do some deep cleaning.  (My, my, what you don't find doing so.)

I've been pulling garden books off the shelves, going through them and deciding which ones I want to keep and which will be passed on.  Each of the ones I've perused so far contains useful information, no doubt about that, but not enough to allow them to take up space anymore.  Something I find interesting (and at the same time distressing) is how they contradict each other and how my own experience goes against the words of the so-called experts.  I don't envy any new gardener as I think the only sure way to become successful is by trial and error gardening in your own particular soil, area and climate.

It took me the better part of two days to tear apart, clean and rearrange my closet and the middle section of our bedroom "wall" of closets.  The middle section is shelving and is about 99% my stuff.  I was then inspired to clear off the shelf above the hanging rod in Papa Pea's closet, pull out his storage totes on the floor, vacuum and then wash everything before putting it back together.  With a smidge bit of reorganization.  (Ahem.)

Next on the agenda is the small bookcase and two other shelves in the kitchen that hold my cook books.  I would like to (should!) weed out some of them, but it's so hard to let any of them go.  Please wish me luck.  I will be brave!  And ruthless!  Well, I'll try.