Life

Today I am up early, as usual, to see that my Olivia is up and out for her day. I donn my long chocolate brown knitted sweater, the one with the hole in the left shoulder, and leave the tie swinging at my sides.  I slip into my sage colored rubber Mary Jane's and then I go out in my newly watered backyard and open up the chicken coupe for the chuglies to  come out and start foraging. (Chuglies=family made up word for chubby+ugly that equals so darn cute despite a unbecoming feature. i.e. chickens=cute except feet.) I water my struggling five tomato plants and whisper good luck to the one inch sized green tomato that is newly formed and then turn my attention to the one raspberry plant that probably wont make it. I tenderly rearrange my honey suckles that have made a life out of climbing my white arbor. And curse the aphids that have decided to take up home life on my dear honey suckle. I pull back the thorny climbing pink rose bush that has decided my yard isn't enough and now is taking up residence over my fence into the neighbor's yard. I glance over at my Chuglies who are loving the moisture and the thought of unexpected treats that have come up to the surface due to the watering. I think of my littlies fast asleep inside and my Big Daddy who is getting ready for work. I pull a few weeds that have decided to intrude in my world. I think of how much I love my old holey sweater that has garnered disdain from others. (Does Hobo mean it looks bad? JK. Kidding as I know what it means and I have had that sweater called Hobo sweater yet it is an old friend to me, it is my authentic self.) I think about our new friends we made last night. They only live less then a block away and yet we just met them. They are amazingly fun! I tingle with gratitude that I have expanded my world just a little and it included these really fun people. The sun starts to warm up and my bedraggled sweater starts feeling too warm. I see my two favorite vine growers are probably dead and can't decide if I should "call it" or leave them in hopes that the dry brittle stems actually means dormancy not death. I unashamedly count the pears that have appeared on my 5-year old tenderly cared for pear tree that has only offered up one pear a year until now. Now it offers up it's bounty ten fold. I wander to the front of my yard hoping no one I know is out as I do look a bit homeless and give thanks to the ever expanding lavender plants. I anticipate the blooms being cut and dried to find a home in my house over the long cold winters. I mourn the loss of red and pink blooms that have seen their time and now are giving up. I chuckle when I think of Steve saying his most "prominent" girlfriend snidely remarked (when he was in his twenties) that he would marry some farm girl. Steve said he laughed at her remark as he knew he wouldn't. But now says "my girl has an old truck, 5 chickens……soon there will be a tractor in my yard and I will HAVE to buy a farm." I think that I am becoming a google farm girl. And yes, I am contemplating getting a cowgirl hat to display on top of my head when driving the old truck. Authentic. I look around my suburbia yard and think that I have slowly created a life that suites me. I think of others and how they found that world they love to exist in. It might be a city mouse. She might love the sound of her feet hitting the pavement. The honking of horns and the mumble of crowds. She might love being anonymous but not alone as she walks through the city. She might embrace the constant movement of the people and the colors of the stores. She might be a home mouse. Loving the chaos of the children. Tables strewn with scrap booking. Wii Games strewn about. She might not want a yard as that isn't her thing. It is just lolly gagging around for the day not doing anything she doesn't want too. Or it might be the working girl who is constantly going. Up early to exercise and list making. Working on the list until the day ends. She might be the crafter girl who is constantly in craft mode. Or she might enjoy baking and cleaning. Whatever the world looks like to you make it authentic. Make it so the journey is one you will be well pleased with at the end. Go and Do.