Mud = Happy Jenny

My oh my. My soul needed SPRING this year more than I ever realized.

Mud = Happy Jenny.

Yesterday was rainy and gloomy – but I managed to get my hands in dirt and played with seeds – I might be missing some but so far I have planted- basil, sage, rosemary, lovage, celery, parsley, fenugreek, ashwagandha, hibiscus, marigold, viola, peach sunflower, peach zinnia, broccoli, wildflowers, moonflowers, holy basil, catnip, peas, more peas, carrots, beets, lettuce, radicchio & cilantro.

While it is WET AS FUCK around Weber Wonderland I’ve managed to weed a few of garden spaces:

• Culinary Herb Garden – Chives, Parsley, Oregano, Lovage, Garlic & Walking Onions
• Tea Garden – Chamomile, Lavender, Catnip & Lemon Balm
• Mushroom Garden –  DESPITE NO FREAKING MUSHROOMS AND 20 LBS of inoculated sawdust bricks put in last year (GRRRRRRR) – currently growing – Asparagus.
• Medicinal Herb Garden* – St. John Wort, Elecampane, Yarrow, Horehound, Pennyroyal, Motherwort, Mugwart, Marshmallow, Comfrey, Milk Thistle, Arnica & Chamomile

*I started but only 1/2 way finished – because – well, here’s the late morning with a cup of coffee on the porch surrounded by my many seed packets thinking – I WILL GET ALL THE REST OF THE SEEDS STARTED TODAY. But the lure of the sun called — Harley Boo was froclcing in the front yard and I thought “gee, maybe we should go for a little walk and check out the mushroom garden in the back” So off I went, but Harley didn’t follow. Upon seeing way too many clusters of Chickweed popping up from under the straw I decided to plop my bum down and start pulling. Harley eventually came to visit and we had some cuddle time together in the dirt.

From there, I ventured over to the VERY VERY WET medicinal garden area and oh my the weeds — and even more than the weeds, the unruly ridiculous growth and spread! The chamomile has taken over maybe 1/3 of this space! I keep thinning and moving plants elsewhere – same with the Pennyroyal. SO MUCH PENNYROYAL. And Yarrow, SO MUCH YARROW – lol, so weeding, sure. But mostly taking clumps of herbs and separating them and moving them all over the homestead (and putting some in pots to share…)

Around 2:30 or so, HWMMS was sitting out on the patio, watching me splash around in the mud in my natural habitat, when he said, “Your brother messaged, um, we have cousin dinner tonight at 4?”

OOPS. Yep, cousin dinner. 4 pm. In Kenmore. Garden time: officially cut short, and no seeds for me! I peeled off my mud-covered dress and hung it on the line. HWMMS just looked at me and said, “GET IN THE SHOWER, WOMAN.”

Normally, I get naked, hose myself down on the porch or patio, and then head for the shower – but the water’s still kinda cold, ha. (And for those who don’t know, Weber Wonderland is completely surrounded by trees in the middle of the woods with a long, windy driveway. Not a soul can see a glowing white, naked, round cherub Jenny from the road or any neighbor’s house.)

On the way to dinner, I wanted to stop and pick up flowers for my cousin Jodi. So, I popped into TOPS, grabbed a pretty bouquet, and headed toward the cash register…when I spotted a small kiosk packed with CLEARANCE EASTER CANDY. And I don’t mean 30% off. I mean 75–80% off good stuff.

Peppermint Patties, Reese’s Eggs, Mini Eggs, Creme Eggs, silly cheap chocolate bunnies – all the candy I’d been putting into carts online (and then never buying) was there, taunting me. How is that even possible? EVERY SINGLE ONE?!

HWMMS had mentioned those silly cheap chocolate bunnies, and I had wanted to get one for him this year but didn’t. I’m absolutely in love with Mini Eggs and Creme Eggs but didn’t buy any this year—and when I checked online the day after Easter, all the local stores were sold out. I did manage to buy one of those little packs of baby Creme Eggs, but HWMMS either hid them so well he can’t remember where… or he ate them one night.

My total was $22. (with the flowers.) Unreal. So yeah, serendipity. Thank you Easter Goddess.