Ordinary

Sometimes I can't get out of my own way. I fret, lament, curse, and crumble until I finally get myself outside again, pushing my fingers in the cold soil, willing to deal with growth and promise instead of my own sorry alternatives.

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So it is that JB and I have spent the last two weekends cleaning up and putting down.

This might be the last dahlia of the season. The four tubers I planted for the first time ever have been a wild success. Beautiful abundant dahlias, some deep purple, some deep pink, some like this one pink on the outside and yellow on the inside.
Then there's the zinnias. These are minatures, popped in the ground in July to the left of JB's Magic Cottage.

Not to mention the metal sunflower from P-town. How cool is this--six feet high and made of scrap metal?

Finally I painted the Baker's shelf I got at the weekly auction for $ 15. It will go on the Porch, which has not yet claimed a clear identity but this festive Cuban blue will be a good start.
Also to the left of the Magic Cottage, I can't believe how sweet these look on the fence.

Did I already mention the Sunflower? Here it is again. This was the big purchase of the summer and I smile every time I look at it.
The Magic Cottage is getting ready for JB's 2nd Annual YART (Yard plus Art = YART). The side yard should nicely hold the fifteen or so artists that are participating this year, including Madame kj who will read tarot cards for a dollar.

I love my backyard. I don't know how it has become so lovely.

This sunflower is every bit as large as it looks--probably a foot or more in diameter. This came from my friend Lily's front yard.

Dahlias! I hope my father is looking down on them and is proud of me.

And last: two weekends of weeding, digging, planting, and mulching. I had hired a couple of guys to remove the old boring evergreen shrubs and pull the big roots from the soil. I used a garden hose to trace the circular shape. I planted hostas around the border. And I popped in a dozen mums to compliment the few new shrubs added a month ago. It's only a beginning, but it looks content and respectable.

So here I am with paint on my arms and dirt on my hands. My back hurts and my knee's complaining. But I know when I step outside tomorrow morning before breakfast, I will look at the yard and feel better. Even if my insides are a bit chaotic, at least my yard's feeling better.