March the Work in the Yard Month

  

March is the month of major outdoor work – at least for me.  I always figure I have March and April to get outside things done because by May, summer is here and it’s really too hot to do much.  Currently, our evenings are still cool and the daytime temps in the mid-to upper 70’s. 

So, my mornings, the past several weeks, have consisted of getting outside by 8AM and working like a wild woman until noon.  Then, dragging myself inside to spend the rest of the afternoon recuperating. 

The yards are coming around and starting to look nice.  Nothing is blooming yet but much is planted and I’m thinking I should have more actual herbs, flowers, trees, and other stuff (tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, potatoes, and carrots all in containers) in places where they will grow big and produce!

Anyway this is my excuse for having not posted for a while.  Next month will be better.

I also managed to finish two things on-the-list-of-projects.  Long years ago, I acquired a wood chair (seatless) to turn into a flower holder.  So, I finally glued all the joints, stained and sealed the chair, then made the wire basket to go inside and planted it with flower seeds.

If there are actual flowers later in the spring/summer, I’ll post another picture.

Then, recently a friend called and asked me if I wanted a glider for my new back porch.  She had been given one years ago but had never put it together.  It had been living in pieces in her garage and she wanted the space.  Yes!  So, I sat down with parts, a bazillion nuts and bolts and .  . . . . .

Taa Daa!  Very cute – yes!

Okay, so what else . . . . .  Well, this is

Act Happy Week
Right after spring break with winter coming to an end, what better time for Act Happy Week to occur.  Happiness has been associated with many positive health implications, such as helping to maintain healthy blood pressure, boost your immune system, and oppose dangers associated with stress hormones. Being happy can also improve your mood and the mood of those around you.  What can you do?
Do what’s important to you.  We all do those things we “must get done” day to day but how often do we say, “I love to fill in the blank but I just don’t have the time.  This week do something you really like.
Tell a corny joke.  Why do the seagulls fly over the sea?  Because if they flew over the bay they would be bagels. (Hahahaha snicker giggle – terrible, I know, but did you laugh?)
Adjust your body language.  Sit up straight, walk with your head up and shoulders back, uncross your arms when standing and legs when seated.
Practice gratitude.  It’s easy to get lost in a world of want. Instead of focusing on what you want or don’t have make a list of things in your life you are grateful for.

And, today is

Tolkien Reading Day. 

Why March 25? – well according to the Tolkien Society, the 25^th of March is the date of the downfall of Sauron (Lord of the Rings) and the fall of Barad-dur (the enormous fortress of the Dark Lord Sauron and capital of his barren land of Mordor).  So, did you know he wrote over 29 books?  Yes, the two most familiar to us all – The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  There’s also The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, The Road Goes Ever On, Bilbo’s Last Song, The Silmarillion, along with a bunch of others.

Speaking of reading, while doing my “resting from very hard, hot – at least very warm – work outside involving lifting very heavy things, moving very heavy things, digging holes, walking miles and miles, crawling around the yard on hands and knees”, I’ve also read several books.

If you haven’t read any of Margaret Maron’s books, you might put her on your “to read” list.  I really enjoy her Deborah Knott series.  And, while at a used bookstore, I found one I hadn’t read. 

Hard Row (#13) by Margaret Maron
As Judge Deborah Knott presides over a case involving a barroom brawl, it becomes clear that deep resentments over race, class, and illegal immigration are simmering just below the surface in the countryside. An early spring sun has begun to shine like a blessing on the fertile fields of North Carolina, but along with the seeds sprouting in the thawing soil, violence is growing as well. Mutilated body parts have appeared along the back roads of Colleton County, and the search for the victim's identity and for that of his killer will lead Deborah and her new husband, Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Bryant, into the desperate realm of undocumented farm workers exploited for cheap labor. 

This is a great series though you should read them in order because life changes as time goes by.  Deborah tends to be on the sidelines of the murder that has taken place (rather than in the hot middle of it) and offers more insight to solving the case because of something she’s come across in court or through her large extended family or “bing” the light goes off in her brain. 

My daughter is here visiting.  I enjoy every minute of her visits which are always over too soon.  She works from home so is able to bring her office with her and work from my house.  It’s a great arrangement as I get outside stuff and inside stuff done while she working and we have the evenings and weekend to spend together. 

I guess that’s about all I know.

Which one are you?  I’m leaning toward – Mystery Ruin!

25 March 2022