Gardening is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it. ~Author Unknown
I’ve long been aware that I’m a great “starter” but a lousy “finisher.”
Remember that nasty shed we finally had dismantled and removed? The one with the dead woodchuck lying beneath it like the witch in The Wizard of Oz?
Well, I decided that entire area would make a gorgeous plot for wildflowers. Something like this:
Or this:
Or maybe these blue asters:
So yesterday, when it was sunny and pleasant, I began removing the bricks that were in my way:
Some were crumbled and would need to be thrown out. Others were in pretty good shape and went into my Keep pile. And a few were — in my mind, at least — ideal; those I stacked in another area.
While I was digging up the bricks, I couldn’t help recalling my childhood. On summer days when my sister and I were little — and grumbling over having “nothing to do!” — my late dad suggested we take a stack of leftover bricks from the building of the house and move them, one by one, to the opposite side of the back yard.
And if we were still bored when that task was done, we could move them right back!
Ugh.
That’s probably where I started equating moving a pile of bricks with raking leaves — tasks I was sure the inhabitants of Purgatory were assigned as a means of working their sins off so they could attain Heaven!
I digress.
I’d been digging up bricks for what seemed like ages when I glanced at the time and realized lunch was calling. And my back was protesting — loudly.
No way was I going to complete the job that day. And since rain was forecast for much of the next week, I reasoned I’d be out of the notion by the time another sunny day rolled around.
Hmm, maybe I’ll get the yard man to finish for me.
You see, I’ve already grown weary over this project, and the thought of dragging sack-loads of dirt to fill in the soil, setting out the seeds, pulling the weeds that are sure to grow alongside my flowers, and all the rest makes me even less inclined to return to the task at hand.
As I said, I love starting projects; it’s finishing them that challenges me.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there and know this:
All mothers are working mothers. ~Author Unknown
Musings by an ND Domer's Mom 
‘”…tasks I was sure the inhabitants of Purgatory were assigned as a means of working their sins off so they could attain Heaven!”
HA! Debbie, that made me laugh out loud. Being raised Catholic, I totally identify with that! 🙂
I can sometimes be the same way. I get all excited about the “idea” of starting something, however, if it can’t be done quickly, I begin to lose interest. With me, I don’t have a lot of patience when it comes to certain things because I move so quickly.
Fun post, my friend!
Wishing you a Happy Mother’s Day! X
P.S. I love that final quote, because it’s so true!
HaHa, I thought you’d identify with that, Ron! Funny how stuff like that stays with you, even into adulthood!
Hmm, maybe you’re onto something, my friend. Maybe I just move so quickly that I lose interest and enthusiasm when things get dull or routine. I don’t know. If I’m doing something I’m intrigued by, though (like writing), I seem to be more inclined to slog through the drudgery. (Or maybe that’s because I’m learning to write like a reader and make everything more interesting, even to me!)
Enjoy your Mother’s Day! xo
Debbie, I admire your zest to plant flowers (& all the work involved.) A blessed Mother’s Day to you. 🍫💐💜💐🍫
p.s. I like option #1 if you are taking votes🌿 🌷🌿
Isn’t that wildflower garden gorgeous?? I wish somebody would do the work for me, Virginia. I’m afraid my efforts won’t turn out anywhere near as pretty. Hope you’re having a lovely Mother’s Day!
You started. And as Cole’s music teacher Mr. Hoppe always said, “Starting is the hardest part! He never said a thing about finishing! Happy Mother’s Day!
You know, Kb, for some folks like me, starting is the EASY part, ha! I can hype myself up for almost any dreaded task, yet when I get part-way in, I find myself pushing it off onto whoever is available. Sad thing is, sometimes I’m the only one around to do these things, so I have to force myself to carry on. Sigh. Hope your Mother’s Day is perfect — enjoy that son of yours, okay? Even though downstate has far fewer COVID-19 cases, Domer refuses to budge from his domain, grr!
Happy Mother’s Day, Debbie! Moving bricks doesn’t sound like a good time to me either. Hope you enjoy your day.🌼🌻🌺
Kathy, I hope you’ve having a lovely Mother’s Day! Bet it’s good to be back home again, even if you might not be surrounded by family at this time. I know I’m going to have to finish that doggone job myself … unless, of course, I can convince the yard guy to do it for me.
Thanks , Debbie! My daughter Leigh and family stopped by to bring me flowers and visited from the patio! Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Hope the yard guy can finish that doggone job for you!💞😘
Aw, such a sweet thing your daughter and her family did! You know, just seeing our loved ones — even from a distance — is the BEST medicine!!
I’m the same way…love starting things, rarely actually finish them. Currently I am weeding what feels like acres of garden spaces. Yesterday a dump truck left 15 yards of mulch that I need to move quickly to get on the ground before I have to re-weed all those gardens. I still have much weeding to do, and now much mulch to spread. I’m exhausted already and grateful that it’s going to rain this afternoon.
Happy Mother’s Day to YOU! Enjoy your day…but as soon as the sun shines maybe work on the rest of the bricks because a little wildflower bed there would be sooooooo pretty!!
Fifteen yards of mulch?? I could use some of that, Dawn! Of course, that would come after I’ve lugged those bricks off. Sounds like you’ve got yourself an immense project, too — weeding isn’t high on my list of fun things to do. But it will look spectacular once it’s done — and aren’t you glad Shelties aren’t diggers?!? Happy Mom’s Day!
I think we all feel that way, Debbie. Happy Mother’s Day
Thank you, John. My dad used to call it “biting off more than you can chew,” and it sure feels like that. Tell the Producer Happy Mother’s Day!
Thank you.
I really had to laugh at this one, Debbie. It’s a gorgeous day here, and I’m right here at home because I’ve started doing the house cleaning and house chores that really need to be done about 378 times, and haven’t finished a single one. So, today’s the day! I may only finish one or two (or three or four at best) but at least I’ll begin a new week with a few of them behind me.
I hope your Mothers’ Day is a good one, despite it all. My aunt in KC is just about finished with this pandemic business. Her assisted living place has closed their library, so she’s asking her kids to bring her all the books they can find, and she’s going to start a clandestine library herself! It’s the funniest thing ever, but I guess I’m not going to write about it. I just don’t want to risk ‘outing’ my dear rule-breaker!
House-cleaning is another of those chores I’m good at starting but lousy at finishing, Linda. Here’s hoping you get a good start on yours! I can definitely attest to how wonderful it feels to check something off that To Do list though.
Your aunt sound like my kind of lady! Bless her heart, it’s hard getting free books you want to read these days — and we’ve been spoiled by having such fine libraries. Sad they’re temporarily closed — but those of us who read are determined to find books to feed our habit!
🙂 ❤ Happiest Mother Day Wishes ❤ 🙂
MORGAN!! So delighted to see you ’round this blog — thank you! Hope your Mother’s Day was exceptional!
Thanks Debbie. Been writing and not much else but I’m working on making my way back.
I’ve been writing, too (or at least trying to — with everything topsy-turvy right now, I’m finding it hard to concentrate!!)
I know what you mean.