On “the leaping greenly spirits of trees”…

Oh My Dears…

Well I had planned actually quite a long blog post for you but, well — gardeners will understand this — I was just going to go outside for “a few minutes” and check on a few things, perhaps do a wee bit of watering, and 2 1/2 hours later I came staggering in wet, and muddy, and tired, so tired, but with that goofy grin on my face that gardeners get when they’ve had just a marvelous time in the garden communing with the plants, and, oh well, you know, trimming some things back, and stopping to marvel over the perhaps tens of thousands of seeds you’ve planted sprouting! so surely you should water a little more and then, Oh! Look at THAT!, and on it goes…

Molly was clean out of her mind by the time I came in, she was panting so hard from having cried and hollared and carried on so because I was out there for SO LONG she thought she might DIE and she was sure I was NEVER coming back in so I scooped her up and kissed the living daylights out of her as I assured her I had not and would not go anywhere but oh, dear wee one, it’s gardening season and Mama will be outside for stretches here and there. One day, when I figure out how to afford it, I will have raised beds built in the back and I can garden back there too and she can be with me but this is in the front and she is not safe out there.

But oh my dears, it is going to be glorious!

And then the most wonderful thing happened…

I had said in a previous post that I had a handful of large pots that were filled with bulbs that were coming up like topsy so I didn’t want to disturb them until they’d been able to bloom and gone by but the dear man who had helped me left them over to the side, away from the garden, and they were simply too heavy for me to move. I did get ONE moved the other day but it took me an entire hour, inching along, bit by bit by bit. However, as I was watering, a dear little neighborhood family were strolling by and I shouted out, like some brazen hussy, “Hey big handsome man, could you give me a hand for a second?” (I can’t believe I had the nerve!) Of course I know the wife and little one because we used to talk all the time when I had to walk Molly out front in her harness and leash before our back yard fence was fixed so they laughed and they all came over and I pointed to the 2 pots I couldn’t move. He moved them in about half a second and I said that I was planting tens of thousands of seeds and they should come any time in the summer when they could see everything blooming and knock on the door and we would cut them a nice big bouquet. They were delighted and she asked me for some garden advice. Such a nice neighborly thing for someone such as I who am so shy I barely go out the front door and wouldn’t at all had I not had to start gardening out front last year. God has a plan, and it seems since the hurricane He intended for me to get to know the neighbors and now it’s through the garden.

So finally I came in, whisked Molly up and we had a grand old LOVEFEST (the kissing around here just never stops!) and then I took her out back for one last walk before it got dark. As she ambled around I communed with my tree, the one I told you about, I think it was yesterday (I swear, so much is happening right now I am losing track of the days!). And of course it isn’t my tree. It is its own self, but I have loved this tree with my whole heart for 10 years. Though I live in an old neighborhood my property is nearly an acre and surrounded by a dense forest of very old, very large trees. The one that fell on the house covering the entire roof was a gigantic, very old pecan tree. This tree is in the middle of the yard and if any of you can tell me what it is I will be so grateful.

I actually kissed it, as one does when they are in love with a tree. And then I put my hand on it, as I do, as you can see at the top of this post, and I just leaned gently against it, closed my eyes, and breathed for several minutes. I can feel the energy of this tree. I pray for it to give me strength and I can feel it pulsing under my hand and all throughout my body. Finally I just lay my head against it for a moment, and I thanked it.

By then Molly was dancing all about and anxious to come in. She wanted dinner and I was a dirty mess and there was just so much to do. Now it is after 9 and I am very tired and the parakeets want to be put to bed and I need to get cleaned up and snuggle up with Molly so we can binge watch our new Netflix show! But I just had to reach out and touch base with you all. I’m sorry this is such a rush and a mix and a bit of a mess but my tree, if I may be so bold as to call it that, ever so reverently, and Molly and I are all holding you close in our hearts, sending you good energy, and gentle healing, and many prayers.

We are with you dear one. We are.