Making Summer Matter

I've been really focused on living purposefully each day this summer. I have planned days with each of my grandchildren who live nearby, days with my mother, and a few days with some friends who I am rarely able to see outside of school or church. My weekends with my husband are unplanned because I prefer to let him make the choices. He's the one who has to work all summer so he should have control over the two days each week that he doesn't go to the office!

One of the activities that we have given our weekends to is re-landscaping our backyard. At least 85% of our backyard is perfect, big trees, shrubs, ferns, waterfall and pond, patio with excellent slate-topped table and comfortable chairs, glider-for-two, big BBQ... but there's that 15% that has been a virtual jungle. Last Saturday T razed the hillside and started planning the "hiking path" for the grandkids. It's really planned with the three-year-old in mind; she's the one who will think it's cool because she's still so little. Yesterday a friend who works for us from time to time came over to rebuilt the rock foundation wall. It's great! Now we need him to come back for phase 2, the path up the hill. We're going to get some landscape timbers to put in as steps and to help ward off erosion. Phase 3 will involve digging ferns located in our son's five-acre forest and transplanting them to our hillside. Phase 4 is installing a terraced retaining wall on the west side of our house. This will actually include the switchback for the hillside trail. The upper level of our terrace will have large, evergreen shrubs that flower and the lower level will be home to my vegetable garden.

My husband mocks the idea of me growing vegetables! Last year I grew lettuce. It grew and we ate it and it was lovely! This year I have four tomato plants and lettuce. We're already eating lettuce but the tomatoes are a long way off as yet. IF we can get the garden area ready in time, I want to plant ONE start of each of the following: zucchini, cucumbers, and pumpkins, as well as put my tomatoes that are currently in pots into the ground. I do not intend to become a slave to my garden nor plant more than we can use. Although, I have heard that the food banks do take extra produce from over-zealous gardeners. That would be really cool! Plant part of my garden with the intention to give it to the food bank or the UGM. We love eating fresh, organic produce and I'm sure that people who are needing this service would really enjoy fresh food and would receive a health benefit from it even if they didn't recognize it as such.

So even though today is quite overcast and a bit drizzly, it's the day I planned to finish mulching my mother's garden and I am going to do it! Plus we'll have lunch together and just enjoy hanging out. It's already been a good idea to live my summer days with purpose and I still have the majority of my summer to enjoy. Love it!