Roots

I've been struggling with this post, trying to get it just right... It's not quite right yet, but I don't think stewing on it any longer will get it there. Sometimes you just have to let it ride and embrace the imperfection.

I've started a lot of seedlings (literally thousands) in the last five weeks, and transplanted those seedlings into potting soil - either 3 1/2 inch pots or into the big planters that will soon adorn the property.

Some of those little seedlings grow great big stems and leaves quicker than their brethren. Those showy traits, however, are not what I look for when I choose a place to place into a pot. I'm looking for something less showy - the plants with the best roots.

A plant with a good root system will last longer and be healthier. Eventually, it will become more visibly productive and more beautiful than its showy brethren who put all of their energy immediately into what we see as pretty instead of into what is most important - their foundation.

Don't you wish humans were more interested in others roots than in their showy stems and leaves? I will admit that I love those stems, leaves and blooms, but aren't they all rather shallow without some base to give them depth and longevity?

Sometimes those roots get all tangled up and bound together, and need a little roughing up to grow. My own tangled roots sometimes NEED a little roughing up before I can make change or thrive in a new environment. And when those root systems are unbound and growing deep - isn't the result so much more beautiful and long-lasting?

Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all worked on our roots and the outcome was beautiful, well-grounded blooms? Or if we gave less attention to beauty that is fleeting and focused on the beauty within? That we valued a person based on their character and not on their appearance?

And that's not to say that physical beauty doesn't have it's place. But it's so much more satisfying when there's depth there, too.

Take my sister for example. She's gorgeous - smoking hot, really - but what makes her so beautiful is the woman she is inside. Tender-hearted and kind. A person who will befriend a homeless man named Willy and then go out and buy him a couple pairs of shoes because he needed them. Who she is inside glows out through her eyes, and makes her so much more beautiful.

Character is important. Roots are important. Depth is important.

Hmm... Anyhow, that's just something I've been stewing on in the greenhouse. Feel free to let me know what you think!

And speaking of roots, let me say a very Happy Mother's Day to my own incredible Mom, who is having her first Mother's Day without her own Mom to celebrate with. I miss Grandma Joan, too, Mom - and I think of her every day. Happy Mother's Day, Grandma Joan. I love you. And I love you, too, Mama. Thanks for praying so fiercely for us every day. We can't wait to see you in July.

To Catherine and G'ma Joyce - Happy Mother's Day to both of you, too. Thank you for welcoming me so warmly into your family. Love you!

And to all of you moms out there, thank you for being the loving nurturers you are. I hope you have an incredible day filled with love and surprises.

Update: Here are a couple of posts that Blogger decided it needed to delete when it went down for the day. Take that, Blogger! I'm still putting them up!

From Kelli:
Er seriously you made me tear! I for sure do not deserve any of those kind words...but thank you! You're the BEST, and I love and MISS YOU sooooo much!

From Jess:
I love this post, Erin. Mom and I went hiking on Sunday and I brought up your root analogy. I'm so thankful to have friends who are growing strong roots, and search for that quality in others as well. I love that your experiences during this season are providing time for reflection and growth - in you and the plants :)

Worms and Snow

I love it when I'm digging in the soil and I keep finding worms. I love worms! They're an indication that something is going right in your soil. If your soil is also loamy (not sandy or muddy) it's also a very good sign that your soil is a welcome home for plant roots and worms. :) I found a lot of worms today when I was turning and preparing two more raised boxes. When I had turned and watered, turned and watered and finally got the loamy, wormy soil I was waiting for, I planted rows of 3 kinds of lettuce, dill, fennel, marjoram, chervil, oregano and mint - all from seeds. I transplanted a few hundred small flower seedlings today, too.

And while I worked in the greenhouse? First I had some beautiful morning sun, only appreciable from inside the greenhouse since it was so darn cold out this morning. We woke up to ice! Then, after lunch, the snow started - and is still going.

By the way... lunch today? So good. Mark (Chef #2) is pretty awesome, too.

And can I also mention that I married a very special man? He thinks I'm prettiest when I'm wearing work clothes, boots (not the sexy kind) and no makeup every day.

Enjoy some pictures of snow from the greenhouse!

Indy loves the snow and really wanted to go out and check it out!

My name is Erin and I was a workaholic.

Yep. Was a workaholic. I am no longer a workaholic, which some people find difficult to believe or understand. And that's not to say that my life doesn't still have its busy times, but these days I don't choose to be busy, circumstances force me to be busy and I resent every minute of it.

I think that Jason has a lot to do with it. Jason works a normal person's hours. I work all the hours he works and THEN I also work evenings and weekends.

I still work evenings and some weekends, but I'm really trying to make a conscious effort to free up the time that he's not working (it's easier, given the nature of my many jobs), and I will try to do this even more during the first year of our marriage.

I want to give us the time to grow in our marriage, to work through what many people say is the toughest year. How can we do that if we're only together when we're sleeping?

So, I've scaled back on what I'm doing. This fall, I'm substitute teaching (more on that in a sec), caroling again (yay!) and teaching two acting classes. That's it. Any more than that and I'd miss all those important moments of being a newlywed. I won't let my work take that away from me!

What's so interesting about my decision to scale back is that my primary source of income, substitute teaching, has suddenly become totally unreliable. I have had one - ONE! - sub call since school started this fall. This is very unusual as I sub in two school districts, and have always had enough work to keep myself afloat financially.

Now? Thanks to more teacher cuts in the school districts, there is now a "must call" list of laid-off teachers who must all receive their jobs before any other subs get a call. I feel badly for those teachers who were laid-off, I do, but share some work, please! I rely on sub work for a regular paycheck (everything else I do pays sporadically).

This morning, there was no sub call again. I'm starting to get very concerned. I have two weeks of availability left before I take off for our wedding and honeymoon, and if I don't get any work between now and then, I will not receive ANY paychecks before November. WHAT?!

When we chose our house to rent, we chose it knowing that if I had a month of no work that we'd be able to make it, paying rent and all of our bills on Jason's salary. That doesn't make me feel okay about not contributing, but it does put my mind at ease.

Back to the point - I've gone from a workaholic to a person who is actually happy to be given the excuse to spend the day at home "puttering". I define "puttering" as cleaning and gardening at my own pace with little breaks to just relax.

Today I've puttered - the house is spotless and I spent a good hour and a half doing my favorite thing - gardening. :) I still feel guilty for not contributing financially today, but at least I contributed in another way! If you had told me ten years ago that I'd be happy spending the day at home cleaning, I would have told you you were nuts. Today? I'm no longer a workaholic, and I'm coming to realize that there are things that are more important than work and being busy.

Back to my garden!