The Queen Is Back

  Being somewhat limited in my actions, once again, has made me pull out that crown and dub myself as "Queen of the Small Gardens".  This is not by my choice but rather one made by those who care about me.  "You have to stop doing everything and let your body heal."  These are orders given by those who have more sense than I do apparently.  I fully admit to doing things that an "old lady" should not be doing but...putting a roof on the lean-to seems like a simple thing.  So does pushing a lawnmower for four hours or bailing out the tiny Frog Ponds.  I just do not like asking for help for things that I can do for myself.  That said...I have had to ask.  I have had to stop.  I have a year to be lazy....lazy hurts...bad.  I have always felt much better being active even if it was overactive.  That said, my whole Queen of the Small Gardens is even a bit on the downside as I am not allowed to work the gardens to my satisfaction.  Lazy...I have to be lazy.  Oh, did I mention that lazy hurts?  It does.

  So...since my gardening work has come nigh on to a halt, the gardens decided to take things in hand.  It saddened me to see the empty rows, the barren flower beds and the weedy raised boxes but...this fretting was all for naught.  The gardens planted themselves!  Perhaps, these are not the plants that would have been so tediously tended but they are gorgeous and I am appreciative.  Mother Nature knew I needed a boost so she sprinkled wildflower seeds everywhere!  (Some folks would argue that my wildflower beds are nothing more than unkempt weed patches but, to me at the moment, they are lovely!)

         

  Some of the prettiest "gardens" are beneath the potted fig trees. These are trees that I rooted back couple of years ago and just never had the opportunity to transplant them into the yard. So...they are still in pots.  BUT!  Underneath those fig trees are lovelies!  Wood Sorrel or Oxalis plants are thriving!  Each morning, I am greeted with hundreds of pinkish blooms! The blooms are said to symbolize joy and renewal.  Both seem appropriate simply for the feeling I get each day just by seeing the delicate flowers and that my body is trying to do a bit of rebuilding.  The heart shaped leaves are said to bring good luck and heart health....both which are always needed.  I am taking my lovely "Fig Tree Gardens" as a sign that this year of healing is going to bring me back to where I need to be.  But, for now, I shall be the lazy (but aching) Queen whose realm is going to have to fend for itself for the duration.  

Reality Check

   I am bemused (not to be confused with "amused") by folks who say "I love hurricanes."  Three different people made that statement to me in the past month.  No.  No, you do not.  You may love the excitement that comes with the uncertainty of the storm but have you carefully thought through that statement?  Keep in mind, I am not talking some minor hurricane here but rather something like a Cat. 5 storm. That is not a "likeable" thing.  The loss of life, the total destruction and the misery after the fact is enough for any reasonable person to realize that it is not possible to love hurricanes.  I like a good storm.  Trust me.  When tropical storms come through this area, I admit there is a "thrill" of riding out that entity.  But...ones like Hurricane Katrina are not loveable in any sense of the word.  We stayed for Katrina...we will stay for any others but it was no party, folks.

  

  I wish folks would not claim to love hurricanes.  After going through Hurricane Katrina and seeing the heartbreak in so many folks, there is little to love.   While we had damage to the Little Bayou House (3 trees on the roof, water ruining floors, furniture destroyed and all of our plumbing ripped out), we were fortunate. Others lost everything...many lost their lives.  (And before thinking "Oh, insurance covered it", think again.  Hurricane insurance does not cover the tidal surge that comes with storms.)  So, before making the statement about your love of hurricanes, folks, ride out a Cat. 5 hurricane.  Stay strong when the whole house begins to shake, windows break regardless of having storm shields, trees come through the roof and the storm surge pushes inside. Stay sane through the deafening roar of the winds which seem to be never ending. Stay for the aftermath.  Don't pull up stakes and go somewhere else.  Stay.  Live without the luxury of electricity, running water (think no bathroom) and even phone service...not for a few days, but for months.  Deal with the mountains of debris, the stench of death, the hoards of flies and mosquitoes, the impossible heat and looters trying to steal what you have left.  Push up your shirt sleeves and clean the muck from your home and then go help others do the same.  Console those who have lost everything they owned or even worse, lost their loved ones.  After you do that...then, if you still "love" hurricanes, proudly proclaim it.  Until then, however, it is not a wise thing to spout because someone who has dealt with such is going to take you to task and not be as gentle as I just was.

  Oh, the photos?  Those were of our place after Katrina.  That debris?  In places, it was ten feet deep.  Try digging out from that. Look closely and you will see the roof of the Little Bayou House sticking out among the downed trees in the first photo.  Still think hurricanes are great?  Oh, and before the thought that perhaps we should move occurs...this is our home.  This is not a whiny post but rather a reality check for those who think hurricanes are all fun and games.