Day after day I've been following Carol over at May Dreams Garden while she's been working her ass off renovating beds. I went out again today and stared at the front yard. Today I did drag the garden hose out to the front, then turned around and went right back in the house. Again, no actual work was done.I think I've figured out why I don't want to do this. It's because I'm all exposed in the front yard. I'll be out there digging in front of the entire world. I don't know about you guys but I look like complete shit when I'm gardening. Thanks to a bad ass sweat gene from my mother and my father, I can hardly dry my hair without perspiring. This, coupled with the extreme red face I get when I'm hot and sweaty, does NOT make for a pretty picture. I mean there have been times this summer that Mr. W actually looked extremely concerned about me when I came in from gardening. "ARE YOU OK?" "YOU DON'T LOOK SO GOOD!" "GET SOME WATER AND SIT DOWN!" So, that's all I need is for all the neighbors to be walking by or looking out there windows placing bets on how soon I'll drop red face first into the lawn. There is an old lady in my neighborhood who walks her even older lady mother (I'm assuming she's her mother) and every day when they walk by our house, they just gawk. I usually see them doing this from some window in my house but lord knows if I was out there digging. What if they stopped to talk to me? Or worse, what if they just stare at me until I get so pissed that I start screaming at them? "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT!!!!!!" I have a bit of a temper from time to time.
I'm making a vow, here on this blog, that I will dig tomorrow! Before I do a single thing, I'll drag my butt out there, get the hose down to map the garden, and at least dig the outline of the front garden. I mean this is the time to get this done! The weather is really nice and it'll be so much better next year when it's ready to plant and I can get right to it rather than digging for a month. Okay, enough bitching - I'm moving on...
So the garden blogging world is really pissed off about that 70 year old lady in Utah that got arrested for her dead lawn. I have to admit, I really didn't care too much when I read the first few rants about it. But, after MBT, one of my garden blogging neighbors wrote about it today on his blog, I finally decided that I needed to see that woman's yard. I did find it on the internet and I'm sorry but her house and yard is in a shambles, people! I mean it was kind of beyond just a brown lawn and I think I'd be pissed if that house was on my block, too. Does that make me shallow? Now, before you all cuss me out, I do NOT think she should have been arrested or that anybody really has a right to tell anybody else how their house or yard should look, but I did notice it seemed to be rather junky besides the yard. I just wondered if maybe that had something to do with the initial complaint?
Lastly, I GOT A PROMOTION! YAY, ME! As of Sunday, September 19th, I'm officially a manager and responsible for 27 people. I'm excited and very very nervous. I'm hoping the bump in pay will help finance my new garden addiction which seems to have turned to a garden/hardscape/house renovation addiction. Wish me luck! Or maybe you should those poor 27 people luck.
It's easy to say "Just forget about what others think." but harder to practice. I'm also one of those who look scary when caught in the middle of gardening. Don't know if you can work early in the morning (on weekends)when there are less people around. Or, just remember, how proud and pleased you'll feel when you have a lovely garden gracing the front of your home. I always wave at people when they walk by - some of them are caught off guard and I feel like I've got the "upper hand", if you know what I mean. Congrats on your promotions and good luck. I have only 2 fellows that I supervise and one of them is a royal pain!! Can't imagine 27!! Oh well, they say gardening is relaxing and can ease stress!!!
ReplyDeleteOMG, I am always covered in dirt head to toe after about 20 minutes. But, it's also often a good way to meet people, as some of my neighbors stopped by to introduce themselves and ask what on earth I was doing? If there are other dedicated gardeners in the area it will probably catch their attention. Think of the positives!
ReplyDeleteJust be your natural charming and funny self, and everything will be fine. Wave at people going past... and smile. After all, you are having big fun!
Congrats on the promotion, I am sure you will be great.
First, congrats on your promotion. I'm sure those 27 people feel very lucky right now. I remember when I first got into management, it was a bit scary.
ReplyDeleteNow, get out there and dig. Don't worry about what the neighbors think. Do you even know their names? They are probably just more curious than anything. Every real gardener gets dirty head to toe working out in their garden, it's expected, it's natural. It's fun!
Carol at May Dreams Gardens
I am also a little bit self-conscious when it comes to gardening in the front-yard. There are always people walking by and are starring at me - or so it seems to me. Even worse is this: We live right across a department of transportation headquarter. The last thing I need are 10 or more guys standing around and watch me digging. So I usually do my frontgardening when I know they won't be around.
ReplyDeleteLike Alyssa and some others said, be pro-active. I noticed just eye-contact helps sometimes to feel better and some people do stop then to ask about your hard-work.
Congratulations to your promotion!
I do the same exact turn red, sweat, and look like I'm dying just by walking around the yard. I've decided that I don't care what anyone thinks of how I look as I work in my garden. I've also resigned myself to the fact that all of my neighbors can see me lounging in my bathing suit in the backyard.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I agree that woman's yard looked like crap and I would have been one of the folks silently complaining about the eyesore on my block. However, I'm pretty sure it's against all sorts of health codes to live in a house without running water where it is available. I'm willing to bet that this woman has mental health issues.
I know how you feel! For years, I dreamed of an entry garden sweeping up my driveway, across the front of my house and then to my front door. I finally got up the courage to start it (the whole world's watching, the whold world's watching) and it was and is a disaster. Nothing wants to grow there. I'm a Master Gardener and my front yard looks like !#$%^&*!
ReplyDeleteoldroses - thanks for stopping by! man oh man I sure hope i don't do all this work only to have nothing grow out there! i finally got up my nerve to get started at the crack of dawn this morning...
ReplyDelete