The highlight of my 2013 holiday season, was not dying the Thursday before Xmas, when an idiot turned left in front of me at a busy intersection to make the light. This collision totaled "The Green Bean" (my 14 year old, trusty plant shopping car). Thank goodness, I came though the accident with only a stiff neck and a sprained finger.
That night, The Green Bean was towed to the body shop and it was all out of my hands. There was on my part, however, denial, anger, depression, speculation and then finally acceptance that The Green Bean was really going to be gone forever.
It still took two weeks over the holidays to finally hear the verdict officially from the insurance company. I will be sure to schedule all my future accidents well away from holiday closures.
It just so happened that I was off Xmas Eve until January 2nd, so I used this time to finish up Round Two of leaf clean-up in the flower beds.
In my crazy brain, Round One is the initial fall rake-up of leaves out of the grass. Round Two is the time consuming removal by hand of all the leaves in the flower beds. Round Three is a final clean up more towards spring when things have dried out a little.
While crawling around removing leaves and cutting back a few plants, I could already see the signs of spring stirring.
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| Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrops) |
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| Edgeworthia chrysantha (Paper Bush) buds survived the cold snap. |
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| Gah! Trillium already poking out! Go back to bed! |
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| Helleborus coloring up. |
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| Camellia japonica 'Nuccio’s Pearl' showing a hint of color. |
Here's to 2014 being a much better year for everyone!
I'm so glad the holidays are over too. I need to get out there on my hands and knees and clean leaves out of beds and cut stuff back. I have no idea if life is stirring out there yet.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to do the clean-up in hour long bursts - my "old lady knees" just can't take an all day leaf cleaning bender anymore.
DeleteThat's so scary about the accident...but I'm glad you're physically ok...even if your car isn't :-( I feel so lazy...I haven't done anything in the garden in months. I usually rake all the leaves off the sidewalks in the fall...but wait until February to clear them out of the garden, at the same time I cut everything back.
ReplyDeleteHappy to hear you survived the accident without major physical issues! So sorry about your car. It's hard to say goodbye to the things we love. I enjoyed working out in the yard on New Year's Day and am relieved the holidays are done too. I got a few signs of spring too. 2014 feels promising!
ReplyDeleteI giggled over your comment about scheduling future accidents. It seems to me that insurance companies are awfully quick to proclaim a car "totaled" when all it really needs is a good body shop. Oh well...you're OK, and that's all that really matters, along with the signs of life in the garden.
ReplyDeleteThe Green Bean only had 79,000 miles on it and I'm sure it could have gone another 100,000 miles at least. It was disappointing that something that was not my fault, totaled my car...
DeleteI'm so glad you're okay but very sorry about the Green Bean. My beds need the same kind of cleanup yours do. I did some last week, but I wondered if I should leave some leaves for the little ground-scratching birds - as much as I love it tidy, I don't want to destroy winter habitat. Except for slug habitat.
ReplyDeleteI always hesitate to leave the leaves too long since they are walnut and contain poisons. If they were maple or some other tree I would probably let them linger longer.
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