It’s amazing what a girl can get accomplished when she wakes up at 6 AM and doesn’t go for a walk.  Last night on the way out the door for Vespers, my knee did that crazy thing it does sometimes.  It feels as though gravel has inserted itself between my kneecap and the joint.  Not terribly painful, but rather uncomfortable and I’m sure it portends of the type of physical decline I can expect in the future.  By the time we arrived at church it felt mostly better, but this morning finds it slightly tender.  I decided that it might be better to rest today so I can walk tomorrow.

I’ve always been more of a morning person.  It seems to be when my energy levels are at their peak and when I am most creative.  Even when I was in high school and college and had major exams to study for or papers to write, I went to bed a little early and set my alarm for 4 AM a much more effective method for me than “pulling an all nighter.”  My roommate was the queen of the all nighters.  I remember her staying up to write papers she hadn’t even started on that were due the following day.  I could never understand how it was that I would start on a paper as soon as I received the class syllabus and get an “A” and she would wait till the last minute and receive the same grade.  I used to think it wasn’t “fair” somehow.  Now I know people are different and our engines all take a different type of fuel for motivation.

Anyway, with a morning off from walking, I’ve managed to wash small amount of dishes, water the plants, fill up the bird feeder (greedy little creatures, the feeder will be nearly empty by noon), write a letter to a friend in need and re-pot a geranium and lavender plant.  The geranium I actually started from seed and didn’t have high hopes for at the beginning of the summer.  But, it has shown some tenacity and has hung on to reach the respectable seedling size of 2 or 3 inches.  I made the mistake of combining two types of lavender plants in the same large pot this year.  One of them expanded to such a degree it was pushing the other right out of the pot.  So, I gave the smaller plant its own digs.  I think it will be happier there.  And my resolution to scale down the gardening has obviously blown away on a warm summer wind.  I don’t have window planters on the porch, but otherwise, there are as many plants out there as usual.

I enjoy my plants.  Weirdly enough, I almost think they have personalities.  The English Lavender is bold and showy, preferring to be the center of attention while the Spanish Lavender is more goal oriented.  It wants to reach the sky.  The Scaevola is needy and petulant and must be cared for daily or it withhold its display.  Geraniums are a bit on the goofy side, but loveable, kind of like the slightly dotty great Aunt every family seems to possess.  The Basil just likes to cheer everyone up with it’s bright green leaves and mouth watering scent…she promises good things to come (PESTO!).

Then there are the tomatoes…the ones I swore I wouldn’t plant this year.  But when someone was offering them at 50 cents a plant at church, how could I refuse?  Mine are currently stationed in a box planter that is too small for them and the bottom leaves are beginning to yellow and curl up because of it.  There’s just something so deep and endearing about watching the miracle of life on your front porch.  Every morning, I check to see if there are more blossoms or baby tomatoes appearing.  Flower becoming fruit is just magical and mystical, even in the humble tomato.  I am grounded and reminded that nothing comes from nothing and that ultimately we are all made up of dirt, water, sunshine and air…and to thus we shall return.

God bless and hug a tomato today….