What a difference a day makes

If I had written this post last night as I thought about doing, I would have said goodbye from blogging altogether.  I haven't felt so sad in a long time, and it started the night before last, coming to a crescendo by the time I went to bed last night. 

I don't know what caused me to feel so sad, and it was sadness, not depression.  Fighting a losing battle with the weeds and grass in my yard may have had a lot to do with it, but all evening I was fighting back the tears.

This morning the sadness was gone and I headed out to the farmers market.

That is yellow chard, red chard, asparagus, strawberries, brussel sprouts, and almond butter.  (I'm not sure why this type is different than what I started out with - I used the same font and size.)  I spent a while rinsing the chard, tearing it into smaller pieces, and bagging it in large ziplocks.  To remove the water that remains on the leaves I could use a salad spinner, but that would be too easy and no fun.  So I hold the bag out in front of me and spin myself and the bag.  I make about three circles, at which time I'm dizzy and have to hold on to the countertop, but most of the water is pooled in one bottom corner of the bag.  I merely have to tip the bag and let the water drain out.  This is fun, it works, and the leaves stay fresh for quite a while.  I have even done this to greens that have been just tossed in the fridge and get all wilted, but after the rinsing and bagging and spinning, the leaves become crispy and fresh after a couple hours of refrigeration.  It's magick!  (Just kidding - anyone can do it.)

I mentioned how sad and beaten down I've become over the weed situation.  Well when I was driving back from the farmer's market I noticed a man working on the little front yard (full of weeds) of the man next door.  I went up to the guy and asked him to please check my yard when he got a chance and let me know what he would charge me to rake up the rocks, dig up the remnants of plastic that are beneath the rocks, lay new plastic and put back the rocks.  For the long strip of ground along the side of the house, plus the back between the house and the fence, he told me $200.  I have probably already spent over $50 for weed killers and would have to keep applying that stuff and buying more, and still wouldn't conquer the weeds.  I consider it a good deal and he will come back this Tuesday to do my yard.  

I've thought about trying to find a lawn service to do it, but the fact that this man was at hand and I could talk to him about it seemed like a foregone conclusion.  No doubt I'll have to buy a couple of bags of rocks to augment what is already there.

This is dipping into my tax refund which I have earmarked for travel but it can't be helped.   Last night all I wanted was to get rid of this house and find a small Class C I could live in.  I would get in it and just drive to a remote National Park or Forest and the hell with everything else.  I'd still like to do that but realize it isn't going to happen.