Brune d’Hiver lettuce seedling
I have three chairs, one bench, and two stumps in the veg gardens and greenhouses and I never use them for sitting. Indeed, as I have mentioned before, they tend to be clutter-catchers and nothing more.
But this morning, rapidly cooling coffee in hand and touche-pas kitty in my lap, I sat on the bench. I sat on the bench and thought, and listened, and tried to simply live in the moment. The birdsong is changing: it’s migration time, and we have new visitors. The sun is changing: at this early hour, it’s barely over the cottonwood at the corner of the property. The weather is changing: we are near peak with leaf color.
Maybe I need to do this more often.
I think it’s the most important thing we can do in a garden- to hold still and appreciate everything around us. I’m giving myself two days off next week (after our Fall Festival) to do nothing but play in the garden. I can’t wait!
Yes, sitting in the middle of it all and just breathing is one of the greatest pleasures in the jungle (Ok, not everybody’s garden is a jungle).
It is so wonderful to set and take in nature. At my old home I would see the red tail hawk fly by with a blue jay on his tail most every day for a while. You can find a since of calm and peace in the outdoors. This is something I need to start doing here at this house.
We do need to do that more often. Coincidentally, I did the same thing yesterday, just sat and listened (without cat). It’s hard to do. And the more I listened, the more I heard different birds that I hadn’t heard before.
Yes, even if only for a few minutes.
Boy, isn’t it good when you take the time to do this? I try to sit after feeding the dog in the evenings, on my glider, and just listen. It is a wonderful thing to do. To be still.
Good for you! I try to remember to sit on the porch bench at least one night a week – it’s a nice spot to survey the garden, admire the mountains and pet the purring kitty. I should do it more often.
Did kitty get a bath first? (I would hope…)
Pamela, how exciting: days off!! My advice of course is don’t overschedule yourself, have too long a task list. That way you can do some restful sitting!
Alecto, but jungles are so humbling, aren’t they? Like, this much green power, how overwhelming. (How is Audrey the pumpkin doing?)
Grammy, new place, new routines, right? You’ll probably find something just as interesting as the hawk drama at your new nest.
Jeri, it IS hard to do! I am always surprised by how I have ants in my pants outside, like, so much needs attention immediately I can’t just hang out and listen, you know? But birdsong now is really interesting.
CC: confession: it was only for a few minutes. Less than 10. But it helped.
Jules, a glider! (Hmm. Where could I put it…) How healthy of you to have a nightly routine like that.
Laura, you too then. We should form a support group: Need to Sit Group or something.
Laurene, no bath for kitty, that’d spin her wheels surely. Just remember to wash hands with dish detergent afterward. I even put a bottle outside near the hose…