Wash Your Hands, and Wipe Your Nose

Just as I always seem ready for it to end, I am always more than ready for it to begin. Ready to see the bare, sparse limb trees to be full of life again. To see greener grass and blooming flowers.

The tiller will be humming coming morn' round' here. The dry, winter worn straw, will be pulled back. Like dead skin making room for soft, fresh skin to emerge. The old, dry dirt, will be turned and turned again. The smell of fresh dirt will be exhilarating. I have always had my own theory about why small children eat dirt. It's almost stone age basic. Dirt smells good. Fresh turned, hands dug into dirt, smells heavenly. On the funny side, it also makes your nose run. It never fails. I am up to my elbows in fresh dirt, and my nose begins to run and itch. Always.

My MaMa Eloise will be hovering, right above my shoulders. As I begin to evenly space (because I am OCD that way) the Caladuim bulbs all the way down the bed in the front yard. Three wide...and all the down. This year I bought Watermelon Caladuims. These were her favorite. And I plant them every year, just for her.

I will uncover all the Lantana beds so that they can breathe. And all of my Canna Lily beds as well. I bought a huge bag of  bird feed today. I'll fill up all three feeders and clean out the bird bathes and fill them with water.

Trim back my Knockout Rose bushes. It won't be long before the new growth will start...and I want them to be fat and bushy...not tall and leggy. I will clean out my Gerber Daisy pots, get them ready to greet the sunshine. My Cherry Blossom trees are already blooming. Beautiful dark pink blooms.

The air already smells different. I have had my windows open since early morning. My house smells like the new breath called Spring. When the Jasmine covered swing starts to sprout it's tiny white blooms, the whole side of our street will be perfumed with the most beautiful scent.

The biggest sign of all, that I am ready for all of these things to happen? I am walking around in my pink, rubber Avon shoes. They are SO ugly, but Lawd they feel so good on my feet. I've gotten so old and carefree, I even wear them up town. Well, just to run into Winn Dixie and out, but there was a day, I wouldn't have left my yard with them on!

So if you wake up to music in the morning, (cause I always drag the boom box outside) it's just me, Mims and my MaMa, getting ready for new life to begin. One freshly trimmed bush, and one shovel of dirt, at the time.

copyright © 2011 Michelle Mount Mims