New Work Schedule

Sales/customer visits, are slowing and so our work schedule for next week has reduced hours and fewer days. Four days for me. I am always ambivalent when this happens, even though I wanted fewer days, I remain a competitive person. If someone else has five days, why not me?

I now also have Thursday off. G's day off. So we are now back on the "good old days" routine of having the exact same days off. Thursday & Sunday. We can DO THINGS together. I think it's been about five or six weeks since we have spent two full days a week together. And, while trying to psych myself up, I can now have three full days in the garden. Time to plant and weed.

My wild lettuce and Rocket have both bolted already. Why do I even bother?

My cabbages, radishes, zukes & cukes, squashes, peas and bok choy are all doing very well. I think it may be time to eat a few of the baby bok choy (attempt some homemade Chinese wonton soup). I even saved 7 tiny Swiss chard seedlings from the weeds. I will be germinating some kale this week. And more beets. My tomato seedlings look superb. All is going well in the garden. So far.

I decided I didn't really enjoy eating the plain Greek yogurt. So I purchased some low fat vanilla and now am mixing it half and half. Better. I had some today and it was very filling. I got tired of eating it halfway through lunch. Rather blah.

Today started with an interesting problem. A very old and pot bound fern. We (four employees) attacked it with a knife, clippers, a hunting knife and a machete. One of the younger employees keeps a Bowie knife and machete in her car at all times. An axe would have been welcome. After nearly an hour of hard work, the fern remnants were reassembled in a new pot, with new soil, water, fertilizer and a good spray of water on the fronds. Our work station waste can was filled to the top with fern debris. When I left work at 7, the fern was still looking very nice. Perky. New lease on life.

The older gentleman came to pick up the 14 window boxes done in Bubblegum Pink. They looked so beautiful this morning.While he was paying for the order, I told the cashier about the first time we met. And the lovely woman with the magazine picture of window boxes in Bubblegum Pink, asking "can we do this, please?" I helped him load the car, as I always have done. And when everything was in the car, he opened his arms and we hugged. He said this was one of the harder things to do; as it was so much "her" and not so much him. I told him I had thought about her the whole time I was working on the boxes and I hoped he would raise a glass of wine on their 60th anniversary and enjoy the Bubblegum Boxes with her. I don't think I will be filling those boxes next year.

I worked out in the perennial yard for the rest of the day. Moving things. Sorting out bad plants. Straightening. Pulling weeds out of pots. General housekeeping. All by myself. A pleasant day that went by very slowly. Tomorrow I am working Saturday again after three Sundays in a row. Saturday is busy and goes by quickly.

G surprised me with dinner tonight at 7.30 when I rolled home. Nachos. The perfect dinner. And he (we) had everything right in the fridge and cupboard. I walked in and he slid the prepared pans into the oven. Every bite was wonderful. I was a very happy girl. And a very tired and dusty one. I've had my shower and now to bed. I start work at 8am.