Gardening and Grieving

 The last few days, I've been planning out our front garden area. We are keeping both arches and I love this general idea for the bigger arch. What a pleasant curb appeal!

There is still a lot of work to be done. But so far, the sprengeri (asparagus fern) that you can see in the above photo has been removed. Should you ever buy this prickly berry bearing plant, be sure to contain it. It's very invasive and may cause a rash when you come into contact with it. As with any invasive plant, it's best to set boundaries. 

There has been so much loss among my friends and family and myself over the past fall and winter. While we all grieve differently, moving forward is key to anyone's grief. How you choose to do that is completely up to the individual. There is no wrong or right way to grieve as long as you aren't hurting anyone or yourself in the process. I personally like to keep busy with gardening and landscaping and just anything artistic. Renovating our home, pulling weeds and making way for new plants and flowers, has been great therapy for me the last couple of months. How can it be a wrong way to grieve when the outcome eventually results in something so beautiful.

Our wonderful neighbors brought us this hydrangea for our new patio area. We'll see if Mi Miguel and I can keep it going. Hopefully, we will watch it grow from our outdoor breakfast area for many years to come.

To our neighbor that gave us the barbecue sauce samples as a token of appreciation, we've put it to good use. I made my tangy BBQ chicken with it so far. You can never go wrong with great neighbors and a meal that involves barbecue sauce.

The move to Florida has been quite an adjustment more so for me than for Mi Miguel. Sometimes when you're dealing with things that others don't understand, you have to fake it to make it and wear that happy face in order to continue to see that sunny side of life. Smiling in the face of adversity, gives me strength so that I can help others. But even I can't smile every day.

Now that winter has come and gone, Mi Miguel and I are left searching for that healthy balance. The renovations are overwhelming and keep us bone tired.  Even though we still have so much work to do, it's time to make a change. I'd like to believe that if I keep quiet about unpleasant things in my life, they'll just go away until another day when I can stand to think about it. But it's truly time to acknowledge what's really going on and make a healthy change.

In reality, anyone can pretend to smile on the outside but it's that inner smile, that inner joy that keeps us going. A lack of consistent cardio workouts and a heavy on the carbs and sweets kind of diet has caught up to both of us. Mi Miguel is still riding his bike to work each day weather permitting. Me on the other hand, while renovating and gardening has been great therapy; food has unfortunately become a great comfort. I'm a brave enough person to know that I must listen to my own heart and do those things that keep me growing as a person mentally and in good health physically.

Change is definitely going to come. It's going to come in the way of doing those things that have me up and moving and not eating so much. It's time to get back in shape. A healthier way of life is always a great way to give rebirth to a waning smile.

Speaking of rebirth, spring is almost in full bloom. Yes, Florida has a version of spring. There is a sense of renewal here too but not as intense as the springtime in the Midwest. It's still visible and the trees that do bloom are vibrant with color. Being a bit homesick right now might be influencing my opinion, with thinking that Florida in no way compares to the Indiana or St. Louis glorious presentation this time of year. With hopes of all good things blossoming and blooming in your life right now, Mi Miguel and I want to wish everyone a Happy Easter!