Housework, gardening and making a connection with the lessons they taught made a rather pleasant day in this autumns garden. Because of the kindness of friends, I actually did a little  housework instead of painting today.  A friend grocery shopped for us, and as I opened the refridge to store the cold food, I realized they were cleaner than the shelves and bins into which they were headed.  (Yes, we followed COVID-19 suggestions for handling groceries.)

So, my first reentry into housework was dealing with the refrigerator, teaching me a lesson:  don’t let the chore of tidying up the old icebox slide!  And that was enough housework for the day.

Nature abhors a vacuum. And so do I. ~Anne Gibbons

After the food was safely stored, however, I ignored the dust-bunnies who are beginning to call out, because I heard a text come in from a neighbor and fellow gardener who kindly deposited some of her divided plants at my door: Monkshood, Thistle, and periwinkle Siberian iris! BONANZA!

So, I determined to lay aside the mop and the paint brushes, pick up the spade, and undo all that nice mulch.

You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt. ~Unknown Author

I also got the pansies and lavender potted too. Plus I found TWO packages from last year I forgot to plant, and scattered them in pots. No wonder one bed looked empty!  Finally, I planted the lawn ornaments. All I need is a painting gnome.

It all went swimmingly until it was time to divide the periwinkle Siberian iris; I mean that was a BEAR to divide!

I could get no leverage with the spade or shovel. Stuck tight together those roots were! So, I just dropped the mound several times on the lawn, dislodging the weighty dirt; made a mess, yes I did. But, then it was a bit easier to divide and spread these [hopefully] colorful gifts around the beds.

The visual of those tightly roots became a lesson and made me think of my habits, hang-ups, and hurts; all the impulses, memories, emotions and regrets – as well as good stuff – that is me.

Getting me untangled from the things I want to do, so I can do the things I wish to do is as messy a job as dividing those iris. ( Romans 7:15-20) I am glad that God has not dropped me like I dropped that clump! He is at work in me . . . even and especially in these times of uncertainness and loneliness. (Philippians 2:13)

It  was good to have time to think and putz. It felt GOOD to dig in the dirt; I scooped up almost all of the dirt, and packed around the bases of the transplants. And it’s going to take awhile to remove the traces from my finger tips . . . No worries . . . it’s not like we are going anywhere anytime soon!

BTW: Does anybody know what day it is? I’m asking for a friend.