Mid-summer Slump

Day 218

I spent most of Saturday tending to my yard. It's a sad state of affairs. Like me, the plants have been basking in the sun, dancing in the breeze and taking too little care of themselves. We are all a bit wilted. One area of my backyard is a particular problem. It's turned into a hostile environment over the years and even the hostas have a tough time out there. Worst part is, it has a view to my backyard neighbor's yard.

I spend a lot of time in the spring planting, weeding and grooming my yard. I'm not really educated about horticulture so I basically wing it. Much like my wardrobe, I focus on the frivolous, fun things and nifty planters rather than the staples of landscaping. True to my habit, "if one is good, five is better," I have more than 15 varieties of herbs. I think I use about 6. I killed at least 3. My neighbor, on the other hand, tends to her yard daily. It is lovely. There are pockets of luxury throughout her yard: pillows on a wooden bench, upholstered cafe chairs, a chandelier with solar lights. There's a pond, an ivy covered trellis and their grilled food always smells good.

I admit, I have yard envy. It's kind of like living next door to a super-model. Wait--I kind of do. The gal across the street is beautiful, tall and oh, so thin. And funny, smart and nice. It sucks. The gal next door has a waist so tiny, I have often wondered where her organs go. She's also hilarious. If I got carried away- I could have all sorts of envy and I really have to work to keep it in check. I am positive that at least some of my outfits are a result of some envy or another.

Also like my wardrobe, I have to keep reminding myself what I do have. I have a big open yard that my grandson loves to play in. My house wouldn't pass a white glove test right now, but we sure do laugh a lot. I'm a little behind on household tasks but I wouldn't trade one day on the lake, one dinner with friends or one hour of volleyball. I'm sure no super-model but with some effort, I don't clean up too bad.

My husband and I are celebrating 23 years of marriage. We've built a life, like a wardrobe, piece by piece. We add something, get rid of something else, looking for the balance that feels right. It may not be perfect, but I wouldn't trade our life (or my wardrobe) for anything.