Some Sunday Thoughts in November

, "November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.

With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.

The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring." - Elizabeth Coatsworth

I have planned to go out and finish up the gardens, cutting asters and mums down, covering my side garden with pine needles, and finally putting away the last of the lawn ornaments...bird baths etc. Here I sit at my computer, watching time fly by on the clock and no movement in the direction of the garden. Why is is so hard to finish up? Is it that we are tired and don't want to do the work, or is it that we don't want to say goodbye? The weather is nice today, I have the time, it won't take more than a couple of hours, but here I sit. I think that, for me, it is the latter...I just don't want the gardening year to end. I could get maudlin and say that maybe I won't be able to do what I did this year....next year. Every year I have done a little less. This year was no exception. I didn't plant anything in the ground...just containers and a few seeds around the mailbox. Joe did the tomatoes. I decided to end my volunteer work at the Church garden at the end of this year. I know what I can handle and I really don't like to volunteer and not be able to do my share. I hate to have a gardening project come up, for the Church, and not have the energy to participate that morning...after I've made a promise to help out. I'm going to continue to do the decorating on the Arts and Environment committee and the funeral lunch committee, however. Making this decision was hard for me, a gardener. I'm thinking that maybe ending that... I can keep up a little better here at home. This is the work that I have always loved, and I would like to continue doing a little only not having such a rigid schedule. We loved the taste of our own tomatoes this year. We are still enjoying them...after bringing in the green ones to ripen in the basement. That's something that I hope we can continue. My herbs were a success. I have parsley,thyme and sage to bring in to dry. I love using my own sage for turkey and pork chops. I'm keeping all my Dipladenia plants in the house...They are already in pots and hanging baskets. Maybe I'll just freshen the soil and put them out as is....or add a few annuals to fill the containers out. I saved my Zinnia seeds...they are easy to plant. So, with the good Lord's help, I will probably be back in the garden next year. I wish he'd give me the boot out the back door about now...to get my work done :)

Balisha

Addition...

Here I am, back in the house. It took me about an hour and a half. I'm finished except for the front garden. It still looks so pretty...I'll leave it a while longer. Snow is predicted this week...I may change my mind. After all the procrastinating I did this morning...just a little push from Mother Nature. She said, "Get out there Balisha, I'm about to send you snow!!!"