Process

For the first time in months -- February or so -- i have gone through my "ticklers," tags i put on Evernote entries to either indicate i should throw them away at that point (easy) or consider them at that point (oof). The tags are for the first or fifteenth of a specific month, so loosely it's intended to be an every two week exercise. Past ElaineGrey really is optimistic about how much free time current ElaineGrey is going to have, i tell you.

This process is good, because if i do the ticklers in a timely manner i am reminded "Cherries are in season and this is a good place to order them from in Oregon to have shipped to my grandmother to remind her of her childhood there." There aren't many things that i think she enjoys but the cherries are a wonderful treat for her.

But it's bad (stressful, time consuming), too, because suddenly a stack of "to do"s suddenly show up, and my memory is refreshed regarding the importance. All the things i was carrying around in my head as being important suddenly get crowded by past ElainGrey's speculations of importance. It seems easier just to ignore everything than examine each to see what to do with it.

But that's what i spent much of the weekend doing. There are all the sorts of things that are important but so-not-critical, like getting carbon credits for driving miles,and how does that compare to other things on my list? I made progress on that (finding a place to buy the credits from as the link i had from some years back didn't seem reliable any more - no links to it from the organization's main pages).

I have to say, i appreciate past ElaineGrey when she had time to put an expiration date on things. I'm slowly getting into a habit of recording when i thought something went on a list and when i think it should be removed (as well as, when relevant, a get-done-by date). I'm slowly training myself to not think about it if there's a removal date in the past and remove it. There will always be more articles to read, more birthdays to celebrate*, and not my documentation of reading and gardening and what not will always be incomplete. (That's not all the things on the list but it's a sample.)

I looked ahead a little: the tag for the first of August doesn't seem very heavy. I'm heading to Ohio shortly after that. Anyhow, it seemed an incredible investment of time, but i hope if i can return to the habit it will ease things. Lists will get shorter, things done.

Inhale, ..., exhale. Inhale, ..., exhale. It may seem impossible and overwhelming, but it will be what it is. Ditto the yard. I went out yesterday at 7 pm and was soaked with perspiration just picking beans and okra. I'm feeling a huge wave of doubt, as the stilt grass reaches up and the goose grass smothers wild flowers, and so on. But there are little flowers here and there, surviving deer and Japanese beetles and competitors and neglect. And i am getting a meal of garden vegetables today at lunch. Let me affirm it's progress.

Somehow i need to find the spoons to harvest potatoes, whether i plant things there or not.

And of course i bought fall seed, which should be started soon.

* well, not _always_.

View from the window

Just watched a deer browsing & then go over to the treeline where her fawn joined her to nurse. Busy little tail! Also, the bearsfoot [some generic photos here] is now ten-plus feet tall under the tulip poplar, and it's blooming. The eastern tiger swallowtails adore the disheveled yellow flowers with a couple feeding on the flowers at almost all times. The native bearsfoot may not be as showy as the rose-of-sharon hibiscus trees we removed, but the butterflies love this as much -- and then the birds feed on the seeds in the fall.

In news i am not proud of, i participated in Amazon's prime day. Most of it was purchases i couldn't make near by and had saved in a list to make during the sale. That's a low grade action in disagreement with principles that i do all the time. The part i want to hold up to myself as "let's not make THIS a habit" is that i saved time by getting neem oil from the behemoth and not driving into town to get it. I promise to myself the next refill will come from the independent store (with no evening hours & closes at 3 on Saturday, closed Sunday) in town before i run out.