Clever?

Every Spring I bemoan my aching muscles. After my sedentary winter I have to get used to all the physical activity. You would think I would pace myself and start out slowly ........ but, have you ever pulled just one weed? Like potato chips, you cannot stop at one. I always tell myself I will clean just one garden bed at a time, but when I finish one I look over at the other and think I should do just one more, because the clean bed makes the other one look bad. Like painting one room in your house. Then I decide that I have done the center garden and the left garden and surely I should get that garden on the right, balance and all that.

I wake with the sun, despite the room darkening shade I installed. I then feel compelled to work outside until the light begins to fade. That is when I stumble inside and realize that I will have to make something for dinner. Rock soup sounds good to me. Dinner finally ends and I give the kitchen a lick and promise to do better tomorrow (only if it rains and I can't go out to play). I remember to unload the dryer and fold the meager pile of laundry. A scalding hot shower makes me sleepy. But, it is too early for bed.

Too early for who? Really, I am going to bed as soon as I tell you about my latest project gone awry .........  You know those big plastic plates with a clear dome on top that hold sheet cakes for birthdays and such? I found one that I had saved. Don't remember why I saved it, but I had an epiphany! I long for  a green house to start seedlings. I even printed off directions on making one out of plastic water bottles and presented the plans to He Who hates epiphanies. He snorted when he saw it and asked me just how tacky I wanted the place to look.

I reminded him that nothing I could do would ever exceed the sheer horror of his "barn". The more I thought about the plastic bottle green house, though, the more I decided against such a structure. My decision has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that He Who forbade me to try to build one. We all know that if I wanted to I would construct it and put it in the front yard. I realized that the strong winds here would be a big problem.

That is why I decided the cake pan would make an excellent green house! I buy my eggs by the flat. The crates are cardboard and one 30 egg crate and one 18 egg crate fit perfectly on the bottom. I figured the seedlings would be a breeze to transplant in the garden, since I could plant the container as well as the seedling. I prepared my potting soil. I filled several diapers with as much water as they could hold, then tore all the covering away and mixed the little water holding bubbles in the soil.

I was really feeling so clever! I got all my seed packets that I had carefully saved after gathering seed from last years crop. I am so thrifty and ingenious! But, alas, I seem to have forgotten where I stashed all those popsicle sticks I saved every time I saw one. I searched for a bit, then gave up.

I noticed that I had way more plastic knives than spoons and forks. I had already encouraged every one to use them as coffee stirrers to regain balance and order. I have to admit it was bugging me a bit. I was inspired to use them as plant markers!! I nearly dislocated my shoulder patting myself on the back. I grabbed a Sharpie (I thought it was a Sharpie ....) and went to work.

I carefully placed seed in my moisture imbedded soil and marked the knife and stuck it in place. Yesterday I took my "green house" out to bask in the sun. When I brought it in the moisture on the clear dome prevented me from seeing the tiny green shoots of life pushing up out of their piece of soil. This morning I grabbed it and placed it in the sun again as I gathered my tools to start my day.

I hear the temperature will plunge to 27 tonight, so I am diligent as I bring my tomatoes and my green house in. I decide to check on the progress and lift the lid. There they are 48 little green things poking out of the little egg crates. What did I plant? I HAVE NO IDEA. 'Twas not a Sharpie in my hand, but an inferior marker. The moisture washed the names away. I will have to wait until they grow some more and hope that I recognize them! Seems I am not so clever after all.