two days ago i would never have done this. The prompt was Plant a Tree. And without second thought away i went. The pattern is becoming to begin by having all the possibilities on the table. The folders of ones i found here, the majority from National Geographics, some from Long Ago that i recently realized i still had down in the tub at B. And the baggie from Acey, the envelope of larger pieces from her. On the table and i begin by going through them all. just looking, one by one at a clip. What this is doing is somehow allowing me to become familiar with what all's here and it's a lot, really, and there's becoming a sense of all of them. I think brain is cataloging. Even if i could never verbalize what i'd
seen when the looking is over. That's interesting to me in its self. With the prompt in mind, as i do this, i take out anything that might work and set aside. When the amount of possibilities seems right i stop and go through, really looking. finally choosing. As i said, today all this went without hesitation. AND without any concern how it might turn out. This is a BIG DEAL. The one thing i knew from the beginning, from reading the prompt was that i wanted to use the strips and squares from Day 2 as the leaves. Whether or not they "went" with the trunk, branches, Ground. I knew i wanted to use them. Tore them into leaf size. I knew she sent an acorn somewhere and went back to find it. Found. And again, without hesitation, i glued.
and Lo and Behold, i have a Tree. And it's coherent! Even if it isn't in my usual terms. It's extremely Pleasing to me. As i place things and glue, thoughts float in…wanting to give meaning, and i find self wanting to avoid that. To just let it be the image for now. All this. ALL THIS is such a surprise.
i spent the afternoon at the Wall Garden. I've taken a vacation…pretty much December from this. I'd weeded a lot and then just took a break. Today. What a surprise. That crazy grass, the clover, in the strawberries. Dense. I don't know what to do. or what to do for the future. I took down a bucket of manure and feed scrap. Weeded where it went and put it down. Looking, i have probably a minimum of 10 more buckets needed. Minimum. And i've decided to go to the "worm farm" around the corner again and get several big bags, like 40 lbs, of growing soil….that kind i got the first year with all the amazing things in it, i don't remember what all but like bat guano. A Lot of time and energy goes into that garden. This last summer we winged it and got those kind of results. I have surrendered to the understanding that the soil needs AMENDMenT. Today, the final last plastic bucket from Home Depot cracked and broke. So until i get new ones, i'll load a tarp and pull it down. There's no time to waste now. Planting begins the end of the month and February is SPRING.
the pic is of the Collard Trees. Wind had bent them over. loosened the t post that helped them. I pounded the post in as deep as i could and got ties from the dried tomatoe plants to secure them. it'll be ok for now. Ive never known Collard Trees before. How amazing…they ARE trees. Their "stem" is a trunk…wooden. The leaves that are there are tough and not so great for stir fry. I need to read. Always….need to read. Learn. I had imagined they would send up new shoots but not. They simply ARE what they ARE. Tangled in them is Emrie's cherry tomato plant. I ate a ripe one today. There are blossoms. and to the left, the sprawling Stevia. I think i remember it needs to be cut back to ground level? No rest for the wicked, right?
What a GREAT day!
windthread 
Leave a comment