I’ve been busy in the yard, raking and picking up a billion sticks that blew down during the winter. I’m 55, I had a rough winter, and I’m not in good shape. Therefore, I am TIRED! I ache! And I’m slow!
It’s easy to be critical about allowing myself to get in such bad condition. But then I saw this wonderful quote by Nakeia Homer:
“You are not lazy, unmotivated, or stuck. You have been living in survival mode, and you are exhausted. There is a difference.”
It’s true – I was living in survival mode, and even though I got through it, I’m still recovering from it. So, I’ll be gentle with myself. I’ll enjoy my time outside and work at a slower pace. After all, more sticks will blow down – I don’t need to be in a hurry!
I made this photo doodle several years ago. In Montana, April is a month when both the rake and the snow shovel can be used—sometimes on the same day!
What’s your April weather like? Do you have a billion sticks to clean up or other spring chores? Whatever you’re doing, I hope you are being gentle with yourself.
The rake and snow shovel love story is a delight.
What’s your April weather like? Do you have a billion sticks to clean up or other spring chores? We’re having unseasonably warm weather and because of that we’re tidying up the planting beds about a month ahead of schedule. I like doing it so I’m rather happy.
Thank you, Ally! I wish you much enjoyment as you get your garden beds ready for planting!
That was one good story about the rake and the shovel. Very creative. It has been said that we are the sum of our stories. Your stories are the best. I hope you are more & more developing your talent. Some say a persons natural ability to make up stories mostly declines after age eleven. You have been able to keep your story telling gift and that makes you special. Well our twigs are also amazing in that they do not have any use and make work for Margie. I wish the deer would eat them. So someone needs to develop a yard twig robot that has a strong system for chewing up twigs and putting them in a pile. Hopefully it would not chew up the other garden tools. All we can do now is bag them and drive to the dump and drop them into recycle heaven.
Thanks, Dad! You’re so kind to say that! 😊❤️ A yard twig robot sounds like a wonderful idea! You could sit in your lawn chair and drive it around with a remote control. That sounds like fun!
Hi Michelle! I feel your pain! Every year I somehow get older in body but not in spirit….? How does that happen? ! Lol. I have a billion pine cones to pick up this year…. the white pines in a neighbor’s yard were prolific in their seed production… (probably because we had much too dry weather in 2022 then much too wet in 2023…. ) The wind sent at least half of them into my yard! Talk about survival mode! The pines are on it. But that is a lovely and soothing quotation… thank you for sharing it. It is so easy to be hard on oneself…. but that never helps anything. Your shovel and rake love story is so cute! So far April has brought us snow, ice, torrents of rain, and a couple of sunny warm days. But that is sort of normal for April in New England, so I can’t complain. And we got the eclipse! The spring bulbs are flowering and the shrubs are budding!
Be well! 🙂
Thanks for your lovely comment, Betsy! ❤️ I love how you say, “The pines are on it.” They really are amazing, aren’t they? But picking up pinecones can be quite a chore. They have pokey things and sap to make them even more troublesome than sticks! How nice that you got to see the eclipse. It wasn’t visible here at all. I hope you’re having a lovely time in your yard!
“In Montana, April is a month when both the rake and the snow shovel can be used—sometimes on the same day!” – Ha! Illinois, too!
I was exhausted after only 15 minutes of picking up sticks in my yard yesterday. 🤣
I’m the same! 15 minutes is a long time when picking up sticks! 😂
We have so many sticks and it’s demoralizing. Though my husband is going to pay our nine-year-old to pick them up.
We haven’t put our shovels away yet and it snowed last week. April is truly living between the seasons.
Sending hugs. Recuperating is never easy and it takes…a long time! I’m in a similar place and it can be tough to continue to be gentle, but I try to remind myself that I deserve rest and also that I want to be more intentional about resting more in the future, too. Burnout is real and it can be hard (impossible!) to avoid, but recovering and then adding in protections is one of the most valuable uses of our time. Hang in there <3
Thank you, Elisabeth! I appreciate your words of encouragement! Oh, how nice to have a nine-year-old to hire for the job! That’s well worth the money!
I totally agree with the quote. Sometimes it is survival mode and getting out of that can take time and energy is not a plenty.
I managed to clean my entire terrace with the steam cleaner which took me three days. Before I had to brush up all the old leaves and the maple seeds that got stuck between the tiles. Took forever. Then I finally got to plant some new herbs and flowers and take care of my little garden.
Your terrace must look so gorgeous now, Tobia! I hope you have fun with your little garden.
I think I have to be honest with myself, though, and admit that when it comes to yardwork I AM lazy and unmotivated. LOL
Ha! Ha! You crack me up, Engie! 😂❤️
There are a billion sticks in my yard right now, because Rex brings cuttings from the vines over and chews them all over the yard. HOWEVER we are having our yard landscaped starting TOMORROW so I will not pick up any of the sticks! It’s all getting pulled out anyway. Calgary springs were like that for sure, with the rake and the snow shovel, but here, ahhhh it’s so beautiful, things are greening and blooming and it’s all very lovely.
I’m glad you’re being gentle with yourself! You have had a rough year. I heard someone say that they “treat themselves with tenderness” and I really love that and try to remember it.
I’ve often wished we could train our dog to pick up sticks and put them in a pile! Wouldn’t that be handy? But no. Ours gets sticks out of the pile and puts them back in the yard! 😂
I love that phrase “treat yourself with tenderness.” Tenderness is the perfect word.
It’s cherry blossom season in Japan.
But it’s about time to leave.
Although the difference in temperature can be severe, it looks like the hot season is coming.
Take it easy, take your time, and do it at your own pace.
Hi Yumiko! Cherry blossom season must be so beautiful! I’ve seen some pictures, but I’m sure it’s much more beautiful in person. Can you smell the scent of the blossoms? I’m sure everyone is sad when it’s over. But you can look forward to autumn leaf season! I still remember the stunning beauty of all the red and gold leaves.
I’m not looking forward to hot weather.
I love that quote Michelle and it’s so true, we should all be gentle with ourselves 🤗 I love the rake and the snow shovel, I’d like to know more about their story; how did they meet? Are they going steady? Is it a seasonal thing? The April days are bright here, the wildlife is out in abundance and the blossom trees are scattering their offerings across the thick green grass. 🌸
Thank you, Rae! Spring sounds delightful in your area! The rake and the snow shovel spend a lot of time together in the tool shed, so they finally got married. The hoe was the maid of honor, and the trowel was best man. The weed eater officiated with its string whirring around in circles. All the garden tools were in attendance, and it was a very happy day.
Wow! This is quite a story, isn’t it? 🤣
Ah it’s true love! ❤️ I’m a sucker for a romance, love it! 😊
❤️❤️❤️
I’m headed out in the morning to pick up sticks. I’ve lost count if it is my fifth or sixth trip to do this. I get them all picked up, we have a heavy rain and wind, and I have another trip to make. We have too many trees, but they are mature and cost $$$$ to remove them so I keep picking up sticks. Happy picking. Next will be the rake on the leaves, but I’m waiting a couple of weeks for that. 🙂
I feel for you, Judy! I go through the same thing with our mature trees. It’s so expensive to have them removed, or even just trimmed. I guess picking up sticks is good exercise though! 🤣
Today is windy here in NJ and we do have a billion sticks to clean up. Everything is blowing all over the yard. April in NJ is full-on flowering season, with some showers. The flowers and the flowering trees are out of control and it is so beautiful. I constantly hear the sound of landscape machines – spring clean up. Soon I’ll be smelling mature – a smell of spring and mulching!
Be gentle with yourself, I am terrible at it but I AM trying.
Hi Daria! All the flowering trees must be so gorgeous! Flowering trees have barely started budding here, and I’m looking forward to seeing them – and smelling their fragrance!