It is Friday and it is raining and cold in the northeast. It is pretty darn depressing! I just want to head home and cuddle up in my blanket and snooze for a while or until the sun comes out again.

Past week, I was overly enthusiastic and yard work went into top gear. In seven days, I have clocked about 6 hours of work in the yard, mostly weeding and more weeding. The plan is to get all the weeds out and then plant some flowering perennials and small trees like weeping cherry or something else. My quest this spring is to establish a decent yard with Cherry trees, some Azaleas, Peonies, some evergreen hedges etc etc. Small plants are easy to handle by myself, but I am pretty positive I cannot move a 8 foot tree, up 20 steps and dig a hole and plant it. So, earlier in the month I had some handymen and 'landscapers' come in and give me some quotes on transporting large shurbs/trees and planting them. After series of interviewing and wide range of quotes, I have settled on next saturday to be the major planting day with the same contractor who did the retaining wall work.

The weird thing is that I am earning to do yard work, earning to get my hands all dirty and messy in mud. Something about mud, water, plants is all very calming. I remember as a kid, I used to play with mud and water making funny pots. I remember getting really messy and caked with mud from head to toe. My poor mum, used to let me play and when I was done, pick me up and tranport me straight to the waiting bath. What fun! More water.

It isn't always, that I earn to do yard work. Most of last year spring, I hated to do even one bit of it. But this year, with the retaining walls up, I really want to make my corner house shine. Perhaps I am emotionally more attached to it than last year. Who knows! Or maybe this year, I am travelling so much, that I want spend most of the time connecting with my home and yard.