When I last wrote my blog, at the beginning of February, I wrote that it was snowing. It was our only snow for the winter, and while I was happy about that, it has rained an awful lot since then, and Henry, my dog, hates to walk in the rain! Today, I have been forced inside because the rain and wind were whipping around me. The other major task that has been completed is putting in hog wire fencing around three sides of the garden. At the end of every day I worked ripping down the old wood fencing, I was exhausted, collapsing onto the couch and barely bothering to eat. Each time I stopped, I emptied my coat pockets full with rusty screws. The last piece was a gate in the back. There were layers of old bricks where I needed posts to go! It created a lot of digging; I am so happy to have it finished.

IN THE GARDEN

On a rare day in the not-so-distant past, it was a lovely sunny day. I removed all the patio furniture covers. It is always gratifying to see my table and chairs show themselves again after months of being hidden from sight. After each section of the fencing was done, I added chicken wire, using those incredible things called zip ties to prevent the rabbit from getting into the garden. I brought in more dirt to fill the holes that had been made, replaced the large stones along the edge of the new fence and restored plantings that had been removed. Now I have time to look at my garden again and admire the flowers coming into bloom. The snowdrops, which I have begun to cut back, and Witchhazel have long since finished blooming. But the Hellebores are still gone strong. Tulips are opening, The flowering currant and Kerria make a lovely backdrop, the windflower anemones are beginning to fill my garden, and the  Camellias were looking lovely until the rain, now they are kind of brown!

MY WRITING

It has been a long delay since I last wrote anything on my blog. But I have been busy. I have finished re-editing my second memoir. I am constantly surprised at how much is missed and can be reworked, a first, second, third, and even fourth time, and by multiple readers. This last time, I hope, I read aloud to myself, chapter by chapter. Sometimes, I managed four chapters at a time, and other times only one. It has been a long haul, but it was worth every moment of my time. Below is a paragraph from my book. I was fourteen at the time.  

On my first day at sea, I met Ben, a good-looking young German sailor. Every time I saw him, he winked, causing me to giggle. After dinner one night, feeling sad and lonely, I returned to the cabin early. Lorna stayed in the dining room, talking with the other passengers. After cleaning my teeth, I tried to get into my bunk, planning to read for a while, but I couldn’t get my feet in between the sheets. After struggling and failing, I finally got up and pulled the bedding off completely. I gasped and laughed out loud as a fat, shiny apple and a couple of oranges rolled out onto the floor. My sheets had been folded back on themselves as a practical joke, which is why I couldn’t get into bed—a “tight apple-pie bed” or short sheeting.

Ben must have been standing outside the door because he knocked right after I stripped the bed.

“Sie put Apfel in dein bed?”

“I think you did!”

“Hast du problem?”

“You tied my bed in knots,” I giggled.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

APRIL IS POETRY MONTH

I have managed to place a poem a month in the free Corridor magazine and will be posting a different poem each time I blog when until the end of the month. Because I read so many books, here is my first:

Bibliophile

Why do I read

History,

Poetry,

Fiction, 

And more?

In the books I accumulate

I travel while lying in bed,

Learning of cultures and customs

Around the world 

My books collect

In piles 

On bedside tables 

And on the bed,
A few half-read 

More books

Sit orderly—waiting

On shelves,

Floor to ceiling

Along two walls.