It is just who I am

It’s Just Who I Am

It is funny how as time goes by you develop little annoying quirks in your behavior. For example, over the years I’ve discovered that I will “not be thinking right” stick things into my favorite books. I even have a book bank. Yup, I put dollar bills in there, thinking that when I transfer over to the other side, my sons will be overjoyed to discover this little treasure. They are in one of my favorite Bibles. But, what if they give the Bible away? Now, that wouldn’t be too funny. I’ll just put it in my will for one of them, in that way; maybe a page will pop open in front of him. I’ve also slid things between the books on the book shelf and then wonder how these things have gotten there.
I’ve also noticed how I am rather fond of small boxes. I will put things of great importance in these small boxes and put them where I will never be able to find them again while I’m on planet earth, but at least I know they are safe.
There is something I can find right away and I never need it and that is winter clothes. I live in the south, but still have my warm winter clothes on hand. They are stored safely away. After all, you never know. Never know what? There could be a blizzard down here? Do I dig out my snowshoes too? What am I saving these things for? Well, you just never know.
I have bought my Christmas gifts ahead of time, thinking that I was pretty smart then, when the time rolls around I can’t remember what I was going to give to whom. I just need to put notes on each present and be sure and not put any of those things in the small boxes.
I collect boxes of Christmas cards and many times I’m sure I have sent the same card to the same people a couple of times in a row. I realize I am not unique as I have even received the same card three times in a row from the same people myself.
I was an avid hobby gardener that turned into a wild eyed, radical slave over my plants. I couldn’t wait to order more lilies every year or more vines. I couldn’t go into a hardware store without first entering the nursery first. We live on a small postage stamp size lot and have all of the native oaks and mimosas, tong trees, one magnolia that had two babies, pear, kumquat, countless loquats because loquats believe in being fruitful and multiplying into hundreds, calamondin trees, lemon tree, two grape vines, peach tree, banana trees and fig. Have you ever seen the atrocity from the zillion of seeds that come up from a healthy mimosa tree? Everything we have is deliriously happy and reproduces continually. The mimosa babies have roots the size of a bowling ball. When I get tired of pulling them up, I’m busy high on a ladder cutting back the honeysuckle vine from taking over my oak and while I’m up there I may as well cut back some of the dead oak branches. I can’t tell you how many pruners and loppers I’ve gone through in this lifetime alone.
I ordered a few blue dawn morning glories online, because when I read about how one simple vine will bloom as much as 700 blooms in one season, well I got excited about that one! I could picture my porch just covered with a blaze of blue flowers. One month later I have all of these vines growing at least a foot a day. The vines make vines and they just keep branching out, up and down. No I am not exaggerating; I’ve even seen my husband tie knots in a few. The vines in the back are honestly blooming their little hearts out because they have full sun, but the ones around the porch aren’t in full sun, so I am only getting minimal blooms. I haven’t decided what to do about next year yet. I have heard that the second year is when it really grows. Really grows? Is this some kind of joke? I’m afraid they are going to come through my window at night.
All my plant life has babies. I don’t understand how everyone can be so fertile. Take vinca’s for example. They are very small tough flowers, drought resistant, they don’t care if you water them or not, they are still going to “vinck.” I find them everywhere and when I pull them up I am now hardening my heart as I put them into a trash bag. No more Mr. nice guy, I no longer transplant them. I’ve always had trouble throwing plants away and they know it too.
Out of one single rubber tree I now have 35 babies. All of my split leaf philodendron’s that I have all came from one momma and I give many away and in fact, now supply a nursery with some of my things.
My hobby has turned into a job and it seems I rarely have time for anything else because I am always potting something. Soon, I will be giving many away so that I can play more and not sweat quite as hard, whether it be up a tree, under them or pulling something up.