A few weeks ago I became a student in a local comedy class. It’s always been a terrifying fantasy of mine to try stand-up, and since I’m turning 60 this year I figured now to be as good a time as any to get on it.
We’re now in week #7 of class, with our “Graduation Show” coming up this Saturday. I am prepared and yes, duly terrified.
Early on in the writing of the material to be presented in the final presentation, I’d included a bit about how much I love and appreciate gardening. Aside from the emotional benefits of playing in the dirt and creating beauty, it is truly amazing how much fruit a single tomato or bean seed can yield.
With this thought in mind, I’d written something like,
“It’s so satisfying to toss a few seeds into the dirt and get results months later. I threw a dozen eggs into the garden last fall and I’m really looking forward to having chickens this spring.”
That bit got ditched — I have much better stuff now for the final show! But, an interesting thing happened today.
It was the first day in the garden since last fall. The garden gate had to be pried loose from the ice pack holding it shut, but once I was in, it was heaven.
Steady March sun warmed me and the earth as I worked to clear a place for the peas. (It’s a personal tradition dating back to childhood to plant peas on Good Friday, whenever on the calendar that day might occur.) Even though snow had to be shoved around, green shoots of onion and strawberry were ready to take off their winter coats.
Although this is the 6th year I’ve tilled this particular garden plot, new and foreign “stuff” still shows up in the dirt. Last year I found an intact glass bottle from a well-established local pharmacy, and there’s always more shards and rocks and marbles and nails that have wiggled their way up, around, and about to the surface of the soil.
But lordy, look what I found today! The thing is metal, about 2” high, probably from the 50’s or 60’s given the style of painting:
All I can say is, someone has a sense of humor.
Jeanne Fiorini loves it when nature conspires to amaze and amuse.
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Josephine Mori said,
March 25, 2013 at 5:50 PM
Hi, Jeanne. Thanks for sharing some of the mystery of the garden. Incidentally, what the…? What IS this thing?
Jeanne Fiorini said,
March 25, 2013 at 8:23 PM
I”m not really sure what it is! It’s metal, has a hole on the back side, which is also painted. Part of an old metal Easter basket, perhaps?
apeacefulwoman said,
March 29, 2013 at 4:34 PM
Perfect!