a few of my favorite things

neighbors

I admire my neighbor, Hanka. She has such an easygoing way about her, the complete opposite of who I am. We are both constantly in our gardens working. But her way of gardening caught my eye 3 years ago and since then I have been under her tutelage. She gardens because it brings her joy, it is not another chore to be crossed off a list. She will dig for a few minutes, sit and enjoy the sunshine, pick a flower, pull a weed, hum to herself, sing a song, have a cup of tea, plant a tomato plant, replant strawberries, move some rocks. It sounds like there is no rhyme or reason to it, but that is precisely why I am attracted to her methodology. There is very little in my life that is unplanned, even my garden grows in straight little rows based on a drawing I made of how it should look. Planned. Hanka's garden looks wild, like she is, and I could use a little of that unpredictable surprising beauty in my life. Hanka is a good friend and neighbor and example. (and she gave me a life-saving shovelling lesson that made me wish I had known how to shovel properly earlier)