SPRING:)

It has been many years since I could truly say, I am looking forward to spring:)



I worked at a greenhouse for 23 years. Many years I did look forward to spring but for the last several, spring brought me more dread than joy. It was an enjoyable but very stressful and physical job. Most of the year you work at a nice pace, but the 5-6 weeks of getting ready, stocking, long hours were getting to me. My arthritis would really get me down, but you have to push on, because that is when a greenhouse makes the money to survive the rest of the year.



I really miss working with the girls I worked with. They are more like family then co-workers. I had terrific employers who were really good to me. I will miss them this spring, but I will not miss the physical pain I was dealing with.


Now I am excited to watch the days get longer, the sun shine more and can really slow down and smell the flowers. I would be concentrating on work and getting through the season, that trees would be leafed out and grass green before I really noticed. Now I will enjoy that.



I loved waiting on the customers and helping them with their garden needs. I will especially miss helping them select perennials for specific areas. But now I can fix some of my perennial areas and make them more "senior" friendly.


I will enjoy going to the greenhouse as a customer and not as an employee. Thank you McIntosh for all the years and friendship.

Together time

Mary and I will drive to Bloomington next Friday to get Michael. He will be home for a week for Spring Break. I am trying to figure a time for us to be together as a family. Gage leaves April 12 for the Air Force basic camp in San Antonio, Texas. We don't know when he will be home again, probably be over a year:(

It is hard to work out a time that works for 16 different people. This is something I really want. Who knows when it could happen again.

We tried to work out a dinner for our 40th wedding anniversary and it just did not happen; here it is 3 years later.

We have had Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations together, doesn't matter to me if it on the "holiday" or a day close, but just getting to be together is important to me.

As I get older I realize these times will become harder and harder to do; 16 people with different schools, jobs, obligations it is hard to line up times together so the ones now are very important to me.

Some of my most precious memories are of times together as a family growing up. Maybe life wasn't so complicated then; but it seems we did not have many times when there were scheduling conflicts and we all managed to together.

I remember several Thanksgivings when we would have a meal with Merv's family here then drive on to Indy to be with my family. Many Christmases too. Made for a busy but full day.

Living 3 hours away from my family made the trip longer than a "day" trip. Several times for emergency's we made a one day trip out of it, but usually we would stay for the weekend or at Christmas time several days. Many is the time we loaded the car with presents (not letting the kids know) and had Christmas morning down at Mom's. Have some pictures and videos that are worth more than gold to me because of the pictures of loved ones who have since passed. Also loved ones still around, but don't get to see to often.

Need to remember the camera for pictures too. Mary took pictures at Thanksgiving and I love them. Even the ones where the grand kids are goofing off. It is difficult to get 16 people smiling and eyes open and facing the camera at the same time. I am so thankful to have those pictures, right now they are just on my laptop, need to figure out how to get prints. I will keep working at it and plugging away to get us all together.