Let the snow come, the flakes slipping from the sky as I sleep. I shall shovel and I shall sing.
Spring and summer in the garden are about hope and wishes. I bury the roots of tender plants in rich soil, give them the recommended allowance of water and sun and wait.
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Sometimes I am rewarded with glossy foliage and bountiful blooms. Other times I’m left with yellow leaves and skeletal bushes. Friends talk about canning tomatoes and making salsa. I dream of slicing one beautiful red fruit for my ham sandwich.
But snow never disappoints. The snow blower
can't reach every spot so I go forth with my trio of shovels: The pusher, the scooper, and the scraper. And I know I will return to the house victorious.
Tuck in the ear buds, scroll to the “Classical” playlist, hit “Shuffle,” and slip the iPod into my jacket pocket. “Moonlight Sonata”: Scoop, lift (always with the legs), toss. “Fur Elise”: Scoop, lift, toss. Pachelbel’s “Canon in D”: Scoop, lift, toss.
I’ve cleared a path around the mailbox and newspaper holders, scraped lingering ice on the driveway and uncovered the edges of the sidewalk when I stop to rest on our front steps. I decide I’ve had enough “adagio” and need an infusion of music from within the last hundred years. Scroll to “Songs,” hit “Shuffle,” and wait to see what the machine will choose for me.
“I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5 begins, and I scoop, lift, and toss to the beat of young Michael’s vocals. “Lundu” by The Chieftains reminds me that St. Patrick’s Day is on the way and that I wish I could step dance. The Pussycat Dolls invite me to “Sway”---I like Dean Martin’s version better, but that might be my own cattiness speaking.
Time for lunch. There’s a bit more clearing to do, but I know I’ll finish my task before day’s end. Snow never disappoints. The flakes fall and wait for us to push them aside.
Spring is coming. And then I will wait. And hope.