** may harvesting: or lack thereof **

As I mentioned in my latest post, I've been flared up heartily. This means that many of the seeds Iplanted early this month, were not well tended. It was a good reminder that the "seeds" are really just things to try out, to see what I can maybe incorporate into my life. When I'm feeling poorly, I really need to focus on simply feeling better, and know that what I can always come back to what I started later on.

What I *do* have to share involves a fair amount of Mr. Robert Frost and his poem, Spring Pools. So here's a bit of poetry for you:

These pools that though in forests still reflect
The total sky almost without defect,
And like the flowers beside them, chill and shiver,
Will like the flowers beside them soon be gone,
And yet not out by any brook or river,
But up by roots to bring dark foliage on.
The trees that have it in their pent-up buds
To darken nature and be summer woods---
Let them think twice before they use their powers
To blot out and drink up and sweep away
These flowery waters and these watery flowers
From snow that melted only yesterday.

The sock pattern I made this month was called Spring Pools, based on the aforementioned poem. It was also the poem that I chose to memorize! However, oddly enough, Jose decided to also memorize this poem to surprise me. So when we, late at night, tried to surprise each other and started reciting the very same poem to each other, it was sort of the literary equivalent to showing up to a party to find your best friend wearing the same outfit. We laughed, because...well...how often does that happen? But I think a tiny part of each of us will never forgive the other for stealing our recitational thunder. I have not tried to memorize another one. I need more time before the wound heals...

We haven't managed many expeditions, due to my inability to function as a human being, but this weekend we did make it out to have a breakfast picnic at the nearby park.

I'm glad we usually go for morning things, because as we were leaving, the park was about to be overcome by the hordes of people getting ready for Memorial Day Weekend. I have to be honest -- I didn't know that Memorial Day Weekend was really a Thing. I guess since we don't usually have even remotely nice weather in Oregon this time of year, we just bypass it? It has been another Midwestern learning experience! Next year we'll be more prepared. 

Walks? Cleaning the house? Yoga? Sorry little seeds, 'cause NOPE. I have, here and there, gone out for my morning walk, or cleaned out the sink, or done a seated-forward-bend, but honestly...it's all been too hard to even think about doing it regularly.

 So, while very few of the things I wanted to move forward actually moved forward, I feel more confident than I have in a long time. Learning to take a flare in stride has always seemed utterly impossible. I can't pretend that I handled this one flawlessly - there was still a good deal of whining, and some temper tantrums, and a few other unpleasant incidents - but really, all things considered, I did well. I'm still not out of the weeds, but things have definitely been changing for the better, if incredibly slowly.