Georgia Collards

I woke up pretty pissed.  Not that they said no, but that the people I asked for help implied they would.... kept pumping me for details [later saying they would NEVER have done what I asked], and then did the one thing they swore they wouldn't do.  That's what smokes my bacon.  If you can't do it, fine.  Tell me.  If you can't keep a confidence, warn me and I won't divulge. 

I did my God Time, thinking, I AM "Practicing" my faith; practicing to be the person God wants me to be.  Hopefully, one day practice will make perfect!  Well, I know God will make me perfect when ready, but in the meantime I "aim" to be my best; and pleasing to Him.  Being a bitter, vengeful, hater will not accomplish that; so I won't. 

Instead, I did my God Time, prayed for THEM, and then [wow, I can tell I am at optimum lithium level, my hands are shaking] ate and took my pills.  Ron was feeling chatty, I missed a bus.  I caught the next one. 

I got myself a 6-pack of Diet Dr Pepper.  Rain was forecast today, and it looked very gloomy.  Happily it did not rain until after I'd been home for half an hour.  Everyone at the transfer bus point was a nice, normal person. 

I got off and went to Starbucks.  An old man, manic, and an alcoholic (he had that flushed red look) was expounding on something, and got angry at a man who agreed with him.  I finished up my steamer "right quick" and got out of there.  I went to Favorite Dollar, and got a few little things, including an umbrella and a fold up raincoat.  I love those guys. 

By now my mood had shifted from manic, to depressed.  I was dying to just go back to bed and not emerge for a week.  Then I reminded myself that Bubba-cat (black cat in slideshow) was occuping the bed.  He likes to sleep in the center when I'm gone. 

I got to the bus stop and wedged in next to a guy, facing backwards.  The benches do not have arms or backs, so riders can sit facing forward, back, and sideways.  The drunk was there, manic as ever.  He was extremely jittery and kept lunging from side to side and back and forth.  He banged into me several times.  He started rambling at the man sitting next to him, and the guy (a pretty tough looking character) actually got up and moved about 20 feet away. 

About this time, I recalled I had wanted to go to the linen shop and get myself one of those fake snuggies.  Agh.  Some guy in a truck pulled up next to the bus stop, and shouted a question out the window.  I had my ears on, and no way am I walking up to some stranger in a truck.  Mr Manic got up  and walked over, right as the bus pulled up. 

It's a hard lesson to learn, but I've learned it.  If you are not at the bus stop, indicating with your body language that you are about to get on the bus, making eye contact with the driver, you are likely to be left.  He was.  Maybe the driver had had him before. 

The tough guy, Backpack, and I got on the bus... and headed off down the road.  Bye-bye.  I felt a tremendous sense of relief, and bitterly wondered why I seem to be cursed with mentally ill drunks.  It seems like everywhere I turn... maybe to remind me why I take my pills, and yes it is VERY smart to avoid alcohol. 

Like I told Ron today, I don't hate alcohol.  It's a good solvent, and disinfectant.  But that's about all I can say! 

I went to a supercenter.  I had planned to buy a REALLY bad thing, binge, and pity party.  Instead, all I found were some sugarfree oatmeal cookies.  Not bad as pity parties go. 

They came in handy, the headache (I had a vicious one today) came back and I ate a couple to keep the Excedrin down.  They can be irritating if I take them alone. 

So [big sigh]  I ate a couple (Excedrin, and cookies) at a park, looking at a fountain.  It was very peaceful.  I reminded myself yet again that God is in control and I've just got to do His will, whatever it is.  Today, I was going to take care of myself. 

I thought about the trip to the garden center and how much I love my garden.  How much fun I'd have pulling the little cart and picking out plants to adopt.  That got me up off the bench and walking again. 

I could have taken the bus, but chose to walk instead (gotta burn off those cookies!).  I headed to my next bus stop and caught the bus. 

I got to the garden center around 2:15.  Ron was getting picked up in about half an hour, plenty of time to shop. 

I didn't see the red kale, but I did find some chard (for some reason, I have not had much success with chard, but I got it anyway), some purple mustard (pretty, even if I don't eat it), and joy of joys.... a six pack of  "Georgia" collards!   I was thrilled! 

I love Georgia Collards.  I have grown them from 2006 and they have always performed well in spite of heat, drought, torrential rains, and hurricanes.  They were the only vegetable, literally standing after Hurricane Ike!  I can snip off a leaf whenever I feel like it, and as long as I take it from the bottom of the plant, and not the top, they thrive.  They love a little organic fertilizer but don't whine if I forget. 

I squealed with joy as I put them into my cart.  I was happy it was a 6-pack.  I don't have enough room for 9.  The leaves are about the size of pennies, and only a few per plant.  It's fun to imagine how big and tasty they'll be in a few months!  In my garden, a collard plant takes up at least 1.5 square feet!  I plan to budget 2 feet per, and see how they like it.  If it seems a little echoey when they're bigger I can always stick some chives or a marigold in between. 

I loved the calendula.  I noticed the bees liked them too.  I enjoy maintaining a healthy ecosystem, and if I grow cucumbers this summer (something I adore), than I had better encourage bees!  Bees pollinate cucumbers, and make cucumbers possible.  Besides, they just seem to glow in the gloomy light.  I stuck a couple in the cart, shaking the bees off before I handled the tops. 

I got some fragrant herbs (everything was deeply discounted), rosemary - it looked so vibrant while all the others just moped... I like a fiesty plant.  Same with the mint, I will have to do some serious containment on that one, or just make a bed for it somewhere.  A nice vigorous Bay Laurel - all the other ones moped.  Pansies of course, I love pansies, I got 9 (yellow, white, and purple). 

Sweet peas!  I said, why not.  They are only a dollar or so for a nice pot full of sweet peas.  What if they DO thrive?  And I have lovely fragrance and flowers all spring long?  If they don't, well I tried.  I was very careful transplanting them because the roots are brittle. 

I feel like I'm forgetting something, and I may.  You get the idea, lots of fun in the garden center.  I got some organic fertilizers, too.  I like to have a choice.  Kelp meal is better for a transplant, but the balanced fertilizer is better for the Collards. 

When I got home, I looked in my storage box, found some greensand and cottonseed meal, and scattered that around.  The rain is leaching it into the soil. 

I got about half of everyone planted before the the darkness and rain.  I could have worked around the darkness, but the rain soaked me good.  Ron was hollering for me to come in and it was getting awfully dark.  I secured everything, then came in.  it's been raining for about 3 hours now. 

Happily, I don't need to worry about anyone drying out.  It will probably be a few more days before I can do any more  transplanting.  I have a nice clay loam; it really hangs onto water. 

It's counterproductive to work the soil when it's too wet; it damages the structure.