Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Bad year

I so wish this year would be over. I've been trying to think of what, or who, I have done wrong to get this much bad luck. I'm not a big believer in karma but that could all change.

I just got an inch of rain so it was time to get the winter garden in. I went to McIntyres Nursery and bought some red cabbage, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, and lots of cauliflower. I love cauliflower.

And wouldn't you just know it, my little Ryobi roto tiller wouldn't start. Heck, the rope wouldn't even pull. I took the plug out and the cylinder was full of gas. A mechanic friend looked at it and declared it toast. I ordered the best of the mini tillers, a Mantis. It came in but I haven't had a chance to use it. So, why am I miffed you ask?

Well, you may remember early in this drought cursed summer my well went out. It wasn't long after that the air conditioner went out. I was able to decipher the electrical code on the AC and fix it myself fairly cheap but we had to endure several 100 degree days with no AC. It was better than the nearly four grand that the well cost. Life looked good again, water and AC, all the essentials of life in Texas. Wrong. Then my welding machine on my truck burnt up a circuit board. Not a cheap board either. This is one of the machines that I make my living with. It was fixed promptly and I might add, quite costly.

OK, all the essentials and making money again, life is good. Not. Then the computer starts doing funny things. Then the funny things start becoming not so funny things and the truth becomes evident. It is not long for this world. And as every body knows when you buy a new computer---you upgrade. I didn't like the sound of that. You got it, more money. Uh, wait a minute, no computer-no blog! "Honey, let's go get a new computer, the biggest, the baddest, the fastest one we can find". Yeah, life is good again. And then we got rain. Wahoo, yippee, we got rain. Now I can finally plant me some more plants. I can have a garden again. Let me get that little roto-tiller out and get some raised beds all ready and plant me some plants. And that is when the tiller went down. I should be in a state of depression. But I'm not. I got home this evening after a really hard day of building pipe horse pens and my absolutely amazing wife had tilled up several beds with the new tiller and planted all the winter veggie's that I had bought. Looking down off the porch at all the new plants in the finely tilled beds made me all happy inside.

Looking down at those plants, I knew that life was good again. Or had it ever not been. A few trials to test your meddle can be a good thing. While everything had been going wrong, life was still good for us. My wife had to endure no running water for a couple of weeks, no AC for a while, no computer [she needs the computer, I just play on the computer] and a little tightening of the purse strings for a bit. And all that with no complaints.

It reminded me of something my Mother told me when I told her I was going to ask Lyn to marry me. She told me that she thought Lyn was the right one, but I had to know she was the right one. Because life with the right one would always be good but life with the wrong one would be hell.

I'm back to a new computer, back to the blog again, got some new plants started, I can smell a new loaf of homemade bread, fresh out of the oven, and my wife told me she loves me before she went to bed. Again, I think Mom was right, life's not just good now, it's always been good.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Good reminders in there. This has been a tough year for gardeners and you have had some problems beyond that. Way to see the glass as half-full1

Rock rose said...

I'm glad things are looking up for you. I don't think you can garden without a positive attitude. Too many setbacks and this year it sounds as though you have had your share. I have to use my trusty triangle hoe to till my beds. Sometimes as I am pulling it through I think of my ancestors who had a horse to pull their tiller but even by hand this tool works well and can turn up the beds pretty quickly. It is my favorite gardening tool.
Fresh bread- sounds wonderful.

Cindy, MCOK said...

Bob, there are so many things we can't control about our lives ... your post is a good reminder that we CAN control our attitude, outlook, etc. Those newly planted beds look mighty fine and I know they're all the more beautiful to you because your lovely wife planted them for you out of love. I hope the rain forecast for the Austin area makes it to you and helps those veggies grow, grow, grow!

Lori said...

Wow, it sounds like this summer sucked for everyone, and you especially! But I've gotta say that your veggie garden is looking great, and your wife is awesome. What great things to come home to!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful story with good information about gardening!
Isn't yours is a life to live!
Glad to have stopped by.
Thanks!