Neglection Reflection

Halfway through my first day back at work since the kids' classes let out last June I made the mistake of looking at the call display before answering the phone call.  It was one of the local hairdressers.  She stopped short when she heard me cheerfully exclaim,

"Good Morning.  M& M Beauty Salon.  Jennifer speaking."



We both cracked up.

One of those days, hey?

We're planning on replacing our roof tomorrow (with the qualified help of a knowledgeable contractor friend of ours overseeing wayward and somewhat un-handy but friendly and loyal misfit comrades).  Torrents of rain stream down the windowpanes.  It's thundering.  And more is expected tomorrow.

So instead I will envision gardening and a warm glow overtakes me. Ruth, The Boss in my employment realm - the one who wears about 125 hats of different skills (bee keeping, gardening guru, artist, scooter rider, winemaker, and the list goes on) and wears them WELL, told me about her sister's gardening com
pany out of Brantford, Ontario called "Girls in the Garden". So online I went. And voila - thar she is!

http://www.girlsinthegarden.com/

At the base of her site she quotes: "Remember that children, marriages, and gardens reflect the kind of care they get." H. Jackson Brown, Jr. (You may recall the book he wrote titled Life's Little Instruction Book???)

Right about now my naturalized front lawn/garden likely reflects a very negligent owner who has overly befriended weeds of all sorts.

As for our marriage, when I ask my husband he cautiously considers my questions and responds even more cautiously. He's the conventional garden with unexpected, neat rows, and traditional flowers that never surpass the border and along comes this crazy wildflower mess of burgeoning natives that like to overtake, shoot beyond borders (borders? Who wants borders?) and, well, what happens then? Most times it can actually be surprisingly stunning in an awe-inspiring and creative way. Other times...well, let's think of those surprisingly stunning times once again...

And as for our kids...well, they fare the best, I think...most teeming, plentiful suckers around (though they have to be pruned fairly regularly!).

H. Jackson Brown Jr also penned a list of 21 Suggestions for Success http://www.21suggestions.com/

1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.
2. Work at something you enjoy and that's worthy of your time and talent.
3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.
6. Be generous.
7. Have a grateful heart.
8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.
9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.
10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.
12. Commit yourself to quality.
13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.
14. Be loyal.
15. Be honest.
16. Be a self-starter.
17. Be decisive even if it means you'll sometimes be wrong.
18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.
20. Take good care of those you love.
21. Don't do anything that wouldn't make your Mom proud.

Maybe I'll add "don't neglect your husband, garden, children" on to that list as well!

See you tomorrow for Saturday's Stuff-It Chronicle #3..