Raised Beds, a Patio, and pathways #3

October 13, 2020

Reflections, Day 5—having fun

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.”
― Albert Einstein

I frequently recall a story that my mother used to read to me when I was a child. It was about a woodcarver who had a sign over his door that said, “Never Worked and Never Will.”

The people in the town said the old man was crazy because, “He works harder than anyone in town.” But some of the children watched him and learned from him and shared his joy. They understood. In later years when I asked my mother about that story, she said, “it was the one that you always asked for.”

Our current landscaping endeavor is different and fun. We are working for Barbara and Ronnie. Ronnie says that we are working for Barbara but his interest level in the project tells me differently.

Barbara is a creative gardener and she is constantly in search of odd garden art. If she’s not looking for the art she’s making it. You may have met her, she works with the DIGGs project which raises money to furnish housing for special people in our community. These people create all sorts of items in their “Warehouse” which they sell at craft and art functions such as the Christmas and Spring Markets at the Rome Civic center as well as for the Chiaha Festival that is held in Rome during the month of October.

A couple of weeks ago when we were cleaning up the yard in preparation for the raised beds, patio, and pathways, I offered to cut down a tall, bare holly tree trunk that was sticking out of the ground. She smiled and said, “No, that will be my birdhouse tree.”

Yesterday, as the project was really taking shape, Barbara and said, “Today, Ronnie and I will finish the birdhouse tree.” I was most impressed with it. The job was coming together and my friends and I were having a good time pulling in all of the loose ends. To a stranger, it may have looked like we were working.

After lunch, Ronnie watched us for a while and then he joined the fun. I was pleased to see him moving, building, and raking as the job came together. We should have the garden area completed today and ready for Barbara to take over with her plantings and design.

—john schulz

Never worked and never will.