Hope and Faith

Wow, just when I was really feeling grouchy and cynical...

Yesterday while work continued digging the new beds, I noticed something. Buds, buds everywhere, but first a little background. Last year, against what prior experience would say is wise, we planted 5 new trees. Prior to that, we have attempted trees, and met with repeated failure. I don't know if it was poor quality stock (possibly) or poor site preparation (probably). But the bottom line is they don't last long for us. After transplanting last year things were not looking good for this batch either. The 4 lilacs had dropped quite a few leaves before the season was out, I'd say we were left with about 30% remaining...not good. The ornamental cherry did not fare much better. I was not expecting a return in the spring.

I was wrong. The lilacs are bursting with buds everywhere, and the cherry appears to have lost some of its longer branches, but is fairly vigorous on the shorter ones. But they survived!

If that was not enough, I found a bud on one of the grape cuttings, in spite of my anxiety about the process, it is working.

And to top it off, our son (well not legally ours yet but it matters little) just turned one yesterday. There's another one who beat the odds. Born at 27 weeks, a mere 2.2lbs, now a healthy growing 17 pounder crawling all over God's green earth and sprouting teeth.

So I guess I got exactly the lesson I needed yesterday, funny how things work out like that.