The Satisfaction Of Accomplishing Things

This is what my washing machine looks like from the top when the cover is removed. Somehow it's not quite as sleek and modern-looking as I had thought it would be. Tubes, wires, unidentified shit...and when it starts washing, the way the drum moves is slightly hysterical. Sort of like a robot trying to hula. 
I can't even remember what my original problem with the washer was last week but I think it was that it was a slight trickle of water coming from the bottom of the machine and Glen fixed that but then the machine started only using hot water to wash. Not any cold. Even if you chose a cold-water wash cycle. And it was HOT, hot water. Like, it was steam-cleaning that laundry. 
So Glen figured out that problem and I have no idea how but it had something to do with how he'd inadvertently switched hoses or...whatever. 
But then two days ago, I noticed that there was water coming out of the bottom of the machine and even (was I dreaming this?) a sort of spray happening. It was pretty serious. Like- soak a big towel serious. 
So today he took the lid off again and started it up so we could see where the water was coming from and by golly, it wasn't hard to find. One of the hoses had split and water was indeed spraying out of it. 
Turn it off! Turn it off! 
Okay. He fixed that. All seems to be well now. 

It's been a day of getting things done. I am not ashamed to admit that I'm pretty happy with myself. I plowed on through yard work and yard chores and I made my husband laugh. Not that it's really that hard to make my husband laugh but it's one of my favorite things to do. As we were standing in the laundry room, waiting to see where the water was coming from, I told him that when he fixed things it made me feel sort of affectionate towards him in a rather romantic way. 

"Well, I've fixed this washer four times now," he said. "How's that working?" 

The next project was taking the rest of the plants back outside. And of course these were the heavy plants. The huge plants in big old ceramic or terra cotta pots. But with the hand cart and our growing experience in this matter, we got them all back out. My Roseland mango is back in her happy place, along with my Sebastian sea grape. The split leaf philodendron which I've had for at least thirty years is back on the front porch but I've got her set in a place that will perhaps give her more sun. She needs something. 
Anyway, all of that was very satisfying and I gave all the plants a good watering. I also turned the sprinklers on the garden but that hardly took much effort. Still felt good though. I have got to get to the nursery for more tomato plants and some pepper plants and eggplant plants and I want to grow delicata squash again and get my squash seeds in the ground and cucumbers, too, although I haven't had a decent showing of them in forever. 
Hope springs eternal. 
And of course the zinnia seeds. Time's a wastin'! 
It was in the eighties here today. Well, actually, it still is. And I spent about an hour or so in direct sunlight clearing more of the area where I decided to plant the spirea I dug up yesterday. This mostly consisted of pulling up chenille plant which is taking over my entire yard. It is a ground cover and honey, it is doing its job. It spreads with runners that are pinkish in color and tough as nylon. It's not the hardest thing in the world to pull up but my hands do ache now. 
I dug a hole and put the spirea in it, packed the dirt around it and watered it in good. It got a little wilty this afternoon as I just had it with its roots all bare in the garden cart but it wasn't for that long and I think it'll spring back. I raked a few leaves and mulched all around it. 

I dug the hole for the native azalea and settled that in. I watered it and mulched it too. 

Poor little thing. It looks so vulnerable. I brought it the Buddha on a brick to keep it company. It will need plenty of water over the next few months. Or so I have read. 

And basically, I suppose that's about all I did but it took some time and physical effort and sweating was definitely involved. I have been wondering if the weight loss was going to help me deal with the heat better this summer and I think it may. It pretty much has to, right? I know I have more endurance and energy. That's just a fact. I'm not saying I'm not fairly exhausted now but it's a different sort of exhaustion. Also, I don't feel like I can barely walk due to sore joints. 

So there is all of that. 

When I went out to the garden to pick some arugula and kale and chard for salad, I took a few pictures.  

My poor little pathetic potatoes are coming along nicely. 

Now is that not just the prettiest little lettuce you ever saw? The label there says Black Cherry but that pertains to the tomato I planted in the same bag. The lettuce is just one of the random varieties in a packet of mixed lettuce seeds and I think it may be called a Freckles Lettuce. It's so darling I don't even want to pick it but I will because it'll just get bitter and go to seed if I don't. 

As promised, I took a picture of the wisteria buds and here it is. 

And then later on this afternoon, I realized there was already purple showing up.

There might be some more mature flowering on the vines growing on the bamboo on the east side of the property but I'm too tired to go look now. And can you believe I saw a big fat bumble bee already checking out that flower? I remember one spring when there were so many bees on the wisteria that the trellis was literally buzzing. 
Oh, how I would love to hear that again! 

And now. A final picture.

This is North Florida in spring. 

And this is why we live here, I guess. Even Ron DeSatan hasn't been able to fuck that up yet. I hope he never does.

Love...Ms. Moon