September 25, 2014

Today: I went back down to the Community Center on the south-side of town to do some more yard work. I didn't really do a whole lot, as the real work they wanted to get accomplished consisted of digging and hauling railroad cross-ties that probably weigh a hundred pounds. Not something I would even consider assisting with. I planned/knew in advance I would give the volunteering a couple of hours, and do feel like I was productive. Others present were also volunteers from Publix as part of our community service/'give back' project with United Way.

Using my little clippers to trim some shrubs and vines and digging out some undesirables. The shrubs were azaleas that had been butchered over time, and had lots of dead branches in the center. Plus vines growing up through the foliage, that I knew to be very wary of, after my unexpected encounter with poison ivy the first time we were there bush-whacking. Some of the vines were those mean cranky smilax that have the thorns sharp enough to rip skin open. And big tubers underground, so you can cut them back until the end of time and they will continue to grow. The really productive part of my morning was getting a shovel and prying the huge tubers up out of the ground from under the azaleas. Especially difficult when they have been keeping close company for many years and the roots of the two are entangled. Very gratifying to dig them up and know that they won't be sprouting and making more evil vines to rip and tear anyone's clothing or person again.

Then I went downtown to a luncheon with a group of Master Gardeners. Always amusing and usually educational as well. Heard talk about daylily planting and a gardener who thought she was growing some exotic Chinese squash from seeds a neighbor gave her. They ate some when they were small, and enjoyed the vegetables on salads, tasting kinda' like a cross between a cucumber and melon. But as they matured and were left to mature on the vines, Beverly discovered the story turned into something closely related to 'Jack and Beanstalk': she has unintentionally grown loofa gourds. Which were so prolific she brought enough to share with everyone present.

Amusing anecdote: We are all asked for numbers to confirm identity. Especially on the telephone, when you cannot present your government issued ID/w photo. Lately, dealing with insurance issues, I have been asked a number of times recently for 'last four' or birthdate. And discovered today that I am so accustomed to saying 09-25-and adding my birth year, that I had a really hard time actually writing today's date. I told a friend recently that I had never encountered the expression 'last four', especially barked out by a retired master sargeant. Until I went with my dad to VA appointments, and discovered that is how veterans are filed/found in the government records systems.