Time Out

I have been in the zone all weekend, pouring all of my energy into a home landscaping project.  The shrubs in front of our c.1867 house are are so overgrown it looks like they haven't been properly maintained since the Lincoln administration.  We've been here two years this month.  Last year we tackled the back yard; this year the front.  I've approached this project with gusto digging and pulling in every spare moment since Friday.  I want my husband to share my enthusiasm for the demolition phase.  He doesn't.  Seems we're both having a problem being patient.  I'm intent on clearing out the old so I can move ahead with tending our new garden and watching it take shape over the coming months and years.  He wants to plant things that look mature and beautiful from day one.  We're clearly products of our "want it, got it" culture. 

We've been so wrapped up in plowing through the project that we haven't taken time to enjoy the process, to appreciate the opportunity to work on it together, and to soak up the warm spring sun.  At least not until now.  Turns out we've got company.  Over half way through "Operation Shrub Pull" I uncovered this little sweetie.  A mother Robin has made her nest in one of our overgrown bushes.  What's an eye sore to us is home sweet home to her and her tiny, baby bird. 

This discovery has really put the brakes on our project.  I can't help but wonder if God has put us in a timeout.  We've been so focused on our task that we've been blind to the beauty that surrounds us.

Time to switch gears.  Our new landscaping will have to wait a few weeks while our family lets nature take its course.  We've put down our shovels, poured some lemonade, and found a seat on the front porch.  After all, these shrubs have been overgrown for years, what's a few more days.