Olive Out News

Hello friends.

Above our Broome Closet window booth at Ridge Antiques in Ridge Spring, S.C.  is pictured with our beloved blue mantle. Frankly if we do not sell that mantle any time soon I will not mind. We have filled it with bunnies and items that bring spring to mind.

 I also have this affinity for galvanized metal so watering cans and radiator water cans have made their way into the booth. Buckets are populating the floor. Right now all items are 50% off unless marked firm. We are cleaning house for spring.

In Olive Out news we are at 30 truck loads of limbs and trees to our second lot from the ice storm. Along with that clean up I have been doing my February gardening. February is a huge gardening month for me. I am getting behind as it is March! Joe helped me plant three David Austin roses.   Spring is upon us whether I am ready or not.

Joe mowed that large section of  green monkey grass (lilirope) on Saturday. It must be done before the green shoots pop out. You can see some debris in the foreground. Small stuff like that we are leaving for now.

Saturday I was resting in the chaise for a minute and heard a chain saw very close. A man was in our oak tree sawing away and throwing limbs in our clean yard. It was a FEMA crew. They said someone would be here in two days to pick up the limbs. Our neighbor astutely said "And I believe in the Tooth Fairy."No pick up crew yet and they cut limbs that did not need cutting. Oh and they cut an electric line and our power was off for five hours that night. It is exciting here but not in a good way.

I cannot recall a time when I was this fatigued except perhaps after childbirth. Maybe that analogy does not hold. However I am sore all over and fear I have torn my left rotator cuff. Not to mention my back is hurting and I seldom have back pain.  I know you are not here to hear my whining but this is our life at the moment. Joe is about the same and has to go to work.

I miss blogging and wish I could get into some sort of routine once more. I thank my new and loyal followers. I am thankful for the kinship found here.

joy and peace

Olive

Kindness, Despair, Expectation

"Beauty is important in this fragile life"

Jan Karon

Yes, the ice is pretty on my old watering can. 

But that ice from Ice Storm Pax caused at least nine deaths that I know of. On the February eleven the storm came in the night. Trees and limbs begins to fall. I awoke to an old dogwood tree on our roof. There was a constant cacophony of limbs falling all day and into the next night.

 Joe arrived from work before the roads were blocked by trees. Transformers began to blow up and shoot blue flames across the sky. We had power lines in our front yard for days. We were without power for five and half days.

Kindness

Our neighbor, Gary, who lives down the gravel road we live on

 where eight trees were down walked three miles in the storm to a lawn mower shop to buy a chain saw. He walked back with the heavy saw and then helped clear our road. All of us were there picking up limbs and clearing. We also cleared the paved road beyond the stop sign.  

On Saturday Gary came with his chain saw and helped cut the dogwood off our roof. 

He asked for nothing but for us to wave at him as he drives by. 

That is extraordinary kindness.  

Despair

Joe and I have taken 19 truck loads of tree limbs from the

front yard alone. We have not started on the back yard or side yards. Every muscle in my body aches. Joe would never hire anyone to help us and that is fine. The limbs are not going anywhere. I have been in a state of despair off and on. We both sort of lost time there for a few days living in the dark, picking up tree after tree with no end in sight. It is rather disheartening still.

Expectation

We have lost many beautiful ornamental trees and the large dogwood.

 It shaded my flower garden which you have seen here frequently. I have high expectations that my flower garden will be a sunny spot now. Different and better. I am installing a few David Austin Roses soon. I need ordinary garden chores to do.

Ordinary is good:}

 Our yellow house is in the Central Savannah River area near Augusta, Georgia which was the epicenter of Ice Storm Pax.

joy and peace my friends

I have missed you

Olive