Confession is Good For the soul

Bad Hips, Knees and Leukemia Relapses are hard on the Bonsai trees that have been trying their darnest to survive under my sporadic hand.

Some years I have missed re-potting, water has been off and on.  Many of my helpers have not understood the meaning of "it is August, they must be watered and soaked every day."  Not sprinkled a bit but soaked.  Contrary to popular belief, it does not rain all the time in Seattle and it does get warm.

The trees have given up hope and have expired.   I never seem to want to rip the dears from their pots lest they find it in their hearts and roots to send up a spout of two of life.  I finally realized I had to deal with death of my much loved Korean Hornbeam that had been with me for many many years.  It was always most forgiving but it finally had enough. 

When a bit of sun emerged at the end of March I took a bit of time and foraged for my trees and found only two hardy survivors.  An American Beech and a Flowering Plum that never flowers.  I yanked them from their pots and shook them out and give them a good root trim.  Freshened up the dirt, looked at their roots; found a good fit; stuck them back in the confined spaces.  Some heavy duty trimming of the top and some vitamin water and we shall see. 

I then did some more digging in my back yard.  I uncovered some Bonsai wannabees that I brought home, maybe they are from other people's yards. (Hail Mary) Last summer as I was rehabbing the knee I was walking the dogs much more and was noticing little tree seedlings that were in odd places.  Obviously volunteers.   They needed to be rescued and put in training pots over the winter. 

So maybe I keep finding them.  Maybe some people want to have them but I think they will be happy here.  I  promise to take good care of them.  It  seems like cheatingto buy big trees or other people's treets.  It seems like cheating. Part of the fun is watching them grow and change. And and I love the price.

I guess I am a potential person.  I have the ability to look at something and see past the obvious and hone in on the deep structure that holds up the 7 kinds of shag carpet and lime green and orange wall paper.  Ask anyone what my house looked like BEFORE we pulled off and up and out all the weird stuff that made this someone else's home. I saw potential in Ballard and jumped on it.

Mary-E is back home.  My secretions and cold are gone.  I am bits of tired and staying close to my favorite napping places but can see that both of us are healing and getting back to some sort of normal.  I have even thought it is time to start a job hunt, hoping that someone can see the potential in me.

I wonder what tree I will find tomorrow?