Days of Wine and Roses

Those roses are killing me! Why is it that we seem to have to make mistakes in order to learn something? Boy, did I make a couple of big ones! I knew roses were complicated, but I thought I was so clever... and yet I was being so stupid! I didn’t pay attention to how tall the roses would grow and it never occurred to me that they grew in quite a variety of sizes. Also, I didn’t think that they grew in a variety of widths. I’m also angry that this website didn’t list the widths for the roses. And, also, I didn’t pay attention to the different types of roses nor the order numbers. As a result, I ordered one "amazon" rose bush that’s going to grow anywhere from five to six feet tall and be four feet wide! Also, I ordered a shrub rose! Argh! That one will be four feet tall and three feet wide. I’d already started to dig my second hole along the fence, next to the Fischer’s garage. I knew that I should leave three feet between the holes, but I figured they’d be normal rose bushes and be about two and a half feet in width, so two feet between my two feet holes would be alright. Tight, but alright. Mom also poo-pooed the width recommendations, so I felt justified in not taking them seriously. When I realized how grave my mistakes may be, I checked the internet and then called the company. Oh, to add to my confusion (but luckily so because it prompted me to investigate things better), some of the tags were incorrect. So then I had a major crisis (and ate quite a few potato chips) about where I was going to plant what. To make matters worse, I couldn’t reach Mom! How could she do that to me?! I even called my sister Nikki, but she was at work and didn’t answer her cell phone. In the end, I decided I had to move my hole over, which was no mean feat. I’ll just put three roses next to the fence and put the shrub rose out in the side yard. I hate to do that because Mary won’t be able to see it, but maybe I can cut some of them and bring them in. I hope so, because they’ll be yellow and I know she loves that color. It makes me nervous to put the roses out there where God and everybody can see what I’m doing and if I’m doing it right. Well, maybe next year I can get into putting mulch around some things. O je. And I still have the evergreen bush to put in where the yard man never did it.

Speaking of which, the mower still hasn’t come. That’s alright because it hasn’t rained in so long, the grass isn’t growing much. Also, I’ve had my hands full. I really wanted to get Mary’s car checked before going to St Louis... Maybe I’ll just take mine. It’s harder for her to get in and out, but I feel safer driving it, I believe. I hate that I can’t see my blind spots because of the structure of the Cadillac. I feel safer driving my Taurus.

Oh, I was digging away today and trying to keep an eye on Mary, but I didn’t do a very good job. I looked up and she was gone out of her seat. I approached the back porch door with trepidation, expecting to see her lying on the floor. She wasn’t anywhere around. I went in and headed for the bathroom, expecting to see her lying on the floor at every turn. With a sigh of relief I found her in th bathroom. It was hard not to really chew her out, but I knew it wouldn’t do any good. Actually, I mostly felt guilty for not doing my job properly.

We’re almost done with the fourth HP book! How exciting!