Saturday Pre-Dawn

It has been so warm here that some trees' leaves have bursted out to greet the sun!  I am so happy to see them, but a bit worried about them.  We normally have some heavy snows in late March and into April.  Also nights that go far below freezing.  I hope all those little leaves don't freeze in a week or two.

Last night as I got off the bus into a glorious, sunny early evening, my elation was dampened by the anticipation of getting to my house and seeing my neighbor hard at work removing a dead tree.  I actually prayed that she wouldn't be there as I made the last turn before my house came into view.  I was so relieved to see no piles of wood in my driveway and no sign of my neighbor!  And then she came from behind the house!  Covered with sweat and smiles, telling me all about her plan to tie a rope around the tree and saw a bit here and a bit there, etc., etc., etc.  I thought I would die.

Because you really cannot say "how nice of you, but I would like very much to go and cook my dinner, take a bath, and watch television in a pair of shorts and a tee shirt.  Good night."

So, I smiled and told her I needed to get out of my work clothes and into some working clothes and I would be out in a minute.    I had to pray to be appropriately grateful for this woman's help.

She is a wonderful neighbor and I sincerely doubt that I would still be in this house without her.  She has mown my lawn for the last two summers - while I am out training for marathons.  She has shoveled the snow from my sidewalk as well.  She knows I have lost my enthusiasm for these things, and she is happy to help and tells me candidly that she does not want me to move.  I have yet to find a way try to make at least a gesture of gratitude.  She does not want my pies, breads, tarts, cakes, etc. - because she eats every last morsel of them.  I understand.  I buy her birdseed and birdhouses, etc. whenever I see something nice or cute - because she loves to feed the birds.  I think maybe I should knit her a little afghan.  That's what I'll do.

So, I got out in my jeans and my Broncos tee-shirt (because now I don't care if it gets chain-sawed, painted on, ripped, or otherwise destroyed) and worked with ropes, saws, telescoping tree trimmers,  and chain-saws.  And what do you know - we got that tree down!

We sawed it into pieces and will take it out to the street today with a sign on it that says "free fire wood" and it should be gone within a few minutes.  This is the third aspen tree in my yard to die within the last 2 years.  They only live for about 20 years.  I have two more that are probably about 20 years old... so I guess I better learn how to chop down dead trees because I refuse to pay someone to do it!  I have two new aspens - and they are beautiful.  It only takes a couple of years for them to be real trees - tall with the beautiful leaves that earn them the nickname "quakies."

I am going out with my running club this morning.  It's going to be warm and beautiful!

Grateful for another day that I woke up sober.  No hangover.  No dread of what I did yesterday.  No wondering "who knows" what I did yesterday.  And no dread of today.  God is here today with me and it will be as good as it is supposed to be.  And usually that is pretty good!