This morning I was feeling like I could do anything.  We started our day with Brad doing school at home with Calder in the studio space and I was outside with Adeladie.  Adelaide and I were spreading wildflower seeds in the patch of dirt we prepared yesterday and I watched her little hands flinging seeds with glee.  We had an abundance of seeds, so she could really go crazy with them. I love the way the dirt looks when it’s freshly turned and slightly wetted from the spray of the hose.  She and I moved on to the container plants we were planning, and I couldn’t help but pull Calder out of his school time. The temperature was that perfect mix of cool with just enough sunshine to be warmed.  As we transferred the dirt from last year’s containers to deeper pots this year, I marveled at how my children were working together and building each other up. Carrot seeds were planted and watered. I couldn’t help but notice a side of the house that rarely gets attention was full of all kinds of weeds and undesirable plants, but as we pushed our wheelbarrow full of compost past it I thought to myself, “we’ll get to it later”.  

When we bought our home, the outside area was a complete mess.  We spent countless hours on three sides of the beds weeding, planting, mixing richer soil, taking out rock that made it impossible to shovel and again, more weeding.  All that effort has made it so each year, while there is still lots to do, most of what we do in the garden is maintenance.  

Maintenance.  This looks different for us depending on the season.  There is planting to do in the Spring and leaves to rake in the fall.  It wouldn’t make sense to mow the grass in the winter, that’s a summer thing.  These seasons, I believe, are easier to identify than some of our life seasons.  Oftentimes when I’m in a season of life, I forget there is most likely going to be an end to it.  What does this have to do with the violin?  

There are going to be seasons of development where we really spend lots of time developing a certain technique.  This part can be tedious, and even potentially frustrating. We will also come into seasons in which we can’t get enough playing and performing.  Maybe during this season or another we spend copious amounts of time enjoying pieces we previously toiled over. These seasons can be long or short.  Sure, we do some of each of these things during our daily or weekly practice, but it is okay for one to dominate more of the scene than another, depending on where we are.  

I don’t know how many of the hundreds of seeds we planted will come up.  However, I know the process of planting them, watering them daily and watching them grow will be life changing for me.  The persistence I will pursue with my garden is not unlike the persistence we need in all endeavors – artistic and otherwise.  Carry on!