I am paranoid about someone stealing my fallen leaves. I have multiple trees on my suburban property. Maples, fruit and lilac. Fall provides me with a bounty of future leave mold, mulch and compost fixins.
Yesterday we finally have the biggest leaf drop. Two weeks later than other years. I grabbed the rake and got to work burning some calories, soaking up the sun and creating the biggest leaf pile yet. Leaves are light but when you have to rake half of your yard…it can be a happy moment when you set that rake down.
I know kids will jump in my leaf pile. I know it’s not harmful to me or my leaves in any way. I also know that if I were seven years old and came across that sweet voluminous leaf pile, no way I wasn’t jumping in it. I was outside during the time kids walk by my yard after school and didn’t notice any shenanigans, and likely would have been happy to witness it when if I did.
This morning, take the dog out in the dark. I see my huge leaf pile, it looks half the size it was yesterday, and you can tell there are craters in the middle of it. Now, intellectually, I know it had to be kids having fun, and the overnight moisture settling things a bit. But it LOOKED like someone helped themselves to a bag or ten of leaves. I was well aware that was not the most likely scenario. I knew it was likely kids having fun doing something that wouldn’t normally bother me. But I NEED those leaves. It’s MY yard. MY garden HAS to have those precious once a year nutrients and protection. I can’t have a NAKED garden! What if someone STOLE my leaves and came back to steal more? My once a year gift from Mother Nature??
So at 6:15 AM, in the dark, I raked all the leaves over the fence into the section of the yard that it’s more difficult to get to. I had to. Waiting for daylight wasn’t an option.
THAT, my friends, is intrusive thoughts Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Grateful for:
-silver linings, literally. Have more jewelry now, to accent clothing never worn. I am a sucker for filigree and I guess I have house jewelry now. So PRETTY!
-Helping The Sps get back on track with a solid routine. It’s getting me on track as well. Three days in a row, same routine, successfully completed.
-Got my nails done today. A pink color called “Iced Coffee”, shellac. So feminine and chic. The nail tech was so cool with me not being chatty. She has my business!
-starting the day with some exercise, apparently.
Godspeed y’all!