Time Savers

I still glance through the obituaries in the Globe, and I came across one for Peggy Freydberg, 107. She was a poet, and this poem of hers resonated with me:

Blizzard

It takes courage to see beauty
in a world spread deep and silent
with interminable whiteness;
and to keep on being awed
by such uncommon splendor
while trying to suppress
a fundamental fear
of being buried by it.

But know it as it is:
Beauty is everlasting.
And winter’s burial is not.
Underneath cold winter bone,
the flesh of summer sleeps.

I have survived the fear of being buried by winter, and summer is indeed showing small signs of waking.

In fact, the spring yard clean up seems to be going faster than it did last year, for a few reasons.

One, I’m pretty happy with where my bushes are, and I haven’t had the urge to move any of them.

Two, my landscaper Glenn suggested I get this nifty device, and turning over that 40 yards of mulch is going much quicker.

Three, Glenn and Walter showed up, but I had them focus on the lawn rather than spend time cutting down trees.

And four,

Well, okay, I’m not sure how much of a time saver four was.