The backlog shuffle

 

Blooming now

You know the proverbial saying, of getting it done before Christmas comes? Well this Christmas cactus tells me, I'm knocking on the door now. These beautiful blooms emerge around the festive season. So I'm coming good with a promise I made, at the beginning of the year. Something about an update on life. 

That is what I wrote back in October 2022. Then it sat in my drafts folder, until now. I guess Christmas did come first, lol. Well, here I am now - making good on my word.

This has been my life since it changed rather dramatically, back in 2021. Playing catch-up with time. But I do eventually get there. I was going to rehash parts of the post I started, but I'll use it for inspiration instead. Simpler to insert new thoughts as they relate today.

Indestructible bale twine, fastening two trellises together

My life ends up looking, a whole lot like my projects. Take this trellis for example. Fitting bits 'n pieces together for extending it. Because bits 'n pieces is what I have. Knowing the indestructible holding capacity of baling twine, I had my reliable connector do it's job. 

Instead of going into the bin, my leftover baling twine got swallowed up by the passionfruit vine. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Call it cheap or frugal. Great for the planet or are you crazy!! That's not going to hold. Whatever floats your boat, because it is what it is. Bits 'n pieces.

That's how I've been getting things done behind the scenes too. Connecting little pieces of my life together. Part old, part new. Growth, pulls it all together.  

February 2023 ~ Graduation day

Me (far right)

So yeah - I ah, graduated since writing this post. A real confidence booster, to walk on stage with my classmates. It was a Certificate III in Business Admin. In my old life (way before children) I was a Legal Secretary, in training. My new life, completed the certification. It wasn't the piece of paper that was necessarily the achievement though. Rather, it was the close bonds formed obtaining it.

I am still friends and meet regularly, with several of them. Coffee catch ups. We're planning annual get-togethers for the former class. The above picture doesn't include all of them. Some couldn't make it. 

The thing is, we're all just regular people - trying to do something more with the bits 'n pieces of our lives. We all bring something different, but together, make a beautiful picture. Behind our faces, we remember our vulnerabilities and our triumphs, expressed along the way. We called each other across the line with simply - bits 'n pieces. 

A gifted bouquet from church

Don't be fooled for a moment, it was as easy as writing a blog post about it though. Let the twelve-month lag between promising an update on life, and delivering - be an indicator. 😊 Life gets busy with it's unpredictable twists and turns, and then you're dealing with something else.

Yet even a jumbled-up life can still fit together. This is where the above bouquet, serves as a reminder for me. Because it has a tale of someone else's small contributions, behind it. Flowers gathered from their garden - displayed in the church vases, during service. Gifted to random individuals afterwards, for enjoying the blooms a little longer at home. 

I was on a mission after church too. Gifting cherry-tomatoes from my garden. Packaged in recycled strawberry containers. Do you think my life was in order? No-one saw the chaos I was juggling. But I still saw value in the bits 'n pieces I could bring to the table. Literally. Excess fruit anyone? 

This beautiful bouquet was a gift, I wasn't expecting to return home with. It adorned my house for a week afterwards. Reminding me what people can do with their little, when it's shared. 

End of January 2023

Speaking of sharing, I will have to tell the story about that particular, fruitful vine - in more depth later. A spotlight. Because, my goodness, it was unbelievable. After feeding my family and neighbours, the excess went to the church, my son's school tuck-shop, and several of my study-buddies who like tomatoes. 

All from one tomato vine. The power of fruitfulness. Who can stop it?

I mentioned volunteering at my son's school tuck-shop. I do it once a week. Overseas countries would know it as the school canteen. Wondering what I was talking about? In Australia, we love our vernacular and butchering proper English with it. Food is tucker, so you get the gist. 😉

Though the name has it's origins in Britain, originally - tuck, meaning confectionery. In Australia it's a place that provides more culinary delights, such as meat pies with sauce. Sausage rolls and Spring rolls too. Real tucker. I'm the official pikelet and popcorn maker. We supply plenty of salads and fruit options too.

Fast forward in time

The benefit of having a lag in the backlog shuffle though -  is showing what the bits 'n pieces can do with enough time. This is my passionfruit vine trellis. Where have those bits 'n pieces gone? 

I remember the person who didn't have time to extend the trellis. After hammering a few more stakes in the ground, and grabbing some rebar off-cuts - I spied the baling twine. Oh the baling twine. Indispensable in the garden! I remember thinking, why am I still making a garden here, when it's the place my heart was broken?

It didn't matter, really. My heart mattered - but the die-hard potter in me, doesn't know how to stop pottering in the garden. Of course I was going to express myself with greenery. When I see this trellis now - I can only see me. Making room to grow higher. With nothing more than bits 'n pieces.

One fruit ~ many seeds

That passionfruit vine did eventually produce, so I gathered them up and froze the excess, for later use. The brush turkeys ate many more. Each cube is around a quarter cup (60 mls). Or half a small tin from the supermarket. About 4 fruit went into each cube.

If each person is like a passionfruit though, how many seeds can we accumulate together? I know in my life recently, I've gleaned plenty of bits 'n pieces to put to use. I've also seen what it can do in the hands of those who glean with me. 

Man, I haven't even told you about my new job yet!

Boot-scoot'in attire

So it's not the office job, I was looking for - but it was local. Like in my neighbourhood, and up my alley. Well, that's not what I mean by alley either, because I live in a cul-de-sac. 😉 I'm saying my job is being a Nursery Hand, so I get to work with plants!

I started last week. Still relatively new. It's not a small nursery either. More like an industrial sized nursery, supplying farmers with seedlings to grow food in Queensland. I began this post declaring, my life ends up looking like my projects. Well now my paid job, reflects my love of growing food too.

Don't start the garden-gnome party, just yet though. It's very physically demanding work, and while I love it - I still only view it as a step, in my bits 'n pieces life. Who knows what it will end up growing?

Cactus blooming indoors

This blog collects bits 'n pieces, too. Expanding and growing with others' contributions. Yours and mine. The photo above shows real-life connections made through blogging. Nanna Chel, from Going Grey and Slightly Green, saw my posts on sourdough, and invited me to demonstrate a workshop for the Toowoomba Simple Living Group back in 2016. The first of three workshops.

The group closed after a decade, but we still meet thanks to a lady who kindly offers her home for gathering. These cactus flowers were from her garden. Participants bring things to swap (how I received these plants) and exchange conversations around life, and the skills, tips and tricks we still attempt to master. 

My point being - don't let a jumbled together life, become a barrier to sharing it with others. I'm glad I finally sat down, to write this post without having everything figured out yet. Who has time for that? 😉

So what does your jumbled together life, look like at present? Do you marvel at how the pieces end up connecting together - or not quite yet?