We were at my in-laws on Saturday and picked grapes with them. The September afternoon sun was wonderful. The temp was still warm enough for shorts and a tshirt but without that dripping, heavy, energy sapping humidity. These first few days of autumn are my absolute favorite time of the year. I picked grapes and took pictures. Look at the colors and the light of the season is beautiful to me.
Having a vineyard to over look is gorgeous. It is also hard work. G-daddy works all summer picking off critters, watering if needed, keeping the grass cut and praying for the right rain at the right time. This time of the year is harvest and Grandmother makes jelly and jam and the most wonderful muscadine meat sauce. (a small piece of heaven on pork roast) G-daddy starts this years wine and sells tons of grape at his roadside stand. One of those stands that is quite often on the honor system. You get your stuff and leave the money under a basket. Later - after the harvest - he prunes.
Pruning to me is the hardest thing to do. I can cut off the dead stuff, but I have a hard time with cutting off what looks healthy. I know its necessary for the best growth and production, but I still have a hard time. Those of you who know me know that I think about those things more deeply than some and of course as I wandered through the vines, I could not help analyzing how pruning in my life could help with my growth as well. So here are some random thoughts about pruning and results I could gain from it.
1. Prune the clutter from my closet. Result - getting dressed every day in something that makes me feel good. You know - those outfits that are comfortable and appropriate for the wearing in your life - the ones you reach for time and time again as you push the others out of the way.
2. Prune the clutter in my house. Result - easier to clean areas. Less visual noise in the environment around me. I do love the feel of a clean house. Now if I could just get it all clean at one time.
3. Prune the overcommittment items in my life. We all have them - I often say that I suffer from over - yes syndrome. Result - some of my sanity back. And the time to do things that are really important to me and the ones I love.
4. Prune the negative feeling about my self. This takes hard work but long term it is so important for us all.
All of these are obvious "deadwood" things - things I recognize need to be pruned or weeded out. This last one is the most difficult.
5. Prune the negative people from my life. Those who short change me - those who cause me to short change myself - those people I try to please and never will - the people that it takes all I have to be around - etc. We have some "friends" and to all appearances this is a normal friendship, but they are the most negative "poor pitiful me" people I know. Everything goes wrong to them and nothing is ever their fault. They get angry if they find out we did anything without them or if we have any kind of friendship with anyone else. The husband's idea of funny jokes is always belitting to others. For the everyday world they are smart and funny and easy going, but the behind the scenes is ugly. Hubby has known them for years - he was friend with them first. I have fired them as friends. This was hard to do. It hurt me and them. But they have found replacements for us and I do wish them all well as they forge this new friendship and enjoy common ground with one another. I am eliminating many negatives from my life. Result - less stress internally and less strife externally. No searching for excuses - just open and honest communication - I am so much better for this.
Sorry this wound up being negative in its own way. My life is full to overflowing with blessings and people I love dearly. I want to share those blessings with others who really understand how special they are, so some hard pruning has and is taking place. Long term I want to share the bountiful fruits of the harvest with many. I want to look over the vineyard that is my life and it be a place of beauty not a tangled and knarled mess of a unkempt life.
Life's biggest influences are those tiny little things done well every day. I recognize that and I appreciate those. I appreciate each of you readers. I appreciate my loved ones. You know - I appreciate my life.
Have a beautiful day.
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