Soil On My Fingers

May 5, 2026

Soil on my fingers. Freshly planted tomatoes in the ground with cages and a bit of organic fertilizer left over from last year in each hole. It all started with a moment of wanting to check on the state of my lettuce and spinach after work. That led to a bit of weeding and a bit of planting. In less than a minute I had lost track of time and space. What was I fretting about earlier in the day at work? I believe I was frustrated by a poor driver who cut me off in traffic on the way home. The second my hands made contact with dirt, I was grounded, refocused, redirected.

Thoughts of a summer cookout began to form I my mind. Could I get the table and chairs repainted by Memorial Day and the pots and planters refilled with seasonal flowers to greet guests? Would there be time to enjoy firepits and cold beverages, hot coffee in the cool of the morning on my glider or reading time in my hammock on a lazy afternoon?

After a year of working in a windowless library with huge fluctuations in temperature, I think I could enjoy more time in nature. Sure, there will be rainy days or oppressively humid and buggy ones. But, even on those, most of my time will be spent with a view of trees, grass, birds, squirrels and neighbors walking their dogs. I am used to the luxury of walking barefoot all summer long in my yard. I wonder what it will be like in the fall when the leaves turn vibrant colors or in the winter when the days are short, but I am home in daylight hours.

My hope is that I will find more small gardening tasks that ground me in the cooler seasons as well. The rhythm of the natural world; growth, the dying back and even the dormancy can be beautiful when I slow down enough to observe the subtle changes. As I adjust to a gentler pace, I intend to try something new each week, whether it is a museum or a seasoning or an exercise class. Writing will take a larger presence in my life. Ideally, a daily session beyond my morning pages will help me reach milestones on some of my larger projects. When I don’t return to school in September, that is when I will truly feel retired. Until then, it seems like a regular summer break is coming, except for the additional paperwork.