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Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Farewell, trusty helpers.


I am mourning today the loss of . . . my favorite gardening gloves.

You have served me well, you lovely, spring green gloves emblazoned with the word “GARDENER” across the knuckles. You fit so well, and remained at the ready for any task, large or small, over the last few years. How will I go on? Something vital will be missing from my garden endeavors. I fear I will be less productive, and I hope that my garden will not suffer as a result of this tragic loss.

Yes, I have a picture of my garden gloves - what of it?
How could such a thing happen, you ask? Every gardener knows she must guard and protect her precious helpers.  Alas, I was careless.

After working on the gardens at our neighborhood club on Monday, I removed my trusty gloves and placed them on the hood of the Beast (my SUV). I know, I know, I hear your indrawn breaths of horror. I think I retrieved them from this dangerous spot, but . . .

When I arrived home I realized I could not find my friends. I searched in the car and in the house, to no avail. My daughter and I revisited at the club, and then scoured the roadside to see if I had indeed left them in that terrible place and they had blown off – again, to no avail.

Maybe they have run away and are hiding, in retaliation for my carelessness in placing them – even for a few moments – in such a dangerous situation. If that’s so, and they somehow hear about this post, I say to them, “I’M SO SORRY, SO SO SORRY! PLEASE COME HOME! I NEED YOU!”

Perhaps you think I am being melodramatic. I assure you, this is not the case. I don’t know about other gardeners, but my garden gloves usually do not last long:  the fingertips wear out or they split between the thumb and first finger.  They are too large or too small; too heavy or too thin.

These are the perfect gloves. I bought them at that behemoth W**M*** - not normally where one finds fine gardening tools. I bought a first pair, and they lasted for much longer than other gloves. Several years later, I found another pair there – only one – and brought them home. We have been very happy together, these past two years. They were aging, like me, but still (like me!) had some good years left.

Now they are gone, GONE, I TELL YOU.

I’ve not been able to find the next generation at the behemoth, nor on the Internet. If I could find them, I would buy a dozen and hand them out at Christmas to those who would appreciate such paragons. (If you are rolling your eyes at my histrionics, and muttering “Good grief,” you are not on that Christmas list.)

I hope you don’t think I am being heartless in my speedy quest to replace my old and trusty friends.  It is the sincerest form of appreciation, knowing that my life will not be the same without these companions.

And after all, they are just gloves.

Favorite spot in the garden:

It’s raining as I type, a slow gentle rain tapping on the tin roof. I have finished planting (except for two silver dianthus). All of the new (and established) plants are bedded down out there, soaking up the good rain and enjoying a respite from the beaming rays of the sun. My favorite spot today is all of my garden and property, happily sucking up the good rain. I can almost hear it happening over the  drumming on the roof!

You see here my highly sophisticated rainwater collection system. 

10 comments:

  1. I've been questing for the perfect gloves as well. Need some this year that extend up my arms so I don't look like a battered wife after hauling brush around. Mike brought home a pair that I thought were perfect. Tried the left one on -- Ah, perfect. Then the right one. Sigh -- just a little too tight. I feel like the Cinderella of gardening.

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    1. Cinderella would undoubtedly wear evening gloves were she to work in the garden . . .

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  2. TWO YEARS??? Wow! Those must have been the perfect gloves.

    This is a sad, sad tale. So sorry about your loss.

    Two years.....I'm lucky to get one season out of a pair...no matter what I pay for them.

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    1. Exactly!! Large tears are splashing onto the keyboard as I type . . .

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  3. So sad dear sister:( I have had a recent such loss. I bought two new gloves in the late winter(does that seem obvious that I would buy two?). Oh how nicely they fit. Well, one decided it had somewhere to be. I looked hither and yonder, no glove. I have seen a baby bunny in my back yard, perhaps it needed said glove for some reason or another. I must find the courage to go on. ps I hope I am on that Christmas list, I did not roll my eyes EVER when reading this post:)

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    1. You will be on the list, as soon as I know which sister you are . . . sorry for your loss, also. Miss H had to rescue numerous gloves, rags, etc. from underneath her grandparents porch recently, after some critter harvested them for nesting materials. Your theory of the bunny could be correct!

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  4. I lost my two year old garden gloves last month. I knew they had to be somewhere in the back garden, but could not locate them, though I looked in all the usual places. They had been gone about a week when my sweet husband brought home a new lawn mower. He found my gloves in no time... but they aren't the same anymore.

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    1. So sorry to hear your sad tale! I guess they met their demise in their favorite environment . . . the great outdoors!

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  5. You seem to have loved those gloves so much. I totally understand how you feel. It’s like you got so attached to the things that you use and you wouldn’t want them replaced. That’s how I feel when I realize that my gloves are no longer good for use.

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    1. Yes, indeed! I am happy to report that I found two pairs of the same glove at WM over the summer. I bought them both, and now have a back-up pair. Yay!

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