Reasons # 63 and 64 Why I Shouldn't Waste Money on Manicures

For the last several years, I have had Easter lunch and egg hunting at my house. One year it rained so much that we hid eggs in the garage for the kids to hunt - not much of a challenge there. I can also remember at least two years where the kids hunted in mud boots. But we have had some beautiful Easter afternoons too. Last year was one of those years. After lunch we had a quick egg hunt and then flew kites. The weather was great.

With the weather we have been having, I am worried that this year will be a mud boot hunt again. No matter the weather, we will have a good time I know. But the kids we love getting outside in the sunshine.

Wednesday was payday, and after school I headed to the bank. Since I was in town, I decided to run by the farm co-op to pick up ferns and some flowers to plant along the front of the porch. Once the back of my truck was full (I just can't stop myself.), my procrastinating self decided that I had time for a much needed manicure before heading home. Nothing fancy, just a basic manicure maybe with clear polish, maybe no polish. I wasn't technically procrastinating; it was about to start storming. I knew that I wouldn't be able to plant anything when I got home - so why hurry?

When I got inside the shop, the guy at the front desk ask what I wanted. "Manicure."

And then he tempted me, "Just a manicure?"

"Yes, a plain manicure."

"Nothing else."

I quickly thought about how just the day before I had worn flip flops and noticed that my almost four week old pedicure was looking a little ragged. It would be nice to get it all done at one time. You know, so that I wouldn't have to come back. But I stuck to my guns and said, "No, just a manicure." And then he tempted me again - no, he directed me.

"Go pick your color from the back wall."

Well, it wouldn't hurt to look. I would just check their colors - for next time. Because I had just bought a truck load of plants that would need to be planted. And I still had cleaning to do to prepare for company. But wait! Look at that! The prettiest shade of pink, no magenta or fuschia. And it has sparkles! I'm a sucker for sparkles. I would just let her test the color. So that I would know what color to get NEXT time.

It was just after 4:30 when I walked in the shop. I walked out just before 5:30 with a beautiful manicure the perfect shade of pink and just the right amount of sparkle. By 6:00, I had already dinged two nails and chipped the paint. Reason # 63 - I can't sit still long enought to let the paint dry completely.

I got home just before the storms hit my area. It has been a very dry fall, an even drier winter, an a dry spring. We needed a good rain, and boy did we get one. It rained all night long. We got about 4 inches. It was a drizzly day too. But I had to do something with those plants. I moved the ferns from the pots they came in to the ones I already had.

My pots have a bottom on them that will hold water. Without these, my ferns suffer. Watering plants doesn't always rank at the top of the To-Do list.



I'm sure this is not the way Martha would re-pot ferns, but it works for me.

Reason # 64 - I can never find my work gloves when I need them.

Lovey came home while I was moving ferns. He took those pics of me. He also helped me to plant some foxgloves and impatients along the front of the porch.

I have been trying to get peonies to bloom for several years. Today I found my first bloom. Beautiful.

Lovey likes the irises.

After pulling a few weeds I went back to the porch for a quick peek before heading in.

Impatients look great with what is already blooming.

And I love what a few ferns do to make a porch feel homey.

Even if it rains on Sunday we can sit on the porch and enjoy the view. Maybe everyone will be so taken by the lovely ferns and pretty flowers that they won't notice the dinged up manicure.