The garden of earthly humiliations

Today I came home from church and took this picture of my garden.

Loser!!

It is a miracle I have not gotten a ticket or a summons or something. Well, in Buffalo anything is allowed.

Undoubtedly I am being talked about at block club meetings.

Well, at least my loser garden keeps me from getting upset at the neighbors who love to park cars on their lawns, Erie County Fair-style, even though we have parking up and down the street and a lot of the time the space right in front of their house is vacant. Before, that used to irritate me. Now I simply look at my "garden" and think: Who am I to talk?

I am going to put "garden" in quotes from now on the way Leonard Pennario did when he was being sarcastic.

Here is a funny story about non-gardening and it is true. I went to Fredonia for a some concert or other a few years ago and afterward, having dinner with whoever I was with, I overheard this conversation between two women at the next table.

Woman A: "How is your garden doing?"

Woman B: "Forget it. It's not. I don't have time to garden. I play the piano. That's what I do. I do not garden."

Honest, I heard that. I went and told my piano teacher, Stephen, about it. Wow, this is the second time in three days I have mentioned Stephen! I don't know what is going on here. Anyway, he said, "Who was she?" Because this being Buffalo he figured he probably knew her.

Alas, I didn't think to ask. I have often regretted that. Because I love those two sentences: "I play the piano. That's what I do." So unapologetic. So inspiring. I will adapt it to myself. "I don't have time to garden. I write about Leonard Pennario. That's what I do." If anyone tries to get me about my "garden" that is what I will say.

Hope is in the air now and I do not mean in terms of Barack H. Obama having become elected. I am talking in terms of the snowflakes in the air. I just saw a handful of them outside the window.

I cannot wait until the snow buries my "garden."