Who knew cleaning up biohazardous waste could feel so…cathartic!  

While E scrubbed down and sanitized the entire downstairs, basement, and porch (don’t ask), and returned large items to storage, I cleaned up and sorted the landing and apartment for same, and reorganized our gardening/hardware storage under the basement steps.  (Unspeakable things were left there by the tenants.)

While I was outside dumping debris, I hesitantly creeped over to my poor bedraggled flower bed out front, like an abused dog, tail between legs, looking over my shoulder.  I’ve been that intimidated for a year.

The tenants used to climb in and out of their front windows onto my flowers, and leave their screen lying there.  Of course the herds of kids trampled them as well. I almost busted my mower on a piece of coat hanger left in the lawn, undoubtably used for breaking into one of their vehicles.

The very luxury of being able to access the garden freely once more is so unfamiliar.  Here’s some of what I found!  The little conifer was a tiny seedling when I first moved here.

I symbolically hung our rainbow flag in the front window (inconspicuous to the outside, but illuminated by the sunlight).

This must be what it’s like to be out on parole, rediscovering the minute pleasures of normal life.