Mind made up, Nimue fetched out a large, empty bin and after changing into clothes that she could get grubby in, went to work weeding. As the sun slowly traveled across the sky, Nimue had come to a startling conclusion. Their cute little backyard had been mostly weeds with a tiny smattering of actual grass! Doggedly, she kept working at removing every last weed. She’d get some sod and lay it out after lunch. And hey! This gave her an excuse to go visit that big plant nursery that she’d been dying to see. Maybe they’d be able to give her some pointers.
After hours of work, the weeds had all been removed and Nimue was gleefully wandering through rows of flowers and shrubbery. She’d decided that in addition to laying some sod, she’d turn a little corner of the yard into a bee garden. And if she got some chicken wire she could set it along the fence and train honeysuckle on it. Oh, and she absolutely needed a pair of cute adirondack chairs that had been whited bright white. And some pots for the porch corners. She and Niamh could each have their own. By the time Nimue had finished and left, she had a truck from the nursery following her car and loaded to the brim with supplies. Really, she’d spent more than she should have, but the results would be worth it.
With the help of the nice man from the nursery, they got the sod strips unrolled and laid out nicely. And then they got everything else unloaded and Nimue went to work getting things squared away. Her length of tall wire fencing was attached to the fence as she carefully transplanted baby honeysuckle and gently wove the slender sprigs through the bottom of the wire. With time and care, they’d grow and move up the wire. Then, it was only a matter of picking a corner for her garden and cutting away a patch of sod and breaking up the dirt and adding rich, reddish brown soil to the spot. Some pretty rocks and crystals made a nice little border and by the time she got her flowers planted, Nimue was feeling justifiably proud of herself. Standing and stretching, she felt bone and muscle click and pop back into place. Oooooof! It was late and she was sore, dirty and hungry. Once she got everything watered, she’d call it a night and finish everything else in the morning.
***
After the best night’s sleep she’d had in ages, Nimue was ready to get to work. Maybe she was moving a little slower today thanks to soreness, but she could still get those adirondacks placed and remove another bit of sod to lay out some pretty brick for the tripod firepit she’d gotten. After that, it was just a matter of filling and setting out the large pots she’d bought, planting some tiny shrubbery around the brick to soften the hard edges. And then, as she was admiring her work, she had an idea and after a cursory cleaning, was in her car and heading for the closest Target. When she returned, it was with multiple strings of outdoor lights to attach to the porch. The lights themselves looked like tiny, crystal flowers and when lit would give everything a soft, glowing, almost faery-like cast. And when it got dark, the firepit would add such a homey glow…
Hugging herself and laughing in sheer delight, Nimue paced the yard, adjusting things here and there to create a more pleasing effect. It had been hard work, but she was proud of the end result. Wouldn’t Niamh be surprised when she got home in the morning? She knew her cousin would want to rest tomorrow. She’d make a pitcher of sangria and they could both relax out here. She was certain that her cousin would love it. And if she didn’t, well that would be her loss. Nimue was happy enough for the both of them.
Throughout the day, Nimue kept herself busy, filling the firepit with charcoal and setting the cagetop back over them in preparation for evening. The sangria had been made and she’d even baked some lemon sugar cookies. Then, in a fit of happy home-maker she found a large tea jar and filled it up with water before dropping in a handful of teabags and taking it outside to set it in the sun. As far as she was concerned, sun brewed tea made for a superior iced tea once the weather got warm.
Contented with her the backyard had turned out, Nimue turned her attention indoors. She still had a few hours before the sun went down. She could wash windows and vacuum and get some laundry done. Maybe change out the bed linens too. Yes, that would work just fine. Moving like a happy whirlwind, Nimue had the house sparkling by the time the first pinkish-purple streaks of dusk filled the sky. And once she’d showered and rid herself of dirt and sweat, she was ready to relax with a glass of tea and a cookie or two. Taking her treat outside, she sank into one of the chairs and sighed with content.
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