The doula arrived on Sunday with big rain boots on, which I took as the mark of a professional (I tend to wear my chucks – clearly an amateur). She had me bring a notebook and some scotch tape around with us as I trailed behind her through the untamed jungles that are my front and backyard (you’ll notice those pictures never make it to the blog – maybe one day). She was so great! She could identify every plant by sight and had me tape a leaf into my book so I could identify them to. But I was truly impressed when she was bitten by the red ants as we leaned over one particularly dense corner: instead of the mixture of wincing, hoping, and whining I do, she simply rummaged through the weeds in the nearest vegetable bed, chewed on one, and then spat it onto her leg where the bite was. Apparently there has been an antidote around me the entire time and I never knew it.
I feel better about the garden now – less overwhelmed by it all. She’s making me a sketch and a plan, and there’s nothing I like more than lists and plans.
