One Hawk Homestead

An update on things - the gardens are coming along, now that the cold weather is finally behind us and the rains have returned after a several week hiatus. You can see in the pictures that the persimmons are starting to bloom, and the blackberries are in full flower. I had designed the gardens to carry on mostly without me, thinking that would be a someday thing... not realizing I would need that at this age.
Things with me - I have been back to my 'real job' full-time since sometime in April. Mostly that is something I am doing remotely because I still have lingering cognitive challenges since the November stroke. Sounds, especially, are very difficult for me... I do ok in calm quiet environments, but I find that I still have to take a lot of small breaks. The battery is low, and I get worn down easily. That part is something I did not really anticipate being an issue this many months removed, but I was warned that it could be like this for the first year or so. I don't enjoy it, but I am respecting it and taking the cues to rest. I am doing outside things here and there, but it does feel like I am dragging myself to accomplish so little. I am drained by my 'real job' most days, and there isn't much left to give. It is a season.. and I have accepted what is. I do miss the energy, though.
Anyway - just sharing where things are currently. I'm still keeping the gardens going to the extent that I can, and my husband is helping a lot. I don't know if or when I'll be up to handling a market day this summer. I'll update here when the time comes. In the meantime, enjoy the view. It's what I'm doing.. it's pretty outside 💚

My friend, Sharon, would have been so happy with herself 💚 That's what I think every time I pass by our accidental pear trees, as they are blooming for the first time this year.
We have 3 (4?) that all grew from seeds of her pear crop about 6 years ago or so. Not intentionally, at least for my part. I think it was one of those compost situations, you know, happy little accidents that spring up from the compost unexpectedly. I had gotten something like 60lbs of pears from her that year.
A couple weeks after I got out of the hospital, I found out through a mutual friend that Sharon had crossed into the afterlife. No one had told me, but I had this unshakable feeling for several weeks. She was in my dreams.. it turned out Sharon had passed right around the time my own health took a turn last November.
Sharon had been ill, so it was not a surprise really. We both knew what was coming. I visited her in September, and we said our goodbyes then. We walked her gardens.. we played flutes.. we hugged. We promised to look for each other after she crossed over.
She has been in my consciousness A LOT the past week or so. She's not gone. Just here in a different way. These pear trees are proof of that. I hope they give us some fruit this year in her honor. She would love that 💚