Friday 24 May 2013

Meden Agan (μηδὲν ἄγαν) - Nothing To Excess

I’m allergic to happiness!

Last week gardener hurt his ribs, which meant he took a week off work. He didn’t mind too much about not working - he is retired, after all - but I missed him. As the weather was reasonable, and the Open Garden deadline is racing towards me, I worked by myself for two days. Two hours’ gardening in the morning, cooking dinner, followed by an hour’s dog walking, a tea break, and another good two hours’ gardening. What could possibly be wrong with that? I didn’t do a lot of digging or lugging, just normal outdoor work.

True, I’m not as young as I was, but I didn’t feel overtired at all, just nicely stretched. And very happy. Outdoor work always makes me feel elated, it’s those lovely endorphins that are released by exercise in the fresh air.


The walks were lovely too. Millie took her time over all those wonderful smells left expressly for her benefit and she deposited lots of little messages herself. I poked around for wildflowers, like this gorgeous little clump of cuckooflower - aka  Lady’s smock or milkmaids. No stress, no undue effort. I am sure you all know what  'nicely tired and deserving of a lazy evening’ feels like. Both days left me in high good spirits and all round pleased with myself.


I should have known what would happen: a rush of adrenaline like I had experienced for two days running causes my stupid heart to go into overdrive. Sure enough, there I was,  ready to drop everything else and start a third gardening day, when sudden flutterings stopped me dead and it was me on the sofa, self-medicating like mad, instead of outdoors. It was okay in the end, four hours later things had settled down and I didn’t even call the doctor. It’s just so very scary every time.


Yesterday gardener was back. We only managed a half-hearted couple of hours; it was bitterly cold and raining on and off, with some really hefty showers. We had a tea break though, gardener sitting on the terrace by the broom - he refuses to come and sit inside, preferring to stay out in all weathers. Sniffing the air he said: “ when I’m dead I want one of them on my grave; at least I smell good a few weeks every year.”

If the weather is good he’ll be back tomorrow. We’ll have another go at some of the bigger jobs. Keep your fingers crossed for: a) the weather, b) gardener’s ribs, and c) my heart. Personally, I’ll try to be as miserable as I can. But not to excess.



PS: prickly gorse (bot. name ulex) is not the same as broom (bot. name genista) which is a garden shrub.

40 comments:

  1. Hi Friko - sounds a little hairy scary - but glad all is well now. It is freezing down here too .. and good luck with the weather - it's not being terribly helpful!

    We had a 'hedge' of brooms along the bottom of the tennis court area in our house .. and I did so love watching them come out ... so many colours .. delightful to see ... not sure I realised they had a special scent - but I hear gardener's request!

    Prickly gorse is gorgeous in its rightful place - spreading out across the granite hills and moors .. Cornwall, Devon, Wales, Scotland ... it does cheer the landscape up ...

    Good luck with that gardening .. and taketh care!!! Cheers Hilary

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  2. haha....enjoy your miserableness...smiles...sounds like good times other than the heart stuff....work does feel good...and the walks...its cooled a bit here and a good blog friend is driving up from florida to hang out for the weekend so i will take care of the happiness for you...and best wishes on the gardening...

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  3. heerlijk wat loopt alles mooi uit.

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  4. We should all leave unpleasant tidings, so your heart feels no need to rebel. Even so, you don't allow yourself to live on a tether. ~Mary

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  5. Learning to pace ourselves is so inconvenient. Nevertheless, best wishes for healthy gardening. Your pictures are, as ever, fabulous...

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  6. Now that is not something you should be allergic to, happiness that is. I do hope the heart business doesn't interfere with your life any more than it does. It's adrenaline that causes it? I realized recently that sudden shocks to my system cause me to get anxious and jangled much more than when I was young, and then I get sick with some bug that takes advantage of my weakened state. It must be my adrenaline equivalent. Wishing you many more good days without problems.

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  7. Oh no, that darn heart! This makes me so sad that you had to go through one of those episodes again, but at least it didn't land you in the hospital. The yellow bush, prickly gorse (?), is just beautiful.

    I understand those endorphins that come from working in the garden. I love that feeling. Nothing is better than gardening for making me feel good. It seems you paced yourself, so let's hope those pesky flutters will just stay away for the rest of the summer. I wish they'd stay away for good!

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  8. Oh these traitorous bodies of ours. I'm sorry about your heart and Gardener's ribs, but won't be too fulsome in my sympathy in hopes of warding off future events.

    I remember the broom vs prickly gorse question from last year at this time. The prickly gorse spreads so wildly around here, but it does smell pretty.

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  9. Oh, Friko, how frightening! Even though I have no problems with my heart, I do know what the aftermath of an adrenalin rush does to me. It flattens me. I'm good for nothing but sleep, for days.
    I hope you and Gardener both feel good tomorrow and I also hope the weather cooperates with you. We've had some much-needed rain around here, but I hope it's done, as the house is nicely cleaned and vacuumed. Lindy and I are going to have a nice, lazy evening watching home-improvement shows on TV. I used to love a hammer, a saw, and an electric screwdriver, and still do but only as an observer these days.
    Take care of yourself. I'll be thinking of you.
    K

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  10. Hallo Friko,
    Du bist ja sogar im Griechischen fit. NL, F, GB (ES), diese Sprachen kriege ich halbwegs mit etwas Mühe hin. Aber Griechisch mit den andersartigen Buchstaben, daran würde ich mir einen abbrechen. Hochachtung, dass Du damit klar kommst !

    Gruß Dieter

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  11. I loved the smell of gorse in Ireland; it smelled like Pina Colada--a tropical blended drink made with rum.

    With you it is your heart, with me it is my head--but we manage to keep plugging on and enjoying such beauty. Take care.

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  12. Friko, after reading this post and also seeing your fine photos, I don't quite know where to begin with my comment.

    Why not with wishes to you and Gardener on resumption of good gardening health, with no adverse aftermath if enthusiasm takes over wisdom. How I do wish I could be close enough to offer my amateurish (but pretty strong) help!

    I loved your description of Millie finding and sending messages. She's got the instincts of a gifted blogger?

    Springtime over here in New York City is playing a strange game with us. Yesterday was so hot, humid and even sultry that the resulting dramatic thunderstorm was no surprise. Today, we reverted to wintry chills, sent along with lots of wind and rain. I am glad that my landlord is still sending heat via the radiators (and I have closed my windows yet again.)

    I do hope that you and that heart of yours will have an easier time in the coming days. As a greedy reader of your posts, I also very much look forward to what you will be reporting next. xo

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  13. I used to get a lot of palpitations and could sometimes stop them by putting an icy-cold gel pack in a dishtowel and wrapping it around my neck. I don't get them anymore because I am now on a beta blocker for my blood pressure which has the lovely side effect of getting rid of those awful pounds and flutters.

    Hope you can avoid them, too!

    =)

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  14. Oh, jeezz, Friko, take it easy, will ya! I feel your elation and rush of adrenaline, too, and overdo it myself. I don't have heart problems; but I pay for it in the pain in my weak knees and my bad ankle. Maybe we all hate to admit it, but we're not as young as we used to be! So ... take care of yourself. Btw, luv the dandelions!

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  15. Gorgeous post - except for your poor heart. I really need to learn a bit of moderation myself. Out in the garden this morning, planting bulbs and weeding. I decided I needed a break and came in - and am so tired I am brain dead and cross eyed. Which (probably) means I can't/shouldn't go out again this afternoon. The garden is one of my drugs of addiction though. It heals my heart and soothes my nerves - and does my body in.

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  16. Please, Friko, Take it EASY!!!
    I'll bet that your garden is beautiful - I can imagine it.

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  17. ah yes! Stretching and endorphins out of doors!

    Wonderful outdoor pics


    ALOHA from Honolulu
    Comfort Spiral
    ~ > < } } ( ° > <3
    > < } } ( ° >


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  18. The walks and the gardening all sounds lovely - but of course what happened afterwards doesn't. I am glad you were able to get better without needing the doctor and hope it'll stay that way now.

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  19. A rise in adrenaline can often be followed by a bit of a dip. I noticed that myself. It is as if we overcompensate and like the pendulum of a clock swing in the other direction. Eventually we find the middle point again. Don't worry about this kind of thing too much. You probably get palpitations from the anxiety of it. xox

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  20. oh i love being outside too! so sorry about the heart condition...hoping you are feeling better today.

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  21. So unfair ! Surely , the only effects of such labour should be a warm glow of virtue?.
    I do hope both you and Gardener can get manage to get some work done today and are not dodging the marble-sized hailstones we've been having .

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  22. Well, I'm tremendously impressed with your accomplishments --- sorry the schedule is off a bit, but I suspect you'll get it looking amazing. Already looks a lot better than my messy yard. Rick mows the front, sort of forgets the back! And I'm struggllng to get my plants in pots or ground before they kick off on me!

    Sorry about the heart stuff... in my case, overdoing it results in a lost day due to fatigue, but I think that would be scarier. Sometimes I hate being 'of an age' -- and sometimes it is just the best and doesn't matter at all!

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  23. Honestly, I did not read your post before I wrote mine today about happiness. I am happy to hear it is endorphins according to my analytic friend. I simply enjoyed feeling better the past few days. As for hearts. I take all kinds of meds and told David if I fall over in the garden don't call 911, just leave me there to die blissfully. Dianne

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  24. I hope your heart settles down for a while as your gardening days are just starting. Looking at your photo of the garden in your 3rd photo – if this is this year it looks quite wonderful and civilized already. We are just starting to plant some annuals in pots. Our backyard is mostly shade so we don’t have much choice. Impatiens this year are not for sale as there is some type of blight, airborne, that is killing all of them. We are hurrying to plant today and tomorrow because by Monday the temperature will heat 90 degree F (32 C.)

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  25. Working yourself into a tizzy of excitement. What else is there to live for? Now about those tea times. Is that Bloke for taking a nap? If so, that's right up my alley.

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  26. I'd be getting overexcited if I had your lovely garden, how could you not be happy with it? It must be so frustrating - and stressful - not to be able to spend as much time as you'd like working out there. Hope you and gardener are soon fighting fit again.

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  27. I understand
    At the moment everything is so beautiful.
    But I am so uplifted I work until I am exhausted.
    Not a good idea.
    My son is constantly telling me to pace myself and slow down..

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  28. Gorgeous forsythia (at least, that's what it looks like). I have spent most of the day gardening. It feels so good to be outside.

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  29. Have to say gorgeous pictures, my favourite is the one with Millie in it. And, I'll keep my fingers crossed for all 3 requests!

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  30. I know it's difficult not to overdo when the weather is so lovely. I'm thankful that your heart just gave you something of a nudge to remind you rather that a full out protest.

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  31. Hope you continue to feel better. Gardening can be such a great pleasure that it is easy to overdo it. I once literally gardened until I dropped. Only happened once though.

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  32. Your overdose of happiness went to your heart! We need to learn to pace ourselves, Friko, but what fun is that? The photos gave me a few palpitations, too.

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  33. I think we call that Scotch Broom here in the Pacific Northwest of the US. It has been planted along all the freeways. My poor husband is allergic to it.

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  34. What a beautiful...healing walk!!!

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  35. Bugger. Nice to see you didn't lose your sense of humour though. So did you get another good day of gardening in? Hope your heart and gardener's rib are improved. And the weather too, of course.

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  36. So sorry your heart played up to take the edge off your gardening happiness. Hopefully these past two days of beautiful weather will have given you chance to carry on with your outside work at a gentler pace. I'm quite sure your garden is picture perfect for the Open Garden in any case.

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  37. Not fair, not fair at all. But I suppose life isn't. Wine I hear is good for the heart. Bet your garden looks fabulous. Mine looks like a field full of docks just now.

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  38. It is scary when your heart acts up like that. Mine does it for a few seconds now & then but it can happen when I'm sitting or lying down & doesn't seem to matter if I'm exercising or not!
    Your garden work sounds lovely. I think the answer is to go very steady with all forms of exercise. Walking is very good for you though.
    Maggie x

    Nuts in May

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  39. Every now and then during this month I've had a sort of flash of memory of what May OUGHT to be like! I really enjoyed the day last week when it was hot and sunny.

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