The landscaping thing in Texas couldn’t be more opposite than it was in Scottsdale. Here you see grass, flowers and huge trees; things we rarely saw back home. I miss the desert landscape with its rocks and boulders, little slow growing trees, prickery shrubbery and my beloved majestic saguaros.

My Texas landscaper Tim came over to fix some problems with the irrigation in the back yard. We have some very pretty vines with beautiful pink flowers on them. Most of them look stunning while one of them is hideous. I know perfectionism is a losing battle but I’m having a hard time letting go when it comes to my house and my yard.

“My landscapers in Scottsdale spent a lot time trying to convince me that landscaping is not an exact science but what’s wrong with that one vine, Tim?” I asked from a comfortable chair on my patio.

“Exact science….” Tim repeated under his breath and chuckled.

“It’s odd,” he went on, “the soil around this healthy one was very dry, and the soil around that ugly one was wet.” I didn’t say anything.

“I wonder if there is a leak in the water line somewhere,” he continued as he messed around in the mud. I still didn’t say anything.

“I could try putting some fertilizer on it and we could see if that does anything,” he said as he pulled some weeds from around the base of the vine. I was silent.

“It may not get the same kind of sun as the others,” he said. I still didn’t say anything.

He finally looked up at me and said, “These comments are my way of saying I don’t know.”