Unsolicited Advice

Oh hello, you’ve stopped by at a great time. I’m expecting a visit from Willa and Celeste. They keep some of their bee hives on my property to help me with the pollination of my fruit and nut trees, flower, herb, and vegetable gardens. They are stopping by this morning to collect some honey and check on the hives. They own Nature’s Treasures, the holistic apothecary shop. A lot of the organic ingredients they use in their tincture, preparations, teas and aromatherapies… or as Willa and Celeste refer to them lotions, notions and potions… come from my gardens. Their shop was originally my great grandparent’s general store. Those ladies have wicked sense of humor and a fascinating outlook on life. I hope you can stay for a bit…it will be a memorable visit.

 Here they come now.

Hi ladies, how are your babies doing on such a beautiful day? Are they getting ready to settle in for winter or whatever bees do when the weather gets cold?

Hi Bella Nonna, don’t get Celeste started… she just went ten rounds with old man Goldberg over the keeping and caring for bees. Those two have been at war since they were in grade school.

That old fart thinks he is an expert on everything. I think it’s time I give him a lesson on unsolicited advice.

Unsolicited advice is like fertilizer. Sometimes it is of excellent quality and is diluted with the perfect amounts of caring and concern. Even though you didn’t ask for it, you are grateful because it helps you grow and blossom.

Sometimes it is of very good quality, but the giver dumps way too much on you. You know they meant well, but now you have extra work trying to spread it out before it smothers you. You persevere and in the long run you have to admit it did help you.

Then there is the “by the truck load” advice. This advice comes in such a huge quantity you don’t know where to put it or when you will ever use it. This is usually supplied by those generous givers who, not seeing any results, feel the need to keep supplying it. You end up pushing it aside and forgetting about it.

Then there is the “big bag of grass clippings” advice. You know the kind of advice that is filled with crabgrass, bindweed and creeping Charlie cuttings just waiting to take root… not to mention a few hundred weed seeds… the nerve of some people! Not only do you have your own bag of clippings, which I might add is way better than theirs; you have to discard their clippings and hope none of their nasty weeds take hold.

Last by not least you have… manure. The giver just dumps it on you without even seasoning it. It may be filled with healthy elements, but in its raw form, all it does is burn you up. Besides it stinks!

And that concludes Celeste’s life lesson for today. Here is a jar of honey to sweeten the experience… you thought I was gonna say advice didn’t you.

Until next time, take care and stay safe. (a suggestion… not advice)