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The sun glows through towering pines and frost sparkles as it quickly melts away. I sit in my trusty old car, pecking away as I wait on a landscaper to meet me. My car is really racking up the miles these days, but will probably get a little older before I trade her in for a newer model. I heard on the news that most people are paying over sticker price for a new one.

That really got my attention. What a concept! It seems crazy that there would be no haggling over the price of a new vehicle, since that has been standard operating procedure for such a long while. There is that old law of supply and demand, but we as consumers seem to have forgotten that we aren’t really at the mercy of high prices. If we would all just cool our jets and hang on to our oldies but goodies a little longer, those prices would fall.

The economic times we find ourselves in these days make me realize anew that the virtue of patience is a very important thing. It’s difficult for a lot of us to wait on something we have our hearts set on, but we, as consumers, do wield a lot of power. It reminds me of that old slogan about illegal drug use of the past — “just say no.” As difficult as waiting is, that is exactly what Mike and I are doing on several large purchases.

People who have a dog in the fight would have us all think that prices will always be crazy high, but history does not bear this out. Prices have always risen and fell with demand or lack of it, and I don’t think this time will be different. Of course, if people keep paying ridiculously high prices, the demand will still be there, but I’m banking on a cooling off on the demand side.

I have always loved nature, and there is something very satisfying about making improvements and especially planting and watching a landscape change with each season. When the initial work is done, God does the rest. The experts say that February is the optimum time for transplanting in our area. It makes me wonder why the garden centers have more trees and shrubs available in the spring and summer months. Go figure.

Mike and I let several areas grow up with little pine saplings, and now we are relocating them to other spots. Of course, it’s a true work in progress, but that’s part of the fun. The rain coming later in the week should help my transplants to thrive.

So on this beautiful chilly morning I have come out to plant, or, more accurately, watch someone else do the planting. After a while, I sated my desire to supervise, and now I am content to sit back and imagine how beautiful the place will be when my plans, Adam’s work, and the Lord’s gifts of sunshine and rain have produced results.

 Jan Penton Miller can be reached at lilsisjan@yahoo.com.