What do you have in your hand?

This week, with a promise not to open it before the day, I took receipt of my birthday present from my sister - a new pair of secateurs; with a Sophie Grigson cookbook to follow.  This has prompted me to tidy my trug.  By 'trug' I do not mean the gift of our Sussex trug from East Grinstead, a genuine artefact, but the little green and yellow ditty bag that contains my tools.

Tidying is a feature of this household, we are regular 'tidiers' but favour different areas.  His are the shed and the garage versus my desk and work bag plus the contested territory of the coffee table.

Hither migratory objects - books, beans, bank statements and the like find their way in much the same way as various items pertaining to his ditty bag or trug had found their way into mine.  Honesty compels me to admit that his was recovering from a soaking and drying out in the garage.  Enough, it was well and truly recovered.  Today it was time to differentiate and negotiate. 

For instance; I do not collect string, washers, wooden clothes pegs (useful for strawberry runners), red rubber bands discarded by the postman, or wingnuts.  Over to you, dear.  Likewise a hand fork, a spirit level, a pair of fluorescent bicycle clips and a set of screwdriver heads.

My stripped down trug now contains the following: one biro, one pencil, a pair of old scissors, a useful pronged object for removing weeds from paving stones, my new secateurs (from tomorrow)and my trowel.  

This last has to be my favourite tool.  Yes, I can manage a border spade or a small rake, but I love my hand trowel for its versatility, for the way its old-fashioned wooden handle fits into my palm. With it I can uproot weeds, kneeling to get at the stubborn roots of thistles and dandelions.  With it I can line out seed drills, scoop holes for seed potatoes, excavate miniature puddling ponds for leeks.  And when all is said and done I mustn't forget to clean it.  Many husbands are punctilious on these matters.

Tools are important.  At the burning bush God asked Moses, 'What is that in your hand?'  It is still a good question.