Seeing in the Dark

It is interesting how in darkness we are able to see the most. And a truth that seems contradictory is a signal to take a closer look. Who contemplates their life during times of exuberance and great joy? What do we learn here? We learn we like it. We overindulge in it and strive to keep things exactly as they are. But of course, we can’t. Soon some misfortune will visit and she will leave us in that familiar place—a place that is not so joyous, a place that is at best slightly... Continue reading

Thoughtful Recovery

Hurrying is something I've sworn off of late. I know rushing doesn't get me ahead. But what your logical self knows and your good sense tells you often lose out to old ways and ingrained habits. Remembering to be in the moment is always, bar none, your best bet. Saturday afternoon I jammed my foot into a misplaced seven-pound dumbbell and did some serious damage to the second-to-last toe on my left foot. I was running out of time getting ready to head for Cullman. My band, After Two... Continue reading

Secret Garden Update

Last year, Richard and I decided it was time to do something about the overgrowth that lies just beyond our small, fenced backyard. We've put a lot of energy into our front garden, vegetable garden, and backyard oasis. But just beyond has been, well, you know the old saying, "out of sight, out of mind." Nature quickly reclaims what is hers, and she was well on her way to owning the area! We began talking about and visualizing the transformation we wanted to see, and we documented our plans... Continue reading

Harvesting Seed for the Next Season

Broccoli is a cool weather crop. I've not had much success growing them, but I left one plant in the garden amid my rampant parsley, even though it was past time for broccoli growing. To my delight, it began to produce what I thought would be a big, yummy stalk. I checked it every couple of days, proud of my gardening prowess, waiting for it to look something like what I'm familiar with when I walk through the produce section of my local grocery store. As I'd not seen exactly how the plants... Continue reading