HmmmÂOrganic proponents on an Organic Message Board, imagine that if you will? cerister I can identify with your dilemma of gardening on clay, for I too have solid clay soil. I live on a solid clay hill that has mixed in gravel along with patches weeds donÂt even grow on. The first year I tried to till in the spot I wanted a garden in, but my brand new tiller wouldnÂt even break the surface. I had go find a farmer with a tiller on his tractor to break the clay. The first year only weeds grew in the spot along with Bermuda grass, I considered that progress. The second year I found out about organic gardening, went and got about six pickup truck loads of compost and tilled that in. I also learned about compost teas as well as other teas that I began to use. That year I grew some great vegetables on the spot along with plenty of weeds mixed in. Again, progress in my eyes from where I started. The next year I learned about mulching, that made the difference. Mulching over a layer of compost eliminated the need to till, and I havenÂt had to use the tiller since. I am not saying I wonÂt till again, but the link to "The PloughmanÂs Folley" motivated me to get a disc to pull behind my riding lawn tractor, the results are better than progress, I will call it success. I donÂt count worms; I count baskets of vegetables I bring in all summer and fall. You have gotten some very good suggestions, and I too suggest you do whatever you feel good about, for nothing will change if you donÂt do something. I will say compost, compost tea, organic fertilizers, and mulch will, in the end will get you where you want to go. That has been the experience I have had in this hot Georgia sun, planting on this world famous rock hard red Georgia clay. kathyp When I moved here I didnÂt have a lawn, unless growing rocks count. As I said earlier, my tiller would not break the surface of the clay. What I did to the lawn is I started using compost tea on the area I wanted a lawn. My yard is a little over three acres or more, thus I made a lot of compost tea. I did some research and found very good information from Dchall and followed it. Today I have the thickest, greenest, fastest growing lawn on this end of the county. Let me say again, if you do use compost tea or any other tea or lawn amendments on your yard, you will have to cut your grass regularly and high. The teas are not a danger to children or pets and do work in a season. I have found that the clay gets softer under your feet and the grass, if you want to call it that, will spread without seeding. Did I mention my grass grows thick and very, very fast? I would suggest you look at the FAQ on lawn care before you grab that tiller. I know my arms and back is grateful for what I learned, the lawn, flowerbeds, and garden look great and give the results I have come to love and appreciate. That is my experience, am wishing you both success in your gardening adventure Blutranes ...

Very nice package you have there Trixie! Sorry to hear about the recent loss in your family. You are going to LOVE that Ice Wine. Sharon sent the very same kind to me a couple of years ago. Congrats on the soon to be new Grandbaby! David

Satisfaction. Why is that such a hard thing to acheive? I have a giant debt of gratitude to my husband and my maker that I had the opportunity, even if just once, to do exactly as I pleased in a space, and if I think about it long enough, I'm humbled that I get to focus on something that can be argued to be so frivolous in the grand scheme of things. I can only say that because I'm probably the worst offender of the question you asked. I fretted so much during the process that I finally had a friend order me to "STOP LOOKING" at all design publications, online or otherwise. I'm a creative producer by trade, so it was hard for me to separate the need to be cutting edge vs. the need to make this something I could love for 20 years if need be. Did I make some choices I regret? Yep. I'm already wondering if my exterior countertops are too "of the moment grey" and the implication of what that will mean with the passing of the grey renaissance in approximately 5-7 years. I also am certain antique brass hardware is going to be the rage in 2-3 years. If I let myself go there, I'll be practically paralyzed. So, I'm just going to QUIT LOOKING and be satisfied. Yep, I went into safetymode on some things... but luckily for me, in the Deep South, some of my more cutting edge flirtations were so out of the norm, they were price prohibitive. And the more I think of it, I'm glad my current kitchen was price prohibitive for me 10 years ago... otherwise it would have been a giant concrete block with no grace but lots of street cred ;)

I've inherited blood pressure and cholesterol problems and also had a severe reaction to Crestor, so I'm strictly on my own when it comes to managing the cholestrol. I've learned, through trial and error, that avoidance of empty, starchy carbs and sugar makes a huge difference in all of my numbers. I typically start my day with a "sludgie" made in a NutriBullet with lots of leafy greens, some fruit, yogurt, nuts, seeds, and a liquid of my choice. I do not avoid fatty foods at all; no fat-free or low-fat anything. Bacon is my friend. But there's no processed food in my pantry, no hidden sugars, no breads, or cereals. I guess I follow a modified Atkins program, with lots of vegetables added to the meat, eggs, and dairy foods. I don't count calories; I'd probably be horrified. Carbs are what I keep track of. I have to watch my weight.....in order to not lose any more. I'm never hungry, that's partly due to the fat in what I eat but also to the absence of sugars and any breads, pasta, cereal. Those foods always made me hungry for more, more, more. Once I more or less recovered from the Crestor issues, I was left with what has been diagnised as fibromyalgia. My body failed me rapidly. Fortunately, I am able to take advantage of nearby fitness center where I participate in water aerobic classes, yoga, pilates, muscle machines and training, and just plain swimming for fun. I initially used a trainer (PT) to work with me on my strength and muscles, and she was a huge help. The difference between how I felt and looked before I started going to the center and now is incredible. I was feeling weak, frail, unsteady on my feet, all of which made me feel helpless and very, very old. I'm just old....not very, very! ;-) Oh, my blood work is stellar....no more meds of any kind.