I wholeheartedly agree with all that has been said, but here's another wonderful thing about gardening. We moved into a brand new neighborhood five years ago, and homes are still being built all around us. As new neighbors come, I am out in my yard "doing". It's easy to say hello, and strike up a conversation since you're out anyway. As a matter of fact, I planned a streetside flower border for that express purpose. I want to know my neighbors! I am very proud to report that although this is a pretty pricey, gated community, so far every neighbor, but one, does at least part of their own gardening and lawn care. I believe it's "peer pressure". I was here almost first. I enjoy it, I'm proud of it, and I share plants and tips. Gardening has brought us together as a community. Just tonight the OB/GYN across the street who had never owned a lawn mower till he moved here, brought me two bare-root DAYLILIES that he and his wife bought at the garden show they attended on their vacation last week! He bought a dozen for himself and has already planted them! I personally consider that a triumph! :) Gardening is about the perfect hobby in my opinion. It can be expensive, but it can also be very inexpensive. It can be exotic, spiritual, AND practical. Virtually any age, gender, educational level or social class can do it. There's a place for the artistically inclined, for the o-c collector, and for the totally practical types. You are never too young and (almost) never too old. You can garden if you own acres of land, and garden if you only have a single pot. And finally...I feel very close to God in my garden. After all, that's where life began.

I've taken the lasagna method and adapted it to my own use. I piled up layers of materials on top of some pretty heavy clay. I put it all right on top of the grass and weeds that were there. I started back in July when I found out that our landfill gives out the previous fall's leaf mulch for free. I piled it as deep as I could with as many loads as I could until I couldn't move anymore. Over the summer and fall, it's sat there. I've planted a few things here and there throughout the fall. What I have noticed is that I have a lot more earthworms and pill bugs. I have also found that I can dig in the soil below my layers a lot easier than I could this past spring. Whenever I plant something, I makes sure to dig the hole down into the original soil, mix in and replace with some of the organic material, and even add a little garden soil from a bag. It might not be the perfect method, but my plants seem happy and that makes me happy. Sure, I have weeds. I have some issues with too much moisture in shadier areas, and the beds that I actually tilled and mixed in the organic stuff seems much happier, but it's also in a different part of the yard. I can't say for sure it is the method or the original dirt. I'm doing what works for me. My plants let me know when they need something. Hopefully, I can get into a cycle that allows ME to know before they tell me. My only concern from here on is how to keep everything working.

I used to go sailing in Maine every summer late August/early September. It always surprised me how much color there was when I came home after being out on the water for a week. It may have something to do with the abnormally weird winter we had, not to mention all the rain and cooler temperatures right through the summer months. I wouldn't think too much of it. Mother Nature's been correcting things for a few millennia so I just figure she knows what she's doing by now.

Here is why I love fishing! Preliminary effort: no, I'm not baiting a hook with this thing, I am cleaning my first catch :) Soon thereafter, success! Was actually approached by numerous men asking for tips on my technique (no one else had any luck)(technique commonly referred to as Beginner's Luck). I caught my limit while the men (for some reason, everyone else was male) were getting nary a bite. Wives were sneaking over to "You go, girl!" me. A proud moment, though I felt sorry for my dh, who returned from a halibut excursion empty handed to learn that while I'd been practicing my cast, I'd caught a limit of salmon. Then, on two separate days, I was the only one to catch king salmon, much to the chagrin of the 2 men and my dh who were also trying. I had to put one back because it was over my limit. To his credit, my dh was very proud of me and likes to tell the story of my success. Oh, the above fishing trips took place in Alaska.