I was able to take advantage of this today, I gave away my compost bin on freecycle, and the young woman who took it was surprised to hear about WS. I was able to tell her to check Garden Web, she said she comes here once in a while but now she will definitely check out GW again and look for WS. So glad they decided to feature this forum. Mary

The green is amazing, isn't it. You're basically converted once you see that color. Now that it's really green it should start leaping across the soil in all directions. The sandy soil will eventually turn black with organic matter. You can get your soil to absorb water better with a soaker hose. Leave it on a very low trickle for a week at a time, then move it only 18 inches away (or to the edge of the wet spot it leaves) for a week. Do the entire lawn this way and return to the beginning. When you have done the entire lawn three times, you should have a much improved soil. What this does is provide just enough moisture to grow beneficial soil fungi without smothering them with too much water. Remember the water coming out at the faucet should be a trickle, not a stream. This is v-e-r-y slow watering.

Ah, Lavender, you have truly hit upon a not-such-a-coincidence. How lovely that story is. I wish you would, at some time this winter when it is too cold to go out, put that into a story for your nieces, and illustrate it just like the Jo Koch books....the tea, coffee, etc picture books. You just outlined the basic theme of the book/story, and to have it short and to the point, but with the traditional uses of herbs, what a great wintertime project!! And while you're at it, think about putting some lavender around your mailbox too. Or perhaps put some poison ivy around it to punish those who would whack it with a baseball bat. Please remember to put in some nasturtiums somewhere. They like cooler weather, and I cannot grow them in south Alabama. They go to seed almost immediately, unlike the 100 foot rows of blooms I could plant up here in MA. You are a creative little lady, so go for the book!!

There are so many influences in the world in which we live. Arguably it starts with the combination of our genes and our parents'/caregivers' nurturing, along with the molds that we are all put in as we grow. The challenge though, is when do we take responsibility for who we are to become? Is there a person that we 'are', or are 'supposed to be'? Nope. You can be whatever you find appealing within, and slightly surpassing your potential. ETA: Whomever you 'are' at any given moment is just a slice in time and space. You are only limited by your knowledge and expectations. If you, or your world only expect so much, that can be a limiting factor for 'you'. That said... your growth and potential metamorphoses must also be tempered by reason and rationality. At each crossroads in your path, the questions of 'why?', and 'should I?' need to be asked and answered to the best of your ability. However, before such questions can be asked and answered, you must first recognize that the crossroads even exist. So... be brave, be wise, and learn about yourself and the world around you, as well as what influences have shaped - and will shape - who you are, and what you are to become. Learn about yourself, and with humble recognition of your abilities and knowledge, examine the the choices before you. Reach out and create choices that you may never know existed. Measure those potentials by learning the principles upon which the universe is built, and judge the paths with an understanding that not all of them have integrity. Anyway... deep subject, and we all have our perspectives.