I do believe that we can very strongly enhance moods and mitigate moods we want to get rid of. I thought I said that pretty clearly, but a lot of people seem to think I said that we can't affect moods at all. What I did try to say and what I do believe, is that we can not create a mood from scratch. Maro, if you relax through gardening, I would suggest that the physical motion, sense of accomplishement, or the distraction relaxes you from your description. That is much different than having someone enter a garden and having their mood changed by what they experience by being in it. It is, however, creating a place through design that gives you an activity which you do with the purpose of gaining a certain experience. Anyone remember the three things that I mentioned were taught to me - activity, experience, requirement by a very brilliant professor (James Kuska). It took him a half year of beating us over the head with it until only some of us got it. Activity = gardening Desired Experience = relaxation Requirement = x SF of garden space, full sun for most of the day,... Relaxation is the mitigation of the stress. In order to relax in a garden you need to have brought stress to the garden in the first place, I think. (dark vs. light, Eric) If the cops chase the violent criminal through a well designed peace garden, does he give up? If you are sad and blue and sit in a beautiful colorful quiet garden that feels private and to yourself, do you feel better? Of course. Are you completely elated and turned around completely by it? I don't think so. The design enhanced a littlebit of your good feelings and reduced some of the bad. It did not create a mood from scratch. Planning activities that you already know evoke certain feelings are a great place to start. Don't dismiss the actions of looking, smelling, hearing, ... as not being activities. Some activities are very passive, but they are important activities. The physical landscape that you build will effect the experiences that people get out of whatever activity they do. Predefining what that experience should be certainly frames what the physical landscape should be like to attain that experience. Does that make sense to anyone, but me?

I worked once at a christmas shoppe who sold the battery powered candles. This was sixteen years ago, and things have come a long way since then. One young fellow invested a small fortune in them, and he told me he was going to use the rechargeable batteries in them. Sounded like a good idea to me, coming from a young teen. They're using things like halograms and LEDs in many fake fire items and they're very realistic.

Oh yes, Archie, Veronica and Jughead--my favorite comic books. I'd ride my bicycle to Madings Drug Store for a real chocolate ice cream soda--you know the kind with seltzer water and chocolate syrup and ice cream, real whipped cream and a cherry. I remember learning cursive and using a Schaeffer pen that you would put into the ink bottle. You drew the ink in using a lever on the pen. How about felt poodle skirts and lots of crinolines? How about bubble shoes and pony tails with scarves tied around them and jeans with the legs rolled up and Dads white shirt? How about guys with duck tails and cigarette packs rolled up in the T-shirt sleeves? How about really ugly one piece gym suits? How about learning to drive a stick shift? I remember Our Miss Brooks, American Bandstand, and The Lone Ranger. How about Ida Lupino and her swirling dresses? Give me some time; I'm sure I'll remember more.

He doesn't seem to have much use for dogs. Maybe he never met one who is as fine a fellow as mine. But then again, he seems to love books. Maybe he has that redeeming quality.