Thank you Valerie. I am slowly making adjustments and I do feel more confident than I did at first. Ted encouraged me to be an independent woman, and I like to think he'd be proud of me today. Let me tell you, all his lessons in car and home maintenance, construction, finances and even snow plowing are going to come in handy now. I'm certainly not all strength and cheerfulness but I think I'm doing fairly well under the circumstances. I just had a weekend visit with my sister - bless her heart, she listened to me talk all I wanted and talk I did, mostly about Ted. We even cried together - more than a few times. It was very good therapy. Still taking it one day at a time, Anne

There are definitely seeds and your tilling likely exposed more, as well as some weeds that may grow even more numerous after having roots cut up. However, if you are vigilant about keeping that are in check, then that should be OK. You want your soil to be a bit crumbly and it may have large pieces from being dug up but you can also make them smaller by crushing them or using your shovel/hoe, so that when you dig it and move it around, it falls easily into place. Moist is not bad if it can do this, but wet or muddy is definitely not a good condition for digging. You might get away with a plant here and there or a seed here and there (eg I think onion bulbs would be OK if you dig up mud and chunk it back over the bulb, but that's just me), but you should not plan on the bulk of your day's work to be when there is wet ground or mud. If it stays in large chunks when you dig at it, then it could stand to have some soil amendments to help it. Well that's kind of a misdirected statement as many soils can always use more amendments anyway. If you are staying with gardening in that ground, then just go ahead and start planting when you are done with your soil amending. You won't ever totally get rid of weeds when growing in ground, so just start the garden. Over time, with your growing and weeding, you'll get it more and more under control.

I'm still here! (Waving hello) I usually check in several times a day. I don't "do" much these due to ailments and pain, so when I need to rest the back, I usually check my computer and sometimes get stuck on it for while. Don't "do" Facebook much...just check on the Grandkids in Ok. and a few friends. Like most of you, in past years I didn't spend much time here... being healthy and into walking and gardening and just being busy..... and now I mostly read. Unless we are traveling in our motorhome. We are heading out of the valley on Friday... if the passes are reasonably clear.... imagine going to lunch hundreds of miles away in Eugene and Salem.... but then we will spend a few days (weather permitting) on the coast. Think it might be whale watching time... or maybe not.

Monica, I guess I forgot that you "become old" on the same day as I do! LOL Today I don't even feel old, but tomorrow I might feel ancient again! I think I have everything lined up, signed, and ready to go. Now I hope the program holds out for us! :o) What ever happened to those days of rocking in a comfy chair, eating bon-bons, and watching TV. Actually that pretty well describes DH -- he sits in his rocker, with his pretzels and watches game shows (when there are no sports to watch.) Most days still feel like a gerbal wheel!