It's been a long minute since I've sat down to write a blog entry. In all honesty, this pandemic has been chipping away at my motivation and passion. This is the point where it stops. I have been very fortunate to have escaped the ugly reach of COVID-19--being in education, I do not have the option of working from home, so with much care--a lot of handwashing and the ongoing search for the holy grail of masks--I have been going to work each day. It has been a roller coaster ride. I miss our kids at school (we are currently virtual), but I also fear their return--for their health and our staff. The truth is once you step out of your home, your risk increases. The stress of this roller coaster has been insidious and has permeated my psyche more than I'd like to admit or even realized. Truthfully, all I had to do was look in the mirror and see the ravages of this pandemic. You know about the freshman 15... well meet the COVID 19 (25, 20, 40+).
How does this connect to my garden? I have big dreams for a small vegetable and flower garden this year, so I need to be lighter on my feet (nevermind the health benefits of losing some pounds, let's face it, now more than ever, this is not a good time to be carrying extra weight). This road to health has been a lifelong one, with many dips, hills, twists and turns--but I will forge on after this long rest (read burying my head in the sand). So the journey will continue into 2021. This is not a New Year's resolution (I've given up on those)--but this IS the time that we typically turn to dreaming about and planning our spring and summer gardens. That has served as my motivation and has helped me to pull myself out of the dark hole of this pandemic.
As you may know, the best journeys are oftentimes those that we share with others. So I will be sharing this journey with you (on a more regular basis)--to document my progress, help me to reflect on my gardening successes and challenges, and, hopefully, provide a bit of inspiration to you. Gardening builds resiliency. There's a lot of failures in gardening--but because of our love of growing things, we forge on--pull another weed, plant another seed, and dig another hole. I hope you will continue to follow me on this journey. I'm glad to be back out in the sunlight.
Next up...Paperwhites...Harbinger of Spring or Wolf in Sheeps' Clothing?