Dear Reader:

It took me years ( after retiring) to follow my dream of gardening and creating a special place in my world… a sanctuary. I knew I wanted it but I was scared because I knew nothing about gardening. Yet I envisioned it constantly in my mind.

Because Tommy was still at Clemson when I retired… I traded my day job for teaching night classes at Charleston Southern and the College of Charleston to keep some income coming in. And then Carol Poole and I continued to work for the state department offering social studies workshops -around the state-you get the picture… I was busier after ” retirement” than before.

Yet… that vision of creating a beautiful place to stop and interact with the universe and my place in it wouldn’t stay buried.

At the urging and encouragement of family and friends… the dream slowly began to evolve and today has continued to expand.

The other day I read an interesting commentary on the forced downsizing of Odysseus after all his years of war and wandering. After returning home Odysseus was anxious to return to his glory days at sea. Then one night in a dream a voice told him…

” Take your favorite oar and go inland until no one has heard of you, and go further until no one has heard of an oar or sea. Plant your oar there and start a garden.”

So until tomorrow …

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

***When I think back over the past years… it is hard for me to even imagine my life now without my gardens, my sanctuaries and my stories to share . But mostly I can’t imagine my life without you… the blog post ” family of readers” … my new family! In order to do this… I had to start over to release and lift my spirit. It has seen me through tough times. It was meant to be… the place to lay my ” oar.”

Walsh and Mollie and the children will be in Florida this week of spring break and John and Mandy and children in the Bahamas-their first family cruise! Every one will return in time for Easter Sunday! Have fun and be safe!!!