The Back Yard

How many of you are gardeners? Well - I am becoming an addict. We live in a desert environment, so the whole ideal of "gardening" is quite different out here compared to most other parts of our beautiful country. In the desert much of what you plant can give you a good poke if you aren't careful! Even though it can be painful on occasion, I would spend the whole day working out in our yard if I had the time. I never imagined that I would LOVE YARD WORK? Here I am...desperately hooked!

When I step out into our yard I feel my blood pressure drop. I relax - even at 90 degrees!! My mind races in rhythm with a variety of creative ideas. It is a time for me to sort out things I am struggling with and at times it just allows me to "go blank" and shut it all down. I have found that I get the same pleasure out of working in our yard that I do when I am hiking in the mountains or drawing at my desk - who would have ever thought? It must blow my parents minds to hear me talk about my love of yard work. For years their form of "teaching me a lesson" as a child was YARD WORK. OH! How I would groan and complain and the more I would complain the more buckets of rocks I would have to pick up and the more weeds I would have to pull. Yes, I said "buckets of rocks." Here I am thirty some years later doing this exact same thing for PLEASURE! What would Freud say? :)