The Exercise of Writing

Writing has become like exercise to me. So many times we tell ourselves we should exercise, we need to exercise, we must exercise. Yet each day goes by and we find another reason not to exercise, too busy, too tired, don't feel like getting sweaty, what ever it is, there's a reason not to do it.

The funny thing is I exercise every day, it's just I've had the hardest time getting back in the saddle here to write.

As motivation I made myself go through some photos taken this past season so I would remember the passion I have while I'm out in the garden. The first one that caught my eye was this shot of my delicious peas growing up the blooming Physocarpus 'Diablo'. What a wonderful moment that was when I saw the stakes I had cut for the peas also began to grow and bloom. Yummy too!

Part of my block comes from the realization that this year I will be dismantling the garden. Oh, I tell everybody it doesn't bother me and in a general way, it doesn't. I look forward to the future, to creating a new garden somewhere else. But this garden is such a part of me that it's easier to forget the whole thing, immerse myself in my new job and life and try to ignore that twinge that comes when I think about my garden.

Talking with a dear gardening friend we decided the right bed to remove from this property is the long border at the right here. Ouch!

This garden has been my pride and joy, just chock full of all kinds of wonderful perennials that thrive here in my zone 6b garden on Long Island.

As I wrote up above, I exercise every day. I have no problem taking the time to work out my body, I just need to begin to work out my brain and fingers again.

Instead of buying new work out clothes, I bought a new external hard drive and backed up all my photos. I also moved my desk to the other side of my room so that I have a different view out the window. Only trees out there now, quite naked to the eye but I know that in a few months I will start to see the lush growth begin in my shade gardens.

While the temperatures are just too cold to go out there and do much of anything, I can see from my windows that the Sempervivums (hens & chicks) are still there. They looks small and chilled but ready to plump up once the warm temperatures return.

Surprisingly, the few troughs I kept for myself look amazing well! Maybe I'll finally get out there in the next day or two and photograph them for you.

In the mean time, keep up your exercise, both that of your body and your mind. I'll try to hold up my end of the deal too~

Melanie