Seed Sprawl

After winter dormancy, it's time to pay attention to this blog again. Over that past 6 months I have completed the Master Gardener course offered through the Calgary Zoo and have still been scheming how I will get involved this summer in community garden projects around the city - because there are a zillion of them. Challenging with a busy job and starting serious weight training. Since this is the year of the Iron Tiger afterall, it makes me glad to see how this is represented in life.

A huge part of springtime for me was the realization of the strength it takes to hold off on really jumping into a private gardening endeavor in favor of cultivating more skills, connections, and developing a truly strong & grounded vision. Not to sound like I'm making excuses for not diving right in to my dreams...I have just decided that a strong foundation needs to be built first, and with all types of stones - the exciting & boring ones, all together.

It's easy to have a huge idea, enthusiasm, and energy. It's much much harder to let things unfold naturally, with all the distractions and unforeseen opportunities that come up. But this is the stuff that books are written about, and those can be found in both the business and self-help sections of all book stores. Mysterious...

Regardless.

My goals for this gardening season!

1. volunteering with the Healing Garden at Lougheed House for a second year (with people who have physical and cognitive challenges)

2. volunteering with the East Village Community Garden (with seniors, homeless, low-income)

3. helping some friends with their yards and balconies

4. documenting these activities through photographs

5. growing my own radishes, lettuces, herbs, and flowers on my teensy balcony

6. completing at least one chin-up!

About the strength training - I'm going onto Stage 3 of a 7 stage program called The New Rules of Lifting (women's version). Part of this also includes abiding the treacherous Paleolithic Diet and having regular caliper/fat tests done to measure progress. The goal - to be around 15% body fat, do chin-ups, and maybe even win some arm wrestles.

Learning about magnesium, fish oils, iron, vitamin D, indole-3 carbinols, cruciferous veggies, hemp protein, etc. etc. etc. This stuff is complicated, just like how growing vegetables gets complicated.

Somewhere in here there is a common thread. My hope is that I find it, untangle it, and explain it.