#16. Start A Garden

Indeed, I am so happy to be able to post about this on my blog!
My dad has always seemed to have a green thumb, which he inherited from my grandmother.  I remember fondly watching them work on plants and landscapes when I was a little girl.  It was like watching Monet paint his water lilies.  Oh how it made me wish I had this same magic flowing in my hands so that I could share in the experience of making something grow!

Well, now that my husband and I have our own place, complete with a front and back yard, I've been drawing up plans for my garden.  Alongside plans to spruce up the interior and exterior of our house (and rid ourselves of the trippy 60s/70s vomitus decor),  I really want my garden to complement the plans we have for our house.

I also love to cook.  I really adore using fresh herbs and fruits and veggies in my cooking.  Having most of my garden be an edible one is something I am also working into the game plans.  I did my research and found out that the perfect "type" of garden I am seeking has a name.  I am aiming for a romantic, english country potager (I feel so informed to know and use this new word).  A potager is essentially a kitchen garden or culinary garden that is planted and arranged in a decorative manner.  I threw in the english/victorian country according to my own tastes, but basically this is what I will work to achieve.

I absolutely adore antiques and romantic vintage.  I started my herbs last week, and they'll be ready to transplant in May.  I've been wanting to find some attractive containers for them, something old and worn.  Today I happened upon some newly featured garden planters from Anthropologie, and am smitten by them.  The style is "excavated," which makes them look like they turned up in an old world archaeological dig!  Next time I am in Albuquerque, I am definitely picking some up!

#2. Updating list.

It has encumbered upon me to change #2 on my list.  Originally, I had decided that learning free-running was a good idea if I was to devote a year to it.  Since that time that I composed the final list, I have decided that part of me that decided that was brilliant has now reasoned against it.
It's probably for the better...

I had been thinking about changing this item for a while, but I wasn't quite sure what would take its place.  Then lately I noticed how terrible my handwriting has gotten since college.  I mean, it wasn't great before, but it has gone downhill ever since my exponentially heightened use of computers.  Yep.   My penmanship knew it didn't stand a chance the day I brought home my macbook.

I just finished reading an article about penmanship in one of the best magazines ever, Bliss Victoria, and in this article one of the magazine editors shares about the importance of writing letters, and how she wanted to make that a hobby with her long-time friend.  She went all-out and bought a wax seal kit, quill pen and ink well, and lovely stationary.  Her story was enchanting, and I realized that this is something I would rather aspire to than scaling buildings!  (Don't get me wrong, I still may try free-running because, let's face it -it's stinkin cool).

So anyways, I have decided to devote a year to improving my penmanship and writing letters.  I am very excited to meet this goal.  I fear that people will lose sight of just how individual handwriting is with the need for speedy communication and technology.  In this case, I think it will be good to take a few steps backward.

Caryn