2013 is over a week in progress, and guess what?! I'm still keeping my New Year's resolutions! Before you're too impressed, you should ask what they are. My dad used to tell me about his grandfather (my great-grandfather) being teased about how untrained his dog was. My great-grandfather would insist his dog was very trained, then to "prove" it, he would wait until he saw that his dog was good and ready to do something anyway, like sit, then he would give the dog that command as the dog truly went about doing whatever he pleased. I'm afraid my resolutions are a little that way-- things I find completely enjoyable and would be doing anyway, but hey, why not? If keeping one's resolutions increases happiness, I'm on the right track. :D
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Resolution #1: Garden more. To this end, just before Christmas, I planted two tiny pear trees which I will pleach in the spring. If you haven't read my article on pleaching, it is HERE. Right now, these two trees hardly appear worth a second glance. They are just little whips braving out the winter with help from the shelter of a fence. But that is where pleaching begins, and I feel thrilled thinking of the long-term results every time I see them. Photos of them later when they're a little more photogenic. photo here via here
Resolution #2: Live in the garden more. I will try to wait until temperatures are not at sub-freezing levels to do this one. Until then, living in the garden vicariously is suiting me nicely. I've just finished reading Down the Garden Path by Beverley Nichols. It is the tale of 1920s playboy-turned-gardener upon the purchase of an English cottage and accompanying gardens. Recommended by Sunday Taylor of the blog, Ciao Domenica, it had me laughing constantly. It is available HERE or if you are in the UK, HERE. Photo, Clive Nichols Garden Photography
Resolution #3: Collect more art. I am still (eagerly) waiting on my large painting, and I hope it won't be my only acquisition this year. Collecting art is simply thrilling (especially for someone with a number of bare walls :)).
I hope you'll be as successful keeping your New Year's resolutions as I plan to be keeping mine!
Cheers for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013!
