This beautiful life goes on . . .

Why have I been away so long? Perhaps because once you are away for a short while, there's so much "catching up" to do, the task seems too large for the energy/time available. And another day goes by . . . and another . . . BUT, here I am, making another attempt at journaling my experiences here in The Enchanted Forest. I hope you welcome me back, but if you do not, I still find this exercise to be enriching, cathartic, and just plain fun!


Autumn, Winter, and Spring have all come and gone here, and each was 'enchanted ' in its own way. I'll skip over the 20+ weeks of recuperation from a badly broken ankle, during which I was grumpy, demanding, temperamental, and difficult, and jump right to now - this gorgeous Summer here on Sand Mountain.


Spring was, well, enchanting, and Summer has been lovely, although quite hot for these parts. As soon as the weather began to warm and I could put weight on the injured ankle, I claimed the side yard as my "Wish Garden" and began its transformation. To date, it's a strange collection of "things" - not really a 'garden' at all, due to its lack of plants andfoliage. It's mostly under pine trees, and I'm still learning about what/how to grow things there. Meanwhile, I've had too much fun (and spent money I didn't have!) on garden whimsy and items of interest. It's like having another entire 'house' to furnish! Having no 'walls' is both a challenge and a blessing - 'can move things at will without barriers, but having no definition of spaces means the entire garden is revealed in a single glance - not at all as a garden should be, revealing its secrets as you make the journey through its maze of plantings and such. Someday, maybe. Someday. Meanwhile . . .here's where it all began. The first day I crammed my 2-sizes-larger-than-normal swollen foot into a sneaker, grabbed Handsome's power tools, and made my version of "chippendale" from branches found on the property. Proud, indeed!