When I was a kid, summer was more than a time away from school. It was the time when days seemed to stretch on forever. When you could lay out in the lush grass and watch clouds float by. You were carefree. Like most kids in the late 80s/early 90s, I didn’t have to worry about checking my cellphone, e-mail, or facebook for messages. If I wanted to get in touch with a friend, I would call them on the phone and we’d schedule things out on paper calendars, not Blackberries or digital organizers. When the days were especially warm, we’d pull out the sprinkler or go to the city pool. The cement was hot but the water was always the perfect temperature. Ice cream and watermelon were staples to my diet. And one of the best things to do was ride bikes around the neighborhood.

As an adult, my summer looks a little bit different. Almost every weekend is booked with weddings, graduations, camp-outs, events and activities. There are so many things that take up space on my calendar. Do. Do. Do. Go. Go. Go.

Recently, I’ve been dealing with a case of acute bronchitis. That means plenty of bedrest and kissing my social life goodbye. I’ve fallen behind my writing schedule. Most of the time I was happy just to breathe and have a quiet room.

Looking back at the last three weeks, I realized that I had the opportunity to just be. Doing was on the backburner. I had time to think. Instead of over-analyzing, I was able to sleep things off. It. was. wonderful.

I’m looking forward to the summer. To the fun times. The golden memories yet to be made. And going into it on the heels of an illness, I feel more centered. More stable. More purposeful.

It’s going to be a good year.

This time I reviewed “Word of Life: New Testament.” It’s a dramatized version of the NT starring many teenaged stars that your kids would be more than familiar with. There are a few Hannah Montana voices, some from American Idol, and many from the great Disney machine. The narrator is the ever lovable Sean Astin…or Samwise Gamgee to many kids.

The Bible promises special blessings to those who listen to the Words of God. And after spending 40 enjoyable hours listening, I can honestly say that I feel blessed. There’s something nice about being able to listen while you’re doing something mundane, like playing solitare or majhong tiles. It helps redeem the time and give you something to mentally chew on during a down moment.

At times it was difficult to get past the thought that I was older than most of the actors. And that for some weird reason, the young couple of Mary and Joseph sounded the same age as the aged Elisabeth and Zachariah. But that can be skimmed over. Listening to the Bible made me notice things that I hadn’t before — nuances and reoccurring themes that were otherwise skimmed over in the haste to finish a chapter.

I would heartily recommend this mp3 series to anyone. It’s a good listen for adults and children alike!

But I’m inside. I’ve been sick with a nasty cold for the last seven days. There’s nothing worse than being sick on the cusp of summer. I’ve been in bed, trying to kill off my bordom and my cold. It hasn’t helped. Most of my days are spent sleeping. Or watching television shows via the BBC.

My newest love is Robin Hood, the modern adaptation of the beloved legend. Maybe it’s really a revisitation to a forgotten love? I was obsessed with Robin Hood as a child, always imagining what Sherwood Forest was like, and how it could work out for Robin and Marian to live happily ever after. Those were the days.

I love the BBC.

You won’t find the same breadth of variety as you would at Home Depot or other mega-garden centers. This website is more like finding a tiny gardening boutique tucked away in you favorite section of town. They offer gloves, hats, fun apparel & tools as well as some gloves for men as well. Don’t forget to check out the sales page for some extra savings!

Here’s some samples of what they have to offer!

That’s right.

I finally started. Forget all the blather about seed catalogs. Local nurserys are where it’s at. Pictures are great for inspiration but there’s nothing like seeing plants in real life. You can’t touch pictures the same way you can downy leaves. You can’t smell the pictures the way you can a sweet pea.

Starting a month ago, I’ve been pulling a lot of weeds and doing quite a bit of digging. I bought a few Horse trough style hanging baskets from Home Depot for my grandparent’s deck. They are ideal for them. Because they hang off the deck railing, my grandparents don’t have to worry about bending over and getting back up to tend to them. Everything is at the perfect level!

After much deliberation, we started a greenery garden full of salad fixings. Swiss Chard, Lettuce, Arugula, Beets, and a few other things. We planted on a sunny day…and then the rains came. There are a few tiny sprouts coming up through the soggy ground. I hope the plants live.

We started corn, bush beans, and a variety of melons indoors. Those have come up marvelously and are ready to plant. Now we just have to wait for the weather to cooperate!

On my way home from the library the other day, I stopped by a garden center on a whim. This must be a sign of my slowly developing gardening obsession. Normal twenty-somethings don’t get sudden yens to check out plants. They do things like get piercings, new flavors of alcohol, or try out an extreme sport.  But I digress. Back to the gardening center.

I stepped through the entrance wondering what I would find.  I had a list of seeds that I wanted, but a quick glance across the sparse store revealed that there were no seeds to be found. So I went out to the garden section where I was quickly greeted by a handsome man with pretty brown eyes. He was trimming some of the plants. I guess I’m not the only twenty-something that digs plants afterall! But I didn’t have anything remotely intelligent to say to him so I focused on the flower display infront of me. Impatiens. Just like the ones my Grandmother had been looking for.

Picking up a few impatiens for my Grandmother led to me getting a big green cart. Which encouraged me to browse the other plants. There was lavender, black-eyed susans, ferns, beautiful bushes full of flowers that I don’t know the name of…it was wonderful. I was soon intercepted by a crusty old woman with a voice that hinted of years of tobacco and tumblers of whisky. She showed me the different plants and soon I was loaded up with two pink strawberry plants (pink!), a roman chammomile, six impatiens, and a red begonia for outside my room. I walked in on a whim and walked out having spent $60. Okay, I also walked out with the handsome man who was more than willing to carry my flat of flowers out to the car for me. I guess I look like a damsel in distress. I can live with that.  However, what is good for my ego is bad for my wallet. Maybe I can just by one plant every time I go? I already have a mental list of what I want to get the next time around.

Here’s the current list of what I’m trying to grow:

• Corn
• Bush String Beans
• Watermelon (two varieties)
• Lemon Cucumbers
• Zuchinni
• Lettuce
• Arugula
• Cabbage
• Beets
• Mixed Greens (it was a mix! I don’t know what was in it.)
• Strawberries

For flowers, I’ve bought:

• Asiatic Lillies x 2
• Icelandic Poppies x 4
• African Daisy x 1
• Zinnias (package)
• Aster (package)
• Begonia
• Impatiens x 6
• Pansies x 25?
• Chamommile x 1

There’s also some ground cover plants that I’ve bought. There’s a shady spot by my bedroom that is otherwise dull and bare. Yes, this is also the same spot that the Begonia has been planted. Time will tell which plants belong there.

Just so you don’t think I’ve completely lost my senses, the garden is spread between two houses and the plants are distributed between them. There isn’t a massive garden in either spot. Okay, there are massive gardens at BOTH spots.

The cold winter sets in, the sun growing dimmer, the shadows stretching into the night. Hot drinks are the order of the day — hot chocolate, coffee, or half a million versions of a latte. It’s the time to layer clothes and pull out the wool socks.

But then something happens.

Seed catalogs start to arrive in the mail. Seed catalogs with their vivid pictures of plump tomatoes, sturdy corn stalks, and happy flowers that don’t look anything like the barren landscape outside my window. I flip through the pages, eyeing this and wanting to put a few of those in my yard.

But it never happens. I’m too lazy. But I’m determined. This is the year that I’m going to get my act together. The year that will change things up and show that, yes, I am domestic. I can do the whole urban farm thing. So what if I have butterflies painted on my wellies? I still have wellies, and that’s a start, isn’t it?

This year, I really don’t have any excuse. Gardening saves you money. And in this economy, who isn’t all over money-saving techniques?

In a throwback to your grandparent’s Victory Garden, this version is called a Recession Garden. There are plenty of people getting in on this smart trend, including Michelle Obama. Way to lead the nation!

Here are some of the seed cataloges that I’m looking at. I’m not the only one, many places are back ordered! Get gardening!

Gurney’s Seeds — $25 off a $50 order!
Kitchen Garden Seeds
Victory Seeds
Burpee
Jung’s SeedsWayside Gardens
Seedman

That’s right.

Soap.

In my town, there are quite a few indie shops filled to the brim with fun soaps and bath fizzies. Apparently, people take being clean rather seriously. Unfortunately, designer soap can cost quite a bit. But dear reader, I’ve found some affordable soaps that will fill your yen for the unique without bursting your budget.

All of the following are from LoveLeeSoaps.

Stone Soup Growing Kit:

Eco-Friendly Plantable Greeting Cards:

Match-Stick Garden:

Growing Wishes — seeds of JOY!

And my absolute favorites?

Gardens in a Bag. How could you not love this idea? It’s literally, a garden in a bag. Check ‘em out.