Five Years Later

Little did I know that five years ago this month, I was about to get hooked on blogging. Five years, and 235 posts later...I'm still blogging, and enjoying it more than ever.

It all started when I discovered Fragments from Floyd...a blog written by Fred First about life in Floyd County, Virginia. I was so taken with his beautiful photography and heartfelt thoughts, that I decided to give it a whirl. My blog didn't start out as a garden blog...it was more about life's simple pleasures...but it quickly evolved into one.

Blogging has been a positive force for me and my garden. I have enjoyed reading other blogs, making new friends and interacting with them through their blog, as well as meeting some in person. It's tremendous how much I've learned from what others have written. It has made me a better gardener, and my garden has flourished with newfound ideas and knowledge. Gardener's are very warm and generous people by nature, and they love sharing information as well as plants.

From my humble perspective, garden blogs are one example of  "what's right" in this world --kind and passionate people, communicating and generously sharing what they know -- making the world a better place!

To all of you who write such wonderful blogs, and those of you who visit my blog-- I would like to say "thank you!" It has been sooooo much fun, very enjoyable as well as enlightening, and I look forward to the fun continuing.

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Now for a look back...  

My first post was created from a template of a poem written by George Ella Lyons that Fragments From Floyd posted on his blog. It was a lot of fun to write, and it brought back memories that I hadn't thought about in years. In visiting the past, I realized the profound impact those years have had on who I am today.

Where I'm From


I am from the humid and still heat of the South, from Noxzema and home-cooked German meals.
I am from a simple place, a dirt road, the saving grace of books, and endless summer days.
I am from orange blossoms and palm trees, saturating the air and swaying in the breeze.
I am from memorable holiday celebrations, from sensible German heritage-hearty stock, frugal and stubborn.

I am from an inner world where thoughts and feelings are closely guarded.
From the endless affirmation that a good work ethic is a virtue.
I am from the traditional realm of Martin Luther, idealism, the voice of intuition, fairy tales & happy endings.
I am from the land of Spanish moss and oak trees, from the old world of castles & knights, orangesicles & sauerkraut.

From an optimist and a homebody, from grandparents I barely knew but inherited a love for the soil.
I am from a world neatly saved and cherished, the earthy smell of steamy rainshowers, family walks after dinner, unending thoughts & questions.

Keep blogging everybody as your beautiful photos and your love and care of the earth along with its wild creatures...in the words of Clarissa Pinkola Estes...really do help "Mend the part of the world that is within your reach."

And, don't forget to create your own "Where I'm From" poem - you'll learn a lot about yourself!