Obligatory new year post

To start with, happy new year.

A quick look back at 2010 -
Best - A new, happy, healthy baby girl!
Worst - Our Dog died.

There was lots in between, but these two events will mark 2010 for me. I suppose every year will have it's ups and down, it's all arounds (trademark: Joe West), but this year has been a doozy. To those that say "things can get worse than a dead dog", I know you are right, but go and spread your life perspective and rationalism somewhere else. I know they can get worse, and will, but I'm not looking forward to worse, not at all.
And things don't get much better than a healthy baby, so I'm sticking with the idea that this year was one with some large changes of polar opposite monument.

So, here is to 2011.

I have lots of goals for 2011, most of which are too boring or off topic for inclusion here, but I need to make some goals and focus on them in the garden. In most of my life I am very goal and project completion oriented. In the garden, though, I wander about in piddle mode for hours. I accomplish a few things, invariably, but rarely are they the task I walked out to do. I am on my way to the compost pile to turn it, see some wood that needs splitting and then realize I should water my potted plants and when was the last time I fertilized them and what the hell, did the deer eat my rose again and is that a weed or a wildflower and who said that about a weed, Emerson? Thoreau? man a book and a pint and that picnic table sound nice. So ends another day. It is very different from everyday me and relaxing,I know it is a big part of why I garden, but I am accomplishing little to nothing besides a buzz and some reading I can misqoute later.

Therefore, a list is in order. Maybe posting it will hold me to it.

1) Buffalo grass lawn with raised rock bed borders to the west of the cottage garden. My wife has wanted this forever. I want her to be happy and show interest in the garden, so this is first.
2) revise master plan for garden to site future walled garden and make best use space, time and money. You think this should be first? Are you trying to upset my wife, what is wrong with you?
3) rock wall with gate and pergola in front of cottage garden
4) fountain in cottage garden
5) plumb vegetable garden

This should be enough. If by next year, I've accomplished all this, then I am awesome. And had some help.

As an aside, I start art lessons this week. I've always liked to draw and sketch, but never had any formal training. My goal is to learn to paint, so I can paint my garden and others. You guessed it, in the future, this blog will include not only mediocre writing, but mediocre art. Oh yeah!