Start with Love

“The one thing we can never get enough of is love. And the one thing we can never give enough of is love.”

Henry Miller

I’m excited to begin this journey with you and I am so happy you’re here. To set the stage, I am NOT a blogger or a vlogger. I don’t have a YouTube channel, Facebook account, or TikTok profile. In fact, I’m not on social media at all! So what the heck am I doing here then? Good question! Let’s start with a not-so-short story.

It was the Summer of 2020 and we were all on lockdown. Food, especially fresh fruits and veggies, has become scarce and more expensive by the day. I’m bored at home and need a project so what could be better than starting a garden? Now mind you, I have never grown anything in my life except grass, and not the ‘70s kind of grass, but the kind that utilizes untold resources to grow & maintain in order to have that must-have “curb appeal”. We decide on a side part of the yard that is out of sight and won’t intrude on the “pretty” part of the yard, you know, all the greenish-yellow grass that our dogs use as a Nascar track and potty palace. For a week straight I build five cedar raised beds, haul dirt & pea gravel from one end of the yard to other one wheelbarrow at a time and watch more YouTube than I have ever watched in my life! I was a sponge, soaking in as much knowledge as I could. I couldn’t get enough, but of course, not all of the info was good info. At the time, it didn’t matter, I was on a mission! Now in the middle of June, in Texas, it gets hot. Real hot. And it’s definitely not the best time to start a garden, but I didn’t know all the rules yet, so I buy some transplants from a local nursery and get the party started. I didn’t go crazy, just a few cantaloupe, some flowers, a tomato plant or two. And I got lucky. This part of the yard is sheltered from the scorching afternoon sun, so the plants grew. I even created an arch for the cantaloupe to grow up and over, and it was gorgeous. Beautiful green vines covered in yellow flowers with bees everywhere! I couldn’t believe how perfect the area was. Clean & crisp, even my Mother-In-Law was impressed. Then it was time to harvest the beautifully vine-ripened cantaloupe, of course the timing of that was also learned from YouTube. The smell was intoxicating. Unbelievably sweet & inviting. The skin turned from green to tan and they just fell off the vine with the tiniest of tugs. How this thin vine supported the weight of these heavy melons was miraculous, but when you really step back and take in nature, what isn’t miraculous about the entire process? Now to the tasting. Holy sweet mama, what is this I am eating? Never had I experienced flavor like this, in fact, I really didn’t even like cantaloupe until I had these. I could not get enough. I ate so much that summer I got sick of it. Well not really, but I ate a lot! Would everything taste this amazing? I was hooked. Time to expand the garden!

The more I read about how terrible turf grass is for the environment versus trees and plants, especially native plants, it was a no brainer. We’re moving the operation to the front yard! Luck is on our side again as our house sits back about 40’ from the street and we’re on a corner lot, so our front yard is HUGE. I think to myself, maybe I can create a space to inspire others to also grow food at home. Why wouldn’t everyone want to taste food like this & know exactly how it’s grown every step of the way? The passion I discovered for gardening was unexpected. The love I found watching a seed sprout it’s first leaves, then become a baby seedling, eventually to a giant sprawling plant producing food that you can walk out your front door, pick, and eat was life changing. It has literally changed my course in life. Call it a mid-life pivot, definitely not a crisis. I was not happy with my current career path and COVID allowed me time to step back and reflect on what I wanted out of the next part of my life. For 20 plus years I chased the almighty dollar and it got me nowhere. Sure we had nice things and threw some amazing parties but had it fulfilled me? I think we know the answer if I’m asking the question! Something else I was reminded is how much I need to be outside, in the sun, playing in the dirt. Maybe it’s embedded in me from previous generations, but this is my therapy. I have to feel the warm air and be in the presence of nature to feel complete. It also forced me to learn a new kind of patience, accept that in order to cultivate a bountiful harvest, you must plant the seed, administer proper nutrients, protect in harsh times, and allow nature to work it’s magic. Much can be applied to everyday life when you think about it, and I have started implementing each of these tactics, as consciously as I can, at some point each and every day. Admittedly this is a work in progress, but I am getting better at it and am becoming more and more present and engaged with each passing day. When I take the time to sit down and reflect on why I am so gratified in the garden, it’s pretty simple. I begin with Love. Love for the soil, Love for the seeds that have their whole life ahead of them, Love for the responsibility in the caretaking of these precious plant lives, Love for the eventual harvest, and more than anything else, Love in the sharing of delicious foods, gifted to us by this amazing planet. Is it frustrating at times and extremely difficult? Absolutely. Will Mother Nature always win? You better believe it. But I am learning to work with her, not against. Understanding  why and how the relationships work to create harmony and allow it all to exist together, nurturing growth. Sustaining life. Every single piece is there for a reason. Nothing is wasted and it all has a role to play. We can learn from this system, I know I have. We can be more supportive of others. Accept without prejudice. Start with Love. And end with Love. I invite you to try it. Recently I read a book called “The Tools” by the genius Psychotherapist, Phil Stutz, and I have learned to use one the tools he teaches when someone disrupts my flow, he calls it “Active Love”. I’ll paraphrase; Visualize someone that has angered you in the past and imagine a warm, liquid light that has completely engulfed you and is infinitely Loving. Concentrate that Love to your heartspace and allow it to expand far beyond you. Then bring it all back in. Actually allow your body to grow a Love for them that is pure, full of light & warmth, without any preconceived ideologies of your previous interactions. Picture this person as if they are directly in front of you and project every speck of light in your heart directly to their heart. Let it overflow so that the Love has no choice but to return to you. This will allow you to approach any situation involving this person with a new perspective, this I promise. It has worked for me, numerous times. I sincerely believe that if we all try this experiment, the world would be a very different place. This is my hope for this site, to allow positivity and Love back in our lives. To understand we are here to help each other and to be in service to one another. Imagine what we could do if all we simply start with Love.