Confession #1 I know way more about worms, trash, and manure than any person ever needs to - certainly more than any person ever need to admit to.  Before I can truly focus on the layout, planning and such for next spring’s garden I must think about the soil and that requires thinking about how to make good soil and that requires soil amendments and the best bet there is compost.   I don’t want to buy compost.  For the size of garden I’m planning that could get expensive not to mention that I want an organic garden which would mean organic compost (ie more expense)  Soooo, that led me to the project of the day.   How do I create my own compost?  We live on a relatively large bit of acreage with plenty of grass and trees.  We have chickens that provide ample “fertilizer” on a daily basis.  We generate a good deal of kitchen scraps and paper trash.  How can I take advantage of all that waste?  A compost bin.  Did some internet research this morning and purchased a book and now I am an expert.  Surely, it is irrelevent that I don’t have any practical experience yet, right?  Tomorrow, I am ordering the worms for the vermicomposting and hopefully will also purchase the materials to make a more traditional compost bin.  With any luck, next spring (or fall) we will have homemade Miracle Gro.

Confession #2 My mother’s birthday party was yesterday and I did not get her anything.   I had decided that in honor of simplicity this year I would buy gifts for children birthdays and only get cards for adult birthdays.  Then my sister starts planning a little shindig to celebrate Mom and naturally sibling competition set in.  I couldn’t let her plan the party AND get a gift.  I must find something better than just a card…   Earlier in the day I took Sister to a girly, girly dress up party for one of her classmates.  It was very cute.  Each of the girls picked out a simple necklace, made their own bead bracelet, got their hair done and their nails painted.  After the party, I had a little time before the next one so we walked next door to Michael’s to see if we could find a small gift and voila! a cutie little shelf that would fit perfectly with the sunroom decor.  Sister found a purple flower and to “pay the money” we went.  We left feeling frustrated and a little sheepish with only the purple flower in our bag.  Turns out the cutie shelf was a display - an example of what one could do if one had the time or inclination to take a raw piece of wood, sand it, paint it, decorate it, and add a clear top coat.   It’s not quite true that I didn’t get my mom “anything” for her birthday.  Sister gave her a flower and I gave her a card and yet another embarrassing story to tell for years to come.