This is why I love art. Art is the medium. those of us who see the unexplainable converse in.  It's safe. And those who don't see the neon dots floating around people, the sparkles falling from the sky, and the auras, of course, can just write it off as imagination and creativity. In that respect, it's a coded conversation.

For me, gardening is a form of prayer. Most people have an awareness of life and death, but few have an an awareness of life, death, and life again. Gardeners do though.

Bulbs come up every spring. Then in winter, it looks like there's nothing there, no hope for life ever again. Then, Hallelujah! Next spring they're back even fuller. Perennials - same thing.

Annuals have a slightly different lesson. Annuals really do die, but they broadcast seeds before they go. Where there was only one calendula the year before, there will be ten this year, and one day, they will fill every empty space in your garden. Annuals are a lesson in the difference one living thing, plant or person, can make, and how their presence resonates long after they're gone. There again, the effects are not immediate. There is always the winter. And when you consider the garden as a whole, well, winter is a time to reflect, a time to dream. It gives you time to ask the big questions...

Gardening is an affirmation of divine timing. Some years, in early spring, my enthusiasm takes an ugly turn, and I seemingly believe I can make spring happen earlier than it normally would, if I just work hard enough, if I till enough, compost enough, harden off seedlings earlier than I normally would. In the end, I wind up with twelve flats of dead seedlings. Then I direct seed a couple months later, and with much less effort, everything grows into the full glory it was destined to encompass. To everything there is a season. Amen.

I don't know quite how to say this.  I want to wake up.  I don't want to live half-assed anymore.

Maybe people share their secret selves with me because they sense it won't make me feel uncomfortable.  Quite the contrary.  I always feel like I've experienced a miracle when it happens.  I guess, because to me, to reveal one's true self, one's spirit self, is to reveal God.

I'm convinced quality outdoor naked time is the secret to health and longevity.

Since none of us get off this planet alive, buying more time on this planet is really all "saving" is anyway. Healing is another matter. Healing is something you have to do for yourself. Healing is what happens to your soul, to your life, to your relationships with others. Healing does not always extend the length of your time on this planet, but healing is all that truly matters.

There are people who say that you should be able to be happy wherever you are, and how happiness is completely a matter of choice. I don't buy that. Cacti don't grow in Alaska and cedar trees don't grow in Arizona. I don't pretend to know the laws of nature, but it's clear to me that some things do better in some places and other things do better in others. I don't see why people should be any different... I prefer not to have anyone blow sunshine up my ass about happiness being total choice.