If you ever run into me at the yarn store, you’ll probably hear me mention all of the fun things you can do with said yarns, and then, inevitably, a customer will ask whether I weave/spin/felt, etc. My response is always “I’d love to, but I don’t need another hobby!” And yet it appears that here I am, anxiously thinking about my garden and when I can spend some time in it. This has been a whirlwind week since my brother was in town (among other things, we ate and ate and ate and zipped our way across the San Antonio and Austin area) and I had book edits and last minute things to do, all the while worrying that if I didn’t get my stuff into the ground ASAP,t this garden would be a failure.

This morning I woke up at 8 to transplant the starts that Pamela gave me. And, I stuck forks all around them because I noticed our  neighborhood strays making a happy home in my raised bed!!! I’m going to add some chicken wire to keep them out since the bird netting doesn’t do a thing.

Today I also planted some carrots, basil and marigolds. I’m going to soak the rest of my seeds overnight (scarlet runner beans, garden beans, radishes, cucumber, chard) and plant tomorrow. And then it’s back to work around these parts!

It’s always exciting to learn something new.  As children, and as a culture, I think many of us expect that we should already be good at something if we’re “meant” to do it, but I know from my craft work that success is all about repetition and practice. Yesterday we went zip-lining in the hill country, something that I am definitely not good at (and quite frankly, was afraid to do). What was refreshing about the day for me was that no one was there to tell me that I sucked or wasn’t good at zip lining, and it would have been ridiculous to think that anyone would already be good about an adventurous activity. No one scolded me for nearly smashing into a tree, and by the end, I was pretty confident on the cables. I try to take this approach to any type of learning– go at my pace and do what works for me. So, in the garden,  I will do what I can each day and be proud of the outcome no matter what. When it comes to new skills, we really should give everyone an A for effort. (I’m hoping I’ll also get a B for basil and a C for cucumbers.)

Every year my resolution is to learn something new–usually by taking a class. In past years I’ve expanded my knowledge of knitting, sewing, quilting, encaustic painting and pottery. This year, I’m stepping outside! I encourage you to step outside of your box, too–no matter how small the step is. Once you get over the fear of trying something new, it’s amazing how just by accepting what you don’t know, you can reignite your sense of wonder.