I am blessed and blessed and blessed some more. Friday was spent with friends, the afternoon devoted to children poking chunks of ice with sticks. Isn't it funny; we spend money on swingsets and sandboxes and various "outdoor" toys, when in all reality, all a child needs to be amused for an entire afternoon is a block of ice, a stick and his or her imagination. Life the way it should be. When my mush was an infant, I did subscribe to the "trees makes the best mobiles" philosophy, that children don't need loud electronic toys, they need your pots and pans and tupperware and rubber spatulas. They need to lie on a blanket outside and watch the wind blow the clouds. I guess if you're lucky, you realize that never changes, that given the chance, kids will always make their own fun.

I am starting to map out my garden for this year. I'm going to start composting and I think I can till the soil myself or with the help of a herd of preschool kids armed with shovels and giggles. I have knowledgeable friends who told me to plant my corn and beans and peas together because corn pulls nitrate from the soil and legumes release it. Also, the legumes will use the corn shocks as their climbing posts. I need to better focus on stagger planting and keep up with the weeds. I am pretty excited for the planting season to begin.