Gardening with the Radical Wrencher

On Saturday I spent some time in the afternoon with a neighbor who is home-bound with pneumonia. We are both part of the garden club for the park that is across the street from me. She had mentioned that she needed some help re-potting some seedlings that she had grown, so I volunteered.

I have always loved gardening. There's something satisfying about planting seeds and taking care of them until they produce food that you can eat. I am still amazed every year when this happens, and I've been growing vegetables since I was a kid.

But I think for me it's also about the tranquility of being outside, putting my hands in the soil and feeling a connection to nature. It's relaxing and peaceful...no cell phone ringing, no real sense of time passing...just a quiet time for me to regenerate.

As we sat out on Vicki's front porch and planted, many neighbors stopped by to say hi. Each time Vicki introduced me and told them that I work on cars. She seemed so proud to know a woman who does this, it just made me smile.

I realized as I sat there with my hands in the dirt, that I just love working with my hands. There is such a satisfaction for me to be able to fix things, plant things and just generally work with my hands. It seems that I'm always finding something to do that gets my hands dirty. I think it makes me feel alive and there's nothing like getting in there and giving it a good effort.

I know I've said this a thousand times, but don't ever be afraid to try something new...you just might find out that you love it and that you're good at it.

And never be afraid to get your hands dirty! :)


Lori