Weeding

Lately my head has been very full--full to the brim to be more descriptive. There is the new book deal for my novel, "No Barren Life," which I shared about a few posts ago. That is exciting but with an abundance of excitement I tend to get over-stimulated. There is so much to do, from the editing and revisions to marketing and then planning a book launch.

Then there was the nonfiction book deal that I had to walk away from. With that, my mind goes back and forth. Mostly I know I did the right thing but then other opportunities have come over the horizon that lead to further questions. I had a second contract in hand last week but then that deal fizzled. Our ideas for the book and vision for it just didn't match up. Now, several new possibilities have presented themselves. Still, the future of "Mama Nature's Spiritual Guide to Weight Loss," remains uncertain.

Then too, I have a critique of my second novel, "Out of the Blue," coming up in July. In preparation for that I have edited and revised until I am blue in the face. Today I decided enough is enough. I'm going to leave that excerpt alone and let it speak for itself.

Oh, did I mention my life yet? Apart from the goings-on with my writing, there is the rest of my life, filled with its own ups,downs and dramas. Altogether, it's as though I've been on a crazy merry-go-round. This thing and that fills my mind's eye but only for a few moments just like being on an amusement park ride as a child.

Enter, the herbs. I have a wide variety of herbs at my disposal and the knowledge of how to use them. I have been taking calming and tension taming herbs, some of which are so strong they put you right to sleep. Then I wake up, and still have the same things left on my plate to sort out, only I can't deal with them. I'm too groggy.

Through all this, I have found something to offer escape and peace--gardening. For the first time in years, I have planted vegetables. Typically the squirrels wait just until they are ripe then take a big bite and leave the fruit or vegetable to die on the vine. For some inexplicable reason I'm optimist that won't happen this year. I haven't planted seeds either in years. I have a well-established perennial and bulb garden so I didn't see the need. With all the stuff swirling around in my head in the house, the garden outside was being overtaken by weeds and tall grass. I've spent several weeks outside digging and then double digging the soil with a fork to get rid of all the grass and weeds. Then I planted wildflower and sunflower seeds.

Just this morning I was outside, pulling out the baby weeds and tiny grasses. I am so inspired and awe-stricken that my seedlings have taken beautifully. Being close to the earth, through gardening works wonders in many ways. It completely occupies the busy mind because it is so engaging. Gardening, at least of the type I've been doing, burns excess energy and calories at the same time. Planting seeds gives you something to both nurture and to look forward to.

Okay--so I'm unplugging again. Time to do some more gardening!