For once I’ve made a list of plants before driving off to the nurseries.  I have every intention of buying them while sitting here at my computer, but when I get to Art Knapps or The Greenery, something happens.  If I can’t find the exact plant I want, instead of waiting or looking elsewhere for it, I buy a random substitute.

Sometimes I hate my list by the time I’m in the store and prefer all the lovely things they have on display instead.  Then I get home with an unruly assortment of finicky plants that don’t fit in anywhere.

You’ll recall I hired a landscaper last year, and had the lower lawn converted to a xeriscape garden.  This year I’m going to continue on my own, and hope to find some of the plants used down there for beds around the upper deck.  Imagine how beautiful it could be if all one uniform, sensible theme.

But why would I think that’d occur outside when inside my closets there’s a riot of colours and styles, I’m not sure.  I don’t think I’m a One Theme kind of person.  When I look at my recently-purchased Bill Blass pumps ($6 at Sally Ann) beside my pink canvas flats, I can see competing moods, can’t you?

I don’t think gardening’s going to be the fun it used to be, thanks to the new house across the street and now some type of hotel being built on the bluff behind me!  I e mailed a city councillor yesterday and asked her why that’s allowed in this rural area.

As you know my greatest joy is pushing the wheelbarrow around in summer while in my underwear, and now I can see that’s going to cause a lot of anxiety for many people.  Naturally, I refuse to budge on how I dress in my own yard, so all I can say is, if thine eyes offend thee, pluck them out.

But for me it’s also kind of disconcerting as now I’ll have to make sure to keep my stomach pulled in at all times.  Try to do that while gardening and you’ll see what I mean about my summers being less fun.

You can imagine my profound disappointment last week at the Rutland Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store.  They had three pairs of Joseph Ribkoff pants for $2 a pair, but all were too small.  But I managed to find darling Liz Claiborne cuffed stretch jeans for the same price, so left placated.

One of my goals was to clean up my newsletter bulk e mail recipients by deleting old e mail addresses and adding new contacts.  As I worked on it last week I was thrilled to recall I had the addresses of everyone contacted regarding our 40th high school reunion last year.

So that was a windfall of contacts, and I added all of those.  Then as usual, when I sent out my March newsletter, orders followed.  It’s a fabulous marketing tool, for sure.

We’ve got German relatives here and I baked a banana loaf and gave it to them, and they loved it.  Luke’s coming home in a day or two, so I’ll be baking and cooking for him, whether he wants it or not.  I suppose that remains my main theme:  Food Production.