Since retirement, I have had time to become a gardening fanatic. The flowers in the pots, and the seeds in the ground have given me a sense of purpose that almost replaces keeping my toddlers alive and well. Those two kids were forever challenging me with their unpredictable behavior and adventurous spirits; quite similar to the weeds in my garden. Nurturing and feeding to support growth and development. Similar principles used to achieve the same outcome.

I recall tracking the children's development with pictures and notations in their baby books. First word, first tooth, first use of the potty. One of my children went right from the diaper to the grassy area outdoors, same as my starter seedlings and the dog. (Our son still mentally calculates the distance between the nearest bathroom and the back yard.) I also recall tracking their schedules on my desk calendar. 5 years to kindergarten, 12 years until they can be left home alone for a grocery store run, 18 years until high school graduation, 22-23 years to college graduation and most importantly, the large red circled happy face on the day they left for summer camp; (two weeks of professional baby sitting...no guilt, they wanted to be there.) I now track the growth of my plants on a similar calendar; 12 days to germination, 18days - thin the rows, 57 days to maturity, start harvesting....

Our youngest child was just recently harvested. Yup, she graduated from college and will soon be on her own; paying her way, buying her own Clinique, housing her own mess. What a journey it has been raising and educating 4 children..eighteen years of used cars, college tuition and spring breaks, yikes!! What will I do with all the extra time and money? Buy more plants and get another dog...