News Flash....Cancer Patient Seen Working in the Yard

Once upon a time, prior to October of 2007, I found great pleasure in yardwork. I was committed to doing a little at a time, and never letting it "get ahead of me." I'm not sure that I planned ahead and really got into yard work, like Billy does so well, but it was easy to put aside the ancient past, when working in the yard in Lompoc was such a pain in the young tail. In various homes I've landscaped entire yards, put in patios and redwood patio covers. Although no one would confuse me with a master gardener, the yard wasn't embarrassing, either.

At about the time I was re-diagnosed, however, the yard became a nuisance. Worrying over each year's leaf fall in autumn became a chore. Keeping up with holly plants that grow all over because of friendly birds is a pain. Why do we have New Zealand blackberries in Oregon, anyway...and why do birds seem to transplant them more than a lovely blueberry bush? Mowing and edging the lawn became primary responsibilities, but everything else was work.

Having Nate and Mark in the yard this morning, then, was something of a surprise to all the A Street neighbors. It dawned on me recently that if we didn't do some catch-up, and get a season's bark dust down, we'll have weeds coming up everywhere come April. Planning ahead like that is a positive step, and also a step towards prevention.

Maybe yards are indeed mental therapy. I smile when I think that I want to be positive in April, rather than depressed. And that I've learned from medical tests and treatments that prevention is far better than a treatment that hopes to impact an existing lesion that takes off on its own. Goodness knows that blackberry bushes will take off on their own if we don't do something to prevent that from happening.

And Vickie, here's my apology. Sorry you're going to miss this. You were always the best bark duster in the neighborhood, and a great help. We'll have to get by without your efforts this time, but I know it will take longer and be far less fun without your assistance!