The Musical Gardener

    "That's how it worked for me.  My blog gave me a new identity, new skills, a new set of colleagues, and  a way to connect with people who shared my interest.  I'd expanded my vision of the kind of writer I could be.  I had become a blogger."  Gretchen Rubin, Happiness Project

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There it is, one of those ah ha moments.  I picked up the Happiness Project just prior to Christmas at our local library; thought it might be an inspiration for making 2011 the best year yet. 

Chapter one dealt with decluttering your life.  Three days after Christmas: kitchen is reorganized, bedroom completely dunged out (love that verb -- I was a farmer in a past life) and my workroom downstairs shivers in anticipation of the fate about to befall it.  

Chapter two discusses relationships with our loved ones, and how to improve upon that.  That is not an area I feel compelled to dramatically improve.  My wife and I have a very close, loving relationship, and my two daughters worship the ground I trod.... oh alright, they tolerate my eccentricities and refer to me lovingly as a 'silly little man.' 

Chapter three - start a blog!   I can't wait to see what the next chapters suggest.

I've been contemplating blogging for a while now.  But as always,  I do what I do best - talk myself out of my good ideas.  I don't have the time (but I can youtube regularly), I don't have anything interesting to say (well that one remains to be seen), nobody will read it (so what, nobody currently reads my journal either!) I'll say something controversial and everyone will send hate mail (sticks and stones......), I'll say something stupid (that's inevitable, not if, but when)...........and on an on.

So I've defined carefully why I shouldn't blog.   But I haven't quite talked myself out of it either.

Why must I blog?  Aren't there enough concise, pithy, witty, beautiful, educational, inspiring musings out there in cyberspace already?  Perhaps.......you be the judge.

1.  I'm a record keeper -  I have kept a daily journal ( I hate to use the word diary - sound a little too much like testosterone antidote) for 35 years.  I am the keeper of the family history - 15,000 names in my family tree file, and several boxes of photo albums.

2.  I like to write - I've never had anything published.  My thoughts just seem to coalesce much better on paper than if I verbalize them.

3.  I enjoy meeting like-minded people. 

4.  I like and need a challenge.  I thrive on change.  Well at least I've survived the many changes thrust upon me over the years. 

5.  I need a growth venue.  Let me explain.  I have a lot of interests and hobbies, but most are at a somewhat mature state (doubles for stagnant).  My gardens are pretty well established - just basic maintenance from here on (I know I'm laughing at that myself - of course there will be new gardens on the property by next fall).  My genealogical research has pretty much exhausted the available resources in Canada, and my budget does not foresee a trip to Great Britain to traipse the cemeteries and peruse musty archives in the near future.

6.  I'm at a watershed point in life. I will hit the not-so-highly-nor-much-anticipated big five ohhhhh in 2011. As well we are within a year or so of empty nest syndrome, another nshnma event (see above sentence for a somewhat rational explanation of that acronym).

So what am I going to blog about?  Well I am a man of eclectic and unusual ideas and interests.  Initially I have chosen several areas that interest me and hopefully will generate a modicum of interest amongst potential readers.


Gardening-- I love digging in the dirt, propagating plants, mixing and matching for aesthetics and continuous colour, designing and seeing a project turn out well.  I am also a constant renovator - whatever looks good this year, can always be tweaked to look better next year.

Music -- I am a self taught performer (and proud of it).  I play piano and compose material for piano and vocal arrangements.  I also sing in several different venues.

Supply Teaching -- I am a veteran of four short years of occasional teaching in the elementary and secondary classroom.  That makes me by no means an expert, but every day brings its challenges and funny anecdotes ("Mr H., did your hair just stop growing?" Finn, kindergarten student, commenting on my follically challenged state).

Genealogy -- I love researching our family's heritage.  Currently I am collecting all the available photographs, scanning, reproducing them, and cataloguing and archiving them for future generations.  This one however, tends to be a bit in fits and spells, as I will find something new, research it to an early grave.  There may then be nothing for a few months, until something else finds me.

Cooking -- my daughter suggests this one.  I'm not sure if I have much wisdom to share, but I did just concoct my first plum pudding last night, and as they say - the proof is in the pudding - quite literally!  Let's see how our guests react tonight.  Actually my cooking has become somewhat limited of late, because most of the family (not yours truly) are all in degrowth mode.  However they have also pretty much reached their goal weights, so dad may be able to slide the odd stick of butter, or lick of cream back into supper once more.

Meanderings -- This will be the catch-all, kitchen sink sort of thing where anything else that comes to mind will be discussed, dissected, desiccated or otherwise dealt with.

And that about says what I want to say for today.

        Meanderings and Musings from the Musical Gardener