As of today...

Update #1: How are the worms, Lisa?

Casey the Cat and I checked out the vermicomposter this morning. The worms are alive and doing their job. When I opened up the lid, under which resides two months worth of old slimy food, I didn't smell or see two months worth of old slimy food. It smelled like nothing, actually, and the soil was nice and black and crumbly. Today's lunch special consists of some forgotten and unrecognizable cilantro (still had the tag), one uneaten baked potato, used Starbucks coffee grounds, egg shells, four fresh blueberries and a wrinkly kiwi fruit. I pureed much of this vegetable matter into a sort of salsa and blobbed it into the corner.

Update #2: Hey, Lisa, how are the kitties getting along?

Eh, mildly less than fair, moderately less than to middling. Rosie the Cat spends most of her time in our bedroom, hiding under the bed. She comes out at night and goes super affectionate, then by about 9:00 the next morning she's ready to get shy again. She and Casey actually snoozed on top of the bed last night while I watched a little TV, but at one point Casey woke up, stared awhile, then decided to run at her. She spat and dashed under the bed. When we go to the beach this weekend, we'll be keeping Casey in the garage and she'll hang out in the bedroom. A neighbor has agreed to kitty food and water duties. We hope she doesn't go into heat and run outside to look for a baby daddy while we're gone. She's getting spayed in a couple of weeks. The vet said she may remain skittish until then. All them female hormones. I can only relate.

Update #3: Will you be meditating for 30 minutes today, young lady?

Oh, okay. Son's at camp. But... but, I have to clean the kitchen! But I want to look at the internet! But I need to go to the store! But, I had coffee, I can't hold still long enough to meditate!

Oh, okay. I'll meditate anyway. I'm reading Jon Kabat-Zinn's book Full Catastrophe Living because Mr. Kabat-Zinn is the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Training (MBSR Training), the program I am attending on Saturdays at Yoga Hillsboro. The book tells me I need to, even if I don't want to, or even if I think I can't do it. Even if I spend the full thirty minutes or however long mentally dying inside while I feel my face turn inside out, I should still do it. It's a little like training for the marathon. You know... the marathon of life (overused cliche alert). But... it is. And when you train for something like a marathon, you have to keep training, no matter how good you get. It's a lifelong thing. If you stop, your butt starts to hang out all over the place again, and you get out of shape. There's never an "I finished, I'm good at it now, I can stop!" thing going.

Update #4: But, Lisa, isn't this a gardening blog?

Well, I talked about my worms today, didn't I? Anyway,uh, gardening is like life. Uh, you have to weed it, and tend to it, uh...

Update #5: But, Lisa, didn't you promise to swear off cliches?

Uh...