I hope we can trim our waistline and fatten our wallets. We have resurrected our garden, budgeting practices, stayed away from so much t.v., and added new ways to many aspects of household management.

The Garden: Weeks of crisp Romaine, cup fulls of spinach, kale, and now broccoli have reminded us of the joy of doing things the long way. It's a pain to avoid pesticides, plan companions for plants, weed, water, test soil especially at the end of a long day. For me, it's essential. This is what I call my Stewardship Garden. It's a tribute to Maddie. It's a lesson for me about taking care of what I have no matter how tired or bothered I am. It's about patience and perseverance, too.

Tonight's task is going to be monumental. I had a mini meltdown last night when I was worn out and knew we needed to amend the soil, assemble the compost bins, finish the fence, and all after putting William to bed. Ugh! This meant working late and having no rest until bedtime. We split the difference and did all but the soil changeover. That's hovering over me and I dread the transplanting, the raking, and the hauling. Not easy but it is worthwhile and my muscle for patience is getting more toned!