Introducing "The Yarden"...re-introducing, really...

It's early Sunday, just waking up now (this might take awhile), and the weather where I am is way past beautiful today. Gives a whole new meaning to the word, breaking it down into reverse, "day of sun" so bright, slanting and painting the canvas of trees, bushes, shrubs, and anything with dimension, large and small. It's awe-inspiring. I hope wherever you are it's the same kind of beautiful Sunday.

Yesterday, I began digging around in my mom's backyard. I've been living with her since December 8, 2006, instead of my home 210-miles north of here in Memphis, Tennessee. See, I have aplastic anemia caused by immune thrombocytopenia purpura, which, yeah, I'd never heard of in my life until I began with the bruises that wouldn't heal and a platelet count one-fifth of what a normal body should have, what my normal body used to have. Taken for granted for 30 (-coughcough) years.

Explanation in an acorn: it means my body switched on an antibody to fight a vague, common, passing virus sometime in 2006 ~ whatever, right? Normal, the way a body was divinely designed to do. But then, for whatever reason, the antibody never switched off and began to attack healthy cells ~ in my case destroying my platelets, damaging my platelet-producing stem cells where they grow. Not having platelets equals not being able to make blood clots, plus other things. Aplastic anemia is a blood disorder which was once chronic and fatal. But with modern medical advancement, treatment and transfusions and an exceptional, healing doctor and staff, it can be an acute yet curable disease. That's what I think I have: acute versus chronic. I believe I will grow my own platelets again. If not, it's chronic, and I will try more treatments.

When you're feeling your worst, that's when you get to know yourself the best. ~ L. Grossman

Yesterday and today, sorting and clearing the dead leaves above, for new growing spouts underneath, I'll be working in her yard on a beautiful sunny day. Observing, renewing, and reporting. Guided. Clearing a path for new growth ~ exactly the way the earth's flora and fauna and human souls were divinely designed to do ~ rearranging pots and statuary into peaceful groups, splattering the backyard with as much color as I can help pull out of God's ground ~ especially as many red flourishes as I can. Red is my favorite color. Blood red, and pink. I know, I know, irony...get used to irony and laughing around here.

And underlying spirituality, sproutings and cuttings. I respect all forms of spirituality based on good and spreading seeds of goodness, so all comments and views are not only welcomed but encouraged. It helps me learn, and grow from the inside out, the way that body, minds and souls are intended to do.


Plus, I like giving product reviews and book recommendations, such as this one~

"Easy Garden Projects to Make, Build, and Grow"
edited by Barbara Pleasant (and the editors of Yankee Magazine)

This is just the book you need if you're looking for jumpstart ideas, for simple-yet-cool things to spruce up your garden, yard, or even apartment window box or two. It's illustrated nicely, with simple instructions, and that is EXACTLY what I like. If a project becomes too complicated, my fruitfly-like attention span is gone...know what I mean? Sparkly objects...What were we talkin' about again? Oh yeah, The Yarden...

Since I started this blog over a year ago intended for my own tiny yard and garden in Memphis, I never had the time and energy to post. Too much stress in your life will do that to you, and will break your body, so my advice: Get out and garden. It relieves stress and brings out the beauty given to us from the earth and whatever god you believe in. I'll be updating here with words and photos in my new home-away-from-home, showing the growth of new spring things in my new growing zone, Zone 7-ish-8 of Jackson, Mississippi ~ where with the help of God and the powers of good, I'm going to grow any and everything I can get my hands on, including healthy platelets.

Plus, I forgot to mention, the animals we have here ~ one good Kitty named Rainbow, a koi fishpond, tons of native birds to choose from (with one, elusive white or albino cardinal), and one *acquired pet* raccoon that we've named YumYum. He likes grapes in particular.

Speaking of grapes, and synchronicity, today I enjoyed Galloway's Ross Olivier via television, talking about "living in the vine or living in the world". It will posted soon as 02/04/07 podcast. It was so dead-on to the thoughts placed in my head this morning waiting, how I woke up, listenin'-receivin'-writin' as I promised to do, I just have to post it. It just proves the universal powers are workin' hard today for us all to spread seeds and bear fruit, the entire world over, doing so from the inside-out.

Out to the garden now. You, too.

~ peace, and enjoy ~