"I hate pleasure. Cocktail parties, air travel, silk underwear, late-night banquets, lying on the beach, ring-side seats, disco music, and anything jolly. I'm not especially puritanical; that word doesn't come close to describing or explaining my negative feelings. Nor am I other -worldly, ethereal, or whatever you want to call indifference to the five senses. I just don't think the common notion of pleasure retailed by the ad-men and enforced by peer preasure comes close to whatever it is that makes me happy(whatever that means).

"Being happy is dirt under your fingernails, wearing old clothes, having a good idea get better the longer you work at it, starting a new bed, giving plants away, and listening to rain....

"Gardener's must take their pleasure where they can find it, often alone; their high points are little spots of color, tiny oases of neatness, a whiff of perfume, hairs on a leaf, everyday pleasure."

I picked up this gardening book today at the library, "The Opinionated Gardener", and while browsing through it came across this little essay on pleasure and happiness. Made me smile, it did. I can relate to this guy- except lying on the beach is a definite pleasure for me, and even though I do enjoy giving plants away I also like to be given new plants to play with.....

I have been having a good time in my gardens this year. Even though we're rather in a drought here, it sure beats the very soggy, cold and not very nice summers we've had in recent years. I started, with much help from Jack, a large circular herb bed right smack in my "close to the house backyard" (we have a pretty large yard). It doesn't have a lot in it yet but what is there seems to be doing good: lavender, rosemary, chives, echinacea, parsley, thyme(2 kinds), sage, russian sage(one large right in the middle), hyssop, lemon basil, calendulas, and nastertiums......and there is plenty of room for more!

Between the back door and the outside cellar entrance has been a muddy weedy triangle the animals make a mess of. Last year I put some overflow plants there, fenced it off a bit to discourage the dog,  and they took over and it is looking very healthy and green there this year. In that bed is lemon balm, echinacea, tansy, chocloate mint, balloon flower, sundrops, and a few annuals. I'm greatly encouraged. Since moving here, near the river, I have had trouble growing things, too many bugs and slugs and molds and fungus', but the lack of rain this year has allowed me a fighting chance to keep up and it brings me pleasure.