Nothings brings one’s head around like good old fashioned stress! Only this time it is different…

In the last couple of months, I have been coupled with some new challenges. My parents are getting old. My wonderful Mom is 81 this year and my Dad is 90. They have done quite well for their age and up until end of March 2013, were both living at home in their gigantic bungalow. Due to rapidly declining health, my Mom had to be placed in a care home quite suddenly. Father could no longer met the challenges Mom gave him.

In addition to this, my Dad’s health is also failing him. AND he needed to move out into a smaller abode, closer to Mom. Because of certain conditions, my sister, brother and I have been through the “wringer”, time wise to met sooooo many issues, as a result. What makes this all so flustering is “other” folks not doing their legal part, or at least not giving us all the facts. Hard to do one’s job when there are “holes” in the Swiss cheese.

Both my sister and I come from Nursing backgrounds. Having to go through all this, despite our experience, was the hardest thing, first to accept and then to process. We always thought…ya, others have this problem. Suddenly…WE have this same problem!

All my life I remember our parents…working together. Working, working…working. They never went on a vacation. Always home enjoying the fruits of their labor and doing what they knew best…slave to the farm.

It got me thinking. I am a slave too. I always believed that I needed to do my part in this world. My mission was to expose as many people as I could touch, to the wonders of heritage vegetables. I did it in as many ways as I could, talking about them, offering them as seed, growing/trialing them out and finally offering them as plants. I truly lived and breathed HEIRLOOM VEGETABLES! AND I loved it! I realized that I had been doing this since 1989. That was 24 years ago!2014 will be 25 years, a quarter century of lovingly growing heritage vegetables. A fitting number to add to my “growing” history.

What I am really trying to say (by my headliner) is this: All my life I have been working, since I can remember from a wee mite of 6 years old. And I think I worked quite hard. It seemed the “thing” to do…and I truthfully, enjoyed it. But, what has happened…I never took time to enjoy the great beauty around me and appreciate what our world had to offer. I was too busy holding down sometimes as many as 2 and half jobs! The realization of this is suddenly NOW staring me straight in my face!

I want to get off the roller coaster ride, that I have put myself on. Having said this…

I looked my hubby square in the eyes last week (April 24, 2013) and made the announcement: I have had enough! (As I was dragging yet another 5 gallon pail of water to the small GH…) He said “I was wondering how long it would take you to finally admit that” Having said that…2014 will be the last year that I will be offering plants at my Green House. From 2014…October and onwards…I will offer SOME seeds (marked “AV”…) on a hobby basis….where I find myself with too many seed at years’ end…

I will keep my website on line, if nothing else except to be a resource for future gardeners alike. And I will gladly be available to help out anyone who consults with me. Who knows? Maybe I’ll start a consulting company? “How to garden the wrong way…” L0L!

Yes folks. I’d admit this might come as a shock. But in my mind the best time to walk away gracefully is when you are at the top of your game. AND I FEEL at the top of my game! No regrets!

What a rush! What a journey I have been on!

Kind Regards!

Mandy

p.s. As I can find time, I will be posting photos of my last G.H. vegetable activities. Hopefully my hubby (the photographer) will do the moments justice. It will take some courage on my part to offer this rare glimpses, as I generally avoid the lens like it was the plague!