Gardening was one of my favorite things to do. Needless to say, over the last 8 years I've really let things go. Last fall, we ripped out all the bushes in front of our house. I wanted a porch, but the design of our house doesn't lend itself to one. So I had my hubby build me one! This spring, with a blank canvas, I resumed my favorite pastime! Here are a few pics of one area. Mind you, i turned the earth, weeded it all, prepped the soil, lugged compost and mulch, dug every hole and planted all new! And yes, I'm extremely proud of it and excited to watch it grow!

Next year new sod!!!! (Neighbors creeping ivy is unstoppable!)

Edited May 28, 201610 yr by LisaMergs

Haven't played ice hockey in close to 15 years... Started coaching my kids team a couple months ago and then joined a men's league that began play last week. Couldn't be happier to get back on the ice.

my Rose garden has never looked more lovely. I just haven't felt well enough to tend it the way it ought to be tended. brings me a lot of pleasure. it's rainy today but I plan to be out there the next two evenings.

We have an old wooden play set in the back yard that we took the swings off a couple of years ago and put on a bench swing, but under the slide area my son is going to help me turn into a sand box with a removable deck cover for when the grandboy comes to visit. I haven't done any projects like that in a few years. it feels good to make plans and know I can make them happen.

I have been on long hikes twice since surgery - which since my diabetes diagnosis I had not done. and it is easier now than it has been in 5 years.

I love roses but stopped growing them when we moved to this house. I may take it up again in 4 years when we move to NC. I just got so darned frustrated always getting poked! Lol. And this house has too much shade to grow them well, and where there IS sun, those areas are not planting areas.

Well, I'm only 18 days post op, so I'm just getting started, but I already planted a garden! I should say, my teenage daughter planted it for me while I sat and supervised since it was right after surgery. But, I've never been a gardener, so I hope I don't kill everything. It's a container garden this year, but maybe next year we'll expand. We planted tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, and several different herbs.

Other things I want to do: run a 5k, take my kids hiking, try stand up paddle board, and zip line in a tropical jungle. Costa Rica perhaps.

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I grow a couple that are thornless and do well in the south for me. I bought them from Heirloom Roses - one is a David Austin called Heritage and the other is an old bourbon called Zephirine Drouhin http://www.heirloomroses.com/zephirine-drouhin.html David Austin's Mary Rose and the sister roses to it do well in the south for me. If you ever get back into growing roses we can chat about it some more. I have mine underplanted with orange mint (not as crazy as spearmint) and lemon balm. keeps down the weeds and bugs and is easy to trim up once a month. My rose garden is surrounded by sidewalk, house and driveway so the mint can't get out of where I want it.

Love love love orange mint!

And holy crap! You're too young to have a grandchild!!!!

Well. crap!

I thought I was doing wonderful things like taking surf fishing back up and actually sub coached my grandson's little league game last week. It was wonderfully fun.

But you people make me feel like I'm standing still.

Well done, my friends. Well done!

Happy prayers going up.

While perhaps not as meaningful as other accomplishments here, I'm just enjoying looking like a damn woman again!

When I was a size 32 I just bought whatever fit and didn't make me want to cry. Now I actually get to SELECT things that are both flattering and appealing to me. I am made happy by an entire summer's wardrobe full of dresses - almost none of which are 'hide me' maxi dresses - and heels and accessories. I'd never really worn them before, but apparently I reeeeeally like dresses!

Love reading everyone's responses and seeing the pics of the beautiful garden!! It's amazing how regaining our health can enrich our lives so dramatically!!!

Since losing the weight and having surgery I have done so many things that I never did before surgery-even when I was younger and thin.

I have taken up kayaking as a hobby, I go backpacking, camping, hiking, paddle boarding (not to great at this), I am comfortable going to the gym and I feel like I am soaking up life again.

I told my husband the other day that I feel like I have lived more in the last two years since my surgery than I did my whole life prior to it!! So thankful for this experience.

I am enjoying doing the little things:

Being able to stop and run into a drugstore on the way to an appointment, going back inside when I forgot something, taking flowers to my mom on Mother's Day rather than having them delivered, etc.

I have started gardening in pots on my patio this year and am planning some flower beds.