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Lady Barbara's Garden of Dreams

© Barbara Hall

Considering the fact that we are in the midst of a Suitevent called "Live Your Dreams" ...I thought I would take this opportunity to indulge in a little Purina Fantasy Chow.....I actually did this once, about 5 years ago, as a complete exercise from Barbara Sher's book called "WISHcraft" where we were instructed to just let go and WRITE a PERFECT 24 hours in every conceivable detail. No limits at all.....Five hours later I had created a 15 page world for myself.

In today's Garden of Dreams, I would own my own land and everything on it would be safe. No large mechanical surprises here. Any lawns that couldn't be mowed with an old-fashioned push mower wouldn't be mowed. I would have a wood stove and I would not be allergic to cats. But most of all, my days would be filled with whatever it occured to me to do, and I would take my cues from the plants themselves. As the first flowers opened, I would harvest the Motherwort and bring it right in to my large and bright work room and have it chopped and tinctured by mid-afternoon. Every other Saturday, people would arrive for classes and I would teach them all about the Wondrous Weeds we Live With.

Part of the land would be farmed with 'weeds' and herbs and vegetables and most of it would be its own beautiful wildness where entire days would be spent exploring and gathering and learning. With one book already published, I'd be working on another, but would save that for the rainy days. I don't have to worry about income, because I have a National Endowment from the gods and all the money I need grows on that tree over there. (Pretty good, huh? I grew it from seed!)

There would be a shop, but someone else runs it so I don't have to be there all the time. And there would be an office where I could consult with my 'patients' when they came for advice. There would be a sheep or four, a goat or two and perhaps a dozen chickens. (It's all so lovely, you MUST come visit.....)

Some mornings would be just for taking photos and some for gathering yarrow flowers, some for pressing blossoms and some for hoeing fields. The seasons would decide what gets done when.

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