I have a positive/negative trait that lifts me up or gets me in trouble as the case may be. I always think I can do more than possible. I am inherently enthusiastic so that I sign up for jobs, enroll in classes, volunteer for chairmanships. There is always more that I want to do or learn or experience.

Only one lifetime.  Learn to weave or spin? Watercolor? Rosemaling?

That would be fun. Sure. Sign me up.

Then there is the sober truth of what is possible in 24 hours or even in a lifetime. And because I want to do everything with a 4.0, no less, the reality intervenes and inevitably presents major trauma and problems.

So, here it is that I find myself on the brink of November 2012, and I have committed to two major endeavors. That would be fun!  Sign me up!

Number One: It’s true that I did go through the Master Gardener program in California in 1993. And it’s equally true that I was quite a bit younger then. Younger sharper brain. Younger stronger back. And I deeply cared for integrated pest management and soil structure. And I do today. But, frankly, the course that allowed me to revel in horticultural issues all those years ago, was almost twenty-year light brain cells ago. I am telling you that it was HARD. And I am proud of the t-shirt that I got as a result – “Humboldt County Master Gardener!” And I put in lots of volunteer hours at the South Coast Botanical Garden propagation department. And loved every minute.

Yet it’s true that gardening in California is a far cry from gardening in Minnesota. Which means that if you are to be the recipient (for a small fee) of a wondrous fount of horticultural knowledge, and in exchange you are available to give back to the community, it is a fair exchange. Therefore, as a west coast trained gardener, I am in kindergarten here in the upper plains. And I need to start all over again. Wish me luck.

Number Two: I heard about this really fun, creative pursuit. It’s called NaNoWriMo. For some unknown reason, November is the national novel writing month. It means that you sign up online and agree to write a novel, all in the month of November to the tune of 50,000 words. Oh, I don’t know. I guess that is about 1700 words a day. And if you actually achieve that goal, you get (oh, I don’t know) maybe a t-shirt.

It’s countdown time now and I’m terrified. What was I thinking? But I’m not a quitter. Therefore, I’m not sure if I will be sane enough to post on snowbirdredux during the following month. But I will try. It occurred to me to just expose my nanowrimo novel. As it goes. Day by day. 1700 words. Gulp. And you can be my editors. It’s called “The Snow Queen, a modern sequel.” No I don’t think so. Want to learn about integrated pest management. No I didn’t think so.

Here I go. Wish me luck.