March Update

It has actually stopped raining 9 days a week so I can finally get some work done.. I remember a good friend telling me "you'll love the Island but get used to the wet winters." Didn't sound too bad then but after 3 months I get it sky. Time for something new.

It's amazing how much our business has changed since its inception. I think about what we knew last fall and what we know today and there's simply no comparison. I think besides the financial struggle, having this winter "off" was the best thing as it allowed Angie and I to really think things through, plan, plot and learn. I took an extremely helpful Organic Turf Management course, had a coffee with the world's foremost organic turf guru, devoured every Seth Godin word, solidified my product line, made great connections, and Angie created our phenomenol website. You know you take pride in something when a visitor to your site elicits a bottle of wine and dance around your house (not that we did any of that)

With a spring of Lush growth ahead of us (hey, Lush, that's the name of your..) we are feeling confident, secure, assured for the first time in some time. In the last month we've gotten over 30 new customers and its grows every day. We are the only chemical free lawn company in the valley and the word is getting around. We hadn't plan to hire this year but we may have to re-examine things. In the meantime, I'm working from dawn to dark trying to get the treatments (seeding) in so the grass plants have time to establish themselves before the heat of summer hits. Yes, I am a farmer now. Never checked the weather so much in my life.

Next month I'm teaching 4 workshops on how to care for your lawn naturally. This is important as I've really missed the teaching part of my past life and this is a way to keep that alive.

Anyways, the sun's up so I'm off. Miss you, wherever you are.

John

Humus

Not the eating kind, although just as healthy, humus is literally the place where new life springs up. Humus is what's left when micro-organisms (bacteria) consume organic matter (vegetable waste, leaves, grass clippings etc). We call this finished product compost. Our composters or compost piles are host to this process. This black gold when used at the time of planting or to topdress tired lawns will inject health and vitality into otherwise barren places.

The interesting thing about humus, besides its ability to grow things well, is that it comes from the same etymological root as the world humility. I don't know about you but due to my "hold nothing back, live out loud, risk it all" personality, I have experienced my fair share of mud on my face. In fact, sometimes my whole self has been so mired in mud I've required the help of others just to get moving again. The unfortunate thing about these muddy times, is all I'm thinking about is getting out so I don't take the stuck time to think or notice. It's only when I'm out that I'm able to realize my growth.

The humus analogy is apt (and not my own). New life grows out of mud. So next time you're in it, don't waste your time trying to get unstuck. Let it grow you up.

John

I'm an Athiest?

Having always been a person of deep faith I was struck across the face this morning as my author of choice suggested otherwise. He claimed that many people of faith actually function as athiests believing that they alone are in control. The result of this unbelief is it leads a person to impose their will on others (control) the only real option if its all up to them. This of course puts enormous stress on all their relationships (who likes to be controlled?) and if left unchecked, will cause breakage. The end result is burnout, depression and despair as the person learns that they can't control others and the world will not bend to their will. As depressing as this all sounds, its much worse living like this. And explains a lot. If you're this person.

In other news, I wouldn't say I "enjoyed" yesterday's gold medal game. Most of the time involved me biting my nails and ignoring my stomach pain. Perhaps the stress came from the fact that I knew I couldn't control the outcome? Hmmm. That being said, I did predict at the onset of the game that Crosby would score the winner so maybe I did control things....

John