Spring is coming! Yesterday was the first day of spring on my calendar. It’s hard to imagine that, since the Nor’easter that passed through the other day brought us an additional 33 inches of snow here in Otis…
I AM loving the fact that my lovely sunsets are happening a bit later each day. Sunsets on the lake are one of the reasons I live here. As you can see from the picture, our sunsets are spectacular.
What I feel now is hope. Hope for warmer weather, gardening, hiking, enjoying the lake, and more joy in our lives. More exercise, which gets the endorphins pumping, more veggies on the table as we enjoy new fresh veggies from the farm stands that will be re-opening soon. All these are the things I’m looking forward to.
It’s been a long hard winter. I had COVID at the start, a flue a couple of weeks ago, and the weather has not been great. All this makes me look forward nice weather, fresh air, starting my garden, and better health for us all.
What are you looking forward to this spring? Will you be planting a garden? Maybe just a few tomato plants in some pots? You’ll love those fresh veggies if you do!
I’ve picked out my seeds so I’m ready to plant my garden. About half of my summer veggies are planted and grow from seeds; the other half, I’ll start from seedlings that I buy from a local nursery. I like to start lettuce and other greens, that grow when it’s a bit on the cold side, right away. I can enjoy them early, plant more when those are done, and so enjoy them later in the season. Things that I’ll only get one planting from, like my green beans, I plant from seeds.
You might wonder why gardening seems to be so beneficial to health, and why so many of us love to garden?
Well, gardening combines physical exercise in nature and sunlight. Studies show that sunlight lowers blood pressure and gives us our daily dose of vitamin D. Digging and raking and can be quite aerobic. It’s almost like having a gym outside my window! Also, the fruit and vegetables that we grow will add important nutrients to our diet.
Other studies were conducted on cancer patients and they reported a better quality of life and less stress through gardening. Lack of serotonin has been linked to depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and bipolar disorders. The helpful bacteria in soil acts as a natural antidepressant that has no adverse health effects. How cool is, that! Can’t wait to get out there and play in the dirt!
So, if you’re thinking that maybe a garden would be a good project for you this year – I highly recommend trying it. You’ll be happy that you did! 😊
And, to help you get ready for spring gardening, here’s an exercise from my Pilates for Osteoporosis Prevention class that will keep your lower back strong!
Best of Health,
Kathi
