And I'm back!

A survey, a welcome, and some thanks, too!

Tulips blooming in the Orchard. They are giving me joy and hope!

Friends,

First of all, thank you and welcome! I’ve been away for a few weeks caring for my mom after she had a knee replacement. To those of you who have asked about her: thank you for your care! She is doing really well, and we are all excited about what this will mean for her quality of life. She had an injury a few years ago, and she has been in pain since. I am excited that she will be back to avid dog walking and gardening very soon!

And to those of you who are new to Wild Revival Gardening in the last few weeks: a welcome to you, too! I am terribly behind in responding to comments and inquiries, but I’ll work through those soon. Thank you for subscribing! I’m so excited about this growing community of garden-lovers, and I’m just thrilled that you are here!

Some Questions for You

I originally set out a pretty aggressive publishing schedule with content four days per week. After looking at the reading data, I'd like some feedback from you:

If you have thoughts or suggestions, please drop them in the comments below! And if you are finding Wild Revival Gardening to be helpful for you, please share it with a friend! The more the merrier in this community!

Hope in the Garden

The last few weeks have felt incredibly overwhelming in so many ways. But here’s a note of hope: I was gone for two weeks, and during that time my garden went from winter to spring. It was a remarkable transition, honestly. And had I been here, it wouldn’t have felt so sudden, but having been away… well, it was a shock to come home!

I hope you find some encouragement in that sudden change. While FOTUS and Musk are still mucking about, destroying everything they possibly can like petulant toddlers on a sugar high (or ketamine), we know what they are doing — and it can be fixed. It will take some time. But we will be able to repair this damage — as long as we still have healthy roots and structures and historical measures that have been preserved. Think of the records-keeping and governmental screenshots like the root structures of a herbaceous perennial — hiding out underground during the winter. And this is, no doubt, a terrible, miserable winter. We are only 80 days into this nightmare (don’t check your 401K). It will be a long winter.

But spring will come again. It will. And like each spring — it may be different. But I’m hopeful that after this misery, we will elect leaders who are not self-serving cowards but who will actually build a country based on fairness, lawfulness, and justice. Oh, and the Constitution, too.

Maybe you are one of those potential leaders? Remember, local elections are CRITICAL. Run for school board? City Council? Mayor? Board of Supervisors? Or think bigger! And if you are a progressive running for office, let us know!

One of the things that has been helping me in the last few weeks is the idea that Fascists and authoritarians rely on oaths of loyalty. They see every action as a transaction and a way of exacting loyalty from other people. That's the "art of the deal" for FOTUS. When he says that so-and-so came to him begging, "Please, sir!" – that's his way of feeling powerful. He wants people to beg, to be beholden to him, to grovel.

But when you start to see his actions this way, you realize what a house of cards his power actually is. He is unbelievably weak. He is the abusive partner who must employ violence and cruelty, because he can’t even imagine a true partnership of trust.

It would only take a few Republicans to defect to topple his entire house of cards. And I think they will. Maybe. Or perhaps this will usher in a new era of Progressive governance – frankly, I'm hoping for that.

Until then, we must tend our gardens. And take care of ourselves. For during this winter, we may be deep in the soil, but our job is to grow healthy roots, to connect with each other, and to take a deep hold in the earth. And we do what we can do. Writing and calling our Congresspeople. Protesting – the next big one is on April 19! Building coalitions. And gardening.

Sending each of you a hug today! Resistance is hard work, but we just keep going. Tomorrow: more gardening tips and ideas. It’s good to be back with you!

Happy Resistance Gardening!
Angela