I have to say it was a tough week. Long work hours, even longer life chores or obligations and more, which kept me away from my garden.

Sure I can come up with all sorts of excuses, like awful coastal weather in San Francisco this time of the year preventing me from enjoying the garden. Back to back zoom meetings, caring for my mother, the raccoon that dug up a hole and made his way to our garden, and up over the fence to the neighbor’s rooftop one morning-which scared me to death-while I sat listening in on a global presentation at five in the morning, about how much more we needed to do to reach the level of success engineered and carved in stone by our executive leadership team…

I am not a fan of raccoons.

But after an entire week of garden neglect, I sit at my desk by the window this morning thinking just how much I missed out on the serenity, and calmness I feel when I am out there simply walking among the plants, and even talking to them while I aerate the soil, just before I gently shower each plant with a gardener’s watering pot.

So as usual one thought led to another and through reflection, I have to ask

Has the year thus far, felt a bit off to you? It has for me more so this year.

Are you a morning person? I used to be. Now all I want to do is sleep in.

Do you change into a work uniform, even if you work remotely? I do. It’s a frame of mindset.

What is your first international destination on your travel list for 2022. Mine: A tiny village somewhere in the south of France, tucked away in a small cottage overlooking a vineyard with a dozen novels at my disposal.