I hear you! In July I found out we were lost our house. (BF forgot to pay mortgage for 6 months!) I am in my late forties but I have a ten year old daughter. We had to move into a small townhouse apartment. I have no room for all my outdoor garden junk. I gave most of it away but I held onto a few pieces I couldnt bear to give away. Boy , I sure do miss my yard and garden! I guess I will have to do container gardening next summer on my tiny patio.

You have made a lot of wonderful things for your garden. Your pictures are an inspiration for new junkers like me. I'm sorry to hear that you had to get rid of some of your treasures...but there are always more to be found if you find that you really want them. I wish I had been there when you sent them off with the scrap man...I would have loved to have some of the things that you sent off. Glad to see that you are back...I am pretty new to the site but I am sure that I have seen some of your posts from before.

foxesearth - Looks like you are NOT "giving up dreams"...looks to me like you are being sensible & downsizing...what we all need to do at times (I'm trying)! And you've saved plenty for great projects ahead!

I loved the pic of the aquarium totem...I haven't done any totems or mosaicing...but seeing all the wonderful GJers' projects inspire me.

Hey, and changing goals, that's LIFE, isn't it! Good going...and thanks for sharing your garden junk. Jeanne S.

Thank you for sharing that album Nell! I really enjoyed looking at it.

I'm adding the GJ Recipe link that was also at this site. We're all in a cooking mood this time of year with the holidays (well most of us lol). I noticed lots of good recipes there and will be trying some of them soon.

~tenderlee

Here is a link that might be useful: http://my.att.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=16&groupid=220413&ck=

Thanks so much for sharing your story and your garden with us Nell! I've been a GJer for not quite a year, but I LOVE this site and all of my wonderful new friends! This has been a source of great fun for me. I totally understand the need for downsizing and for change too! I'm 50ish and I have already had to make changes to my gardens and the whole way I think about my yard and my "junque". Thanks again! Your website has some wonderful pictures and ideas! The aquarium garden is really awesome!

To me it's not a case of "giving-up" as much as reprioritizing. After having surgery on both hands for carpal tunnel there's some things I've had to let go of, like my mosaics. Found out that I can do mosaics with other mediums like fabric, paint, and stones in the garden, etc., so that I get the same effect without compromising my hands.

HI! Welcome back! You left around the time I came in so it's so good to see you here again.

I think you're just regrouping. You still have ceramic pieces for mosaicing and that's a wonderful activity that can be done while sitting! HA

JUSTLINDA- on a gardening show they have here they had a segment about an elderly woman who was mosaicing her wall and she did the neatest thing I ever saw. She first threw the plate on the ground to break it up some, then buttered it with morter, stuck it on her wall, and smashed it more with a hammer creating more pieces she would then spread apart. I know after awhile the nippers hurt my hands something awful and using the hammer to break things up is a very easy method. It may not be ideal, but it works.

Nell, I hope you continue to visit us here. I'm sure there are quite a few projects left in you!!

Nell I think we have all had to make some tough decisions in our lives. What we need to remember is that we need to leave room for the little things in our lives. Life is too short to give up all that brings us joy. Save some time for yourself and enjoy. I have been here only a short while and have found a wealth of talent, help and support. Welcome back. By the way Orville is my pick for #1. Love him.

Thanks for posting the site. I enjoyed it very much. I too think that you have been sensible. I need to do more downsizing myself.
kathy

There are many of us who are disabled and can fully relate to your situation! I can't do anything that would require standing up or kneeling down. If it can't be done sitting at a table, it just won't get done. But there are plenty of wonderful smaller scale projects that can keep you busy. Best of all, they don't require a lot of room for storage either! It's all about working smarter rather than harder. Not a lot of problem for a creative mind to come up with some wonderful ideas.

Thanks so much for sharing your site! I love the natural birdbath, the teapots (especially that Miss Piggy!), the dripping birdbath (great idea to keep the water moving to discourage mosquitoes), and the potting benches (wonderful way to use an old sink). I hope you plan to stick around this time so that we can see more of your work!

jiju, what a horrible ordeal you went through! I can relate to the tiny space for gardening. I find that a lot of my garden junk needs to hang. I hope you post some of your GJ ideas for tiny spaces.

Hi Nell
I can certainly relate to giving up dreams and changing goals...I live in a small third floor apartment with a small balcony now. No garden junk for me. No more totems, planted dresser or pink ladder. No more making concrete leaves or new garden spaces or living curtains. We really aren't even supposed to have anything on the railing of the balcony, but I have three window boxes full of flowers and a small gazing ball. Remember the little gazing balls I used to make? Perfect for a flower box. Looking through your website again took me down memory lane. Several things by Just Pam brought tears to my eyes. I saw other familiar names I haven't seen in a while. Even a recipe from me!
Thank you for posting Nell. I've missed you and your insight, talent, wisdom and humor alot. We're still going over on the Misfits. We miss you there too.
Jean

Sure, I remember you. I don't spend much time here anymore and mostly lurk when I am here.:)
In this year, I too have had to come to terms with many plans that I came to realize were not going to materialize.
I have parted with many things because I knew I was not going to ever get the projects done.

Hi Nell,
I remember seeing your posts. I am glad you came back to say hi and let us all know how you are(-: I am sure you had a hard time letting your "junk" go but you seem to have saved some fine stuff for future creating(-: We look forward to hearing more from you(-:

Hi Nell nice to hear from another GJ enthusiast.
My thoughts:
The dreams we give up are simply adjustments to changing circumstance, and they are quickly replaced with new dreams, different, but just as exciting. There is no loss in that.
Each new idea generates new enthusiasm, especially with so much wonder and mystery around the next corner or arriving with the next day.
Each of us has purged at one time or another with a certain sense of loss but thatÂs just one aspect of what we do.
I once thought as I approached 70 I wouldn't want to continue making things  what for?
Boy was I wrong - the drive to create is stronger than ever,and the astonishing truth is: the joy of creating is in the process.

Robert

Well said Robert. My DH went thru a similar thought process about 5 years ago with his music (he's been a bass player since we were in high school 1960's). He felt like no one wanted to be in a band with an aging person. So wrong!

Now he just makes the music more about the fun of doing it, and does more volunteer work too, rather than the "gig for money". I think he plays better than ever now too. Lots to be said for technique, no matter what the art form, which is very obvious with your art as well.

Nell, I'm glad you're back and look forward to getting to know you! ~tenderlee