Voluntarism

For our March volunteer event, The Tenfold Forty volunteered at the Girard Children's Community Garden in Northwest DC.  I'll be honest, I'm not what you would call "outdoorsy."  It's not so much that I mind being out-of-doors, it's more that I mind getting my hands dirty, literally and figuratively.  However, I had a really great time planting radishes, weeding, pruning, and generally cleaning up the garden.  

Girard Children's Community Garden

Girard Children's Community Garden

Girard Children's Community Garden

In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I was inspired to clean up our front yard at home.  What I neglected to consider is that since I don't do much gardening, I had no idea that yard work uses muscles that I didn't even know that I had.  My back and legs were sore for days afterward, but I really enjoyed playing in the dirt.  I'm not saying that my black thumb has turned green, but I'm making progress.

front walkway before

front walkway three hours, four trashbags, and one rat sighting later

Alabama On My Mind

Today is the one-year anniversary of the day that tornadoes ripped through the city of Tuscaloosa, home of my alma mater, the University of Alabama.  I posted about this tragedy the day after, and there's not much I can say that hasn't already been said.  At work today, I read this poignant and sad article from the Crimson White, UA's student newspaper.  Natural disasters can often occur without warning, and it's a good to remember not only to have an emergency plan, but also to tell your loved ones that you love them.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and his wife Dianne walk past some 253 state flags, one for each victim, placed on the grounds of the Capitol during a memorial service for tornado victims on the steps of the Alabama Capitol in Montgomery Friday. Sixty two tornadoes left 253 people dead in Alabama a year ago.