Really excited about the NCAA fencing championships being held locally at Harvard's Gordon indoor track.

For the schedule of events, visit http://www.ncaa.com/sports/c-fenc/champpage/inc/natcol/c-fenc-divnatcol-schedule.html.

Live results being posted to http://www.prisedefer.com/NCAA.

For a summary of information, visit http://www.ncaa.com/sports/c-fenc/champpage/c-fenc-divnatcol-index.html.

I learned to garden with my mother and enjoyed it then because it was precious time when we worked side-by-side without the usual diet of strained communication between a demanding parent and a rebellious child. Mom grew up poor in Louisville KY, the youngest daughter of truck farmers, hard working people who never finished grade school. Mom left that world behind long ago, going to college, becoming a psychologist, and moving away from the south. You'd never believe she came from those roots except for this occasional spark of pride that flashes when it comes to knowing about dirt and worms and manure.

When we moved up to Arlington MA, into this 200 year-old house with ground so compacted it felt like concrete under foot, Mom told me we'd never get anything to grow unless we fed the soil "better than a baby and just as often." By that time, Mom was too old to sink her hands in the soil herself so I took up the challenge. Over the course of 10 years, she showed me how to double-dig the tired soil, to put together a compost pile, and mulch over beds in winter, transforming the coffee brown clay into black rich soil.

After many years of wanting to get some research-based knowledge about the practice of growing, I decided to take a class. I had to smile to myself when the teacher, Lori, expressed one of the first tenets of her gardening philosophy in this simple way: "If you feed the soil, the soil will feed the plants." Thank you Mom, you knew it all along.

10 days of this bout with pernicious cold/bronchitis and I'm still miserable despite rest, fluids, drugs, chicken soup, and one whole season of Criminal Minds. I think I'll go back to work tomorrow--no longer a risk to others--just a tissue-soaking, hacking, wheezing sod.

Life with Damian Lewis and Sarah Shahi is officially back and I'm delighted. Really enjoyed the second season premiere, Find Your Happy Place, which can be watched online until November at http://www.nbc.com/Life/video/episodes/. Happy to say that the premiere party went well and hope to have hooked at least 3 of the attendees. :) Don't miss the second episode this Friday night, 10pm Eastern, on NBC, in Life's new timeslot.

Congratulations to the fencing team, coaches, and supporters on an exciting win. Read the story at NBC Olympics' page. That brings the US fencing team total to 6 medals:

Women's individual sabre--gold, silver, bronze
Women's sabre team--bronze
Women's foil team--silver
Men's sabre team--silver

Congratulations to the US Olympic Fencing Team--the power of believing--it's a beautiful bridge.

Wishing the best of luck to the US Olympic fencing team. View the schedule of fencing in Beijing and the NBC Olympic fencing coverage schedule.

It's spring here, finally and for real: an imperious sun, flowers abound, flushing trees, people out on the streets everywhere, and at long last, new episodes of Battlestar Galactica. Found this little quiz and took it in honor of the 4th and final season:



Ah, Helo...

Glorious mid-winter thaw in New England today-the sun is shining, the snow melting, and the window stands opened to the sweet breeze for the first time in months. A perfect day to have an historic election. What an amazing variety of choices there are, both sides and inbetween, which makes it such a stirring day to be an American.

Only a few hours remain to vote for The Dresden Files at the People's Choice Buzz Poll. Click here, scroll to the Buzz Poll box, and vote for Harry now. The poll closes at 6pm (?) on December 11th. Thanks!