Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/474241
O ur hobbies and leisure time are precious to us, so we should absolutely make the most of it. I love gardening, fishing, hunting, hiking, biking, tennis, golf…. you get the picture. I'm better at some of it than others, but clearly I just like being outdoors doing something worthwhile. My passion, based purely on the time I commit, is my gardening. Having spent the majority of my waking hours creating commerce for 39 years, it was not unusual for my wife to find me in my vegetable garden at night or in a thunder storm, after working a 10 hour day. What you find, is there is always something to do in a garden, it is never finished, never perfect and always changing….every day. It's my personal feeling that we need the release, we need a retreat, an escape from our desk, computer, cash register, patients, clients, customers or whatever consumes your workaday world. I know I did, however it didn't start out that way. Gardening was simply a curiosity to me, as to whether or not I could actually grow my own food for my family. Then it became a fascination with all of the varieties and intricacies associated with getting good at the craft. Interestingly, I've had friends that look askance at the hobby for me because it doesn't fit my outdoorsy, rough and tumble persona. The reality is, it is hard work and incredibly stimulating physically and mentally. Julia Darnton and Lauren McGuire, Michigan State University Extension, wrote an article last year that describes in detail the health benefits according to the experts: What are the physical and mental benefits of gardening? Gardening can reduce stress and mental clarity while also helping to prevent everything from coronary disease to colon cancer. A Heart Healthy Hobby By: Julia Darnton, Lauren McGuire and David Housefield Page 10 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysHealthAndNutrition.com