March 27, 2012 - A Message From Jeff (aka EG of Our Engineered Garden)

It’s an honor to address you on Granny’s blog, and I thank her for the opportunity to do so. All of your kind words and thoughts shared on her recent post about me were greatly appreciated, and sincerely touched my heart. As most of you know, my life is full of pain and sorrow right now due to great losses, and blogging would only create an outlet for the reader to experience the suffering with me. Rather than let that happen, I choose not to write about anything until brighter days return. January and February were very dark months for me, and thankfully daily life is beginning to improve once more a little at a time. Some days are quite difficult to get through, but still I trudge onward. As can be expected during personal grieving, I have had some considerable weight loss. In September I weighed an unhealthy 262, and now a lean 215. Of course my entire wardrobe had to be replaced, but now am as small as I was 25 years ago. Jude is my sole companion these days, and at least once a week I take her to McDonald’s to get a vanilla soft serve ice cream cone. We just pull over in the parking lot and I hold it out for her while she bites the entire end off as onlookers gaze in amazement….. She loves it, and even expects it when I go to pay the utility bill now….. I don’t know what I’d do without her in my life right now, and of course we spend lots of time together outside in the garden…Speaking of which, the garden is going to be the best one yet, and maybe Granny will allow me to share a picture or two with you later in the season. It’s a little different from gardens in the past, mainly because of the crops being grown. Only tomatoes, corn, melons, squash, peppers, and cucumbers are in this one, and the orchard is going to produce a bumper crop as well. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that albeit in pieces – the mad scientist gardener is still here. I’m mending my broken heart and will again someday have things on display for you to see. My building is far from being over, the ideas in my mind hardly tapped out. It’s just that I lack the motivation to use my hands right now….However, I will again dust off my tools to construct things even greater than before when healed. People driving by will know that it’s not just an ordinary, everyday person that lives here….instead, they will understand that the most complex backyard gardener ever to be born in the state of Alabama has put some of his greatest work on display for all to see. I will be whole once more, and wish the best for each and every one of you.

Jeff (aka EG of Our Engineered Garden)