in the picture of the fern garden, you can see a statue. i want to give credit where it's due.
when my dd was 13 she was found to have scoliosis. at the age of 14 it had progressed enough that she needed an operation on her spine and an insertion of a stainless steel rod to keep her spine from curving again. she was in a cast from her .. hmmm... daisy, to her chin for ten months while she healed. she was entirely unable to bend. during that time, her h.s. art teacher had her design a major project. she had others mix and pour a concrete mix in a greased box, and there she went! there was just no stopping her! she determined that her life would only go in one direction at one speed: fast forward! she chiseled and scraped and filed every day. she started out at 110 lbs and 10 months later worked herself down to 80 lbs. they lifted that thing onto a high table for her because she couldn't bend over. when it was done she had 'the lovers'.
it has been in our garden in 3 homes since then. she's 46 now and fine.
every time i see the statue i realize what an extraordinary daughter i have. for that reason and many more.