Since childhood I've adored walking 2 houses from my parents, to my piano teacher's house.
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Life is good, I was able to see my piano teacher this week.
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Air-conditioning repairman came to do her winter check while I was visiting. He's done this for her since 1982.
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After his work we had a chance to chat and his viewpoints about his industry were fascinating, and instructive. Stay with me, won't go there now.
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Prior to starting his own company he was in the Navy then NASA. A normal trajectory for most of the men, in the 60's, where I grew up.
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He did editing & printing of any words needing editing, or printing during his years with NASA.
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(Found this pic, above, of Neil Armstrong on the ESA website. Don't know that? European Space Agency. Went to several locations of ESA during the summer of 1976, dad was working the space shuttle payload avionics systems. 6 weeks of heaven for mom/me. And my introduction to the garden of Versailles. Dad added, of course, to his per diem, and we stayed in delightful places across Europe. And, oh my, the food ! Had my first champagne, at The Lido, in Paris.)
Not long before NASA's 1st lunar landing/moon walk, several men came to the air-conditioning repairman's office requesting a checklist. They were concerned Neil Armstrong would forget some of his assignments, on the moon.
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Checklist, not a problem.
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How, they asked, to keep the checklist easily visible, safely attached, to Neil Armstrong during the Moon Walk.
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Hilarious task, for an editor, printer.
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But, you must remember the era, and the men.
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Give them a task, they gave results.
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He suggested a type of printing, attaching it to a sleeve or lanyard around the neck. NASA chose the sleeve, and his printing choices-methods.
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Hearing the story, I told him this should be in the Smithsonian. He said, "It is."
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Normal.
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Leaving, he asked my name, "Tara Sayers", I said. Before he said anything, I knew by his face, he knew my dad.
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Before NASA, dad was a test pilot at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base where I was born.
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Famous for many accomplishments, the Flight Checklist, was created by WPAFB & has done more than aid work flow, it saves lives.
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Before every childhood trip/vacation, that I can remember, dad had a 3x5 index card with a checklist. By college, he told me I needed one. You know I scoffed, until this week.
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It's time to create, Checklist for Beautiful Easy Landscapes.
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Not for you, though that will a lovely benefit. It's for ME.
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Color, light fixtures, seasonal bloom, contrasting foliage, views into windows, views out of windows, focal points on axis, focal points with double axis, maintenance schedule, fragrance, front door, planted pots, empty pots, scale, flow, & etc.
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Sideways, inspiration. AKA, too stubborn to listen to good advice. Decades of stubborn, apparently.
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And the terrible irony, I started at WPAFB.
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
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My dad was sole author of the request to Congress for funding the Space Shuttle. I must find the document/pamphlet, saw it years ago amongst his 'boring stuff', and ask the air-conditioning-repairman if he was responsible for getting it into 'print'.
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When, Beautiful Easy Landscapes: Checklist, is reality, it will be a course.
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30 years in the learning, it must get rooted everywhere.
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Excited to have it at jobsites with me. Very. Excited.
For a beautiful garden & home filling you with joy, become my client, local/on-line.
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Award winning speaker, hire me for your group, local/out-of-state.
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Books by Tara Dillard, Amazon
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Tara Dillard & Associates Design: farm to city pied-a-terre.
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Construction by Award Winning
Shaefer Heard Construction, licensed home-builder, renovation - new construction. Heard's Landscaping a unit of SHC. 3 decades of service.
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NOTE to my gardening friends... look for changes to come.
Knew before computers/cell phones, sitting in Atlanta traffic on way to a client, 'I must reach a larger audience with the same amount of effort.' Soon after that epiphany I signed my CBS-TV, and, books contracts on the same day.
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Then I read an article in the NYTimes about something called 'blogging'. Saved the article for a year before reading it. Studied all the blogs they mentioned, hired a computer expert they quoted, and attended a blogging seminar.
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Blogging 2.0 has arrived, my knowledge is 1.0. A believer in copying the best historic gardens across the globe it flows into every arena of life. Watching Maria Killam grow her career/blog/life over the past 3 years made its impact. Signed up for a year's course with her blogging expert, Jon Morrow.
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Changes will be slow, plodding is my adored method. Pulling triggers here/there is spice in the mix.
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What do YOU want?
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Nothing is too small, too big, or too ego crushing to mention.
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Passion lies in sharing what has filled me to the depths of grace, joy & atonement, the best landscapes created over the last 2,000+ years.
Just so you know...
I welcome your input.
