Study Buddy Week Twenty Eight

This will be my final Study Buddy post. The five buds I've been observing and photographing every week for over half of 2009 have gone through so many stages and are now hunkered down for late Fall and Winter. I think only the Italian Prune is still bearing a leaf, and that one might be gone by now, just a few hours since the photo was taken.

I can hardly explain how successful this project has been for my mental well being, but I will give it a try. Implementing a pacing tool like this freed me from the anxiety I would ordinarily let creep in and spoil my experience of the Spring and Summer seasons. I tend to look too far ahead at the expense of the moment, anticipating big changes, missed opportunities and an overwhelming list of activities. I hoped when I first read about and adapted this project, that perhaps by forcing some focus every Tuesday, week after week regardless of month, season, weather, whatever I might be able to train my brain to slow down, pay attention to the small changes, and live like there really is time to do what I want to do. (There is!)

I don't know if I will ever pick up this particular project again. I do know it can be a really cool thing to do with kids. So that may be what brings it into my life again. In the meantime I will enjoy telling people about it and recommend it to anyone who feels like time is moving past too quickly in their lives.

For fun here's a look at the buds at a few different key times in their cycles...

Week 1 (April 14), Week 4 (May 5), Week 10 (June 16), Week 15 (July 22), Week 18 (August 12), and Week 21 (September 3). You can also view the project in it's entirety here.

And so, finally, the last photos from Study Buddy 2009 (April 14-October 21, 2009.)

Vine Maple


Green Grape


Brown Turkey Fig


Oregon Ash


Italian Prune