The monster evolves

Over lunch, I remarked that I saw a military recruitment ad in Better Homes and Gardens. Someone was talking about ADD, which reminded me that I'd seen an ad for ADD medication in the same magazine. Which I didn't find as odd as the military recruitment ad. So I told my friends about it, and it surprised them, but it what surprised them more was that I was reading Better Homes and Gardens.

I'm not reading it for the Homes part; I've kind of figured that out on my own (well, with the help of many friends, too). I'm not one of those people who can model decor according to what's drawn up in a magazine, although I can get ideas from it. But since I know almost nothing about gardening, I don't think it's a bad idea to look to magazines for inspiration, and I think I'm going almost exactly copy one of BHG's suggested garden plots.

What's even harder to admit than reading BHG? Going to Marthastewart.com. It came with a huge recommendation (and caveat of 'even though she's a horrible, irritating human being') from a friend who once landscaped for a living, so I decided to get over myself and seek Ms. Stewart's advice.

It's not only for reasons of ego and self-perception that I'm slightly weary of both; it's that I don't particularly care for the advice of either in other areas. I subscribed to a year of Everyday Food (had to get rid of frequent flier miles) and have since found few recipes that appeal to me, because they rely quite often on processed ingredients (BHG's recipes are similar), and if there's one trendy expert whose credo I'm not ashamed to live by, it's Michael Pollan. Decor-wise, too, neither BHG or MSL is my style-- too fussy, even when they're claiming to be simple; too matchy-matchy, too countryside bed&breakfast (not that I have anything against those-- I just don't want my house to resemble them).

But while I know food, and I apparently have a greater sense of decor than I thought I did, I know nothing about gardening, so I have no choice but to get over myself and see what BHG and MSL have to say. We'll see what happens.