Glad to see the good results starting to come in, Pat!
Here's hoping we all can get enough success and satisfaction out of this time of year to recharge the batteries!
This is my second bloom of the season and it's a seedling's FFE.
My first reaction was disappointment. My expectations were very different from what I was getting here.
However, it occurred to me that say 5 years ago I would have been quite pleased with this bloom!
My expectations have changed because I have changed, and my program has advanced. So my eye is different now:
- I see things that I didn't see before. I'm taking more things into account when I make an evaluation. While there are more things that can make a seedling good, it seems like there are even more that can make a seedling evaluate as poor.
- Similarly, some things that I did see before, but did not give much consideration to, I now give much more consideration to-- significantly effecting my evaluations.
- Similarly, some things that I did see before, and did use in evaluation, I now apply a higher standard to. Some things that were good enough previously are no longer good enough. Some things that I considered to be only minor flaws I now consider to be major.
So it seems like I'm getting more disappointments because it is more difficult for a seedling to meet my expectations and standards. But being more critical in my assessment is a good thing, showing advancement in me and my program.
I still do get many pleasing results and take a great amount of joy from them. And I take great satisfaction from any advancement that I am seeing in my seedlings. As has been said, numerous disappointments are overwhelmed by just a few successes!