As spring unfolds in Minnesota, suddenly my neighbors appear from their winter hibernation. The sounds of lawn mowers, hedge trimmers and other miscellaneous hardware appear. One neighbor is rebuilding his deck. Another is painting the house trim. Someone else is up on the roof and sound of hammers can be heard. And as I sit on my front stoop, yes, I am a front stoop-sitter, I can listen to the springtime noises and also watch the endless parade of dogs and strollers go by. It's my absolutely favorite time of year.

And then there's the tomato planting. Each year comes the task of ripping out the old tomato plants, taking out the stakes and the cages and preparing the soil. It feels good after a winter of mitten and gloves to stick my hands in some dirt and dig through it. I added some good black potting soil, some bone meal and lovingly planted those tomatoes. And of course I planted basil. Try adding fresh basil to some peeled garlic cloves and butter in the Cuisinart. A touch of olive oil is good as well. Grind it up, stick it in small containers in the freezer and you have an endless supply of summer goodness. Try a little on a piece of chicken, steak or some veggies, summer on a plate!

After the tomato planting, more stoop sitting. And one thing I noticed was the endless parade of t-shirts my neighbors were wearing. Whether they had participated in a Susan G. Komen event, MS Ride, AIDS Walk or Cystic Fibrosis event, I was witness to a virtual billboard of caring messages. These were all individuals who had cared enough to participate, even if just for the shirt! Wearing those shirts year round reminds all of us that we live in a community of imperfection where it is incumbent on us as citizens to take that "first step" and join with others to support a greater cause. Congratulations are in order to all my neighbors! Now go put on your favorite cause shirt and plant some tomatoes!