Looking for journals focused on plants rather than people? Have a green thumb or wish you did? In The Garden is a new 'burb for gardening journals. The tagline: "Not just a hobby. It's a way of life."

Founder and North Carolina diarist Renee, 29, has been keeping a garden journal since July 1999. Already she has found kindred spirits in Lisa in New Hampshire and Beth in California. Depending on interest, the 'burb may soon incorporate a mailing list as well.

Journals linked by In The Garden are sorted by Plant Hardiness Zone, a regional classification system set by the USDA to help gardeners determine which plants will flourish given the local climate.

California diarist and mother Stasi has returned to journaling... somewhat against her better judgement.

"I am back after a few months of trying to talk myself out of it," Stasi wrote in a post to the DIARY-L mailing list.

Stasi's original journal, "Covet What Was Mine," documented her last year of college, her long-awaited pregancy, and first few weeks of motherhood. She ended the journal last summer to spend more time with her family. Now that both mother and child are a little more independent, Stasi explains, she decided it was time to pick up one of her old hobbies.

"Though the journal is the one that is the most risky, the most time consuming, and the most frustrating, it's also the one that I chose to revive," she explains in the inaugural May 20 entry in Coveting. "I have such a need to record everything. Pictures, video cameras they aren't enough. I need the voice in my head to spill back on to the paper."

Spinstrrrs, a new journal 'burb, aims to unite and highlight "single women who revel in their freedom and spinsterdom."

Writes founder Jo, a "radical revolutionary feminist" and Canadian diarist: "Spinstrrrs began the day after I saw 'Bridget Jones's Diary' and found myself furious at Bridget's thinking her spinstry state was a bad thing I personally can think of no greater joy!"

"My self-worth does not revolve around my finding a man -- live-in or otherwise," Jo adds. She says the spelling of the name of the 'burb came from an old issue of Bust magazine.

"I hope this 'burb attracts women, young and old, to share their experiences of single living and where we can reclaim and champion the word 'spinster,'" Jo says.

Less then a week after the news broke that Oklahoma diarist Kaycee Nicole had died, triggering an outpouring of love and sympathy around the web, it was revealed today that her journal was a hoax.

"Her name was not Kaycee and she was not my daughter, but I loved her as if she had been," came the confession, in the voice of Kaycee's "mother," Debbie. "My intentions were good, but that does not begin to excuse me for what I have done."

Debbie explains that the more than eight months of entries, often covering dramatic onsets of illness and long hospital stays, were derived from the real lives of three acquaintances suffering from leukemia and breast and liver cancer. She said if Kaycee received any gifts from readers, "it was passed on to the appropriate family."

"Debbie has told me the whole truth," added Hong Kong weblogger Randall van der Woning, who set up and hosted Kaycee and Debbie's sites. "I am willing to believe her when she says it was she who is totally responsible."

The revelation follows substantial research by other web diarists who doubted Kaycee's existence, in part because of inconsistencies scattered throughout her weblog archives (now deleted) and calls for prayers and donations circulated on her behalf. Christine (aka The Wunderblogger), Saundra, Kristin Thomas and Becky expressed their skepticism, even though they knew it would upset many of Kaycee's fans.

"Except for the fact that I love truth, I have no pleasure in writing these details. I do not enjoy knowing that people who matter to me have been hurt," wrote Becky, who first voiced her doubts in February. "If you are angry at me (or us) for seeking the truth, please ask yourself why that is, before you write to me."

The hoax is creating an even larger stir than the news of Kaycee's death, including a hundreds of messages at the Metafilter community 'blog, as well as countless entries and essays by people who followed Kaycee's story.

"I must tell you I'm bewildered and confused... The fact that Kaycee's story was somewhat fabricated from an amalgam of three separate individuals who suffered from cancer comes as quite a shock to me," wrote Carlos Rull. "It's morbid, it's absurd, whatever you want to call it, it disrespects the essence of the Internet itself. For if we can not trust the information that is presented on the Internet, then why bother surfing it?"

"I don't know what to say. I'm relieved. I'm crushed. I'm confused," wrote John Styn. "Instead of hugging each other over the death of a 19 year old girl, we are consoling each other over the death of a belief."

Styn will devoting his weekly radio show to the Kaycee hoax at 5 p.m. Pacific time this Wednesday.

Florida diarist Kaycee Nicole, 19, died Monday after a battle with cancer.

Her many friends and online admirers are saddened, but all find themselves fortunate to have known her. Fellow journaler and friend Randall van der Woning created a special forum for people to post their remembrances and condolences.

Her journal, Living Colours, was launched in August 2000 as "a new journey into my fight for survival." Kaycee wrote: "This is my destiny. This is my life. These are my hopes, my dreams, my fears, my sorrows, my passion." After many adventures, challenges, and epiphanies, she revealed last month that her condition was worsening. She and her mother Debbie documented their subsequent journey home, reuniting with her friends and family.

"For Mother's Day I received exactly what I wanted," her mother wrote the day before Kaycee passed away. "My three children with me."

"There is an inter-connectedness that is the Internet. It seems we all know each other, even if we don't know each other in real life," wrote San Diego diarist Carlos Rull. "I never knew her in real life. Those who are her closest friends are truly blessed. She was a remarkable person."

"I believe Kaycee’s life was exactly as it was supposed to be," wrote friend John Styn. "She lived fully and inspired thousands to do the same."

Plans are in the works for a journaler gathering next week in San Francisco. California diarist Jolene Baldwin, named Queen O' the Gathering by other likely attendees, expects it will take place in the early evening on Wednesday, May 23.

The genesis for the gathering came from diarist Joshua Burnett in the Online Journals forum at the journaler message board ThreeWayAction.Com. Burnett was inspired to suggest a West Coast event after attending an April 21 get-together in New York.

Those hoping to attend include Rachel, Jenn, Sarah, Mo, Bitter Hag, and Joy Rothke. For more information, contact , visit the forum, or join the California diarist mailing list.

The "If..." Project, a monthly writing collaboration established by Canadian diarist Terry in September 2000, moved to its very own domain ifproject.com this month.

Participation in each month's topic is optional, as is having an online journal (submissions can be sent via e-mail and published on the site). Monthly prompts can be received via e-mail as well through the project's notify list. Topics can now also be suggested by project participants, as is this month's topic from Oregon diarist Joshua.

Diarist.Net maintains a list of writing prompts and topic collections at:
http://diarist.net/links/prompts.html