The Garden Lady

The Garden Lady - Old Thoughts Image of Bleeding Hearts

Older entries are now sorted by year...just click on the links at the bottom of this page.

May 30, 2010 -Memorial Day Weekend

Remembering those who gave all, for the freedom we enjoy every day. God Bless...

May 27, 2010 Anniversary

Speaking of anniversaries, it's our 38th!

Happy Anniversary, Luv!

May 26, 2010 -Is it Summer?

As usual, it has been so busy here...a busy weekend with First Communion celebrations at Church and our friends' 40th Wedding Anniversary. Then work of all kinds as each day gets hotter and hotter. Today it was in the mid 90's, and we may have some thunderstorms late and into the morning.

With the big weekend coming up I hope to get more garden work done. I have a few pots of perennials that were on sale at Lowes that I want to plant, and the annuals are already in containers. We also bought solar lights and they look nice at each entrance to the deck. Oh, and the deck got power washed...I did that a few days ago.

Otherwise, I'm getting more pictures...I got a few shots of a fox family that came out a little fuzzy. It may have been the lighting; the sun's rays were just brightening some of the area and made it tough to get a clear focus from my vantage point some distance away. What a delight to watch them though, the kits were not babies anymore but playful and such big paws! Mama was quite thin, as foxes seem to be. She checked me out and decided I was harmless so she went off hunting leaving the little ones to chase and play. Delightful!

May 19, 2010 -A stroll through Round Lake

Come on along and see some of the sights..Round Lake pictures are here.

May 18, 2010 -Incredible!

Ten days since I posted here? I honestly dont know where the time goes...

OK, maybe I do. Getting work done, trying to reclaim the back and side yards from a couple of years of 'freedom' from the clippers and loppers. Getting out to take pictures when a good (or not so good) opportunity comes along. But the yard is slowly getting back into shape and I am sure the folks who make those brown yard waste bags can afford a nice vacation this year!

I also got to Round Lake with Pat yesterday for a walk through that amazing village, and then a stop at Lakeside Farms for a late lunch and more pictures. One thing I forgot to mention after my trip to Still Point is the guest I brought back. Evidently standing INSIDE those spruce trees for my blue bird shots was not the smartest thing to do. I had everything right except that I had a shirt not tucked into pants and a deer tick thought I would be a good meal ticket. Not to worry, it was removed, I was put on a round of antibiotics (that has been proven to keep Lyme from developing...and this looked like a good candidate) and I will be fine.

Hey - I keep things interesting, no? Pictures from Round Lake should be up sometime soon.

May 8, 2010 -Still Point pictures

I got a couple of pages up on my retreat at Still Point... pictures are here.

I also want to get up a page of a few pictures from the Relay for Life Pancake Breakfast that we attended the morning of my departure. Relay teams are busy raising funds and soon I will be collecting as well for my Survivor's Walk. The money goes for ALL cancers, not just breast cancer. All for a good cause. Stay tuned!

May 6, 2010 -Back from Still Point

Back from a few days at Still Point, I will write a little more later on and put up a page. But for now, have a doctor appointment then a couple of stops to make!

April 29, 2010 -Tiptoe through the tulips

Two entries in one day? Yes, I got a quick page together of the Washington Park tulips. It was VERY windy out there so we had to be quite patient in order to catch our shots. It paid off, though. An exhausting but fruitful day...enjoy the pictures!

April 29, 2010 -Plans for the day

Oh my, April is just about over! It is a sunny morning, and promises to be a nice day after a couple of days of cool (seasonal, really) weather and some needed rain. So you know what that means...Pat and I are going to Albany today and see how many of the tulips are in bloom. The Tulip Festival is next weekend but I like to go before the event and take my time just looking at and photographing the tulips. Maybe I will get some tulip pictures up later.

I'll be heading to Still Point in the very near future for a couple of days; hubby is already planning his steak dinners while I'm away ***grin*** He and the cat do a great job holding down the fort.

April 26, 2010 -Spring in the Capital District

Despite going out today in the clouds and scattered sprinkles, I got a page done tonight of some of the various sights of Spring in the area.

After a winter I would rather forget, it is so good to get out for pictures again, and the trees and blooms are just spectacular. I said I would post a page of some of these sights and now they are ready for you to check out. Pat and I hope to get to Washington Park to see the tulips before next weekends' Tulip Festival...hoping the weather cooperates. But for now, enjoy... Spring pictures are here

In other news, some exciting news... my friend John, another local photographer with a great talent, has launched his own website! Check him out here!

April 25, 2010 -Pictures are up!

I managed to park it this Sunday, and got three pages up of some of the events that I photographed. Links to all are below, and pictures for the Easter Dinner for St. Josephs are linked to my site at Fotki, as there are so many. Enjoy!

Easter Dinner pictures at Fotki

Aunt Katie's Attic 15th Birthday Open House.

Mark Rust Coffee House at DRCC

Knitting into the Hours Retreat at DRCC

I still have to get my spring pictures up...that will hopefully be soon. Things have been so BEAUTIFUL! But tonight, I am buggy-eyed from this work!

April 23, 2010 -So far behind!

Wow...I thought I was behind LAST week...

The retreat went well, we missed a couple of people due to illness but the rest of us had a wonderful day together... the predicted rain held off so people could get outdoors for photos or a walk. There was also a "Knitting through the Hours" retreat going on and I got pictures from that which will be posted especially for the participants. Sunday I took a few photos around the grounds, getting an unexpected photo op of a hawk that had just finished *ahem* breakfast...fortunately I took a miss on the meal itself but got 6 great shots of the hawk. Sunday afternoon was an Associates meeting, Sunday evening was a time to rest. Monday morning, I cleaned up, came home, unloaded the car, did laundry, uploaded the pictures and then it was back out the door to take pictures of Confirmation. Yesterday, I worked at the Museum and today I am getting the Confirmation photos ready for CD to hand over to the Faith Formation office. In a few hours, I have my yearly mammogram (don't forget to get yours, ladies!). Whew...

SO, what that means is that I have a bunch of pages to get together. Life is never boring.

April 15, 2010 -The Checklist

Well, I thought maybe I could get a picture page up, but it has been so busy between things that need to be done and getting ready for Saturday's presentation that here I am...no pages done but my retreat is good to go. Priorities, you know...

Pat and I went out on Monday to get a few pictures in Indian Kill Preserve, I worked on Tuesday, had a client yesterday and then wrapup work on the presentation and now, the final touches. Pat will be picking me up tonight and we will be going to get a sundae for my birthday, since I will be away in the Windmill tomorrow thru the weekend. Hubby holds down the fort here, making sure Mirage stays in line. He took me out for dinner last night :). So, I will see you all Monday!

April 12, 2010 -A Full Weekend

There was plenty to do this weekend...I got over to Aunt Katie's Attic on Saturday to take pictures at her 15th Birthday Open House. The shop celebrated 15 years, not Kate. She's at least 20 *smile*. Then on Sunday, we had the Parish Easter Dinner at noon, and the Mark Rust Coffee House concert at the Dominican Retreat and Conference Center at 7 PM. So, as you can imagine, I have a few pages to get up...plus get ready for my retreat on Saturday "Cultivating the Seeds of Creativity". I will be staying at the Windmill (yippee!) because most everything I need to do on the weekend concerns the Retreat House.

In the meantime, lots to be done this week and it is a beautiful sunny, cool day out. I just LOVE Spring!

April 7, 2010 -A trip to the Woods

I took advantage of the beautiful day and went out to the woods. I'll have a page up soon of spring pictures...for now, enjoy!

April 7, 2010 -New Life

The past few days have been quite warm for April - yesterday was rainy but the warmth is back today.

The rain opened even more buds, and over in Central Park the ducks and geese were back when Pat and I went to get some pictures. We also went to Ann Lee Pond, and walked the paths and stood on the rickety bridge over the pond. All around, the world is waking up and is so beautiful...and every year I am amazed and heartened by the miracle of rebirth. From difficult times in our lives...the winters in our lives...spring always blossoms. And every time, its beauty is the unspoken assurance that life keeps its promises.

Today, between rain days, I will get out and get some more pictures to use in my upcoming Retreat Day that will be given on April 17th. How blessed can I be...giving presentations on the things I love the most? Carpe Diem!

April 4, 2010 -Happy Easter!

It is a BEAUTIFUL day once again...temperatures more like mid to late May for one of the greatest Easter days in awhile.

We went to the Easter Vigil Mass last night, then had breakfast with friends this morning. The rest of today will just be lazing around, I may do some work in the garden, may go out to the woods...and later we are going to barbecue for dinner. Life is good! We wish you and yours a Happy, Blessed Easter and to our Jewish friends, a blessed Passover!

March 28, 2010 -Passing the time

It's cold and windy at the end of this weekend. For the beautiful weather we had last weekend, this week got gradually colder until today I just can't seem to warm up! Weather reports show a warming trend coming in and if things go as predicted, our Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday should be warmer than it has been in a long time.

We are coming into the holiest week in our Christian calendar, and it is hard to believe Easter is one week away. My friend Pat and I went to the Flower and Garden show on Friday, and my friend Helen and I went to FoCastle Farms Country Store for lunch last week. I got pictures from both, check them out!

Flower and Garden Show pictures are here.

FoCastle Farms pictures are here.

March 22, 2010 -Welcome to Spring!

The First Day of Spring came in on Saturday with absolutely beautiful weather.

Here on the home front, deep cleaning goes on a little at a time and I even got some of the garden cleaned out. Such slow going but now I concentrate on the 'One Day at a Time' method and don't make advance plans that are as ambitious as they used to be. Things still get done, and I don't fret anymore about the timing of it all.

Spring always means new beginnings, and around this time of year also I can't help but think back...it was 2 years ago, on my birthday in April as a matter of fact, that I found out I had cancer. And once you deal with the beast and beat it (I keep that thought in mind even though I am not halfway to the 5 year mark) every day is a gift. And somehow, you sort out what is important, and what is not.

After long winter, spring ALWAYS comes...not only in nature but in our lives. Spring may not be exactly like we remembered it being, but nontheless...new life and promise are ever before us as long as we draw breath. The journey may have changed a bit but the destination remains the same. We always have the potential to bloom in one way or another, no one is exempt. That being said, time to go and tackle another room!

March 14, 2010 -More signs of spring

I came back home on Saturday after helping one of the Sisters with her computer, and as I got out of the car...the most incredible racket! The trees in back were festooned with red wing blackbirds - each one calling so loudly that you could hear them inside with the windows closed.

I think of red wings the same way as I do robins - a sign of Spring. We had rain all this weekend and the snow is just about gone. Only a few areas in the back yard have little snow piles. I am wondering if we will have a real spring this year. It sure seems that way. The yard needs work done but it is too early yet. Yard waste pickup doesn't begin until April 1. So for now I will get some cleaning done in the house so I will be ready. Also, I'm going to get out and buy my ticket for the Garden and Flower show at Hudson Valley Community College. My friend Pat and I go every year, and my friend John is their "official photographer." His pictures are awesome.

I also will be taking the pictures for the Soroptimist Garden Tour this year...details will be on the sidebar. Stay tuned!

March 12, 2010 -Trip to Magic Wings!

This past week, my friend Pat and I went to Magic Wings to get away and enjoy flowers, butterflies, birds, warmth! We had a great time...got there around 11:30 and left at the closing time of 5. You can see pictures here.

March 8, 2010 -First Sign!

Heading to the garage late yesterday afternoon, I heard the robins calling...looked up into one of my trees and there he was! The official sign of Spring (next to Jumpin' Jack's opening that is). He was a bit of a distance away but the picture came out OK, I cropped a lot of the surrounding branches. This is with the new camera which I love, BTW. I'm also getting ready for a trip to Magic Wings on Wednesday. The weather is supposed to be nice!

March 4, 2010 -The Sun is Out! (and other things)

First off, it's sunny, and a beautiful early March day. Without the March winds, which we had all winter.

The otherwise? Obviously I didn't get a picture page up *grin* But, I will as soon as I can figure which photos to use. I got a new camera delivered yesterday (point and shoot) that is an upgrade to the Panasonic Lumix that I had. I've gone from 8MP to 12MP. The extra MP will be nice for BIG enlargements, although in the retreat house I have a great enlargement of a dragonfly photo - blown up to 20x30 with no loss in clarity. I do have the Oly E500 DSLR but this panasonic camera rocks...I have had one now for several years. Also, I can crop images and still have a good size file left for photos. You won't see much of a change here because the pictures are low res (deliberately) but for my purposes, the change will be great.

With the nice weather also, I have started sorting and tossing STUFF that I dont need anymore. Some goes to Goodwill, some right to the trash. But I haven't been up to this in a couple of years and even thought I dont have a lot of clutter, I still like to clean out. A good idea in many respects :)

Oh, and to some people who sent nice comments yes... my hair HAS gotten longer. After so many things being OUT of my control the past few years, it's my little protest and so far, I really like it. Obviously so did you. Thanks for the positive comments!

March 2, 2010 -The Spring Month

Somehow, March always means that winter is almost over. There will still be snow, many times into April, but to me, March is the turning point, and the month where *I* get antsy for warmer weather.

I got out on Saturday with my friend Pat and we took a few pictures in the snow. Huge flakes were falling and it seemed more like Christmas as we sat in a Dunkin' Donuts in Rexford and had a coffee and donut break. Not having been out this past winter, I forgot to keep checking the lens for droplets of melted snow. Most pictures were OK but quite a few had spots that I really couldm't crop out without losing the balance in the picture. Oh well. We spent about 3 hours out - I drove and we stopped at various places along the way for a photo op or two. Just getting OUT was nice.

Today the morning was sunny and a cardinal was singing his heart out. We are supposed to get snow/rain later on but you can definitely feel a little shift in the air. Or maybe it is my imagination. I will get a page up of photos perhaps later today.

February 25, 2010 -What a MESS!

Well, every bit of the 24 hours of snow we got was wet and heavy. Branches sagged, bushes got flattened and snow blowers balked. But it finally cleared and now we have....rain! Hubby got out and freed some of the yew branches on the side of the house but some things will have to get freed otherwise. I had gone out the night before and worked snow off of the same branches and wore myself out. At least this is rain, and you dont have to shovel rain. I am wondering how the river is doing....

It was a very good day yesterday for beef stew, so it cooked all day in the crock pot. We apparently will miss some of the heavier snow that will hit NYC and Philly, if it's as wet as this last storm I am grateful.

February 24, 2010 -Winter Returns

Perhaps a few shots from the sun room later on but we had quite a bit of wet, heavy snow. The shrubs in the yard are just about flattened under the weight. Still snowing...lighter and looks to be not quite as wet. Very good thing we have a snowblower for the driveway. Pics later...

February 22, 2010 -Last Week of February

As we swing into the last week of February, we have snow in the forecast for the whole week. Nothing big until possibly tomorrow night...but as always, we will see when it gets here. On Saturday, I drove over to Gateway Landing on the Schenectady side of the Mohawk River and took a few shots of the ice chunks from a couple of weeks ago. There was significant damage to the dock area, you can see the small picture above, with a larger picture here.

Today, it is a lovely day, no wind for a change and the sky, which was brilliant blue this morning is beginning to cloud up. I'm ready.

February 17, 2010 -Comic Relief

Not often I post a link to a video - I think I only did it once before with Melissa Etheridges' "I Run for Life" but this link was sent to me and I can't resist passing it on. Enjoy!

Rossini's "Comic Duet For Two Cats"

February 15, 2010 -Pictures are up!

I got the page done tonight from the visit to the Katbird shop, pictures are here. Enjoy...it's been a while since I got a picture page up. About time, wouldn't you say?

February 15, 2010 -Belated Greetings

Meant to get this out in time but I goofed. However, I can still wish you all a belated Happy Valentines Day.

I also got over to the Katbird Shop last Thursday and got some new inside pictures which will soon be a new page. It is always good to see Kathy and the cats Ralph and Ophelia, and to see what's new. My cards have been doing well there which is nice.

It's kind of cloudy today, and the forecast calls for perhaps 2-5 inches of snow. Our yard is mostly brown grass so we shall see. We wil be heading out for our Valentine's dinner tonight - it was far too crowded yesterday at Outback so we will go tonight.

February 7, 2010 -A Happy Day

It was a clear and chilly but happy day today as I made a commitment as a Dominican Associate at the Retreat House. The program is pictured above...I cloned out last names just as a matter of course.

I work closely with the Sisters, as I have mentioned here, and love the work at the Retreat House. So last March I began the discernment process which culminated with today's ceremony where I and one other woman made our first commitment, and the other Associates renewed their own commitments. It is a special and wonderful bond...and I am so grateful that I had recovered enough to be there. You make your commitments for a year, as many times people's circumstances may change and they take that into consideration. You couldn't ask for a more wonderful group of women. They have been such a blessing in my life.

Otherwise, things have been quiet. I get out here and there but I am getting myself well so that when spring comes in, I can be back out in the woods. It is a good winter to have had this happen, as there has not been much snow, ergo, not many photo ops. Just as well!

February 1, 2010 -Hermit Days

It's been a kind of blessing to have been "stuck" indoors the last few days as we had some old fashioned cold come in with daytime temperatures in the single digits and nights below zero. It IS better now, and we have small amounts of nuisance snow.

I am still taking a lot of naps but able to get some things done that require staying put long enough to accomplish them... something I am not usually good at. Sifting through old papers...organizing files...little things that just make you feel better when you get them done.

I also get some reading done and spend most of my time in my"office"...almost like a kind of hermit retreat except I am not alone. And friends have been dropping off food, offering help...I am overwhelmed by the generosity. It is one thing when YOU do things but quite another to be on the receiving end. You find out that you have many, many caring friends. That makes times like this easier to take. For now, it's back over for a quick nap, and then dinner later.

January 26, 2010 -Weather Watching

While I may not be out and doing things as usual, I have been interested in following the strange weather happenings around here and also reports from friends far and wide.

The photo above was my front yard (a veritible lake). We had heavy downpours and with the frozen ground there was no place for the water to go right away. It got up to 55 here. In other places, I have an online friend near the White Mts. of Arizona and their ski resort is closed due to 6-8 foot snowfall. In his own yard the snow is past his knees. Today it looks like day in March - some snowbanks - small - and flurries now and then. Odd weather everywhere.

January 23, 2010 -Never Never Land

How time flies. And I've been in one of those places where it passes by almost unnoticed save in terms of 'time to take the tylenol'.

I am still getting over what turned out to be a whopping case of pneumonia - not the flu. So finally I got the antibiotics to help fight the infection that had spread literally unchecked for a few days.I am finally making inroads and figured I better write something before I lost my audience! But what on earth do you write about when all you have been doing is sleeping? Document the cat's favorite positions? Give a critique of various brands of chicken soup or juices? Better to emphasize how blessed I am to have access to the care I need and after many working years have the time to work on getting well. So many don't have that. And for the loving care of hubby and friends - even though I am not yet much up to 'receiving guests' their help made it possible to stay OUT of the hospital.

For now it's back to bed for awhile and hopefully get back into life again. I'm missing the routine!

January 18, 2010 -Down for the count

I really haven't forgotten you all, just that since last Tuesday night I have been flat out sick with what we thought might be the flu. Yes, I did have the flu shot. But after a week of low temps of 100 and high temps of 104...plus a LOT of coughing it might be something else (like pneumonia). I will be seeing the dr. later today...they didnt have me come in if it was the flu because there is nothing you can do but rest and liquids. I would just like to find out why nothing seems to be working. Hubby decided this morning that enough is enough and got thru to them early and set up an appointment.

And the worst part...the weather has been gorgeous the past few days! Grrrr!!!!!

January 12, 2010 -Settling in

I got back yesterday from a weekend at the Windmill, and my day of retreat held on Saturday at the retreat house.

I had a good number of people attending - 19 - and after a snowy Friday where we had squalls but little accumulation the day dawned cold and clear. In my retreats I do SOME of the talking but far from all of it. The retreat is meant for the people to have free time to work on their individual gifts, and also there is time to share these gifts with others. This group was very open to all the day had to offer and it delighted me to walk around during 'free time' and watch them intently at work. Some of the folks have attended my retreats before and some were new but we all had a wonderful time.

Sunday, I spent the day reading a book I picked up "The Hermitage Journals" written by John Howard Griffin, the author of "Black Like Me". These were the journal entries written by Mr. Griffin as he worked on the biography of Thomas Merton...and the hermitage he stayed in was the same one that Merton used at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. In the afternoon I invited my friend Pat to come and see the Windmill, she has only seen the outside. So we shared mugs of coffee and also some ice cream that she brought with her.

Cleanup at the hermitage Monday morning, back home and unload and do laundry at home and it is back into the routine. Much the richer for the weekend. And also - the funeral for my friend Bill was very quiet and low key, much like the family itself. It is strange to look out my window and see their house and know that he is not there. He is somewhere infinitely better.

January 8, 2010 -And away I go

Off on retreat, I have my day of retreat Saturday and it looks like this year we will be spared the snow we had LAST year for my "Snow Day" presentation.

The only downside is a good friend died on Tuesday and the funeral is tomorrow. I will be there, then on my way. He fought the good fight especially the past couple of years. Rest in peace, Bill, you will be missed.. To everyone else, see you next week.

January 3, 2010 -Happy New Year!

I cant believe it is already 2010, it seems like yesterday we were worried about the possible effects of Y2K on our systems. But here we are, at a kind of starting point and a fresh slate ahead of us. A year filled with possibility.

We welcomed the New Year at the Dominican Retreat and Conference Centers' "New Years Eveving of Reflection" as we have done for the past 13-14 years. On Saturday I will be there GIVING my winter day of reflection "Spark of Creativity". I am working on the presentation and getting the laptop loaded with the programs it had...I have since installed Windows 7 and need to reload all my favorites. The weather looks to be better by next weekend and that is good, because it is VERY cold out there the past couple of days and there have been high gusting winds. But it is winter, and seems to be stacking up to be a winter like we have not seen in a few years.

For now, I will finish my blurb here and get back to work...enjoying the warmth of my office and being surrounded by my books, music, my work and of course - my helper, the cat! Stay warm.

Year 2009

Year 2008

Year 2007

Year 2006

Year 2005

Year 2004

Year 2003

Back to Home Page
and index