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Saturday, April 30, 2011

Remember, Sidney Lumet, darling: "Great work lives on with us forever, much more important than an Oscar. Ya-dig?"


In yesterday's post I expressed my appreciation for the sentiment expressed in the comic strip, Mutts, (hinting that if one was quiet, they could hear the flowers singing in the rain), and early this morning I was greeted in my garden by a few more new visitors, including the tulips that you see in the photograph posted at the top of this blog entry. 

They are at the northeast area of my terrace garden and almost a direct diagonal from the tulips that I wrote about in a previous post which included Sylvia Plath's poem about tulips, and it may be read (or reread) by clicking here.

I had come outside in the wee hours of the morning to water my urban garden and to write my Saturday morning blog entry. I had planned to write about Sidney Lumet, because he died four weeks ago today (after a battle with lymphoma), and I have been meaning to acknowledge his memory — or more honestly, my memory of him). However, when I saw these new tulip arrivals, I became very quiet within my heart, and I realized that not only could I hear my flowers singing in the rain, but they were also willing to act as a muse, so let me, without further ado, proceed with my recollections of  Sidney Lumet, the acclaimed film director whose last film, ironically, was Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, a film that took its title from an Irish saying,"May you be in heaven a full half-hour before the devil knows you're dead." 

I met Sidney Lumet in 1989 on the set of Family Business.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Singing in the Rain: The Flowers are Singing Praises for April's Showers (ahem, April's Downpours)




Tomorrow marks the end of the thirty days of this "so-called" cruelest month of April (alluded to in a previous post that can be seen by going here), and, it has been a cold and rainy one in New York City, where I live and have an urban garden on my terrace

Thankfully, with the help of April's rain, my flowers are singing; a sentiment appreciated and expressed by Mutts (in the comic strip posted above this blog entry). If you listen closely, the songs of the flowers might even be heard by you, dear reader, as you view my garden photos below:

Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11
TULIPS

As you can see, my white tulip (that I discussed in a blog entry this past Tuesday), has been joined by a friend, clothed in purple. I did not guess the color properly from looking at their tips (as you my recall from that post which you may click here to read if you'd like to refresh your memory or just to take a second look at the tulip's tips before they opened), but I am overjoyed by its magnificent presence.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

It's me "the lone white tulip" : Did Sylvia Plath really say "mouth of an African Lion"?

Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11
TULIP
Hello, it's me, the white tulip, writing to you on Wednesday, April the 27th, (sneaking in a posting, since The Last Leaf Gardener "normally" only posts on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays). I have opened up a bit since yesterday as you can see in my photograph posted above, and now, what I want to know is in that poem, Tulips  did Ms. Plath really say, that when open we have a "mouth of an African Lion"It's no wonder we are slow to open at times . . .  even the buds next to me seem to be apprehensive, they are not opening very much at all, and I'd love some company.


Incidentally. if you do tip-toe through tulips that are like me and my friends, (I mean my friends, and me) as Tiny Tim and those Gold-Diggers seem to advocate, puh-lee-za be careful. We aren't as tough as we look. However,  I do encourage you to tip-toe through the store-front of this blogger's web-site;  there are some wonderful selections of greeting cards that are about more than communication.


FALL 2018 ADDENDUM: 

I no longer actively produce event program covers, invitations and the types of greeting cards described here or on my website but arrangements might be able to be made under certain circumstances. My focus is on the Words In Our Beak book series, pictured below...

WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES

...whose stories are told from the point of view of Cam, a female cardinal, whose photo is on the cover of each book. Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in my rooftop garden in NYC Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The books include hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.

Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books.

Additionally, I have rendered some images from these books into other formats and they are available via Fine Art America (FAA). Some of my other photographs (Black & White CollectionKaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

SUMMER 2020 ADDENDUM: 
                             
"Never say never," the saying goes, and I suppose that applies to saying, "I no longer....," which I did in my 2018 addendum and now I'm here to announce at the advice of Chris Deatherage, my book series formatter, who is also my web-master (for patriciayoungquist.com) I now have some versions of the greeting cards that are referenced in this blog post available via FAA, please click here to view them.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Sylvia Plath and Tiny Tim. Even The Gold-Diggers. The Tulipas (Tulips) Speak to Everyone — yours truly included — during this Easter Tide

Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11
TULIPS

Easter, which was celebrated this past Sunday, is not just a single day, but an entire season known as the Easter Tide, which lasts fifty-days from Easter to Pentecost. Easter Tide is a time of new life, and, on this second day, I was blessed with the appearance of new life — a single white tulip (as seen in the photograph above). Its delicate petals against my thick rustic brick wall was not a contrast lost on me. 

This is just one of the nuances that makes urban gardening such a joy. 

However, I have never grown tulips in my garden before, and at the end of last season, Juan V suggested that bulbs be planted.

Just three weeks ago their leaves began to peek out from their winter-gear (as seen below)...



Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11
TULIPS

...the winter-gear (from on-line fabrics) that they had been "dressed" in this past December. From the looks of the buds in the photograph at the top of this blog entry, the lone tulip, will soon be joined by other tulips, whose colors remain a mystery to me, although the buds are providing subtle hints (tufts of magenta? pink? lilac?) as seen on the bud tips below...

Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11
TULIPS
Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11
TULIPS

...however, for me, the not knowing what color they will be is another pleasure of gardening — urban or otherwise.

Perhaps, the mystery of the tulip's color is like being pregnant, and not knowing if the baby will be a boy or a girl, but knowing it will be loved no matter what it is. But, for today, the white color of my tulip is another detail that is significant to me, as the white color of tulips is a symbol of forgiveness, and one of the Easter season's celebrations is knowing the power of forgiveness.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Reminder No Posting Until April 26th 2011


Today, April 21st, a few flowers from a small Fritillavia have surfaced as seen in the photograph posted above this entry. This Fritillavia was “tossed in”with my Actinda kolomikta and Actimda (Kiwi Vine), and as you probably know, dear reader, the Kiwi Vine has inspired many posts including the following:

The sudden appearance of the Fritillavia flowers is very timely, because the Fritillavia is often called Mission Bells due to their bell shaped flowers. What better time for a “mission bell”to appear than the start of solemn days?

After all, today is Holy Thursday, and the start of many feast days that honor the Easter season.

This is the reason that I will not be posting on my “regularly” scheduled days until April the 26th, 2011. You may recall, dear reader, that I normally post on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday — a schedule that I posted in the beginning of this calendar year, although these days I have been posting more frequently, and, if you follow this blog on a regular basis, you may have noticed some “off schedule”blog entries that I posted this month (which were in addition to my regular scheduled posting days).

However, if you didn't get a chance to read those entries, I have posted the links to the extra April blog posts within today's entry for your convenience. They are as follows:

These extra postings are not a result of my having “Spring Fever Enthusiasm,” nor is it my way of making up for the days that will be lost (as far as posting goes), with time spent on the commitments of the upcoming solemn feast days, but rather this month's “extra postings” are an indication to myself, and perhaps to you dear reader, of the importance I place on keeping in touch.

Looking forward to “seeing”you when I return to my posting on April 26th, 2011, with wishes that you enjoy whatever holiday you observe and that it may it be meaningful as well as leading you to new beginnings.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

"Yesterday's on tape, we go on from here" (The Wisdom of Susan Lucci)


Last week it was announced that after "decades on the air", the soap-operas, One Life to Live and All My Children were being canceled — not  a surprising piece of "news", given the fact that As the World Turns, the longest running of the three, was cancelled in 2010. I worked on all three of these shows and referred to my experience with the latter in a previous post.

Although my roles were only "under-fives", I did receive some notoriety for them, in terms of being recognized for my brief appearances, while walking down the streets of New York City, where I live.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Honoring National Quilt Day and the Inspiration of Nature's Colors


Once again, National Quilting Day (March 19th), has come and gone, but I am happy to learn today (even though it is now one month later), that "quilters are flexible" and "love to extend a celebration" by "unofficially expanding it for the whole month of March"; but, "Why stop  the celebration with the month of March?",  is my question.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Ardith Mae and the "Special, Secret Service" of Goat Cheese

Perhaps, these three kids (in the photograph posted above which is a screen shot of a photograph taken by Michael Poster for the web-site of a well known cheese maker) look familiar to my cheese loving readers, and if not, you definitely will want to get to know these cover girls —  as well as the folks that take care of them: Shereen and Todd —  who do this on their farm in Northern Pennsylvania, a farm they bought after living in Brooklyn and working in the city.  On their farm they allow "animals to be animals" as they most likely realize "girls just wanna have fun . . . "

Sunday, April 17, 2011

A & P Catholics

Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11

Today is Palm Sunday,"the sixth and last Sunday of Lent, and beginning of Holy Week",  which ends on Easter, a season that then lasts for fifty days, which this year will be June 12th 2011. Therefore, if you have not gotten your Easter cards for those near and dear to you, there is still time, so please take a look at the selections I have for this occasion in the store-front of my web-site.

The cards are lovely for Passover  too, which also begins this week, at sundown tomorrow, April 18th, 2011, and goes until April 26th 2011. Both of these holidays take a certain amount of spiritual preparation, and can catch one "off guard" when the holiday arrives, no matter what good intentions are involved in being ready to observe the holiday and extend good wishes to others.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

My NYC Terrace Garden Spring Cleaning: Opened 62 Presents, Welcomed 2 New Arrivals

BEFORE:

AFTER:

AND A LOT OF FUN IN BETWEEN:
Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11

Yesterday, April finally relented and gave into Spring. Perhaps she heard me bring up the "cruelest month" quote from T.S. Eliot the other day, and said, "oh not that  bit again . . . " because yesterday's spring-like weather certainly made up for any ill feelings regarding April. I was able to unwrap all my herbs, plants, shrubs, and trees that had been fitted in winter-gear early last December when they were winterized. It was like unwrapping Christmas presents — 62 of them.

Friday, April 15, 2011

"Anybody here seen my old friend Abraham?" Happy Emancipation Day . . . BUT FIRST A Moment of Silence for Abraham Lincoln

IMAGE CREDIT

As most everyone knows today's date, April 15th, is associated with the IRS. Normally in New York City, at the twenty-four hour post-office located on Thrirty-Fourth Street and Eighth Avenue, folks are lined up around the block, late at night — in whatever weather condition happens to be occurring — to meet the deadline of having their tax documentation postmarked before midnight.

Tonight that will probably not be the case. The news this week has been filled with relief for procrastinators, like myself, as I confessed a couple of days ago, who wait until the last minute to file their taxes. So probably no lines tonight this year, due to the fact that since the holiday, Emancipation Day, (passed by Abraham Lincoln honoring Lincoln's freeing of 3,100 slaves in the District of Columbia on April 16, 1862 — nearly three years to the date before he was assassinated) falls on a Saturday this year, it is being celebrated today, Friday, the fifteenth of April; and hence the extension, and an apparent cause for célèbre.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

My Well-Read Farfugium Japonicum 'Cristata' Mimics Oliver Twist

New York City has certainly experienced April showers in the past few days. More like April downpours, but out on my urban terrace garden, my Farfugium Japonicum (known as 'Cristata' to his friends) seems to be extending its leaves asking for more rain as  evidenced in the photograph posted below.


His leaves reminded me of the hands of the young Oliver Twist from the Charles Dickens novel of the same name. Perhaps you can see a similarity by comparing the extending leaves above to this photograph (copyright details here) posted below of a lad portraying Oliver.




However, the comparison stops there as my Farfuguim Japonicum (AKA 'Cristata'unlike Oliver Twist, was not kidnapped, but raised in a nursery in Bayside Queens, where he received plenty of care before making the trip with me in 2009 on the Long Island Railroad to join the plants and shrubs in my terrace garden.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

"April is the cruelest month . . . Winter kept us warm, Covering earth in forgetful snow, feeding a little life with dried tubers."

Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11


"April is the cruelest month . . . Winter kept us warm, Covering earth in forgetful snow, feeding a little life with dried tubers."


Standing in the doorway that leads to my urban terrace garden and looking at my plants, herbs, trees, and shrubs, I am reminded of this T.S. Eliot's quote because the bleakness of this year's April, in New York City, has ruled (weather  wise) — evidenced in the photograph at the top of this blog entry — where one can see that the things which I grow in my terrace garden, in New York's Upper Westside, are beginning to "pop out" of hibernation.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The Best of New York: Yours Truly is Published in The New York Daily News's Life And Style Column

Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11

In the Sunday edition of The New York Daily News, there is often an article in the Life & Style section  (called The Best of New York) about New York City's finest offerings in areas of food, drink and services. The article contains mini reviews and recommendations that are submitted by New Yorkers that are making their "vote" on the best of a given offering. This past Sunday, April 3rd 2011, the article was dedicated to the best shoe-shine in New York City, and yours truly had her submission chosen for the "Your Two Cents" segment of the article. I wrote about the talents of my neighborhood shoe repair man, Antonio, pictured (far left) in the photo posted above with his employees. If you'd like to read the article, please click here, and you will find page two of the article and hence, where you also will find my two cents, but if you want any great shoe service, Antonio is your man. He can be found (a few yards north of the still darkened Lucky Brand) at 228-A on Columbus Avenue next to the pint-sized shop Ã¤skling , which I wrote about this past fall.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Urban Terrace Garden Party: Trees, Plants, Shrubs and Vines Play Peek-a-Boo

Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11

The buds of my Actindia kolomiktia (Kiwi Vine) have just begun to appear, assuring me that perhaps we will have spring one day, hopefully before summer. I've written about this wonderful vine, which you may read by clicking here

Meanwhile this vine has patiently endured the winter,

Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11

wrapped around the railing (that surrounds my rooftop garden) which is beneath snow, while its friends (my plants and herbs and shrubs) are huddled together in winterized containers wrapped in love with bubble wrap and burlap as seen below:

Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11

I imagine its been somewhat lonely for the Actinida kolomikta, but it is entwined with its counter-part Actimida, and I know they are eager like me to have the shrubs, trees, and plants be unwrapped. 

But it's only April (and it's a chilly one) so for now, like me, they will have to be patient and "settle" for playing plant-peek-a-boo.

Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11


Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Index Cards


According to Wiki,"An index card (or system card in Australian English) consists of heavy paper stock cut to standard size, used for recording and storing small amounts of discrete data. It was invented by Carl Linnaeus." Linnaeus,  being famous for his contributions to taxonomy, is rarely associated with his invention of the index card, a "revolutionary" invention for managing data.

I often get side-tracked when web-surfing and discover many facts I might not have known (or even care to know) when looking for information on the Internet. Regarding index cards, I knew about the"heavy paper stock being cut to standard size" and that index cards are "used for recording small amounts of discrete data," but I did not know they were invented by Carl Linnaeus — nor, I must confess, had I thought much about their origin.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Help Wanted (Per Request of Penniestum setaceum and Acer palmatum)



Dear Reader, 
I'm the Pennisetum setaceum (which means I'm an is an ornamental grass). 
My friends call me Purple Fountain Grass and I can be seen in the left corner (in front of an Acer palmatum tree who also goes by 'Shisitatsu sawa') of the photograph posted above, and I am writing on behalf of the author of this blog, Patricia Youngquist, who happens to be the gardener who takes care of us. 


We both need your help. As you may know, Ms. Youngquist is also a photo-artist and often creates exquisite greeting cards, invitations and event program covers using images she takes of  the herbs, plants, shrubs and trees that she grows in her  urban garden. She even includes them in the store-front pages within her web-site (where purchase information is available). At this time she has been preparing new selections with beautiful images to add to these places, and we are so excited because she has been promising — since this past September — to include us in this particular collection. Now she is fretting because she cannot come up with a 3D image of us to add to her web-site, and we are afraid we won't be included in that venue! Can you believe someone has told her that she needs to present her cards in 3D as opposed to flat?


According to Ms. Youngquist, she has "been trying to create this 3D effect (to showcase her line of greeting cards, invitations and event program covers) with Google Sketch-Up" as she does not have Illustrator. We know she has been working with someone on creating this effect, but they have not been unable to get the results  that they want with Photo-Shop CS3 (the photo posted above is what a consultant and she have been able to achieve).


We have always wanted to be in pictures, so the Acer and I have been looking forward to being a part of the new collection of cards, invitations and event program covers; and today, we are posting on Youngquist's behalf to see if you dear reader have a suggestion on how she might create a 3D image —  and we will even ask her to send you some cards if she achieves good results.


With thanks (and hope that spring arrives soon),
Penniestum setaceum

FALL 2018 ADDENDUM: 

I no longer actively produce event program covers, invitations and the types of greeting cards described here or on my website but arrangements might be able to be made under certain circumstances. My focus is on the Words In Our Beak book series, pictured below...

WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES

...whose stories are told from the point of view of Cam, a female cardinal, whose photo is on the cover of each book. Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in my rooftop garden in NYC Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The books include hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.

Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books.

Additionally, I have rendered some images from these books into other formats and they are available via Fine Art America (FAA). Some of my other photographs (Black & White CollectionKaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

SUMMER 2020 ADDENDUM: 
                             
"Never say never," the saying goes, and I suppose that applies to saying, "I no longer....," which I did in my 2018 addendum and now I'm here to announce at the advice of Chris Deatherage, my book series formatter, who is also my web-master (for patriciayoungquist.com) I now have some versions of the greeting cards that are referenced in this blog post available via FAA, please click here to view them.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Remembering the Japanese: What a Difference Three Months Make


Today's posting is an "extra" for this week as I usually post on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays as promised in a previous post. This posting comes one week before the one month anniversary (March 11, 2011) of the tsunami that has devastated Japan. I am posting now because three months and a little over one week ago, Masayo and Masahiro flew into New York City from Japan just to renew their vows. Their blessed day was documented in a DVD which was created and produced by yours truly, and I called it Miracle on 71st Street, because on the day that they had scheduled to renew their vows — December 26th 2010, New York experienced a huge snowstorm that nearly paralyzed the city. Many New Yorkers were unable to get around the city, and they made their complaints known, but I am told Masayo loved the snow, so I incorporated it into her renewal of vows DVD. This DVD like the memorial DVD that I created for a friend (whose close friend died last year), is very personal; capturing a moment in a unique way. I have posted a snippet of it above, however, you can watch a trailer of this DVD by clicking here.

The perils of the December 26th 2010 snowstorm pale, pale, pale, in comparison with the devastation in Masayo's home country, Japan, and has brought great sorrow to such a lovely woman, who just three months ago was filled with joy. The destruction in Japan has been felt by many persons, myself included, leaving folks at a loss of what to do to help in these troubled times. I have suggested in a previous post that if people can't help directly due to their limited  material resources or time, they can help by doing good works for the people they know that are dear (and not so dear) to them.

With today's post (a week before the one month anniversary of the tragedy in Japan), and accompanying film snippet, I want to announce my plan to donate a percentage of any fees that I earn from compiling wedding DVDs for my clients (from this day forward) to a charity that Masayo recommends (and put it in the client's name). I will announce details as soon as I have the information.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

". . . in the spring becomes the rose."




Most folks know that Amanda McBroome wrote this song (The Rose), and as the month of April begins, struggling to bring spring — while conflict and strife seem to reign throughout the world — I pray her song provides the hope and promise that McBroome intended as she wrote The Rose.  And no, she is not upset that Bette Midler gets most of the "credit" for the song, instead she says, "I would not have written this song if it had not been for Bette Midler." 


Meanwhile, since my garden (including my rose), still sleeps in its burlap wrapped* state (which I described in a previous post), and since it appears to have endured having had mountains of snow fall on it all winter while I continue to struggle with personal "setbacks," (as perhaps you do as well, dear reader), today I will share McBroome's consolation: "just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snow, lies the seed that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes the rose.