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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Wednesday's Wisdom: Anton Chekhov's Olga Seregeyevna Prozoro & me (A Repeat Broadcast)


Today's blog entry is a "rebroadcast' of what I said last year on November the Thirtieth, where the same photograph you see here was included. It is a poignant day for me, which — if you care to — you may read about by clicking here.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

"If it's Tuesday, it must be . . ." tumblr. Week Ten

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

Another Tuesday has arrived, and yes, if it's Tuesday at TLLG, it must be tumblr, but before I send you there, I'll remind you that it is also the last Tuesday in November! 

You certainly would not surmise that it is this late in the calendar year from the happenings in my urban (NYC) terrace garden, as evidenced by the photograph of my Helichrysum bracteatum AKA Strawflowers, above (which I took yesterday).

Monday, November 28, 2011

Monday's Musings: The Monday after Thanksgiving, A Post "Rebroadcasted'


Some radio programs on NPR's WNYC rebroadcasted some of their former segments on Thanksgiving, and today I am following their example, as I am making this blog entry a "rebroadcast' of what I said last year on the Monday after Thanksgiving, where the same photograph you see here was included. It is a poignant day for me, which — if you care to — may read about by clicking here

Saturday, November 26, 2011

"If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun." OR "Flowers, they just wanna have fun. . . "

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 the last Saturday in November, and twenty-three days (including today) have passed since I "featured" Thomas Hood's poem in a blog entry on TLLG, about the "NO" in November which I'll post here again:

No sun - no moon!
No morn - no noon -
No dawn - no dusk - no proper time of day.
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member -
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds -
November!

The reason I've returned to this poem is that, fortunately, most of my fun loving things that I grow in my urban (New York City) terrace garden apparently decided to consider Katharine Hepburn's quote, "If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun", and to stick around for at least the duration of November, therefore defying the "no flowers" norm (and perhaps an unwritten "rule") Hood cites in his aforementioned poem.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Friday Follow Up: BLUE Friday?



Today, the day after Thanksgiving, is referred to as "Black Friday", as most of you undoubtedly know. I find the whole concept to be rather disheartening, I am even toying with calling it Blue Friday, as I do find it somewhat sad — particularly this year — because stores from coast to coast, across the entire United States, opened at 9:00 PM on Thanksgiving night, to get a jump on Black Friday, when stores usually open at 4:00 AM or thereabouts.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

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
Image From my Urban (NYC) Terrace Garden
AS SEEN ON TLLG 11-18-10
As for my impressions on Thanksgiving, I am a bit at a loss as to how they belong in today's entry on TLLG. I have been severely bitten by the nearly poisonous "branding bug" — the how does it relate to you and what you do sort of bug —  and it has been somewhat detrimental in terms of my "normal" creative work flow. Besides this, as a blogger, writer and conversationalist, yours truly is not a fan of the "I" pronoun, for I (there it is already) am not someone whose comings and goings matter to the cyber-space world in terms of what I am doing or not doing on Thanksgiving — or any other day for that matter — as say Angelina Jolie, Demi Moore, Martha Stewart, or even some bloggers with a lot of followers are.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Wednesday's Wisdom: "Ladies and Yams "


Like my "friend" Dagwood (whom I have referred to in previous blog entries on TLLG that you may refer to by clicking here as well as here and here and here), I have a hard time concentrating around the Thanksgiving holidays, but my reasoning is not because of the food that's involved as I actually don't like Thanksgiving fare: I don't eat meat, and the other traditional foods honoring the day are too heavy for my tastes; however, my food preferences are neither here nor there as far as this blog goes.

The distractions I "suffer" from during this time of year are involved in my attempts to hang on to the present moment, and just as Dagwood is "somewhere else" when he "should" be present for his meeting, I, too find myself somewhere else mentally other than where I am physically.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

"If it's Tuesday, it must be . . ." tumblr. Week Nine


Today is Tuesday, and yes, I have said, if it's Tuesday it must be tumblr (and it still is a tumblr day), but before I send you there, please let me digress a bit, as it is also the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, a time when many children are making line drawings in school — using their hand as a pattern — such as the one by yours truly posted above today's blog entry. Additionally, it is also November the 22nd, a day which changed the lives of many — in 1963 — when President John F. Kennedy (JFK) was assassinated. I wrote about what I was doing on that fateful day in a blog entry this past November (2010), and if you would like to refer to it, you may do so by clicking here.

However, as I stated yesterday, TLLG is not a political or social justice blog (there are plenty of good ones about those topics out in cyberspace), but, be that as it may, I do want to acknowledge Caroline Kennedy today. Forty-eight years ago on this day, November the 22nd 1963, when Caroline Kennedy was five days shy of turning six years old, there is a possibility, that she, too, was creating line drawings like the one I have just described, whimsical and carefree in structure and fun to create for Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately, by the afternoon any whimsicalness she might have felt was obviously shattered. For by that hour, she had not only suffered the death of her newly born sibling, Patrick , who had died that past August, but her father, President John F. Kennedy, had been assassinated; and surely she must replay these events in her mind on this day, especially when the media will replay and replay the event that occurred in Dallas.

I do not keep tabs on what Caroline Kennedy does or does not do; as I am one of those — to quote Herb Gardner – who has "given up on the (21st) century in favor of making it through the week."*

Rather, Ms. Kennedy is on my mind today because, like her, I was a child when J.F.K. was assassinated (Caroline is my sister's age), and the impact of the tragedy, and of any tragedy or trauma on a child, forever shapes their view of the world. From what I observe, Ms. Kennedy does not seem to be burdened with her past scars as others (including yours truly) tend to be. But, before I get too philosophical or begin to sound presumptuous (after all I have nothing in common with Caroline Kennedy except that we both live in New York City, work as writers, and were children when her father was assassinated), I'll leave my thoughts on Caroline Kennedy for you to mull over, as I am certain you have your own ideas and perceptions, which you are always welcome to share with me within the comments field at the end of this blog.

P.S. *The quote is from Herb Gardener's play, I'm Not Rappaport, and I referred to Mr. Gardener at the onset of this blog in a post you may access via this link.

AND WITHOUT, FURTHER ADO, SINCE IT IS TUESDAY AND IT MUST BE TUMBLR, PLEASE CLICK HERETO GO THERE!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Monday's Musings: "The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives."

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

It's Monday, Monday November the Twenty-First, which means it has been one month since I made an "official" announcement on TLLG about my plan to include — what had been an occasional feature — on this blog and that is dedicating Mondays on TLLG to Monday Musings. It has also been sixteen days since Lucifer, my rhinestone frog, left my indoor succulent garden for his annual hiatus (and when my Indian figurines came for their annual short visit to my succulent garden as evidenced in the collage posted above). Lucifer's departure is a fact, dear reader, that you may recall from a previous post on TLLG,  titled, Time is fun when you are having flies.

Additionally, it is the Monday before Thanksgiving, a time when most people are filled with recollections and musings of some sort, including mixed feelings about the day itself, that are often related to memories of bygone days of celebration with family. And of course, it is a time that can be filled with regret about our forefathers in relation to the Indians and the land in America.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

"But I was thinking of a plan to dye one's whiskers green . . .

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

. . . And always use so dark a fan
That they could not be seen . . ,"

The flowers on my Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender), an herb which grows in my urban (New York City) terrace garden, have turned a brilliant indigo, as evidenced in the photograph above today's blog entry. My English Lavender is so pleased by this brilliant color that it seemed he wanted to befriend one of the grasses in my garden, and so he stretched his arms waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out so they nearly touched the delicate flowers that are still growing on my exquisite Hakanechola Macra AKA Japanese Forest Grass All Gold, which is the ornamental grass featured in the right hand corner of the image posted above. As my normally mild mannered Lavandula angustifolia tried to touch the tips of my Hakanechola Macra, I heard him recite, "But I was thinking of a plan to dye one's whiskers green. And always use so dark a fan That they could not be seen."

Friday, November 18, 2011

Friday Follow Up: The Ophipogon planiscapus Returns with a Reminder

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
Ta da! It's me again, one of the Ophipogon planiscapus AKA Black Mondo Grass triplets that grows in Patricia Youngquist's (AKA The Last  Leaf Gardener) urban garden in New York City.

I sm someone you may remember from this past Wednesday's blog post on TLLG where, for the most part, I was the spokes-plant for that blog entry, and if you would like to refer to it, you may do so by clicking here.

In any event, the reason I "opened" today's blog post entry, by saying "Ta da!," is that I am thrilled to have been asked again — and so soon at that — to author a post! I love being a spokes-plant, however Youngquist has warned me that readers like brief posts, so I'll do as she says, and not as she, herself always does.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Light thickens, and the crow . . .

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

. . . Makes wings to th' rocky wood.
Good things of day begin to drop and drowze;
Whiles night's black agents to their prey do rouse.
Thou marvel'st at my words; but hold thee still.
Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill.
So, prithee, go with me."

Claudia, the crow, pictured at the top of today's blog entry has recently joined my indoor succulent garden, and I overheard her reciting a speech from William Shakespeare'sMacbeth. The speech she was delivering comes from Act Three, Scene Two and is posted here (above) in orange text.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Wednesday's Wisdom: " . . . black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is perfect harmony."

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's LLG blog segment on Wednesday's Wisdom, is being authored by a guest blogger, who happens to be my prolific Ophipprolificogon planiscapus AKA Black Mondo Grass, featured in a photograph that I took of him yesterday in my urban (New York City) terrace garden, and this image can be found in the top lefthand corner of today's blog entry. 

The Ophipprolificogon planiscapus shown here is one of the three of the Black Mondo Grass triplets, which I have had for many years in my garden, and he is the most vocal of the three. Therefore, he wanted to voice his opinion regarding something that I posted both on nybg's (New York Botanical Garden) tumblr page as well as TLLG's Facebook Page. (He will get into that later.)

For now, it is sufficient to say that my Black Mondo grass is no stranger to voicing his views on the Internet.

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 any event, since today's LLG post has the distinction of being authored by my eager-to-weigh in Ophipprolificogon planiscapus, please allow mewithout further ado, to hand my keyboard over to him.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

"If it's Tuesday, it must be . . ." tumblr. Week Eight

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 November the Fifteenth, meaning we have already come to the midpoint in the month of November for the year 2011. November, a month known to be a months of "no's" for the humorist/poet Thomas Hood — which I discussed at the onset of the month in a blog entry on TLLG titled, "the No in November", which you may read by clicking here — has been a month of "yeses" in terms of the colors in my urban (New York City) garden.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Monday's Musings: Bon Anniversaire to you Claude Monet! Joyeux Anniversaire to You!


Today's blog post is in honor of Claude Monet, the founder of French Impressionist painting, who was born one hundred and seventy one years ago today, in 1840, on November the 14th. 

Monet is known to have said, "I perhaps owe becoming a painter to flowers." 

As you undoubtedly know, dear reader, one of the many flowers that Monet painted was the flower of the Tropaelum majus AKA Nasturtium Plant.

One of those paintings is, Nasturtiums In A Blue Vase, shown in an image credited with the following linkin the top lefthand corner of this blog entry.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

My Physocarpus opulifolius Poses a Question for TLLG Blog Readers


The comic strip posted above today's blog entry, as you may recognize, dear reader, is from Blondie. For, as you may recall, various "segments" of Blondie have appeared within this blog in previous posts that you may refer to by clicking here as well here and here. Meanwhile, the strip posted at the top of today's entry was at the suggestion of my Physocarpus opulifolius AKA Coppertina Tree.

Friday, November 11, 2011

"There is no blue without yellow and orange." Insights & Controversy Regarding the Color Yellow PART THREE


And now . . . continued from
 Part One and Part Two of 11-11-11 post:

Therefore, on the authority of my beloved Tropaelum majusthey were nearly inconsolable when they heard the yellow quote, and their sadness resulted in some of the yellow things which grow in my rooftop garden such as my Helichrysum bracteatum AKA Strawflowers and one of my Rose Shrubs, pictured below (respectively in images taken on this past Thursday morning just after all the "yellow-rhetoric" of the things which grow in my garden had occurred), to go on the Internet, searching for other artists who fully appreciated the color yellow, and that is when they found one of Vincent van Gogh's quotes about yellow, which is "How wonderful yellow is. It stands for the sun."

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

It is not surprising to me that my Helichrysum bracteatum or my yellow rose expressed their concern (by looking for a LIKE "yellow" quotation) over my Actinida kolomikta, Actimida and Hakanechola Macra feeling slighted over the quotation attributed to Degas regarding yellow, for they are not shy about standing up for themselves — or others — as evidenced in the blog posts that each of them have authored. To refer to my Helichrysum bracteatum's blog entry on TLLG, please click here and to refer to the blog post my yellow rose authored on TLLG, please click here

My yellow rose has been quite the little activist lately; remember how miffed she was at New York Botanical Gardens for their "eye-candy reference"? If you have not had a chance to "hear" her point of view on that, click here  to see the blog entry on TLLG where her "friend" the yellow Tropaelum majus (Nasturtiumhas been included; and you may also, by clicking here, see what she posted on facebook about the New York Botanical Gardens still using "eye-candy" to describe flowers.

"There is no blue without yellow and orange." Insights & Controversy Regarding the Color Yellow PART TWO


And now . . . continued from 
Part One RE: 11:11 AM's  post:

Neither my Actinida kolomikta and Actimida (kiwi vinesor my ornamental grass which is a Hakanechola Macra variety (AKA Japanese Forest Grass All Gold) seemed to be this upset last year when this color change occurred and, therefore, their mood was a bit of a mystery to me. It was not until one of my still thriving yellow Tropaelum majus (seen below but nearly off camera to the left of its "family" in a group shot which was taken this past Thursday in my rooftop garden) and following  this are a few images of a lone Tropaelum majus flower.


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

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

According to my Tropaelum majus — who gets its "common" name, Nasturtium, from the references to "nose-twister" and "nose-tweaker" (hence no surprise that it's nosey) — it seems, that has it come to the attention of my Actinida kolomikta, Actimida and Hakanechola Macra that the painter Edgar Degas, once said, "What a horrible thing yellow is"!

My Tropaelum majus believes it was my Actinida kolomikta, Actimida and Hakanechola Macra's hearing Degas's opinons regarding the color yellow was devastating for them. I think highly of my Tropaelum majus, [as evidenced by the what I have posted about it on TLLG as well as nybg's (New York Botanical Garden) tumblr (which you may refer to by clicking here).

Evidently, not only did my Actinida kolomikta, Actimida and Hakanechola Macra concur on their admiration for Degas' paintings, but, they were in awe of his statue,  Little Dancer of Fourteen Years (Stay tuned for PART TWO AND THREE).

"There is no blue without yellow and orange." Insights & Controversy Regarding the Color Yellow PART ONE


Today has the unusual "feature" in having the date of 11-11-11 and in honor of that, today's posting will not be my new "feature" of having Friday being Follow-Up Friday (mentioned here), but instead I have three parts (one for each eleven). Part One is being published at 11:11 AM, Part Two is being published at 1:11 PM, and Part Three at 11:11 PM.

The setting or scene for this three-parter is evident in the image posted above, which is an aerial (partial) view of my rooftop garden (in NYC) and it is what is featured in the image at the top of part one of today's blog entry. 

This image was recently posted on both facebook and nybg's (New York Botantical Garden) tumblr, and it was taken by Juan V this past Tuesday. To the right of his photograph, you can see my Actinida kolomikta and Actimida AKA Kiwi Vines, and in the lower lefthand corner of the picture, you can see my ornamental grass known as Hakanechola Macra AKA Japanese Forest Grass All Gold. They are the protagonists in this three part blog entry for this And now, "11, 12, 13" weekend. And now, without furthur ado, I give you PART ONE:

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Grace: Most Worthy of a (at least one) LIKE Button: "The very pink of perfection."

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 leaves of my Continus Coggygria  AKA Smoke Bush, 'Royal Purple' and 'Grace,' can seen in the photograph directly above. The picture was taken in my urban (NYC) garden, and I think her leaves appear to be applauding, or is that her version of a "LIKE" button?

I am sure that 'Grace' is happy about the beautiful weather we've been having, especially after the surprise snowy-ice storm we had the last Saturday of October (which I referred to in a previous blog entry that you may read about by clicking here).

Whatever she's happy about, it is I who should be applauding her, and giving her many LIKES, which I have done to some extent in that I have featured her in a number of blog posts including ones which you may refer to by clicking here as well as here and here. 'Grace's' leaves are always extraordinary, with their exquisite pink edges and veins (Why can't my veins look that nice?), calling to mind a quote from Oliver Goldsmith (an AngloIrish writer) who is associated with the quotation, "The very pink of perfection." 

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

WEDNESDAY'S WISDOM: Is there really "Much Virtue in Herbs [and] Little in Men"?

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 photograph above today's blog entry was recently posted on The Last Leaf Gardener's 'Facebook (FB) Page, and I am including it with today's post for my readers who "don't do Facebook" as this image relates to today's content (however I said something else about it on FB).

This picture shows bundles of some of the herbs (which I grow in my urban — NYC — terrace garden) hanging out to dry, before I grind them and put them into jars to give to those near and dear to me for the holidays.

I grow an array of herbs in containers placed throughout my garden, and, I confess, that their scent appeals to me, as well as the classy way in which they appear in their "terra-cotta homes" as evidenced by this photograph of one of my types of Rosmarinus officinalis AKA Rosemary pictured 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

This fact often makes it difficult to cut them, much less harvest or grind them for "fresh herb" culinary purposes! However, I concede that, just as humans have to trim their fingernails and toenails as well as cut their hair, herbs, too need to be clipped and pruned. Usually, the delight that my fresh herbs bring to my friends and colleagues is worth the discomfort that I have in relation to cutting them. If I give folks fresh herbs, I package them in attractive clear bags and then put unique labels on them.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

"If it's Tuesday, it must be . . ." tumblr. Week Seven

Winnie the Pooh (pictured at the right in an image associated with this link) insisted that "you can't help respecting anyone who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn't spell it right, but spelling isn't everything. There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn't count".

Winnie's bit of wisdom is on my mind because today is Tuesday, and, dear reader you know what this means! "If it's Tuesday it must be . . . tumblr", so please click here to go there.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Monday's Musings — the neat formula: Spring Forward, Fall Back



In my blog entry this past Saturday morning, I mentioned to my readers the fact that for folks living in areas "ruled by DLS" (Day Light Savings Time), their clocks, watches, appliances and digital devices would need to be set back one hour before they went to sleep that night. However, in the interim between publishing my Saturday morning's blog post and retiring for bed that night, I attended an evening Mass, where the presider joked about the error that had appeared in the parish's printed bulletin. This mistake can be seen in the "image" posted above today's blog entry, where, as you can see, parishioners were advised, "Don't forget to turn your clocks AHEAD 1 Hour". This was the error that caused the presider to remind us that you can't believe everything you hear in church.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

"Time is fun when you are having flies."

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

Happy First Saturday of November, dear reader, from the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where I live, and where extra preparations are still under way for the New York City Marathon, an annual world-famous event which takes place the first Sunday of November. It is an exciting time for many; however, it is a bittersweet time for Lucifer, my rhinestone frog, who is the little creature featured in the image posted above todays blog entry.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

the NO in November

Thomas Hood, a British poet and humorist, who lived between the late 1700's and mid 1800's had this to say about November:

No sun--no moon!
No morn--no noon!
No dawn--no dusk--no proper time of day--
No sky--no earthly view--
No distance looking blue--


No road--no street--
No "t'other side the way"--
No end to any Row--
No indications where the Crescents go--


No top to any steeple--
No recognitions of familiar people--
No courtesies for showing 'em--
No knowing 'em!


No mail--no post--
No news from any foreign coast--
No park--no ring--no afternoon gentility--
No company--no nobility--

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member--
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds,
November!


Even though I am fond of November, I will concede that on some days it can feel like a month of "no's." Today, on November the Third, I'll say what has affected me the most regarding the "no's" on Hood's "list", and that is "no  bees"! 

Even though I realize that I "shoulda" anticipated their leaving, this is the first year since I have had my garden that I have had so many "visiting bees", and I was not prepared to have my "visiting bees" disappear so suddenly! 

Their absence makes me sad they went away so abruptly — without even saying goodbye!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

"If it's Tuesday, it must be . . ." tumblr. Week Six


Tuesday is here again, and you know what that means, dear reader — if it's Tuesday, it must be tumblr. However,  before I send you there, I would like to share a few thoughts about November, since today is also November First.

This past Thursday, when I was walking home to my studio apartment in the Upper Westside of Manhattan, the rain was falling heavily, and even though it was only somewhere between five-thirty and six in the evening, it was quite dark, prompting me to think that soon we'd be changing the clocks  (fyi, the date to do this is the second Sunday in November to leave daylight savings time), and that it would be getting darker much earlier in the evening.