Mother's Day 2020

PIGEONS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOK SERIES

Mother's Day is for the birds, as evidenced by these pigeons in my garden featured in the image directly atop this entry.

Monday's Musings

A Northern mockingbird, who appears to be checking out a ball-shaped terra-cotta object which is on the floor of my rooftop garden, is featured in the two images atop this entry.

The object of this bird's interest is an upside down planter that is better suited as an outdoor sculpture than the planter it is supposed to be. This is because it is very difficult to plant flora inside of it. You might suspect this from seeing the next image, which was taken in 2011, and features creeping thyme attempting to thrive in the round container.

In any event, to the mockingbird's right (or left in the first two photos) is a grape that has rolled off a saucer of grapes (which can be seen near to the container).

An imaginative person, upon seeing the mocker staring at the terra-cotta object, might envision that the mocker thinks the round structure is a huge grape. Whatever this bird may or may not be thinking, remains private with him/her, for he/she has not revealed any thoughts on the matter.

Admittedly, the two top photographs are quite similar, but they are not identical. The gaze of this mocker is slightly different from picture to picture, the same holds true for the next sets of photos.

"Mother's Day is for the birds."

I have often said, "Mother's Day is for the birds," so I was delighted to see today's Mutts comic strip (a copy is posted atop this entry) in my In Box. I just love Patrick McDonnell's drawings of birds, but that art medium is a talent I do not possess. Thankfully I can take photographs of them and the ones posted below are ones I've featured within this blog before, however because they are images of mother birds with their offspring, I am including them within this post in honor of today's holiday which is Mother's Day.

Lessons Learned in the Garden on Mother's Day (Mother may know best.)

It is Mother's Day, and my seeing my Paeonia suffriticosa (Tree Peony) enjoying its friends is cause for a pleasure to be shared — probably like a pleasure mothers have in taking photographs of their children and sharing them proudly with anyone and everyone who is kind enough to view them — as you are, dear reader, in viewing my chronology of this season's Paeonia suffriticosa and other things that are flourishing in my urban terrace garden. 

My Paeonia suffriticosa is truly enjoying her friends, as evidenced in the photograph posted above, which shows a view of the most southwest corner of my terrace garden. It appears to me that my Paeonia suffriticosa is bending down, to give my Fancy Leaf Coral Bells aka Heuchera 'Marmalade' a kiss; a kiss much like the kiss I gave my sister soon after she was born, and a gesture that inspired my mother to take the photograph posted below of yours truly with my younger sister —

— a woman I've blogged about in a previous post and where the same photograph is posted.

Mother's Day 2012

I have done volunteer work nearly every Sunday since 2003 (or has it been since 2002) at an assisted living center, a fact I've mentioned a few times here on TLLG (including a post which you may refer to by clicking here), and since today is Mother's Day, all the residents of The Home wished me a Happy Mother's Day today, knowing I am not a mother of any children, although sometimes growing up I felt like a mother to my own mother, as you may recall in one of my past  blog entries here on TLLG — which you may refer to by clicking here. 

On my way home, I ran into a young woman who asked me, "Are you a mother?" 

Mothers Day 2018

I'm thinking of both my parents on this Mother's Day. Thoughts are with my mother for obvious reasons, who can be seen in the photo atop this entry, where she is pregnant with me; and they are also with my dearly departed father, who would be celebrating his birthday, had he not died from septic shock in 1995.

My grandmother is on my mind too, for without grandmothers, there would be no mothers, eh?

In any event, she can be seen with yours truly — giving a high five — in the next picture (which is a photo I've featured in at least one prior entry (in bygone years) here on Blogger).

One of the last things she said to me before she died was that she thought I should get back to  my writing, which I have through this blog, through my work on tumblr and hometalk, and my book series, Words In Our Beak  (pictured below).

VOLUMES ONE AND TWO

In spite of this, due to many health related issues, I may not be able to keep my endeavors with my writing, but I hope my circumstances don't force me to do that.

Meanwhile, I wish all of my readers who are mothers, a blessed Mother's Day.

ADDENDUM FALL 2018: 

Hardcover versions of Volume One, Two and Three can be found wherever books are sold.

MY BOOK SERIES

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 Collection, Kaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

ADDENDUM SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2021:

When the third volume of the hard-cover version of Words In Our Beak was released, I withdrew from promoting my former versions of Words In Our Beak. 

The very first one is an iBook and went into Apple's book store in 2015.

This was followed by an ePub version...

... that is available on Amazon and was also published in 2015.

Subsequently, Words In Our Beak's digital versions were published as a soft-cover book (with slight variations) by MagCloud in 2017.

Its press release can be read by clicking here.  

Now with the release of BIRD TALES....

... I've been advised to make mention of my early versions of volume one of Words In Our Beak, they do vary ever so slightly in content from the hard-cover version of volume one.

As of this addendum, I do not intend to create digital or soft-cover versions of Words In Our Beak Volume Two or Words In Our Beak Volume Three.

Today's the Octave of Easter for 2019 (Coinciding with a photographer holiday)

Today is the Octave of Easter for 2019. This year it coincides with Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day (WPP Day) which is an unofficial holiday that has always been observed the last Sunday in April. A holiday-themed web-page explains that WPP Day aims "to encourage people to pick up pinhole photography as a hobby and profession, and to share their techniques and pictures with the pinhole photography community."

I must confess that while I'm very familiar with the celebrations surrounding the Octave of Easter, I had not heard of WPP Day. It is somewhat odd that I had no idea about this event. The main reason that any lack of knowedge re this occasion is odd is because for a few years I worked with various pin-hole cameras — and created a number of black and white photographs from them — which I developed and printed myself.

My entire Black and White Collection has been included in gallery exhibitions in Manhattan. One of those images is titled, Thanksgiving In Riverdale (a copy of it can be seen in the image below).

INCLUDED IN THE B&W GALLERY ON MY WEBSITE

This photograph won an award (placement in a book, Photo-Glaz) in a competition juried by the late photographer, Roy De Carava.

Other ones, Cocktails and Engaging Conversation as well as Portrait of Contemplation (copies seen in the next set of images)...

INCLUDED IN THE B&W GALLERY ON MY WEBSITE

INCLUDED IN THE B&W GALLERY ON MY WEBSITE

...are featured in a literary magazine known as, Returning Woman. Moreover, my photograph, Sophia, (which can be seen in the next picture) and my process used in creating it was discussed (at length) in an interview given by Karen Lewis, on a WBAI radio program called The Al Lewis Show.

INCLUDED IN THE B&W GALLERY ON MY WEBSITE

It be heard via my web-site where you will also find more of my black and white images, pin-hole and non pinhole.

The site is called patriciayoungquist.com and was created by Chris Deatherage. He also formatted and edited my three volume book series, Words In Our Beak.

Moreover, my three volume book series Words In Our Beak includes hundreds of images of flora and fauna.

MY BOOK SERIES

The goal of these books is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden (mine) in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. These books are directed to children and adults who are curious about birds (as well as gardening) want to learn about these topics from a unique perspective.

But getting back to a topic related to WWPD, in addition to my creating black and white photos with pin-hole cameras; I also have created ones which are kaleidoscopic in nature...

Mother's Day 2021

My mother, when she was pregnant with me, can be seen in the color snapshot featured atop this post. She can also be seen (pregnant with me) in the picture directly below.

My mother looks radiant and dad seems happy too, but even after having two more daughters, their marriage fell apart when I was in grade school. He moved out of the house and she was inconsolable.

Perhaps because I'm the eldest child, she turned to me with her heavy heart and everything that was on her mind. For much of the time I felt like I was her mother on many levels.

Mother's Day is for the birds!

Mother's Day is for the birds!

April's Last Day Tuesday's Truths WK 124

CLICK FOR IMAGE CREDIT AND POEM INFO

It's the last day of April, the month T.S. Eliot deemed (in The Wasteland) as "the cruelest" and the month Mary Oliver described (in her poem Blossom which is posted atop this entry) as one where "...the ponds open like black blossoms..."

As for me, I've often referred to April as the month where April Showers take away May flowers as they have been doing this month; evidenced in the following pictures(respectively) of the Spring Green, Red Riding Hood and Day Dream tulip varieties).

OTHER TULIPS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 1

OTHER TULIPS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 1

OTHER TULIPS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 1

Many tulip types (other than the ones featured in this entry) are featured in volume one of my book series, Words In Our Beak, where the stories are set in my rooftop garden and told from the perspective of Cam; a female cardinal.

SOON IT WILL BE MOTHER'S DAY!

In two weeks time, it will be Mother's Day! Therefore, dear reader, if you still have your mother, or have a sister who is a mother, an aunt who is a mother, a niece or a cousin who is a mother, a daughter or daughter-in-law who is a mother; this is a good time to think about a gift that you might want to give these special people!

EIEIO! World Environment Day Eve and Danielle Rosa Making a Difference

Tomorrow, June 5th, is World Environment Day (WED), and, according to Wikipedia, it is a day which, since 1973, has offered a mission that "stimulates awareness of the environment, and enhances political action", taking on different themes in a given year, and giving different countries the opportunity to be the host. For example, in 2009, the theme was Your Planet Needs You — UNite to Combat Climate Change, with Mexico serving as the host, and, in 2008, the theme was CO2, Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy, with New Zealand hosting, and, in 2007, the topic was Melting Ice — a Hot Topic, which was hosted in Norway. For a list of themes and host countries, going back to 1974, dear reader, please, refer to the Wikipedia link mentioned earlier in this post.

I have chosen to mention WED in today's blog entry because folks who refer to blogs that discuss gardening, such as mine, often have an interest in the environment, and, that being the case, I would guess that many of you readers are aware of  WED. Therefore, I will leave the details of past issues that WED has raised, as well as the given host countries who participated in WED's promoting awareness on environmental concerns, to focus on my thought for today's blog post, which is, on this eve of WED, to give a shout out to Danielle Rosa, who has taken the opportunity to make the environment a better place in ways that do not always bring as much recognition as they do when efforts are made on a global scale. It is my hope that Danielle's actions will inspire others to do the same.

Danielle Rosa is the youngest daughter of Patricia Rosa, a textile designer and quilt maker, who recently attributed much of her inspiration to nature's colors. You may recall, dear reader, that I mentioned this fact in a previous blog entry (on April 19th 2011), and, if you'd like to refer to that blog post, please click here. In that post, I made mention of Ms. Rosa's daughter, Danielle, and now, Danielle, and her recent gardening endeavors, is the topic for today's post.

The H.F. is in bloom again!

H.F. CLEMATIS IS FEATURED IN MY BOOKS

H.F. CLEMATIS IS FEATURED IN MY BOOKS

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and like any new mother joyful over moments of her new child's life (the first time she sees a smile or hears her child's first utterance), so am I with my H.F. Young Clematis that I have in my urban garden. She is another great find from the greenmarket at Union Square.

From the moment a bud first appeared on the vine when she was in my place, and traveled boldly up the pole, to its magnificent unfolding, and I was in love! This H.F. Clematis has been with me since the early 2000's but the pictures atop this entry were taken yesterday. They feature views of her doing her thing — climbing up the utility pole in the Northwest corner of my rooftop garden.

As you can see, she is very photogenic, so I am most grateful that she has allowed me to take pictures of her and share her stories, which are both included in volume two of my book series, Words In Our Beak.

THE WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES

The stories are told from the perspective of a female cardinal who is featured on the covers of all of the books. They makes a perfect gift for anyone who loves birds, flowers as well as gardening.

Additionally, Words In Our Beak is a great gift to give to anyone who is a mom on Mother's Day, which is tomorrow, May 12th.

My H.F. Clematis Vines are in bloom again...

This Sunday is Mother's Day and like any new mother joyful over moments of her new child's life (such as the first time she sees a smile or hears her child's first utterance), so am I with my H.F. Young Clematis, that I have in my garden. 

I've had them in my garden since the early 2000's and each spring when they are born again after a winter's long nap, my spirits are lifted. 

It's been quite a number of years now that they have come back in the spring, and a few days ago they made their first appearnce for this year of 2021.

Some pictures featuring details of this year's buds and flowers are atop this entry. 

As you can tell, their blooms and buds tend to be nearly as large as the light bulbs on the string lights which hang over my garden.

I've mentioned them prior posts here on Blogger, they are another great find from the greenmarket at Union Square.

It's Saint Francis's Feast Day!

Today's entry is not part of the regular posting schedule I announced this past Monday, rather it is an extra posting which I mentioned might be something I will do from time to time.

My reason for today's entry is honor Saint Francis of Assisi. Today is his feast day! One of the ways I'm honoring the day is by sharing the cartoon by Patrick McDonnell that is posted atop this entry.

Among many things, Saint Francis is often remembered as the patron saint of animals; especially birds. I have a small statue of Saint Francis above my desk (seen in the image directly below).

His statue the one standing at the far left and serves as an inspiration for me to persevere in my work to help others learn about the needs avian community through my book series, Words In Our Beak.

Bird Day 2021 (Tuesday's Truths WK 214)

Yesterday shortly after Juan V (JV) left from working with me in my garden, I had a visitor who happened to be a male Northern cardinal.

This incident was most welcome after having made my place more beautiful with yesterday's plantings. In any event the handsome creature is featured in the sequence of images atop this entry which serve as a play-by play to his discovering peanuts I had placed in a small petri-dish-style bird feeder, that hangs in close proximity to my lush pair of kiwi vines.

One of these vines is the narrator of my garden-themed movie, The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame...almost, which can be viewed on my You Tube channel and/or my Vimeo channel. 

In this mini movie, the vine talks about what it is like to live within my rooftop garden which is located on the Upper Westside of Manhattan.

A few years after this kiwi vine experienced nearly fifteen minutes of fame by talking about my place, a wildbird, known as a female cardinal named Cam, also expirenced fame by narrating a three volume book series about my place.

April 2018's Last Day: Was T.S. Eliot right?

As April comes to a close for the year 2018, I'm thinking about the T.S. Eliot quote that's featured in the image atop this entry. Most folks know April is a month associated with the adage, "April showers bring May flowers."

However, it's been my experince in terms of my rooftop garden that April showers TAKE AWAY May flowers, which is something I've discussed in prior entries here on Blogger, including ones which you may reference by clicking here as well as here.

These past thirty days have been trying times (weather wise) for the flora I grow here and two weeks ago, Monday, April the 16th was certainly no exception. NYC's April showers on that day were more like April's torrential downpours.

Soon it will be Mother's Day 2018!

THIS SCENCE IS FEATURED IN VOLUME ONE

THIS SCENCE IS FEATURED IN VOLUME ONE

In a little over a week's time (as in Sunday the thirteenth of May), it will be Mother's Day! And if anyone knows the importance of a mother, it's is Frannie and Vincenzo, who are two to of Cam's (my visiting cardinal) children!

Exits and Entrances Reprised from 2011 (Tuesday's Truths WK 124)

A copy of the Mutts comic strip that's posted atop this entry was in my In Box this morning causing me to recall a joke that I heard a few years ago:

Q: If an April shower brought a May flower; what did the May Flower bring? 
A: Pilgrims!

But if truth be told, imho, April showers take away May flowers and I've mentioned my observation re this occurrence in prior posts here on Blogger. Welcome to the 124th segment of my Tuesday's Truths series...

NYC has been receiving heavy rains for several days now and many of the tulips in my garden that I wrote about in this past Tuesday's blog post (where I included photographs of them) have lost their petals.

TGIF (Thank God it's Flowers)

"WORDS IN OUR BEAK"  IS SET IN MY GARDEN!

"What a difference a day makes," are lines from the song popularized by Dinah Washington.

And that wisdom is certainly known to anyone who has a garden! Just a little over a week ago, I posted a photo here on Blogger, which features a northern view of my garden (from the vantage point of my doorway) and many tulips known as the Day Dream variety (primarily orange in color) could be seen. A copy of that photo is featured atop this entry. 

Within the aforementioned post, I also include a view of my garden from the vantage point of my facing the doorway and a copy of it showing how the garden looked at that time can be seen directly below.

"WORDS IN OUR BEAK"  IS SET IN MY GARDEN!

In any event, in the days following that posting, it rained (heavily) almost non-stop and those tulips lost their petals. BUT passing days make a difference and another tulip variety known as Elegant Lady (pale pink) are now blooming; which is evidenced in the next two pictures (taken yesterday).

"WORDS IN OUR BEAK"  IS SET IN MY GARDEN!

"WORDS IN OUR BEAK"  IS SET IN MY GARDEN!

As I've said before, an array of tulip types are featured in volume one of my book series, Words In Our Beak, where the stories are set in my rooftop garden and told from the perspective of Cam, a female cardinal, whose picture is featured on the cover of all of the books.

On Mother's Day consider giving the books to someone whose a mom and she'll have tulips and many other flowers throughout the year via the photo-ops in this series.

THE WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES