tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14949259753804189652024-02-07T08:27:48.200-05:00Country Weekend ~Country Weekend ~ Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.comBlogger506125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-10255594689650126312018-06-05T00:04:00.001-04:002018-06-07T00:00:53.797-04:00Back to Brooklyn<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgl5SmC0oDbKpa9tA5RAETABpZjGl-c7DN-QnE8iEgpQQLHtdzuIGCAoMjPdJM0Af8bvBDo0ca_JTPqIIkmdm9x8EHWHgfWcSLP7msMQjsy2OQGKnhpEFmm-SQSvPKiM21DIIaAOh9fyE/s1600/IMG_6155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgl5SmC0oDbKpa9tA5RAETABpZjGl-c7DN-QnE8iEgpQQLHtdzuIGCAoMjPdJM0Af8bvBDo0ca_JTPqIIkmdm9x8EHWHgfWcSLP7msMQjsy2OQGKnhpEFmm-SQSvPKiM21DIIaAOh9fyE/s640/IMG_6155.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boris Anisfeld (Russian, 1879-1973) 'Clouds Over the Black Sea--Crimea', 1906.</td></tr>
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Hello Friends,<br />
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So many changes. I've moved to Brooklyn, mainly because of the little scamp pictured above--my granddaughter Lyra. She fills my heart, my life, she is a gift. I lived in Brooklyn in the 80's and have never felt as at home as I do here. It's crowded, cacophonous, falling apart. But so much beauty in the people. As the world outside my little bubble grows uglier, I find people get kinder. People I don't even know--just passing on the street, or holding a door open. The baby is so friendly--she beams at all we see, and they beam back.<br />
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I just finished a profound book--<i>The Overstory, </i>by Richard Powers. I can't even talk about it--it's still so close. My other favorite books of the past couple years are <i>Mink River </i>and <i>The Plover, </i>both by Brian Doyle. They are all intertwined with nature, friendship, love, sorrow, beauty...<br />
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I hope you too are finding kindness in your travels.<br />
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JenniferJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-55868362076218278912017-10-20T20:04:00.000-04:002017-10-20T20:04:07.444-04:00last words (with berries)<br />
These days I often think about dying, and death. Which also makes me think about life, and living. I've been close to what feels like a lot of dying people, people I loved. My father, my mother, my dearest friend, my stepmother, my brother.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5v5V1LmEXjW0Woug7gYAErtkNMGN8ins8xG8-nDluPArapl0TP2biMHpvrJi6Q39zm8ZfmDBHTao6MRBlxiAoySORdYEvSPpSdMkaJQvVsqQneUAJIyu2WVUEzJyoUtkiHSM44aTIack/s1600/IMG_7537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5v5V1LmEXjW0Woug7gYAErtkNMGN8ins8xG8-nDluPArapl0TP2biMHpvrJi6Q39zm8ZfmDBHTao6MRBlxiAoySORdYEvSPpSdMkaJQvVsqQneUAJIyu2WVUEzJyoUtkiHSM44aTIack/s400/IMG_7537.JPG" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5v5V1LmEXjW0Woug7gYAErtkNMGN8ins8xG8-nDluPArapl0TP2biMHpvrJi6Q39zm8ZfmDBHTao6MRBlxiAoySORdYEvSPpSdMkaJQvVsqQneUAJIyu2WVUEzJyoUtkiHSM44aTIack/s1600/IMG_7537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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I was with my father exactly when life left him. My stepmother was out, buying him a Jamba Juice, the only thing he would eat those final days. Boysenberry. I held his hand, he held my hand, and his last words were, "Stay." Pause. "Stay." I did.<br />
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I wasn't with my mother at her moment of death, but when I left the hospice for the final time, her last words to me were, "Give us a hug." The hospice people were lovely. They brushed her hair and remarked how pretty she was.<br />
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The last day I saw my brother, in the hospital he never left, a week before he died, he wanted Trader Joe's Kombucha and frozen strawberries. The only other thing he wanted was his old radio, so he could listen to baseball games. His last words to me were close to my mother's. "Give me a hug."<br />
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Dying is profound. The most important thing I've learned in that realm is you never want to let someone die alone. They want to be touched, held, remembered, loved. They might want berries too. Isn't that what we all want? To be touched, held, remembered, loved. (And eat berries.)<br />
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So, the part about dying making me think about living. After the first few deaths I had that, "seize the day" urge, and did the crazy thing of opening an antique store four hours from home, because I thought it would be fun. (It was and it wasn't. It's how this blog got started.)<br />
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With my brother's recent death, I've found a different tone. It has to do with love, and being present.<br />
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To be continued. Maybe.<br />
Photos taken at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-59427830011255326592017-02-17T20:29:00.000-05:002017-02-17T20:29:23.698-05:00Looking<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brooklyn, New York</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;"> Hello, my friends.</span><br />
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I've been away for too long, but, as the saying goes: </div>
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The more things change, the more they stay the same. </div>
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(Or something.)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kawasi Hasui, 1923. Seen at the Clark Museum, Williamstown Massachusetts</td></tr>
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I've discovered an era of Japanese prints that I love--<i>Shin Hanga</i>, from the first half of the twentieth century, moving away from traditionalists like Hokusai, toward modernism.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea roses, Portland Maine</td></tr>
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My love for flowers and the world of nature continues. </div>
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No matter how much I look, there is always something new to see, </div>
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or a new way of looking at it.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teddy Bear Cholla, Tucson Arizona<br /><br /></td></tr>
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I try to remember to look up, to look down, </div>
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to look wherever I am not looking. </div>
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To investigate tree bark and ditch flowers.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice, Andes New York<br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
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I get absorbed in watching ice form, water flow, the colors of wild flowers. </div>
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Can perspective be a saving grace?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greenpoint waterfront, Brooklyn</td></tr>
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I hope that you are well, I really do.</div>
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xo</div>
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Jennifer</div>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-58011489158204570122016-09-03T20:45:00.003-04:002016-09-04T11:18:07.858-04:00summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andes, New York</td></tr>
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It's been a summer of variations on the themes of recent summers. </div>
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Some weekends in the Catskills, not enough, but one day, if I'm lucky,</div>
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I will have lots and lots of time there, whole seasons to explore</div>
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all those greens.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">jewel weed, also known as touch-me-not<br /><br /></td></tr>
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As ever I am enchanted by wildflowers, little gifts that just appear</div>
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on roadsides and streamsides, unmowed lawns, </div>
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wherever there is a little bit of space and dirt and light.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taki the cat; Greenpoint, Brooklyn</td></tr>
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Ten days in NYC, apartment/cat/garden sitting</div>
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for one of my sons. </div>
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Ten days of walking, taking ferries, subways and busses,</div>
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taking it in, that endlessly interesting city.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brooklyn Botanic Garden</td></tr>
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Botanic gardens in Brooklyn and the Bronx.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monet, Metropolitan Museum of Art</td></tr>
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So many museums.</div>
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There have been lots of cats as well.</div>
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I fostered three litters of kittens for the shelter where I volunteer</div>
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(and kept the one in the picture).</div>
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I am fortunate to experience so much goodness and beauty.</div>
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The real life problems exist, </div>
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but I just want to share the good things, </div>
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and hope you find a bit of pleasure in them,</div>
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a reminder maybe of some wildflowers you saw,</div>
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or a kitten you once loved.</div>
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xo, Jennifer</div>
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<span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 153px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 820px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 153px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 820px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-48442511042652127192016-06-25T10:31:00.000-04:002016-06-26T12:20:31.266-04:00frog pond, not peony<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The palest of pinks </div>
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with deep green leaves or a tabby cat.</div>
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Mountain laurel. Tabby cat. Paoneia.</div>
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Words. I used to love words, to write. </div>
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I wrote poetry, novels, essays,</div>
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a few published, most not, but I kept writing,</div>
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because it was my way of understanding the world, and myself.</div>
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In the last few years I've lost that.</div>
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Maybe because I'm painting.</div>
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Maybe because I turned to blogging and now Instagram</div>
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which I love, but few words are required.</div>
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I still read constantly, but writing? </div>
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Creative or otherwise doesn't have a place in my life.</div>
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It's sort of amusing that I'm thinking of returning to regular blogging to get back into writing. It's like I've forgotten how to write privately. I used to be obsessed. I worked as a lawyer in the family courts, cared for my three children, and wrote into the wee hours. Just me, pen and notebook, or later, computer. Word processor--who remembers that pair of words? Anyway, life... (that's an Instagram poem.) The thing is, I have one more tangle I really need to figure out, and the only way I think I can do it is by writing.<br />
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What I need to write about is a complex personal ecosystem. It's a frog pond, not a peony. It's a lot of dark and murky with some wildflowers and frogs and dragonflies mixed in. (Metaphors! Similes!) I'm thinking of blogging as my sketchbook. To be continued...Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-90572613745232259162016-06-06T00:05:00.000-04:002016-06-06T08:58:26.503-04:00Pink Hills and Wildflowers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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New Mexico---I spent most of my time in the countryside, taking in the mysterious landscapes--red hills, pink hills, black hills, mountains and mesas, buttes and canyons. This most memorable place, Tent Rocks, a short steep hike up a slot canyon, was otherworldly. Truly, as though I stepped onto another planet or a Star Wars movie. The trip was a cliche--me following the Georgia O'Keeffe trail, but it was also a trip of epiphanies and learning. Geology, Pueblo Indians, the atomic bomb, there was much to think about.<br />
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Then home, where I try to hold on to what I learned, </div>
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and not let it all slip away,</div>
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It's wildflower season in the Catskills.</div>
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I savor the familiar landscape, the creek, the frog pond, </div>
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the crisp starry nights.</div>
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I walk downstream, among the ferns.</div>
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I hope you are enjoying the season, whatever it is,<br />
wherever you are.</div>
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xo, Jennifer</div>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-17014907463106668502016-05-02T20:32:00.000-04:002016-05-03T11:46:12.052-04:00Around Here<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poppy</td></tr>
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Hello friends. It's all kittens, all the time. I've been volunteering at a cat shelter, and offered to foster five kittens from three different litters, and the heroic mother cat, who has been caring for all of them. It's been great fun, and I love them all, but no, I'm not keeping any. Once they are spayed/neutered and healthy, the shelter will find homes for them. Kittens must be adopted with another kitten or young cat (or the mother cat) and it comforts me to know that some of them will be adopted together.<br />
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I've missed a couple of Catskill weekends because of family stuff and kitten emergencies, but look forward to getting back later this month and seeing the wildflowers. I finally have a few blooms in my yard, and supplement them with flowers from the store. I need flowers. There, I said it.<br />
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I'm still painting regularly. Seascapes, landscapes...Thinking about night flowers </div>
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and frog ponds.</div>
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A few evenings ago I went to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, which stays open until the civilized hour of 10 p.m. three nights a week. I saw this Edward Hopper painting, A Room in Brooklyn, and it was like looking in a mirror.<br />
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Although I rarely post, here, I will continue to do so, to keep the thread, the connections, with those of you who aren't on Instagram. And maybe someday I'll post more in depth. I find myself staying away from the computer more, leaving my phone behind sometimes, picking up paper and pencil.<br />
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I hope that all is well with you.<br />
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xo, JenniferJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-43991993886733081582016-04-04T00:25:00.001-04:002016-04-04T01:38:01.906-04:00April Snow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is April, and today it snowed and tomorrow it will snow and at night the temperature will dip close to single digits. I worry about the birds, and the blossoms. I don't actually have any blossoms, but my neighbors do. I'm not going to complain. I can buy flowers at the store and bring them in my house. I have a house, and money to buy flowers, and a family that loves me, and a few friends and cats and lots of books. I have everything. I love the sharp seasons of New England, and unpredictable weather. Actually, weather can be pretty well predicted these days, but we can't control it. And that makes me happy. A clear night with a splash of stars gives way to slow moving clouds. Wind blows, snow falls, sun shines.<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-36668887269090565662016-02-29T08:53:00.001-05:002016-02-29T09:00:18.210-05:00Ice world, Catskills<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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They seem alive, these icy wonders,<br />
constantly melting and refreezing, morphing</div>
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covering rock, moss and fern</div>
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hanging in the air.</div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-10442737138960996192016-02-06T21:20:00.002-05:002016-02-06T21:20:24.602-05:00quiet, drifting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After eleven feet of snow last winter, I've been happy to have a mild winter, although it didn't feel quite right. There wasn't the invigorating briskness of autumn or the freshness of spring, just something that felt in-between and kind of blah. Yesterday we had the perfect storm--about eight inches of snow, heavy and wet, so it stuck to the trees creating a Dr. Zhivago/winter wonderland effect.<br />
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I put seed out under the eves close to the house and eventually birds found it. I sat for a long time, quietly watching them, and realized that sitting and watching is probably what serious bird watching is about. That's something I could get into. Wrens, juncos, titmice, sparrows and cardinals (spectacular against the snow) found their way to my deck while the cats and I observed. Nature is so lovely and complicated and poignant. Watching birds is surprisingly (to me) absorbing. It reminded me of what I've heard people say about fishing. It's mostly about being out on the boat, quiet, drifting.<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-41712886467214002092016-01-07T09:55:00.000-05:002016-01-13T11:45:59.227-05:00deep purple<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Somewhere in December I hit a painting wall, </div>
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so I took some time off, didn't even think about it. </div>
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But I became obsessed with a color--</div>
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a deep purply black.</div>
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but when I returned to my studio I painted this.</div>
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Then this.</div>
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I've been painting thicker and faster.</div>
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I suppose the lesson is than when stuck</div>
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it really can help to step back, take a breath,</div>
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to let my mind, and my eyes, </div>
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and my mind's eyes</div>
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wander. </div>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-27555927107948979942015-12-18T10:10:00.001-05:002015-12-18T12:26:55.637-05:00Merry & Bright<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Season's Greetings from the Freshtown bear.</div>
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Freshtown is our Catskills grocery store, </div>
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and it is well populated with carved bears.</div>
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Every year I do less and less holiday decorating</div>
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and enjoy it more and more.</div>
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Just imagine a single wreath on this old barn.</div>
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Deer festivities,</div>
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mantlepiece whimsy,</div>
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and a tree. Greens scattered here and there.</div>
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Outside, a tree with colored lights.</div>
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Inside, the first time I've used white lights in many years.</div>
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We are doing our family Christmas with the boys this weekend.</div>
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Christmas Eve I will find a candlelight church service,</div>
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and on Christmas proper I will be at the cat shelter in the morning,</div>
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then a movie and Chinese food.</div>
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I am almost free of tradition, and it is liberating.</div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-16572591216044537322015-11-30T21:36:00.000-05:002015-11-30T23:27:25.396-05:00Downstream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When in the country the waterfall is the center of attention. It is majestic and loud and beautiful. It slows people down, they pause and contemplate. The stream it feeds into becomes an afterthought. So I've been trying to pay more attention to what goes on downstream. The smaller falls, swirls and eddies formed by rocks. The rocks themselves. Mossy, ferny twiggy things.</div>
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Icy bits are starting to form.</div>
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Thanksgiving was an eclectic bunch of friends, everyone brought something. I made my favorite applesauce cake. I boil apple slices in apple cider so it is very apple-y. Holiday lights went up in the little towns, a wonderful thing when it gets dark at 4:00. There were lots of leftovers, and Reader, I read Jane Eyre for the first time.<br />
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xo, JenniferJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-48804795232778264762015-11-18T10:42:00.000-05:002015-11-18T19:54:45.423-05:00Catskills, something new<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Most of you who read this blog were with me when I had my little store in the Catskills.</div>
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Now, my family is starting a new venture. We've bought a commercial property<br />
in the rural hamlet of <a href="http://townofandes.com/discover-andes" target="_blank">Andes, New York</a>, in the Western Catskills .<br />
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Over the years it's been a creamery, a lumber mill, and a feed and grain store.<br />
It's right next to the old train depot, where in the early 20th century, cans of Andes milk<br />
from the creamery were loaded onto the train for delivery to distant places.<br />
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There's plenty of sunny land to start a flower farm or grow blueberries<br />
or, maybe one day, have donkeys or goats.<br />
Thanks to Delaware County's Right to Farm Law<br />
you can have a farm in the middle of town.<br />
(Read more about that <a href="http://www.watershedpost.com/2015/andes-goat-farm-receives-permit-creamery-center-town" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
Though at 3.5 acres we won't be doing any serious farming.<br />
But still, flowers...(for the goats to eat?)<br />
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One day I hope to have a painting studio inside that door,</div>
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with a view of the rolling hills and changing seasons.</div>
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There are also two huge pole barns,<br />
for tractors or square dances or art installations.<br />
There are a lot of unknowns,<br />
but there's plenty of space for dreamers to implement their dreams.</div>
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I'm a little nervous about it. It's a real, long-term commitment. Not something I expected or asked for, but it's a wonderful property, and I'm feeling some love for it. It's about five miles from the house where we've been weekenders since 2002. The <a href="http://andesworks.com/rail-trail/" target="_blank">Rail Trail</a> is on one side, the Tremperskill Creek on the other, and it's two blocks from Main Street. The best part about having my store was the friends I made, of feeling like I was part of the community. This rural region of upstate New York makes my world a better place, and I hope we can return the favor.</div>
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I'm savoring autumn, taking in details,</div>
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storing them away, </div>
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for bleaker days.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmW3bHOdUHx74g8d-CLHrDsLnebdct93xjbNvzPJwjlqAVEtmni-qF4w5259Cfs92LD_174sHSbgPziFjR2KaNWO7H9MmCZSP_r7GVvAHSeNyx0b-IQa61UIKvCX4IY0jVZHhvmvNOUI/s1600/IMG_8223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmW3bHOdUHx74g8d-CLHrDsLnebdct93xjbNvzPJwjlqAVEtmni-qF4w5259Cfs92LD_174sHSbgPziFjR2KaNWO7H9MmCZSP_r7GVvAHSeNyx0b-IQa61UIKvCX4IY0jVZHhvmvNOUI/s400/IMG_8223.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I collected leaves, and remembered doing so as a child</div>
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and with my own children--</div>
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the colors, that spark of wonder.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNt83C7yPqLUXLVjLpKGJWvakJmoiKuDwAxF7P_1Y63T91IOCYJLwFTGpkA2x-1Aqd8JDUMnwF7J8pFW9K2X5WHg0fyFc0FoTksxS7uKyZ5-S_VcclBbB_5v3z2n619FVDYjs4YagDMLQ/s1600/IMG_7195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNt83C7yPqLUXLVjLpKGJWvakJmoiKuDwAxF7P_1Y63T91IOCYJLwFTGpkA2x-1Aqd8JDUMnwF7J8pFW9K2X5WHg0fyFc0FoTksxS7uKyZ5-S_VcclBbB_5v3z2n619FVDYjs4YagDMLQ/s320/IMG_7195.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've been volunteering at a cat shelter.</div>
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In case you want a pet, </div>
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but not the long-term commitment that comes with owning one,</div>
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shelters are always desperate for foster families.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvxkmyb_fmvIJ9Yo8IFXqmnYefaubxQ2zZshKktiNuNTUuUAqpbYGzU63-5h75_DsrSbo_8JECtXyyPm0OeNOmIKkmFdRVnCM-_LR5p2xbvoNbf-XlxoP1TN-tA_aCn49f7OWqILZMS0/s1600/IMG_8467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvxkmyb_fmvIJ9Yo8IFXqmnYefaubxQ2zZshKktiNuNTUuUAqpbYGzU63-5h75_DsrSbo_8JECtXyyPm0OeNOmIKkmFdRVnCM-_LR5p2xbvoNbf-XlxoP1TN-tA_aCn49f7OWqILZMS0/s400/IMG_8467.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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My palette has changed with the season.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFBw41kH30ElzF8FosaB6H9lXJ5_9Hr_k0mldy76_fWusiE51i-LO4hvCeG7SGEuvjYUIpqLQ8Fe9nigv3KiQr6COE7LYCDFwAodau_4EoR8pGrZ9qj045DmABLCwjC0qabulA0tsHHA/s1600/IMG_8383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFBw41kH30ElzF8FosaB6H9lXJ5_9Hr_k0mldy76_fWusiE51i-LO4hvCeG7SGEuvjYUIpqLQ8Fe9nigv3KiQr6COE7LYCDFwAodau_4EoR8pGrZ9qj045DmABLCwjC0qabulA0tsHHA/s400/IMG_8383.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I take a walk every day,</div>
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try to stay in the moment more</div>
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and worry less.</div>
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I hope you are enjoying autumn, or spring, depending where you are.</div>
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xo,</div>
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Jennifer</div>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-51081590441251902012015-10-14T12:21:00.000-04:002015-10-14T12:21:58.440-04:00a country weekend, autumn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5SuSW0Ytz1oM5gOWGkzhgTr9iFYdojqw9KUwZTKwrLbMaQq7gDFq5wu0QrsB8CugThRHPF9o3OgzrBupqsmtHdLhUFGk5Ue7pnpguOQ0yVPiASBnEBBqft1XNe1iX_gfOT7zRLbW6tY/s1600/IMG_7422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5SuSW0Ytz1oM5gOWGkzhgTr9iFYdojqw9KUwZTKwrLbMaQq7gDFq5wu0QrsB8CugThRHPF9o3OgzrBupqsmtHdLhUFGk5Ue7pnpguOQ0yVPiASBnEBBqft1XNe1iX_gfOT7zRLbW6tY/s640/IMG_7422.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I rarely get to the country at the peak of fall colors,</div>
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always a little early or a little late. </div>
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But this year it couldn't have been more beautiful. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFAIjZzn7FEKRFJlZINiuO_WiPHRsy0aXfQnsnCN_QvW_EPctRMlB8zrsc5K2Fkn7Yh3oHhbTedXweGqZr6HPb-s5d8KC2gansyp27iM-bXNKH47B8LhtHGyqaMQEVD3j1kp7YlLyjbI/s1600/IMG_7446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFAIjZzn7FEKRFJlZINiuO_WiPHRsy0aXfQnsnCN_QvW_EPctRMlB8zrsc5K2Fkn7Yh3oHhbTedXweGqZr6HPb-s5d8KC2gansyp27iM-bXNKH47B8LhtHGyqaMQEVD3j1kp7YlLyjbI/s640/IMG_7446.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Mesmerizing, inviting reverie and giddy moments,</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">fleeting glimpses of the profound.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Nature. Earth.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LVN87OVaHXPkxrbqP7QJUqMfjAUYDqQ4Qhec84didU_sKQk5YlDeI8Sn4G4R69mZYMYNoeJH-r8um16x_9fNL-O4hSZ0q1I-a1CAF99Ur6T-4bWniPEH-sYzY-QuqxHRYr19-xbrfgI/s1600/IMG_7544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LVN87OVaHXPkxrbqP7QJUqMfjAUYDqQ4Qhec84didU_sKQk5YlDeI8Sn4G4R69mZYMYNoeJH-r8um16x_9fNL-O4hSZ0q1I-a1CAF99Ur6T-4bWniPEH-sYzY-QuqxHRYr19-xbrfgI/s640/IMG_7544.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The backroads of upstate New York ablaze.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrIGLwH-bFeidY7F4u3eIUjA5_vAxyhFZFuLwwy5O5bzpQG5eudPueipAkJBM_jOAo4v-HpW2x1vZ5CIaPZ3DTLW0C4gU9NTcrf5feT-ZEoRy8rYzRILT-ESErgMWddDGC-w7SQmYpgg/s1600/IMG_7310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrIGLwH-bFeidY7F4u3eIUjA5_vAxyhFZFuLwwy5O5bzpQG5eudPueipAkJBM_jOAo4v-HpW2x1vZ5CIaPZ3DTLW0C4gU9NTcrf5feT-ZEoRy8rYzRILT-ESErgMWddDGC-w7SQmYpgg/s640/IMG_7310.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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For the first time, I saw the changing color of the ferns, </div>
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how lovely they are.</div>
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Our property is shady and damp, filled with ferns, </div>
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so why haven't I ever taken this in before?</div>
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I could study this landscape for the rest of my life </div>
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and never see it all.</div>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-23247029028686404982015-09-22T13:21:00.002-04:002015-09-23T09:13:20.247-04:00flowers, painting, cats, books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8nlhh4QMd17Ot9VUi-eshMkUO3t8c59c8MGPxfqyt19ktARAimePE_Y_MqeAIB6gSOsbn3L-39ZFrlTodveyYsQJUxwMvAdTVFch2ciIe5SZQ2aZzI4CaLUb6DlKY0Adeg49mg-ki5wI/s1600/IMG_5304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8nlhh4QMd17Ot9VUi-eshMkUO3t8c59c8MGPxfqyt19ktARAimePE_Y_MqeAIB6gSOsbn3L-39ZFrlTodveyYsQJUxwMvAdTVFch2ciIe5SZQ2aZzI4CaLUb6DlKY0Adeg49mg-ki5wI/s400/IMG_5304.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hello, friends. I post infrequently here these days, but this is still a special place to me.</div>
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I'm very active on <a href="https://instagram.com/orchardsinspace/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>--I usually post one or two pictures a day,</div>
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it's become my online community. </div>
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Like blogging, it can be what you want to be.</div>
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There are maybe 30 or 40 people who post regularly on subjects I enjoy</div>
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(flowers, painting, cats, books) </div>
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and that I look forward to, and who I feel a connection with. </div>
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There are others I follow for other reasons. </div>
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(Great travel pictures, funny cat pictures, artists, street photography.) </div>
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It's visual, words are brief, but do exist, and it doesn't devour time. </div>
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You can't go into depth like you can in a blog, </div>
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but it's been a while since I've gone into depth here, </div>
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said anything new.</div>
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I also don't like posting the same things here that I do on instagram. </div>
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Each place should be different.</div>
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I am planning to post more regularly on <a href="http://orchardsinspace.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my art blog, </a></div>
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because I feel like I have new things to explore on that subject.</div>
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Here, it seems like I've just been doing the same thing over and over.</div>
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(I went to the Catskills/Brooklyn/Provincetown, I'm reading this book, Aji is smelling flowers)</div>
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That works better on Instagram.</div>
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For instance I love seeing <a href="http://flwrjane-smallbutcharming.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jane's</a> Gus and Lucy every night.</div>
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I miss them when they aren't there.</div>
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I'm not stopping-- I will post here now and then.</div>
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(edit: After I published this I went to a pick your own flower farm<br />
where I saw many varieties of sunflowers and immediately got an idea for a blog post!)<br />
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I think/hope there will come a time when I'll find something new to say.</div>
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But it will require thought and effort on my part.</div>
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There's something I'm considering, but I'm not sure....</div>
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I have a bit of news to share.</div>
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I now have a website for my art (<a href="http://jenniferjeffersonart.com/" target="_blank">here</a>)</div>
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and I've joined two galleries--</div>
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<a href="http://www.theloadingdockgallery.com/" target="_blank">The Loading Dock Gallery</a> in Lowell, MA and</div>
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<a href="http://www.longyeargallery.org/" target="_blank">The Longyear Gallery </a>in Margaretville, NY </div>
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(in the same building where I had my store!)</div>
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Huge thanks to all of you who supported and encouraged</div>
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my return to painting. It means the world to me.</div>
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I am so very grateful for the friends I've made here.</div>
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You've seen me through some rough spots</div>
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(which, of course I didn't blog about).</div>
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xo, Jennifer</div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-4093946982122735682015-08-21T22:10:00.002-04:002015-08-21T22:10:55.005-04:00a country weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Country weekends are much the same-- the frog pond, wildflowers, farmers markets, wading, moss, ferns...But it always feels fresh. There is less noise there. Cell phones don't work, internet is slow and shaky, there is more space to breathe and think and not think. When I was young I did a lot of camping, backpacking, hiking, sleeping outside. I've never once slept outside of our house in the Catskills, but lately I've been feeling the urge for a campfire and a night of stars. I'm too domesticated, I want to let things go.<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-33181323762451705422015-08-14T08:57:00.002-04:002015-08-14T08:59:28.656-04:00summer<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Central Park, New York</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark Rothko, MOMA</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of the Brooklyn Museum</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Raspberry, Catskills, Upstate New York</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aji and garden flowers.<br />
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Hello Friends,<br />I've been quiet, feeling like I either have nothing new to say here, or too much. I can't find the medium. It will come, or maybe not. But I love this place, and my connection to you, and can't stay away for too long. A few pictures from my summer.<br />I hope all is well with you.<br />xo, Jennifer</div>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-45491351235298432932015-07-26T13:56:00.000-04:002015-07-27T10:47:19.505-04:00flowers everywhere<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Imagine my delight when I came upon a farm that has a pick your own flower plot.</div>
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They handed me scissors and I came home with a glorious bundle of<br />
sweet peas, stocks and snapdragons.<br />
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My painting studio is in an old textile mill, next to freight train tracks, where a train passes through daily. I've found a delightful variety of wildflowers thriving along the tracks.<br />
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I've noticed that if I pay attention, there are flowers everywhere. Popping up through a crack in the pavement, in a pot on a city windowsill, behind a gas station...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3JLC-2g09ubQkK04HqHgJs992zPTmQJ6-4qGW5ECNywp-OQuqvmgmCcNnwKinq1fburUuqE9Fh9u7EDdBBzHkVGExwmHG7dSWj82CKe44xi-22_kXIHiVjgCvE0N4zvN2ObD5LYxcho/s1600/IMG_3516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3JLC-2g09ubQkK04HqHgJs992zPTmQJ6-4qGW5ECNywp-OQuqvmgmCcNnwKinq1fburUuqE9Fh9u7EDdBBzHkVGExwmHG7dSWj82CKe44xi-22_kXIHiVjgCvE0N4zvN2ObD5LYxcho/s400/IMG_3516.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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and in my garden.</div>
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Peonies opened my eyes to how varied flower buds are. I'm trying to look, not just at the bloom, but at stem, leaves and buds. Every evening when I visit my flowers I have to remind myself to slow down, pay attention.<br />
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The bud of the black-eyed Susan is particularly enchanting.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">The dog days of summer are upon us, and I hope </span><span style="text-align: center;">to pay attention</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"> to where the flowers are, </span><span style="text-align: center;">especially the unexpected places.</span><br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-79287021997897209342015-07-15T18:36:00.002-04:002015-07-16T09:42:54.431-04:00Summer reading, watching, painting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7x4jzVM1rtjoSbyZ2nopYsGS3NtOxq6yqQHPxTdjfFydUKoiFpzVYPLUDMZXEjOw2oBIih3m6R9omEtVQhaCxACyjXms45-QqTGnWQ3ju_ahBOoAYzJAYhVDdeOkxNSjjiLpcbhPqZk8/s1600/IMG_2869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7x4jzVM1rtjoSbyZ2nopYsGS3NtOxq6yqQHPxTdjfFydUKoiFpzVYPLUDMZXEjOw2oBIih3m6R9omEtVQhaCxACyjXms45-QqTGnWQ3ju_ahBOoAYzJAYhVDdeOkxNSjjiLpcbhPqZk8/s400/IMG_2869.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I just got an email from Netflix headed "Watch More, Read Less." Are they watching me? Do they have access to my library card, my online shopping, my bookstore security cameras? Do they know that I've only watched a few hours of tv in the last month? Or is everyone reading more and watching less?<br />
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Don't get me wrong, I think Netflix, along with libraries, and long walks, are the best bargains around. In fact, the last thing I watched was a haunting French series, <i>The Returned,</i> on Netflix. But recently I've been reading even more than usual. I come home tired, feed the cats, spend a bit of time in the garden, and read. I start on my little porch, where I have a good view of the rabbits and robins, and stay there until dark. Summer nights.<br />
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I'm painting as much as I can these days. It's surprisingly (to me) physical. And not cerebral, which I love. In my off-time I go to museums, read art history, sketch, think; but when I'm actually painting I zen out/zone out. And go home tired.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbwylXqKXxRNsRl3hkyrPJqi4vzk-fI8bBhp2Zdo-60z195W4KgqJbxf7lneV46ANIolCJgJRBV4JPhaU9UJyMv45-BvdCYXUctUzLdcKWSOgJGm8mmASWMICEAUDB9GimBkvHyxIArU/s1600/IMG_2848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbwylXqKXxRNsRl3hkyrPJqi4vzk-fI8bBhp2Zdo-60z195W4KgqJbxf7lneV46ANIolCJgJRBV4JPhaU9UJyMv45-BvdCYXUctUzLdcKWSOgJGm8mmASWMICEAUDB9GimBkvHyxIArU/s400/IMG_2848.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I've joined a cooperative art gallery, and am building a web site for my paintings. (Very much in progress, <a href="http://www.jenniferjeffersonart.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. ) It's terrifying to go public, but it feels right too. More on that another time. I hope to blog more consistently about painting and art in general over on <a href="http://orchardsinspace.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Orchards in Space</a>. (These are clues about the mini-rant on my last post.)<br />
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Meanwhile here are a few things I've recently read and watched that stayed with me. Of course just because I like it doesn't mean you will. I got this idea from Petra, and also see her glorious post <a href="http://www.talulaah.com/2015/07/what-really-matters.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I'd love to know if you've been reading or watching anything that you are crazy about.<br />
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<i>*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Games-A-Novel-P-S/dp/0061130362" target="_blank">Sacred Games</a>, </i>Vikram Chandra, big book of India. Crime, Bombay, people.</div>
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shell-Collector-Stories-Anthony-Doerr/dp/1439190054/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1436979184&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=seashell+collector+anthony+doerr" target="_blank">The Seashell Collector</a>, </i>Anthony Doerr. short stories (reread). Elegant, nature, thoughtful.</div>
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NERQQXG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o07_" target="_blank">A God in Ruins</a>, </i>Kate Atkinson. WWII, post-war Britain, family.</div>
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<i>***<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1327/1327-h/1327-h.htm" target="_blank">Elizabeth and her German Garden</a></i>, Elizabeth von Armin. A garden of one's own.</div>
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*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reporting-Vietnam-Part-Journalism-1959-1969/dp/1883011582" target="_blank">Reporting Vietnam</a> various journalists. War, history, politics. </div>
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<a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big-one" target="_blank">The Really Big One</a>, The New Yorker. Science, earthquakes, holy cow!</div>
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<i>The Honorable Woman, </i>BBC mini-series. Espionage, Israel-Palestine, Maggie Gyllenhall.</div>
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<i>Wolf Hall, </i>BBC mini-series. History, Royalty, Cromwell.</div>
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<i>**The Returned. </i>French mini-series. haunting, love, humanity.</div>
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<i>The Americans, FX. </i>Espionage, family, suspense.</div>
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<i>**A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night</i>. Strange endearing little film.</div>
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*recommended by one of my Instagram pals (in case you think it's just cats over there).</div>
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** recommended by my son Luke, who always finds me eclectic interesting things to watch.</div>
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*** recommended by Mise, of <a href="http://prettyfarwest.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Pretty Far West.</a></div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774484903569370169noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-24861890977572036452015-07-08T00:05:00.000-04:002015-07-08T00:05:00.065-04:00a quick question<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3gYmhKXJWoacjB52x3rqrabIMcpteZnvqeLVcilEFM66YFgKgEt-waJDVVtyY7tXVLicxpG4UzOLgCbcqoQy20OkHy3aQUWxpXVpFhay9v9EfCnB1twD3inwLOIh4jlTxoKI4brZ1OHR/s1600/IMG_1114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3gYmhKXJWoacjB52x3rqrabIMcpteZnvqeLVcilEFM66YFgKgEt-waJDVVtyY7tXVLicxpG4UzOLgCbcqoQy20OkHy3aQUWxpXVpFhay9v9EfCnB1twD3inwLOIh4jlTxoKI4brZ1OHR/s400/IMG_1114.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I used to be a simple country girl, who read a lot. Now I have more email addresses than I can remember, two blogs, an instagram account, and I'm building a webpage. I upgraded something on my laptop and can't find my pictures, but they magically appear on my mobile device, which used to be a phone.<br />
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Is anyone else confused?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-12404329066332073742015-06-25T10:13:00.000-04:002015-06-25T12:21:43.329-04:00a country weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3-GFYAjn7QnMfPon5s7He6DFQz09SX__aYZheDBaCqy4SPNSbaQlRL5xfjw64i_8aPrugYuRZcvSpZNX1OzmdJzZJUX9tTRQbChrrI2MrzMDnfDgr6Ch3c9aAaDCvXwA0RnsjqYbTVi4/s1600/IMG_1848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3-GFYAjn7QnMfPon5s7He6DFQz09SX__aYZheDBaCqy4SPNSbaQlRL5xfjw64i_8aPrugYuRZcvSpZNX1OzmdJzZJUX9tTRQbChrrI2MrzMDnfDgr6Ch3c9aAaDCvXwA0RnsjqYbTVi4/s640/IMG_1848.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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After the four hour drive, up Weaver Hollow Road, then a steep plunge down to our house.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">frog pond at dusk</td></tr>
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I walk the property, making sure all is well.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5f7Pdo5RjG13CXAmzDV-Aafoz8_qj-IXbO8Xkh0i6R_WDFm5QorEHdGTbWe_Pk2JQy7-zqAn-ngP_RVuC1xoY4y4xK5OImrpJ9U8-R0SAKUiiPOcI5asE5QPaKp1msO5xKYlOtf-4PytP/s1600/IMG_1903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5f7Pdo5RjG13CXAmzDV-Aafoz8_qj-IXbO8Xkh0i6R_WDFm5QorEHdGTbWe_Pk2JQy7-zqAn-ngP_RVuC1xoY4y4xK5OImrpJ9U8-R0SAKUiiPOcI5asE5QPaKp1msO5xKYlOtf-4PytP/s640/IMG_1903.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">buttercups, rocks, lichen and brook<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the blue hills of the western Catskills</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlOLXj2HzTL5ya4EZIkS3WA0KHsrjA1TO1rwWRcULwC5O843bjf3Cxi3i59f-UXxOqIf1BPO6gHDjjdCX3NcNkNcSot2LbPV-N4DdNkTrZmPwGABnOAy7adkl13hCVLwypgNz8dX0qPkV/s1600/IMG_1998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlOLXj2HzTL5ya4EZIkS3WA0KHsrjA1TO1rwWRcULwC5O843bjf3Cxi3i59f-UXxOqIf1BPO6gHDjjdCX3NcNkNcSot2LbPV-N4DdNkTrZmPwGABnOAy7adkl13hCVLwypgNz8dX0qPkV/s400/IMG_1998.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">forget-me-nots</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Water and wildflowers, wildflowers and water.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilony_Kg0ktdBx7ysiPLPFSN-UCjn2Ae0Cs4ejDhzk-JjQM0C8GJllk2xI9aEnV16xyD5YFUtwmZ1xR4MH1l_hbgkn2DYun_nx7CtEM3DpQd0Y0ilaimdw27c5P3MCOuycNq9DcXe5NWNa/s1600/IMG_2002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilony_Kg0ktdBx7ysiPLPFSN-UCjn2Ae0Cs4ejDhzk-JjQM0C8GJllk2xI9aEnV16xyD5YFUtwmZ1xR4MH1l_hbgkn2DYun_nx7CtEM3DpQd0Y0ilaimdw27c5P3MCOuycNq9DcXe5NWNa/s640/IMG_2002.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the waterfall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Wandering, gazing, pondering.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEify1cQAVU602d_WOjjWXC-S8LYybYYl5X_jZk7h2mronzGLqh1BpuAwBgiCfl7oiY5HVFmY6b2NMXazVNpGLG-9Exs8qbZfg3SKYOmxE55xrx5XusCDOywFXhXAUrdFSyZZZJbTvH0U-QA/s1600/IMG_2078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEify1cQAVU602d_WOjjWXC-S8LYybYYl5X_jZk7h2mronzGLqh1BpuAwBgiCfl7oiY5HVFmY6b2NMXazVNpGLG-9Exs8qbZfg3SKYOmxE55xrx5XusCDOywFXhXAUrdFSyZZZJbTvH0U-QA/s640/IMG_2078.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">frog pond by day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvVvl8To2hfqVDwi6MBZihT_NSFrzW8gnouxBC6kal1dOF4Ir2yGta5SfjIpD_I81sW4J_ZrgN3BkYl00QtCWGgFjwka9M69oLy8IRtL5ghqZTLZdjgHyLJoAuW5mHJ-tiJd14XgaqoYQ/s1600/IMG_2142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvVvl8To2hfqVDwi6MBZihT_NSFrzW8gnouxBC6kal1dOF4Ir2yGta5SfjIpD_I81sW4J_ZrgN3BkYl00QtCWGgFjwka9M69oLy8IRtL5ghqZTLZdjgHyLJoAuW5mHJ-tiJd14XgaqoYQ/s320/IMG_2142.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">orange hawkweed a/k/a devil's paintbrush</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Ferns, lichen, moss. Stones, bluets, blackberries. Every day in the same places I would seen new things, things anew. There were friends and family, lovingly prepared meals, country roads, farmers markets, my favorite used books store, a gallery opening for a dear friend. I exhale, take a deep breath, breathe.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-68126427725978712942015-06-11T09:25:00.000-04:002015-06-11T09:25:09.756-04:00green land, pink sea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
It was exactly a year ago that the phrase </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"green land, pink sea" occurred to me, </div>
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as I observed the fat round peony buds.</div>
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(see the end of <a href="http://countryweekend.blogspot.com/2014/06/around-here-green-land-pink-sea.html" target="_blank">this post</a>)</div>
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I obsessed on that vision for a while, painting it, writing a poem.</div>
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I moved on, but now I'm there again </div>
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looking for meaning in a flower.</div>
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This year, I've been observing the peonies closely,</div>
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even reading a bit of an old botany text to try to understand.</div>
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Again I'm wondering <i>what can I do with it?</i></div>
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Nothing is better than the thing itself.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1494925975380418965.post-85534811157093575662015-05-31T16:10:00.000-04:002015-06-01T01:02:35.474-04:00wild roses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdNtGNLzDtx2SQia6jdh6ny8T5g4yWWUSYh_YN-_sp_VExGkIvQc4s7tW4KiiukxgEekwvU2T_96nXMO51mgYYgMe6OsORlMLR0JRqYBG-8iV9Nro-LMzc94D1FpJFzo6Bd5Cmne7pDEP/s1600/IMG_0203_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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The beaches of the northeast are often rocky and gray. But these marvelous rugosa roses grow wild in abundance. And they are so fragrant! Imagine the scent of roses mingled with the smells of the sea, blowing in the breeze, while waves crash against the rocks.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">In my previous post some of you expressed a preference for simple,</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;">low-petal count roses. The bigger</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;">ones weren't </span>blooming on my recent trip to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden,<br />
but these sweet ones were, climbing trellises and welcoming bees.<br />
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I have a couple of those in my garden too. They haven't bloomed yet, but here's a picture from another summer. My peonies are still tight buds. I noticed they were sticky, and discovered the most interesting thing in an old botany text--that it is related to the color of the flower. Inside the plant cells are vacuoles filled with cell sap: water, sugar, and salt. The pigment dissolves in the sap. So I imagine the sap acting as a stain, though I'm not sure that's accurate. But what is accurate is that nature is mind-blowing. I try to pause frequently and allow myself to fill with the wonders of nature--flowers, thunderstorms, bird song. It helps me get through the hard parts.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com26