In the depths of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond; And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring. Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity. Kahlil Gibran (1883 – 1931) We are probably still 4 weeks or more away from the first blade of grass, with over a foot of snow on the ground in spite of the warm temperatures of last week. Yet over the past couple of weeks, I have felt so grateful for the increasing daylight. This is the time of year I love: winter with sunlight. So it is time to start planning the garden, make a wish list of perennials we want, a sketch of their placement and research the nurseries who might carry them. I want to try some less common plants this time but it also means they might …Read more
In the garden
Garden hardscape is complete!
Let go of the idea that the path will lead you to your goal. The truth is that with each step we take, we arrive. Repeat that to yourself every morning: ‘I’ve arrived.’ That way you’ll find it much easier to stay in touch with each second of your day. Paulo Coelho What a celebration! Today was the last day of work and they left a beautiful “skeleton” behind for us to plant and grow in the spring! The water feature is amazing and I love to listen to the cascading water from my studio. I think DD and I will spend a lot of time in the basement, working and playing n the most peaceful environment. I think winter will still bring its own beauty to our patio and the warmth of the basement will keep us in our sanctuary. Even Math might be more enjoyable there! The backyard …Read more
Cultivating a sanctuary
The more one gardens, the more one learns; And the more one learns, the more one realizes how little one knows. Vita Sackville-West (1892 – 1962) I take the saying “a man’s home is his castle” to heart and to the extent that our home is our sanctuary from the world, a haven at the end of the day or any day. Making a home, creating that sanctuary is one of my priorities. It is not as much about how it will look to others, how trendy, large or small it may be, it is about creating our own world, regardless of space, location, resources available. I noticed many years ago with our first home in California how detached we were to our home. We loved it, cared for it, made it a home etc. but something was missing. Maybe because this was our “starter home”, along the way there …Read more
The garden…
Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination. Voltaire The last of the projects! This adventure started in 2006, with a broken plastic fitting which gutted the house… It is the last step in the string of projects to get us back home and yet the beginning of other projects, other paths to follow. I guess there is one other last step which will be to finalize the legal issues with the first builder we hired. He made a few mistakes along the way which created larger problems, the contract ran out of money, the problems continued, and when we asked to terminate the contract at our cost not only did he refuse but he sued us. However illogical this may sound, I can tell you that it is “normal” or usual and there actually is a certain logic from his point of view. But that’s a …Read more
