More Leonard J. Buck Garden photos, a glass of iced tea...

Iced tea with blood oranges. Great color and taste.


Friday the 13th
I take my tea strong
the waiter smiles

ag ~ 2012

The Seduction of Romance

What is romance?  What is romantic?  As with any art, the answer lies in the heart of the beholden.  It may be flowers on Valentines day, a wedding proposal on one knee...etc.  However, I relate best to the romance of life in moments of simple living with joy, humor, beauty, solitude, whisps of melancholia and yes even those sorrowing times of loss.

Lately I have come to realize that for me, romance is always more romantic after the fact.  Somehow I tend to fully recognize and absorb it best over time and through reflection.  I am also one of those people who comes up with a brilliant retort after the conversation is over.  I'm not complaining, just pondering. 

only in hindsight ...

pillow mint

what I know of romance

in hindsight

november rain

what I know of romance

only in hindsight

morning breeze

what I know of romance

now in hindsight



Trees Like People

I spent a short yet delightful session with our local third graders for a discussion about "Life with Trees." I was invited to speak about how to plant pine seedlings that they each received for a science project. We started off with "how do trees help us to live?" Along with the usual answers of cleaning the air, creating oxygen etc. came the response that we use them to make ping pong balls - to which I professionally replied "really? I didn't know that!" We also discussed the many ways trees are like people. My favorite comment was from a little girl very much like my younger self many, many years ago who said that "trees have feelings." Of course they do - they just don't show it! A truly enjoyable and refreshing respite despite their unending questions - for me to go back to third grade for lessons about trees from the students.

the question
in her eyes
already knowing