For Groundhog Day - a tangelo

February 2nd is celebrated as Groundhog Day in various parts of the United States.  It marks that point in the calendar when we are halfway between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox.  Whether or not the groundhog sees its shadow today is imagined to be an indicator of the remaining length of winter.

I was thinking of light and shadow - and the color wheel and the theory of complementary colors this morning.  Working with blue paper I realized it really is the perfect complement to the color of the tangelo I was about to eat.  When I placed the tangelo on the paper it cast a shadow.  Now, I know the tangelo probably doesn't see its own shadow but does this mean we're in for six more weeks of winter?

Looking forward

Even if you have only a window box it's a a great joy to spend time browsing through garden and seed catalogues.  The photographs and illustrations are splendid and we dream of warmer, sunnier times, hands digging into earth, and bountiful harvests of flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

Inspiration and the artist

Many artists have found inspiration in gardens and in the shapes and forms of the natural world.  This idea is beautifully realized in the Monumental Sculptures of artist Manolo Valdés found in the New York Botanical Garden (Bronx, NY).  These huge outdoor sculptures incorporate female heads and the forms of leaves, ferns, palm fronds - and even trellises.

Full Moon in November

As November comes to a close we're treated to a beautiful moon above us.  British poet Thomas Hood often took a humorous approach to his subjects and that's very clear in his poem "No!".

"No warmth, no cheerfulness,no healthful ease,

No comfortable feel in any member--

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,

No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds,

November!"

Thomas Hood,  British poet and humorist  (1799 - 1845)

Thinking about Veterans' Day

On this day we honor the men and women who've devoted their lives to this great country.  We remember and thank all who served in the United States Armed Forces.  Today's Christian Science Monitor suggests that all Americans can learn from our veterans' sense of duty, trust, loyalty, and teamwork.

I was thinking of this as I sharpened my colored pencils - red, white, and blue.

Green Eyes on Sweet Treats

No, cats aren't allowed to eat candy in this household.  I don't think they'd want to eat it anyway.  You know, they're just being curious - about why these little sugary sculptures are being laid out in front of them as if it's some sort of ornamental display.  All the adults I know say that they don't really enjoy these treats as food but it makes them happy to see them reappear at the same time each year.

Tuesday, September 11

​September 11th and it falls on a Tuesday in this year of Our Lord, 2012. Looking south I see the cloudless blue sky of eleven years ago. I think of the words of John Greenleaf Whittier: "Clear in the cool September morn."

What it isn't and what it is

It's not the latest image from a distant planet. It's not a polished piece of jadeite. It's not a beautiful ceramic glaze.

It's a wonderful gift from an upstate farm.

Working artist's lunch

It's the (late) summertime equivalent of the traditional peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Start with multi-grain bread, cover with sunflower seed butter, then add a layer of fresh blueberries. Enjoy a noontime chat with a friend and you're ready to go back to work.

Inspiration on the artist's table

Orange cherry tomatoes, fresh from an upstate farm, tempt us with their candy-like sweetness and provide material for new art projects. Their five-leaved sepals are like little crowns of summer's harvest.

A poem for a summer afternoon

If I can stop one Heart from breaking
I shall not live in vain
If I can ease one Life the Aching
Or cool one Pain
Or help one fainting Robin
Unto his Nest again
I shall not live in Vain.


Emily Dickinson (c. 1864)

It's always interesting to me to note which words are capitalized in an Emily Dickinson poem. Are these the words that are meant to have more weight and meaning?

Let's talk about the weather ... for a change

We've always been told not to talk about the weather in new situations, at parties, etc.; as soon as you mention the subject your new acquaintance needs to go and refresh their drink. These days I'd welcome a conversation about the weather. Aren't you tired of hearing the self-appointed experts go on and on about global warming, climate change, catastrophic climate disruption?

Summer Afternoons

"Summer afternoon, summer afternoon, to me these have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."   Henry James

Red Admiral butterfly on rudbeckia.  Photo by Ellen Halloran