Category: Field Trips

Places I visit or have visited

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Happy new year!

These are some of the photos I have taken, although not just recently, at the Raleigh Little Theater Rose Garden, at Sarah P. Duke Memorial Gardens, and in my own garden.

Back in upstate New York, where I grew up, I would spend our most dreary winter days pouring over flower catalogs and magazines. I couldn’t wait for spring to come when I could dig in the warm earth of the garden again. My garden was one of my favorite things in the world.

Last night, I thought I only had one resolution for New Year’s: to answer the rest of my email that I hadn’t answered yet. But, this morning, I decided I needed a new resolution: to start over, and to start over every day if necessary. I’ve realized that I am tired of dragging around my yesterdays. I love so many of my yesterdays, but I spend too much time thinking about the ones I don’t love as much. Those have to go.

I have dwelled on sadness, and on people who have been selfish and cruel, but I accept that they have nothing to do with me. I don’t want to think about them anymore either. I know that I have love to give, and I believe there are good people who have love and kindness to share as well. I hope to find more of them.

I want to dwell on beautiful things, and create beautiful things. I want to have hope. I want to do the best I can do, and know that I have done the best I could do. I know I try to. Mostly, I want to believe that there are good things to come, happiness, good health, love, and peace. I wish this for you too. Happy new year, everyone.

“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these…Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field…shall he not much more clothe you…?”-Matthew 6:28-30

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North Carolina back roads

I have now linked all the thumbnail photos that are currently on our online doll gallery page to actual webpages! “Sigrid the Star Baby” was the last to get her own link. There are still those six finished dolls to post…but let’s concentrate on what I got done, for now 😉

And we have perfect, beautiful weather here. The leaves are still turning, the sky is an intense blue, and the temperature is just right. We took a little trip to the library today, and I stopped along the back roads to take some photos.

I’ve just finished reading Where Angels Fear to Tread, and now I’m starting on A Room with a View, both by E. M. Forster. I had asked for Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay, through Interlibrary Loan, but I’m not sure I will ever see it. The librarian I spoke to didn’t seem to be able to translate spoken English into written English very well. I’ve never encountered that before at a library. I did my best to write out what I wanted and rephrase what I was saying a couple of different ways, but the whole exchange was a bit surreal. Perhaps she will surprise me. We will see. Or maybe they will make the Interlibrary Loan form available online soon. That would be nice too.

Anyway, the drive was pretty.

Yesterday, I was still nervous over the election, even though it was over and I was relieved by the results. I must have just been that nervous, so much so that I had residual nervousness! Today, I feel much more like it’s a new day, and I’m hoping people everywhere are feeling more positive and optimistic.

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Gold Medals and Arboretums

So, S.B. gets a gold medal for delivering my scrapbook to my grandma and visiting with her for awhile. She seemed to really enjoy the book and the visit. I actually made S.B. a “gold medal”, but I forgot to snap a photo of it.

We visited the J C Raulston Arboretum, and I was hoping to get some flower photos, but everything was a little past its bloom time. There were still some very pretty lilies and these Gloriosa Daisies.

I used to have bunches of these in my gardens at our old house where I grew up. They are amazing when you see them open for the first time. Some of them are just enormous, and their colors and markings vary a lot. They’re quite dramatic and easy to grow from seed.
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Guess who came to town?!

I didn’t think we’d even get to vote in the primaries, and I certainly didn’t think I’d see Bill Clinton out this way. We got there two hours before his arrival, but it was worth it. He was a truly great speaker, as he’s been whenever I’ve seen him…only this time I got to see him in person. Pretty cool.

I was a little worried when I saw the vintage Ford pickup they had set up for him to stand in, and when I heard the loud twangy country music over the speakers. I was afraid the whole thing was going to be in a talk-down-to-the-country-people vein, but I’m glad to say it was not. He has a way of really connecting with people, getting their attention, and keeping it. He talks to them with great intelligence and respect. It’s impressive.

Anyway, not something you get to see too often, either in a person, or in this town.

So, tomorrow we’ll be on our way to vote here in North Carolina…