tulip tree....

Liriodendron tulipifera, Yellow-poplar, Magnolia family

A Plant Walk on a Winter Day

A plant walk in the winter. I think this was Spring 2008.

Baby, it was cold outside...






scribbling with frozen fingers...















a quick stop by the Memorial Union to warm up before heading back to the studio
thanks, Alex P. for posting these fotos for me.

Our Children...

This weekend has been all about our children and the milestones in their lives. There were graduation parties both Saturday and Sunday. There was a three-year-old birthday party next door. There were recitals for neighborhood children who are learning to play the piano, the flute, and the violin. My daughter finished her 2nd season of Clarinet Choir with a wonderful recital of first class clarinetists playing Mozart, Debussy, Telemann, and Joplin. As I sat and listened to all this beautiful music, I thought of the world we offer our children and the world they accept and shape into their own.

The most important moment of the weekend happened yesterday when I walked through a set of doors of the Carver Hawkeye Arena and my son was standing there in his cap and gown. Of all the doors and all the thousands of people who were streaming into that building to watch their graduate walk across the stage to receive that symbolic diploma, I walked through the one door where my son happened to be standing. I could not believe my eyes. There he was, looking so grown up, so ready to take on the world. He spotted me first, and then his father, his sister, and his Yia Yia and Bop. As his eyes traveled from one face to the next, his grin got wider and wider. He ran into my arms and we hugged for a very, very long time. It was a joyous day to celebrate with my oldest child...all of 21!

After the ceremonies, we headed to his house, then walked down the street to a little bohemian restaurant. We indulged in the most eclectic and delicious meal. And it seemed that everyone who walked in the door knew my son. That didn't surprise me. He is so outgoing; he can talk with anyone about anything at any time. He always finds a way for people to fit into his life.

After lunch, we headed back to his house where the cars were parked. Out on the step, we said our goodbyes with lots of love and kisses and then he went inside. When we turned toward the street to find our cars and begin our journey home, we heard the loudest whoop coming from the other side of his front door. My son had just graduated from college!

Famous Hoof

source: JR DeLong. The Times of our Lives: Cedar Rapids in the Good Old Days. Cedar Rapids: Forestdale Publications, 1999.

Charles Browning, Cedar Rapids blacksmith, shoes Roy Rogers’ horse Trigger in 1942. Rogers stopped to see Roy Gaddis in Cedar Rapids during a cross-country trip and asked him to recommend a blacksmith. Browning was called and did the shoeing at the Gaddis home on First Avenue Road NW. He also put the first shoes on Trigger Jr.

Feathered Friends???

This fellow flew past my upstairs window yesterday when I was at my drafting table. He landed in the Honey Locust on a limb over the pond.



The goldfinches have been moving thru this past weekend and spending lots of time around the water. He must have spotted them and decided to have a few feathered friends for dinner :>!!

The finches all flew away and, alas, so did he.

LA Review Day....a good day

Kale

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary...

the garden is finally in....
beets and basil, yams and peppers, cabbage and kohlrabi, tomatoes and onions

Another Magnificent Sunrise

morning creeping in after a late night....

My 'Master Plan'

I had such a great day today. Finished up another semester yesterday, so I am feeling on top of the world. I have one more year left to finish my BLA/MLA and definitely on the down hill side of this overhaul of my personal/professional life.

I met a practitioner yesterday when he reviewed my work and we hit it off soundly. He was impressed with my presentation and it was probably one of the best reviews I have had to date. He has done design work all over the world and he appreciated my process, my style, and my ideas which made me feel grand. We met up again at the 'after LA Review Day BBQ' and we talked about my work and what I had in mind for the future. Who Knows?!!! But the wheels are turning and my whole life seems to be opening up to me.

After pulling 2 all-nighters to finish up with the requirements of the project, I finally got some sleep, but woke up at the crack of dawn. I don't know exactly why, but I felt such an urgency to run to the end of the block to watch a sunrise this morning....a new day dawning.

As I stood and waited for the sun to make its ritual appearance, I heard a clacky squawk overhead. When I looked up, I saw two Great Blue Herons! They had the whole sky in which to fly, but they never strayed, their path took them right over my head.

That had to mean something. In all the years I have been spotting and following these majestic birds, I have only ever seen one at a time. This morning I saw two. Together flying. It was a beautiful sight and I felt like they were bringing me a message, something I needed to pay attention to.

I googled the symbology of the Great Blue Heron and this is what I found....

The blue heron is a totem (symbol) of someone who has chosen to claim their life as their own. According to North American Native tradition, the Blue Heron brings messages of self-determination and self-reliance. It represents an ability to progress and evolve. The long thin legs of the heron reflect that even though we must be able to stand on our own, we don't need legs that are great massive pillars to remain stable. Blue Herons have the innate wisdom of being able to maneuver through life and create their own circumstances. If the Blue Heron has shown up as your totem, it reflects your need to follow your own unique wisdom and path of self-determination. You know what is best for yourself, and need to follow your heart rather than the promptings of others. You probably sit calmly while the rest of us lose patience. And when you choose to follow the promptings of your heart, you soar with magnificence.

What a powerful thought to start my day. And I had a wonderful day. I ran errands and when I returned home, I started my chores. I spent the entire day in the garden. I got busy pruning and burning and mowing and clipping my way around in the beds. Pure bliss for someone who has been away far too long.

And the message from the GBH, right on.