Holidays came early this year, with Hanukkah beginning the first week of December. The challah turned out perfectly, and so did the quick breads that were shipped to our friends and family.
December's cold and snow also inspired the knitting of warm hat, mittens and gloves for a gift recipient on our list.
And our Haley, our happy and lucky cat, enjoys all the warmth and comfort of home year-round, and especially on winter's coldest days.
Let the festivities begin! And first, let's see the beautifully hand-stitched ornaments we exchanged:
And now, for the party!
Then I wonder will there ever be in our world a time of complete and lasting peace? Of long forgotten animosities and buried weapons? Of restored rain forests and glaciers, reforested acreage, and healthy farmlands that provide for all species?
These thoughts came to mind while reading Presence – Human Purpose and the Field of the Future, by Peter Senge, et. al. The book is about fundamental change and how to forge it, but it is also about seeing our world through a new lens. It is a book that has led me away from being satisfied with incremental change for the better and feeling reticent among prospects for change that have led nowhere. It has made me feel emboldened to confront any political position and say, if its premise does not propose fundamental change in how we grow food and choose to feed ourselves, and does not acknowledge that our health care and educational systems are completely broken and need to be rebuilt from scratch, then I am not interested in participating in these politics.
What is the switch that must be turned on to produce the groundswell for changing our hearts? If Hurricane Katrina did not convince us to respect the force of nature, and to take care first of those most in need, then what will? For how many more years must we instigate and fight wars in lands far from our borders, of losing human lives, without plans for rebuilding societies we have destroyed? What stops us from seeing the truth and realizing how unsustainable our behavior is?
There is no time better than right now to look at our world, question why, and move our hearts to another way of knowing and behaving. Put aside what you have always known to be true and see another way. We are each a tiny organism in a vast world and universe. What hurts one hurts all because we are all connected. What does it take for each of us to feel the responsibility of stewardship for our world and each other?
The backyard never looked this good all summer. The salvia and alyssum have finally filled in the flower box, the marigolds are golden and spilling over the border, and a lone tomato is left for harvesting.
Anticipating colder days ahead, lettuce and arugula have gotten a great start in the new cold frame while we wait for a late fall harvest of delicata squash from plants that have been growing since spring.
My neighbor's front yard has been blooming all summer with red and purple salvia, then I saw that one of my sunflowers jumped across to her garden.
This neighbor's apple tree is the envy of my garden. All our fruit trees perform well except for our apple trees. This one seems to be ignored by its owner yet produces abundantly.
What is fall without colorful mums? This arrangement dominates the patio in front of this home with an eye-catching arrangement.
This curbside garden is one of several in my neighborhood where neighbors have planted flowers and small shrubs between the curb and sidewalk. The long red flowers of the Love-Lies-A-Weeping plants dramatically border the street.
Another curbside garden of zinnias and coleus, two hardy plants that help the neighborhood look alive from spring through fall.
Urban gardens at end of summer and all summer long provide a comforting habitat for birds, butterflies, and all the residents of our neighborhood.
At the cabin, three deer families stopped by to graze on clover and wildflowers that we have been seeding for the last two years. It was a treat to see them so close, just outside our windows and by the door.
We were encouraged also to see a honey bee at work on our wildflowers. There must be a honeycomb somewhere nearby.
Later we saw this young snake slither across the road.
The wetland at the south end of the property is filling in nicely with trees and brush, as the creek reclaims its banks and the beaver dam creates a pond in its center.
Between our garden harvest and a visit to the farmers market, we cooked up a large supply of tomato sauce that will last quite a while. Fresh tomatoes, peppers, basil, oregano, and thyme leaves - this is what we live for all year long.
A trip to Minnehaha Falls on Labor Day presented the perfect photo opp. The falls were glorious on this day, with recent rains restoring the flow from a trickle earlier in the summer.
This statue of Minnehaha carried by Hiawatha is so sweet and stands in the creek leading to Minnehaha Falls.
At another clearing I found late summer wild flowers glistening in the sun. Considered weeds in the garden, these wild ones in the field match the beauty of any cultivated flower. Wild aster juxtaposed against goldenrod have a brilliance that could stand the test of any flower arrangement.
I also came upon a thistle with bee busy at work collecting its nectar while pollinating the flower. Richardson has an active honey bee colony where you can view the formation of the honeycomb in progress.
At the end of the trail I noticed this brilliant yellow flower, similar to the goldenrod in the background but of a very different shape. Then I saw a sign warning not to touch this plant, called Wild Parsnip, because it exudes a chemical that makes your skin more sensitive to sunburn.
Some additional tree sculptures on Summit Avenue, this first is a woman holding an urn; the second shows a woman with a parasol.
On this August day the weather was perfect for a late summer picnic at Harriet Island in Minneapolis. Adjacent to the lake is a rose garden where all the roses were in full bloom and full fragrance. The landscape below shows just one section of this lovely garden.
With a little photo editing, I am able to show some great detail on some of the garden's best roses and flowers.
We also see these Green-eyed Susan, although they are not as popular as the black-eyed variety.
