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Category Archives: Spring
Mélange
What a month it’s been! Beautiful days, some lazy indulgences, some quirky sights to be seen. Due to the outrageously fine weather, I’ve spent some significant (and perhaps a bit wasteful) lengths of time just hanging out on The Urban … Continue reading
Posted in Aging, Birds, Cooking, Daeja's Garden, Food, Friends, Gardening, nature, Photography, Seasons, senior musings, Spring, The Urban Porch ™, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™
Tagged blue, doing nothing, grandparents, May, purple, retirement, spring flowers, the most beautiful May, wild food
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Moving Right Along
Time seems to be whipping by at a pretty good clip. It feels as though we are all in some sped up animation. During a conversation with a friend years ago, we expounded on the theory that time goes faster … Continue reading
Uncivilized
Because it has been so weather-glorious, I’ve waffled back and forth about whether to do the happy thing and share a bit more about blue skies, nature discoveries and snippets from The Urban Porch ™ ……or instead launch into a … Continue reading
Posted in Aging, Are you kidding me?, Perspective, Rant, senior musings, Spring, The Urban Porch ™, Uncategorized, Vent, Weird
Tagged angry americans, back in my day, born into an uncivilized world, collapse of society, disrespectful people, lack of courtesy, rude people, something's gotta change, what is wrong with people?
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Oddballs and Mishaps Around “The Urban Porch ™”
So what’s happening on and around The Urban Porch ™ this week? Some lovely rain, prompting the grass to suddenly get so crazy high that I actually mowed for a second time. That might be an April mowing record. Inspired by … Continue reading
Unspooling
I can’t believe I’m back again posting so soon, but it seems the season is suddenly unspooling so quickly that I can’t keep up with it and feel the urge to share my somewhat nerdy excitement about the flora/fauna explosion. … Continue reading
Boom!
Boom! It’s only mid-April and already the grass on this little patch of front yard suddenly got so dense that I realized I better mow it now, before it gets too difficult to push through. Has Spring come on with … Continue reading
Posted in Daeja's Garden, Gardening, Photography, Spring, The Urban Porch, treasures, Uncategorized, Weather, Wow!
Tagged high on spring, spring flowers, the season of Hope, The Urban Porch, warm April
1 Comment
Departures and Arrivals
The population in the vicinity of The Urban Porch is experiencing many changes. My wonderful neighbor who has been renting the upstairs of the house directly next door for the last two years just moved out last weekend, on to … Continue reading
Posted in Are you kidding me?, Birds, Daeja's Garden, Gardening, nature, Perspective, Spring, The Urban Porch, Uncategorized, Wildlife
Tagged good and bad neighbors, homemade yogurt, neighborhood changes, neighborhood vibes, relief, spring flowers, trauma from bad neighbors, using up the harvest, what to do with celeriac?
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Out of Focus
Everything feels out of focus this week. Making order of the thoughts in my head has been almost impossible – an inability to hone in and complete most things without becoming distracted. Events occurring in the news are probably a … Continue reading
Posted in Birds, Cooking, Deafness, Food, Hearing Impaired, nature, Perspective, Spring, The Urban Porch, Uncategorized, Wildlife
Tagged cooking fail, disconnecting, distraction, external reactions, internal feelings, low-end hearing loss, RSHL
1 Comment
In Print
It wasn’t a milestone birthday and my expectations had been pretty much non-existent. Aside from wishing some things could finally be repaired or upgraded around the house (I keep wishing for that every year), this day marking another trip around … Continue reading
Posted in Friends, Holidays, Spring, treasures, Uncategorized, Wow!
Tagged appreciation, birthdays, Gifts
2 Comments
Linden
This is a rather longish post concerning the frustration of municipal red tape and the loss of a friend, of sorts. It is one of those “shaking my head” type posts. It is also about quality of life, trying to … Continue reading
Posted in Aging, Are you kidding me?, grief, Perspective, Rant, Regrets, Spring, Uncategorized, Vent
Tagged arbor, city ordinances, Linden tree, losing a tree
4 Comments
Appreciation Day
My Facebook feed has been exploding with pink gorgeousness from friends doing the “oooh-ahhh” from Japan, Washington D.C. and other places around the globe. The cherry blossoms have been blooming. K. and I were reveling in the herald of Spring … Continue reading
Posted in Holidays, Spring, Uncategorized
Tagged appreciation of beauty, Holidays, in touch with nature, mother earth, rebirth, spring celebrations
2 Comments
Miracles and Magic In Your Hands
Have you stopped to notice all the little miracles that pass through our hands daily? While skimming through a number of recent and stored photographs, I could not help but realize how many beautiful things these worn out old hands … Continue reading
Posted in Perspective, Photography, Spring, Uncategorized, Wow!
Tagged beautiful earth, beautiful nature, gifts of spring, miracles, nature, small wonders, these old hands, wonder, wonderous things
1 Comment
Buzzed
Our local nursery was having their annual Spring flower display, an early teaser, and it was raining, so I stopped there to get high. On flowers. I get pretty buzzed on flowers – it’s true. Obviously I am not the … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Photography, Spring, Uncategorized, Wow!
Tagged Color, garden center, high on flowers, spring flowers, spring preview, things to come
5 Comments
West Wind
Last night the west wind blew down all the cherry blossoms from the tree across the street. They landed on our side of the road, gathering in a lovely line of candy-pink bubblegum bliss along the curb. I was filled … Continue reading
Posted in Perspective, Spring, Uncategorized, Wow!
Tagged beauty, cherry blossoms, early morning, Spring, wonderous things
4 Comments
Cheese Puff Bliss
You never know when and where you might discover a moment of contentment. It feels like a gift when those times happen unbidden and unexpectedly. Having just finished shopping and while loading my groceries into the trunk of the car, … Continue reading
Cicada Love
They have arrived in some areas here, the emergence/invasion of the cicadas….pockets of ringing, singing, screaming cicadas. Then you turn the corner to meet a vacuum of silence where there are none. I stood among them watched them climbing the … Continue reading
Posted in Are you kidding me?, Photography, Spring, Uncategorized
Tagged big bugs, cicada invasion, cicadas, insects, Summer, the magical cicada
2 Comments
Revival
When I first moved to this latest house in a long line of homes, one of the more lovely aspects of the place was a gorgeous, well-established white peony that someone had planted by the front of the fence. The … Continue reading
Posted in Daeja's Garden, Gardening, Photography, Spring, Uncategorized
Tagged monkey's paw, Monsanto, mutant plant, peonies, plant poison, weed killer
4 Comments
Nettle Peace
A few years ago I was drumming with a number of women on the side of a mountain not far from where I live, at the home of a local herbalist. Outside her front door she had a patch of … Continue reading
The Season of White Jordan Almonds
There is something about the blossoms of spring and those white Jordan Almonds. They are connected for me. Weddings and blue sky and white, white sweetness. That little bundle in the mesh bag, a small handful like tiny birds eggs; … Continue reading
Posted in Spring, Uncategorized
Tagged cravings, Jordan Almonds, Memories, Spring Blossoms, weddings, white Jordan Almonds
5 Comments
Botanical Bliss
The mission of the day was to find a Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), a woodland dwelling shade plant; evasive, magical and reminiscent of childhood. Thus I set forth on this mission in the company of another garden addict – a very … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Spring, Uncategorized
Tagged nurseries, plant addiction, shade garden, Trillium, woodland plants
11 Comments
The Portal to Hell
Green Man adorns our fireplace mantel. I was reluctant to move to this house, not because it needed work, and not because it isn’t a lovely house – it is. Of the Victorian era style, it has high ceilings and … Continue reading
Posted in Spring, Uncategorized
Tagged Beltane, Cinco de Mayo, Green Man, Victorian fireplace, Victorian house
4 Comments
Alba, In the Shade of the Japanese Maple
Where can we go to find God if we cannot see Him in our own hearts and in every living being – Swami Vivekananda
“Like A Sweet Magnolia Tree…..”
Came upon this Magnolia tree yesterday. These prehistoric beauties – fossils have been found dating back 20 million years (how cool is that!!?) – are opening their gorgeous petals right now. Supposedly back in those primitive times, before the bees, … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Photography, Spring, Uncategorized
Tagged blossom, earworm, Magnolia, pink beauty, prehistoric flowers, Stevie Wonder
5 Comments
Excuses, Excuses…It’s Just Too Nice To Stay Inside….
OK, I admit I have been terrible regarding my blog lately. I became distracted and wrapped up in other events and lost my discipline…..very bad for writing, because in order to write you need to Write. But this early Spring … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Photography, Spring, Uncategorized, Weather
Tagged bad habits, chives, crocus, hellebore, planting peas, primrose, scilla, sedum, spring garden
4 Comments
Eye Candy
The irises are pretty much blown by and gone here. Last week, my friend and I managed to make a long trek to Montclair, New Jersey to visit the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens, which sits at the bottom of Mountainside Park. The day … Continue reading
Reminds Me Of…..
OK, I know, I know,……I realize I have been putting up a number of botanical type posts lately, but I just can’t help it. After being inundated by relentless, ongoing days of rain, we have just been hit with a couple that would … Continue reading
What’s That Smell?
It was June, the very end of the school year. I was taking the kids to the bus stop that morning and upon opening the front door, a waft of perfumed air drifted by me. It was such a beautiful scent that for a … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Spring, Uncategorized
Tagged Heavenly smells, Summer, Summer Roses, Wild Roses
4 Comments
To Market
Today was the opening day of the season for our local Farmer’s Market, which is one of the nicer perks of living in a small city. Even though it is early for some of the produce, we grabbed our little eco-friendly shopping bags and walked … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Spring, Uncategorized
Tagged Community, Farmer's Market, Neighborhoods, Produce
1 Comment
The Rain Garden
Looks like it’s going to be yet another week of rain, or at the very least, “percent-chance-of-rain”. Thirty percent chance of or forty percent chance of is still pretty good odds, at least around these parts. Everything is lush and verdant. … Continue reading
What’s Up With the Strawberries?
What’s up with the strawberries lately? Has anyone else noticed these mega-giant, shiny uber-red strawberries that have been appearing for sale in the supermarket? The last few containers I bought seem to be filled with behemoths. I have been marveling over the … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Spring, Uncategorized, Wow!
2 Comments
Intoxication
Feeling intoxicated by the scent of Lilac, Allysum and Lily of the Valley that perfume the garden. Sweet spring……
Posted in Gardening, Spring, Uncategorized
3 Comments
Just Married
My car sat parked out in the driveway beneath the crabapple tree overnight. When I went out to it the following morning, the blue car was totally covered in bright pink petals. Actually plastered in pink. It was enough to cause me … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Spring, Uncategorized
2 Comments
Unfolding
During this time of renewal, it is as if we, too, are uncurling from the winter darkness and reaching towards the light. It is exciting and joyful to be amidst the awakening garden.
Posted in Spring, Uncategorized
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Betty-Anne?
In the misty pre-dawn haze of a Saturday morning I awoke to an urgent voice that appeared to be vocalizing right near my head. “Betty-Anne!” In that surreal aura that surrounds you when someone shouts you out of a dead sleep, I shot … Continue reading
Posted in Birds, Humor, Spring, Uncategorized
Tagged betty-anne, loud birds, red-eyed vireo
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Awakening
Yesterday was an overly warm spring day, one of those flukes where it got up to eighty degrees when temps are normally in the fifties. Things are just starting to blossom and bud around here; it’s been a slow start. A few … Continue reading
A Little Piece of Sun
A friend gave me some Paperwhite bulbs (Narcissus papyraceus for you botanical types) for Christmas. For those who might be unfamiliar, you force the bulbs in a pot indoors with the idea that they will bloom in the winter and … Continue reading
Posted in Friends, Spring, Uncategorized, Winter
Tagged forcing bulbs, Gardening, house plants, narcissus, paperwhites, taste of spring
3 Comments
daeja's view 