Blowing of the Shofar!

A shofar is an instrument made from the horn of a ram or other kosher animal. It was used in ancient Israel to announce the New Moon (Rosh Chodesh) and call people together. It was also blown on Rosh Hashanah, marking the beginning of the New Year, signifying both need to wake up to the call to repentance, and in connection with the portion read on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, the Binding of Isaac (Genesis, chapter 22) in which Abraham sacrifices a ram in place of his son, Isaac.

L'shanah Tovah!!
A blessed, healthy and prosperous 5772!

Here, There, Everywhere....

Greek Oregano and the multi-colored Roma's

Roma's of various shades, shapes and sizes...

Hydrangea, soon to be cut back and dried....

The new Girl on the block...she talks and she talks and she talks...

Pawtuxet Cove...picture perfect..

Pawtuxet Cove, looking North...more picture perfect...wish you could smell the sweet/pungent aroma of low tide...

Dismantling the garden, stake by stake, initially takes a bit of courage, but as with planting, once you get going, you know that is is a good thing. The cherry tomato stems and leaves had gone from brown and falling off, to moldy, to still growing. I pulled them all. What was amazing to me were the depth of the roots...who knew? The Roma's still have some life in them, so, for the most, they will stay for a wee bit longer....and of course, the Greek Oregano gives and gives. I have a new feline friend from down the street who kept me company all the while. She is a real beauty, extremely vocal (did I mention that she is a she?).

The early fall colors and foliage are not to be missed, so here are a few photos from round and about town, here, there, everywhere...

Wordless Wednesday

'Riding the Wave'

From the archives, prismacolor pencil
Amy Lilley

And They Grew....

Late May planting...will they actually grow??

Late September...YES...and to overflowing!!!

Hostas filling out more and more every Summer..

Late Summer blooms..ahhhhh

As Summer (sadly) draws to a close (sigh), I simply had to show you what happened to the deep pink colored Impatience I planted in the three window boxes. They did not disappoint, as they grew up, and then flowed over, making a beautiful carpet of color. Their rich color was such a great contrast with the forest green of the boxes and shutters, all highlighted by the pale green of the house. They usually grow their own pods full of seeds which can be saved for the next Summer, although I have yet to see one, which is strange. Today, I started to dismantle the garden, as it never quite recovered from the hurricane, but is still giving me some Roma and Cherry tomatoes. I also cut back some of the Greek Oregano and made two big bouquets for drying. I have stored alot away already, which should carry me through the Winter and into next Spring/early Summer. There is still time for the oregano to grow!!

I'm beginning to think 'decorative cabbages' now, as Summer ebbs (again, sigh), and Autumn makes her cool entrance.

Late Summer, Late Afternoon

Well, hello gorgeous!!

This is a fraction of Schartner Farm!!!

Lush..

Small portion of the many rows of vegetation...

Standing tall in the breeze...

Mum, getting ready to pop...so intricate!

Beautiful, full white Dahlia..

Mr. Grasshopper holding on..

Mr. Grasshopper and Ms. Bumblebee...good one!

The beautiful weather this weekend was a blessing. The September 11 Memorials were drenched in sunshine. Let's just say, it helped that it was not raining.

We went down to the beach on Saturday and I knew that we would be stopping by Schartner Farms on the drive back so that I could take some late afternoon photos. Two years ago, almost to the day, we stopped at the farm, and I did the same thing. The difference this round, however, was huge. What I mean is, that two years ago, the Sunflowers were so tall, I could barely get a good photo; this year, they were only up to my knees. Two years ago, Dahlias and Mums were nothing short of gi-normous, and this year, well, not so much. Not that the rows upon rows of flowers were not beautiful, they most certainly were, but it was a tough year for farmers, everywhere. I still loved loved loved, being out in the fields, alone, camera in tow, knowing that if I got one good shot out of many, then it was a good day. The late afternoon sunlight is a true gift!!

The Tree

The 'Survivor Tree' blooms on the 9/11 Memorial Site
photo by Amy Dreher

'God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see what the LORD has done,
the desolation's he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.'

Psalm 46
Read by President Obama today's Memorial Service

Tribute Light for 9/11

Photo by Joe Woolhead

Wordless Wednesday

'Woman Lying on a Bench'

Carl Larsson (1853 - 1919)
Watercolour on Paper
Louvre, Paris, France

The Circle Game

Very first photo of me painting...I was 3. I wonder how many of those 3x5 cards I filled up that day!!

My little Ninja...already developing his 'Endpoint' character in his head...

There have been a few most memorable moments with Edward these past couple of years. He'll be 22 years old this month, quite grown up in ways. Appreciative, he's very very appreciative, and that's big. But, it was what he said to me a couple of days ago which warmed the cockles of my heart. Mom, he said, I was looking at your blog, and you know those drawings that you do (here it comes...). With a grin on his face which could only be described as pride, and a glimmer in his eyes, he said, (lo and behold), you have quite an imagination...what's going on in that little head of yours???? I smiled, inside and out. All I can say is, as parents, we live for these moments. My dear friend, Yo Mama tells me that on the other side of 26, they come around alot more often. Right now, I am still basking in the afterglow.

'And the seasons they go round and round

And the painted ponies go up and down

We're captive on the carousel of time

We can't return we can only look

Behind from where we came

And go round and round and round

In the circle game.'

Joni Mitchell, 'The Circle Game'

The Aftermath of Irene...

My grand experiment of wrapping the garden helped, but was no match for Irene...

During Irene's worst...here...

Ouch....

The South winds, sustained @ 35-45 mph, did her deed...

A 'leaner' garden, but still standing...after hours and hours of untangling!!

Look who I found, while working in the garden!!!

One of the many many many downed trees..

A spot on the water, I called 'Peaceful View', before..

Peaceful view, after...broke my heart...

Irene left her calling card up and down the East Coast last week. I prepared for days getting 'ready', for 'who knew what'. Many are still without power, we lost ours for 3 days and were prepared, mentally, to go the long haul. Thankfully, our power was restored on Wednesday. It was quite a moment!!! I went around the house at 4:30 in the morning testing all the lights, turning on the stove, checking my computer to make sure everything was really lighting up!! It was not until later that morning, when I turned on my computer, that I saw the pictures of the devastation Irene left in her wake, and my heart broke. For us, (thankfully) the only thing that took a hit was my garden, and that could be salvaged. Many others lost everything. Just think if Irene had been a category 1 or 2 hurricane. I shudder. I might add, that the radio was my salvation during the storm. The Providence TV stations made the wise decision to partner with a couple of local radio stations. Needless to say, their diligent reporting was a serious life line. So thank you Fred Campagna, for keeping us informed during Irene and well into this week (and for being such a mensch). Here are just a few photos, before, a little during and after.