Nature on Late Blooms

Spring Blooms

Sun, 21 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_3607” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] “The lilac branches are bowed under the weight of the flowers: blooming is hard, and the most important thing is - to bloom. (“A Story About The Most Important Thing”)”
― Yevgeny Zamyatin[/caption]

Spring is that glorious time of year when every leaf, flower, shrub, and grass is a welcome sight. I like to think of it as the magic of spring. It doesn’t matter how beautiful and glorious last year’s spring and summer were, we relish the present year’s spring with abandon. “Every spring is the only spring — a perpetual astonishment.” - Ellis Peters.

"VIDEO - Healthy Vibes for 2017"

Sat, 31 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

We’re on the threshold of a brand New Year and as it approaches, we’re all offering good wishes to those we meet for a “Happy New Year.” One of the principal components of happy would include healthy. That’s certainly a priority for me and I’m sure for you. Good health certainly includes a healthy body but is so much more. It is this “so much more” that I’m pleased to share with you through Simply Spectacular Design’s video. I’m grateful that Ronald Janki of Simply Spectacular Designs has agreed to be my guest for this post. Nature, as we see it in this video presents us with opportunities to enjoy and to heal those deep places within us - our own sea of consciousness within. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, we often don’t take the time to nurture our souls and spirits.

Existential Questions

Sat, 21 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

We all at one time or the other have questions about life, the natural world we live in, our inner worlds, and about existence in general. How did everything come into existence, when did this happen, who was responsible, and what part do we play in this unfolding drama? There are all kinds of theories. As long as we are conscious of our existence, which we humans are, we ask these kinds of questions. The philosopher, Socrates, is said to have uttered the words “the unexamined life is not worth living.” I wonder whether he was referring to these questions we ask in our minds and hearts and the answers we are seeking. That calls for a lot of examination.

Gratefulness

Mon, 11 Apr 2016 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_2970” align=“aligncenter” width=“600”] In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.
Brother David Steindl-Rast[/caption]

From the time we are infants, along with Mummy and Daddy, Yes and No, we are taught to say “Thank You.” Whatever the language spoken, country of origin, religious or ethnic background, or other factors of birth, the human species knows about gratefulness. We may not have been born grateful but we are certainly taught to be grateful by our parents, caregivers, and the larger society. There are many virtues, all of which are important, but according to Cicero: “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” Cicero, ‘Pro Plancio,’ 54 B.C. Roman author, orator, & politician (106 BC - 43 BC) Whether we agree or disagree with Cicero, we know just how important gratitude is to oil the wheels of positive social relations. We stand a better chance at making ourselves happy and bringing happiness to other people if we are grateful.

Happy Easter!

Fri, 25 Mar 2016 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_2933” align=“aligncenter” width=“5256”] “The symbolic language of the crucifixion is the death of the old paradigm; resurrection is a leap into a whole new way of thinking.” – Deepak Chopra[/caption]

It’s time to celebrate Easter once again. Like Christmas, Easter is one of the big celebrations in the Christian calendar year. The crucifixion of Jesus took place on Good Friday and the resurrection followed three days later. On Good Friday, many people go to church but not quite as many as on Easter Sunday. Even people who don’t attend church the rest of the year sometimes go to church on Easter Sunday. I once heard a priest lament about the numbers that come out for Good Friday services. He said that people aren’t as much interested in the death of Jesus as in his resurrection. Below are some interesting statistics I found on the internet showing the percentages of persons of different faiths (age-of-the-sage.org). As you can see, there are many people for whom Easter is just a secular holiday.

Water Falls

Fri, 26 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_2888” align=“aligncenter” width=“800”] God is discovered entirely through creation - the brilliance of a sunset, the powerful roar of a waterfall, the symphony of sounds you hear in the heart of the forest, or the vastness of space and its countless stars. God is the mastermind behind all matter - every earth shattering scientific discovery and mystery that is yet to be unraveled was dreamed and enacted by God. (Benjamin F Sullivan)[/caption]

Fresh-fallen Snow

Thu, 18 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_2858” align=“aligncenter” width=“800”] “Sunshine cannot bleach the snow, nor time unmake what poets know.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson[/caption]

It was very beautiful outside yesterday with the fresh-fallen snow. I couldn’t resist going around the building that I live in to capture some of all the white stuff. I’m used to snow now but remember vividly the first snow flurries that I saw and felt. Seeing snow for the first time was exciting! That was in 1968. Prior to that, the only snow I ever saw was on Christmas cards and in pictures. The only Christmas I had ever known was a green one. These days when there is a huge snowfall, as we have now, I’m happy to say that I relish the snow’s beauty.

A Christmas Garden Show

Sat, 12 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0000

We’re so fortunate in Toronto that we have our own Christmas Garden Show. Allan Gardens had the opening of their Christmas Flower Show last Sunday. The gardeners there did a magnificent job decorating the entire greenhouse which houses many different kinds of poinsettias and other flowering plants. The theme this year is winter and you will be able to see the skaters and the tobogganer in the collages below - all beautiful topiary creations using plant material. There were horse and wagon rides for old and young alike, carollers, and a visit from Santa himself. The hot apple cider provided was a welcome treat but the cookies were gone by the time I got there. Apparently this show was recognized as the “Garden Event of the Year” at the 2015 Canadian Garden Tourism Awards. Hope you enjoy the collages!

Sunset Struck!

Sat, 26 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_2569” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] “When the sun has set, no candle can replace it.”
― George R.R. Martin[/caption]

It’s nice to discover new things about oneself. I didn’t know that I was so enraptured by sunsets until I moved recently. In my old home, I rarely saw the sunset. In my new home, watching the sunset has become a nightly ritual - something I don’t like to miss. It’s a spectacular light show watching the kaleidoscope of changing colours. I’ve had to run for my camera spontaneously on so many occasions with the feeling that I couldn’t let the moment pass uncaptured. I’m not sunstruck; I’m sunset struck! It’s such a wonderful joy to see the vast array of colours and all the changes taking place so quickly before my very eyes. Twilight time has become very important for me.

Winter Blahs!

Wed, 14 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000

What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness. ~John Steinbeck

This is the time of year when it’s easy to feel “down” with the weather. Christmas is over and all the bright lights, Christmas trees, get-togethers, and festivities of the season have come to an end. The freezing winter temperatures have descended upon us and it’s only January. Winter is a challenging time for getting around especially for those of us who are Senior Citizens. We worry about slipping and falling, getting the flu, shovelling the snow, not to mention all those layers of clothing we have to put on to even go outside.

Top Ten Collages of 2014

Wed, 31 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +0000

We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden (Johann Wolfgang Van Goethe)

As another year comes to a close, it seems like a good time for me to look back on the year past and reflect for a short while on my journey through the course of 2014. It seems that it wasn’t so long ago when I began “Late Blooms” and wasn’t quite sure what I was doing. At the same time that I had the opportunity to make collages, I started writing, scrapbooking, and all the other elements you see displayed in my posts. I`m still learning and evolving as I go along and having fun at the same time. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that there would be 51,727 reads of my posts. It is very humbling and, at the same time, very encouraging. Thanks to all of you out there and especially to my brother of Simply Spectacular Designs who gave “Late Blooms” a totally new look just before Christmas and is hosting this blog.

A Victorian Christmas at Allan Gardens

Fri, 12 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Toronto’s Allan Gardens is worth a visit over the holidays. As you can see from the above collage, the theme this year is musical. There’s someone playing a piano and to the right, there’s another musician with a bass instrument. “During the Victorian Christmas Show, the conservatory is decorated and filled with thousands of flowering plants and over 40 different varieties of poinsettias. The opening on the first Sunday in December features Christmas carollers, horse and wagon rides, hot apple cider and freshly baked cookies. The show runs until the end of December and the conservatory is opened late on weekends and can be viewed by candlelight.” (Wikipedia)

Success

Thu, 20 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Success is one of those abstract concepts that affect our lives in a myriad number of ways from cradle to grave. Depending on our upbringing, education, economic circumstances, social relationships, and life experiences, we hold many different views of what it is to be successful in life. As children, we mainly view success with regard to how we perform in school. How we perform then continues to be the yardstick to measure success in life.

Thanksgiving Time!

Sat, 11 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000

It doesn’t seem so long ago that I wrote the post “Summer’s Gone” and here I am writing about Thanksgiving. In Canada, this long holiday weekend falls in October. Fall is definitely here in all its beauty and the harvest has been reaped. The weather is cooler now and the colors have changed. Time does go by!

It’s fun to pick up the leaves and admire their colors. The ones I’m holding here are from the St. Martin’s church yard where I had stopped to take some pictures. My father died in October 2000 and as the date approaches, I’m thinking of him. He wrote a poem called “Autumn Leaves” which I shared in its entirety in another post. In that poem, he was wondering when the leaves show their true colors. The first verse talks about Spring, and in the second, he’s wondering whether it’s in the Fall:

Summer's Gone!

Thu, 25 Sep 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Fall has already officially begun. I was reminded of this when my September newsletter arrived in my Inbox this morning from Gratefulness.org - a network for grateful living.

It referenced this beautiful poem called “Equinox” which I’m going to share with you. There are many insightful thoughts here about what our gardens give to us and about life in its raw elements. In so many ways, life is like a garden - sowing, reaping, growth, decay, changing seasons, and changing crops. What a good summer it’s been and this poem lights the way to let go of it - the right way. Enjoy!

Hydrangea Arrangements

Tue, 19 Aug 2014 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_2100” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] “If you think squash is a competitive activity, try flower arranging.” (Alan Bennett)[/caption]

Hydrangeas are so beautiful - even when they are all by themselves. Our garden is filled with hydrangeas and my favorite summer activity is to go into the garden, cut a few stems and arrange them to beautify the home and porch. “Each of us is an artist of our days; the greater our integrity and awareness, the more original and creative our time will become.” (John O’Donohue) I’m hoping that my time here will become more and more of a creative endeavor - the enjoyable and fun kind. There’s no competition here because the hydrangeas are so beautiful!

An Ethnic Indo-Canadian Kitchen Garden

Wed, 06 Aug 2014 00:00:00 +0000

East Indian Jewelry

Tue, 08 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_2002” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] “I’ve never thought of my jewellery as trophies. I’m here to take care of it and to love it, for we are only temporary custodians of beauty.” (Elizabeth Taylor)[/caption]

Women all over the world from time immemorial have loved to make themselves beautiful through adorning themselves with jewelry. This is even truer of East Indian women. They wear jewelry everywhere - in their hair, in their noses - and I’ve even seen older women wear bangles on their feet when I was a little girl.

A Toronto Neighbourhood

Mon, 09 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000

A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.

The above quote by George Moore came to mind as I admired how pretty and well-maintained the homes in the neighborhood look. This is a particularly lovely time of year with the Spirea in bloom. Many people have their hanging baskets and planters on their porches and their garden chairs out for when they are relaxing at home. As I get older, home is really the best place to be now for me. My own porch is just like going to a cottage for me.

Spring Magnolias

Sun, 18 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Magnolia tree

Attracting me,

Gladly blooming.

Nothing to prove

Only to bloom profusely,

Lovely you are with your pink hues.

Imbuing all with joy at Spring’s arrival

Annulling all the hardship of the winter past.

How lovely it was in High Park today. Sheer beauty! The magnolia’s time for blooming has come and irregardless of who’s watching or what anyone’s saying, she’s mesmerizing to everyone. Photographers are there trying to capture her beauty from all angles and positions. Some are taking microcosmic views and others macrocosmic ones. She knows how to be both beautiful and still.

High Park's Bloomin' Trees

Tue, 13 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000

No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. ~Hal Borland

This past winter was a long and difficult one for us in Toronto. We were all looking forward to Spring and it seemed too long in coming. But the good new is that it’s finally arrived. High Park was filled with people yesterday enjoying the “bloomin’ trees.” The cherry blossoms have started to blossom but the blooms are very young. They aren’t in bloom for a long time though so if you’re planning to go, try to get over there within the next few days. I spent a lovely afternoon in the park enjoying a glorious spring day. All the photo collages are images that I took there yesterday and without further ado, here they are!

Treasures from the Sea

Sun, 13 Apr 2014 00:00:00 +0000

“I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.” (Isaac Newton)

Life has a wonderful way of bringing us back to the basics sometimes. It was fun to turn my shells and coral out on the kitchen table and examine and play with them. Fifteen years ago when I visited Fiji, I wasn’t into taking too many pictures or into blogging. In fact, I had not even heard the term. In the above collage, the two images of the resort are postcards I bought there.

Feline Companions

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +0000

There are varying theories about whether cats really love their human caregivers or are merely attached to them as providers of food, water, love, affection, treats, and the like. As someone who never had a pet and acquired one later in life, I feel that cats who receive loving care get to be very attached to their owners and their owners to them. However, just as with human love, the word “love” gets tossed around in ways that are merely conceptual as it relates to cats.

Native Wisdom

Fri, 07 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +0000

All over the world where Native peoples are found, they bring a deep love for the land and creation. They don’t have a “religion” as such but more wisdom and reverence towards Nature. While there are different tribes and different locations of the world where they live, they all have similar words of wisdom to impart.

All the images in this collage were taken by me. The background is Niagara Falls with what looked like icebergs to me - right in front of the Falls. It was spectacular! From what I have seen of different kinds of Native art, there are certain similarities. I bought a lovely little book recently called “The Song of Life” and I will share some of the wisdom that was in there.

Icicles

Sun, 09 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_1672” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Icicles taken from inside the Grenadier Restaurant - High Park,Toronto
[/caption]

Icy

Cold

Ice-covered

Crystals

Lustrous

Earth

Spectacle to behold

[caption id=“attachment_1673” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Even in the depth of winter, the evergreen is a reminder that some things are still alive - Lustrous Earth.[/caption]

Wishing For Summer!

Fri, 24 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_1630” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] With Toronto’s freezing cold weather and ice storm this winter, my heart has many a day reflected on sitting out on a beautiful Summer’s Day.[/caption]

To make myself feel better about the extremely cold weather we’re experiencing now, I took a look at some of last year’s images. These collages are a result of that time. Seeing these does make me feel better and brighter in spirit.

Falls Views

Tue, 14 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Niagara Falls has always been one of my favorite places that makes for a nice get-away from Toronto. Fortunately for me, through the generosity and kindness of a friend, my visits there are once a month. It doesn’t matter what time of year it happens to be, the Falls are spectacular. As you can see from the images above, the recent ice storm left the Bridal Veil Falls (American side) frozen. The Horseshoe Falls (Canadian side) continues to flow and is the larger of the two. Such natural beauty!

Top Ten Collages of 2013

Mon, 30 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000

A new heart for a New Year, always! (Charles Dickens, The Chimes)

As the New Year draws closer, some of us are already thinking about what resolutions we are going to make to usher this ritual event into our lives. It’s definitely a chance for our hearts to be filled with hope for new beginnings and further realizations of our dreams and wishes - for ourselves and for others in 2014.

For Cat Lovers

Wed, 27 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +0000

~ Quotations from: “Cat Quotations” - a book in my own personal library.

[caption id=“attachment_1474” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Cat with Japanese Maple in Red Fall Color[/caption]

“There are other ties which cats put on our affections. We enjoy their intelligence and grace; and we feel a strange sense of companionship and consolation in their presence. But these are ideas we can understand by words. The reasons for their appeal to us can never be expressed too clearly.” (Lloyd Alexander)

To A Pink Peony

Sun, 20 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_1356” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“To A Pink Peony”][/caption]

My Dad passed on thirteen years ago this week. He loved all the flowers in the garden but was particularly devoted to the peonies. On this anniversary of the heart, I’m sharing this poem he wrote in 1998 which was two years before his death.

To A Pink Peony

Unrivalled, the pink peony outshone

the other colorful flowers in the garden.

Festival City

Tue, 15 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Stratford is a picturesque Ontario town and is one of my favorite places to visit. It attracts many visitors every year for theatrical productions known as the “Stratford Festival.” We were there for a Doctoral Celebration which included a lovely lunch and afternoon walk along the Avon River. Many swans, ducks, and their young, make lovely companions for visitors who wish to admire and spend time with them.

Thanksgiving Tidbits

Mon, 14 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000

On January 31, 1957, the Canadian Parliament announced that on the second Monday in October, Thanksgiving would be “a day of general thanksgiving to almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.”

For some of us, Thanksgiving is a big celebration with friends, family, and the traditional turkey dinner. For others, it’s a time of reflection or just another holiday to enjoy in our own way. Whichever way we spend it, we have all been out and seen the beautiful colors that Nature provides at this time of year.

Fruit Extravaganza!

Sat, 05 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000

__To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it.” – Osho

I wanted to bring a little “something special” into the life of someone I deeply care about. We were having a special celebration lunch for a special happening and these kinds of events always seem to bring forth a burst of creative energy from within me. I was also already dancing in my heart. My thoughts turned to fruit and I remembered admiring edible arrangements at parties I had attended in the past - and enjoying them too. I thought: “Why not make an edible arrangement?”

Seascapes

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_1150” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Barbados Beaches”][/caption]

What each must seek in his life never was on land or sea. It is something out of his own unique potentiality for experience, something that never has been and never could have been experienced by anyone else. (Joseph Campbell)

[caption id=“attachment_1146” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Seascapes”][/caption]

Tomorrow will be exactly one month since I returned from an amazing time in Barbados where I attended a beautiful wedding. Not too many settings can compare with the sea for words of love and vows of love. " Each human life is the journey from childhood to a realized adult life. Each day is a journey out of darkness into light. Each friendship and love is the intimate journey where the soul is born and grows. The journey is the drama of the heart’s voyage into the tide of possibilities which opens before it." (John O’Donohue)

Coconut Water - Good For Your Daughter!

Fri, 19 Jul 2013 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_1135” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“The Coconut Man - Barbados”][/caption]

“If you could count the stars, then you could count all the ways the coconut serves us.”

“He who plants a coconut tree, plants vessels and clothing, food and drink, a habitation for himself, and a heritage for his children.” (Phillipine Proverbs)

Fresh coconut water is one of my favorite beverages. I was very fortunate to attend a party in Barbados recently where there was a coconut man with lots of coconuts serving the guests coconut water. He slashed the top off the coconut very deftly with his cutlass and put a small hole in the top before he handed the coconut over. It is possible to drink the water directly from the coconut but most of the guests chose to drink the coconut water using a straw. Listening to a live pan player in the background and sipping coconut water with family and friends was the ultimate Barbados experience. Some people had rum and coconut water which is a specialty for some wherever fresh coconut water is available - especially in the Caribbean. Many of us had the coconut cut in half for us by the coconut man and ate the coconut “jelly” which is delicious on its own. A special treat!

Green Pastures

Sun, 14 Jul 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Maid with the Flaxen Hair (Background Music - click to listen)

[caption id=“attachment_1109” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Cows in Barbados”][/caption]

On my recent visit to Barbados, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the home in which I would be staying was in a pastoral setting. From the moment I saw the cows grazing in the green pastures, a certain peaceful feeling descended upon me.

My excitement was palpable. I hadn’t seen cows this close for many years and had no idea that my thoughts would turn to Thoreau and his experience at Walden Pond. He was deliberate in his experiment but the Universe smiled on me by allowing me this peaceful adventure and time with the cows. “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.”

Barbados Flame

Fri, 05 Jul 2013 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_1075” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Barbados Flame Tree”][/caption]

“Poinciana, your branches speak to me of love Poinciana, your branches speak to me of love Poinciana from now until the dawning day Our love, will live forever and a day Blow tropic wind, sing a song through the tree Tree sigh to me, soon my love I will see” ……Song to the Poinciana

I just returned from a beautiful wedding in Barbados. All the pictures in this post show the “flame tree” and its flamboyant display of flowers. This is what it is known as in Barbados. I always knew it by the name “flamboyant” which its display of flowers truly is. It is also known as Royal Poinciana, Pride-of-Barbados, Barbados Pride, and Peacock Flower. It seems that the name changes according to the part of the world you happen to be in." Pride of Barbados, Caesalpinia pulcherrima is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae). It is referred to by other names including Barbados Flowerfence, Peacock Flower, Mexican Bird of Paradise, Dwarf Flamboyant Caesalpinia, and Dwarf Poinciana. The species name pulcherrima literally means “very pretty” and this plant definitely lives up to the name. The blooms of Pride of Barbados are incredible with terminal flower clusters showing an orange-red with a tinge of gold on the edges. Each flower is composed of five showy petals with very prominent six inch long red stamens."

Oh Beauteous Rose!

Fri, 21 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_1064” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Oh Beauteous Rose!”][/caption]

It’s June 21st tomorrow and the first day of summer. Our roses are in full bloom now. I have been captivated by their beauty and enjoy looking at them every day. Being a budding photographer and naturalist, I couldn’t resist taking these pictures. They’re all from the front garden.

[caption id=“attachment_1066” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Roses in June”][/caption]

A Visit from the Muse

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_974” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“TheThree Graces (with forsythias - in bright sunshine)”][/caption]

_“Each of the arts whose office is to refine, purify, adorn, embellish and grace life is under the patronage of a muse, no god being found worthy to preside over the_m.” (Eliza Farnham)

[caption id=“attachment_973” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“The Three Graces (in greenery - in shady location)”][/caption]

The lovely bright, yellow forsythias, were in full bloom in our garden a few weeks ago. I don’t know how the idea came to me, but it did, to take my painting of “The Three Graces” and put it in the forsythia bushes and take some pictures. I also decided to try it in some greenery and you can also see the effect of this idea. I did this acrylic painting about ten years ago since dance and dancers have always had a special appeal for me. I was captivated by the beauty, elegance, and the poses of these ladies in their white, flowing dresses, in this work of art. I liked how their hands were intertwined and since the visual appeal was so great, my “muse” got to work.

A Garden Paradise ~ A Sanctuary

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_953” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] God Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures. (Francis Bacon)[/caption]

“The many great gardens of the world, of literature and poetry, of painting and music, of religion and architecture, all make the point as clear as possible: The soul cannot thrive in the absence of a garden. If you don’t want paradise, you are not human; and if you are not human, you don’t have a soul.” (Thomas Moore)

Cherry Blossoms (Sakura)

Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

“When we go out among nature, clay is returning to clay. We are returning to participate in the stillness of the earth which first dreamed us.” (John O’Donohue)

High Park was packed with lovers of the natural world and beauty last Friday when I visited. It was a spectacular sight to see the Sakura in bloom. We all enjoyed nature’s bountiful beauty. We weren’t happy to just see the sight, we wanted to take it away with us. Photographers were everywhere. I had my camera along with me and the collages you see here were from that wonderful time.

Impatiens (impatience)

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_854” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption="~ Impatiens Flower"][/caption]

Synchronicity is an ever present reality for those who have eyes to see. (Jung)

I’ve been finding myself very impatient with myself lately. Spring is officially here and the weather is still cold in Toronto. In addition to that, although some shoots are out in the garden, nothing is in bloom. I can’t seem to wait for the flowers to bloom.

While I know that “patience is virtue” and it’s better to be patient than impatient, I can’t seem to bring myself to the possession of this virtue right now. This led me to looking at some of last year’s Spring and Summer garden photos that I had taken. The “impatiens” flowers with their bright colours caught my attention and the results of my impatience can be seen in this collage.

More Blooms

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

I hope some day to meet God, because I want to thank Him for the flowers. ~ (Robert Brault)

When I visited “Canada Blooms” yesterday, my heart resonated and echoed these words. The flowers were magnificent and it was truly a taste of what we are all looking forward to seeing outdoors in the not too distant future. In my last post, as I mentioned, I had not yet started collaging or blogging. I have also never used several collages in one post. However, in this post I will share several photos that I took yesterday and made into collages. Springtime is truly not very far away.

Canada Blooms

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_744” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Canada Blooms”][/caption]

We can all do with seeing a few flowers in bloom here in Toronto after our last few weeks of snowy weather and cold. I noticed that the garden show called “Canada Blooms” which is now in its seventeenth year is presently on. All the images in this collage were from last year’s Canada Blooms.

At that time, I hadn’t started to use my photos in the way I’m doing now. However, I was so uplifted in body, mind, and spirit, by being there that I wanted to capture lots of those special moments on my digital camera. Apparently, there is no other garden show as large as this one in Canada. It covers many different areas of gardening: (i) Flowers which come from the magnificent floral presentations of the Toronto Flower Show and innovative displays from well known professional florists and growers (ii) Education, featuring the best known garden and landscape experts from across Canada (iii) Marketplace showcasing the latest and greatest garden products and services (iv) Feature Gardens created by Ontario’s premier landscape designers (v) Special Sponsor Features

Poetry as Inspiration

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_722” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”][/caption]

I wandered lonely as a Cloud

I wandered lonely as a Cloud That floats on high o’er Vales and Hills, When all at once I saw a crowd A host of dancing Daffodils; Along the Lake, beneath the trees, Ten thousand dancing in the breeze. The waves beside them danced, but they Outdid the sparkling waves in glee: – A poet could not but be gay In such a laughing company: I gaz’d–and gaz’d–but little thought What wealth the shew to me had brought: For oft when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude, And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the Daffodils.

Niagara Falls in Winter

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

“Just remember, in the winter

Far beneath the bitter snows

Lies the seed, that with the sun’s love

In the spring, becomes the rose”

I was at Niagara Falls just after the snowstorm we had two weeks ago. All the images in this collage are from the 22nd floor hotel room we stayed in that overlooked the Horseshoe Falls. The Horseshoe Falls is on the Canadian side and is the bigger of the three Falls. “Did you know the Canadian Horseshoe Falls crest line is approximately 670m(2,200ft) wide? It drops about 57m(188ft) into the Lower Niagara River. The American and Bridal Veil Falls have a total crest line of about 326m(1,100ft). It drops about 57m(188ft). The broken rock at the bottom of the American and Bridal Veil Falls is called talus. This talus reduces the interrupted fall of the water to as little as 21m(70ft).”

Baby's Breath

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_687” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Simple Flower Arrangements”][/caption]

Flowers… are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

These simple flower arrangements were put together for use in my home a couple weeks ago. It was a special occasion. I decided to use Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila) as a big part of the arrangements and not just as a filler flower as it is often used. It is one of my favourites because it has such a delicate, light look, to it. It goes well wherever it is used.

February Flowers

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_681” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Flowers - Niagara-on-the-Lake”][/caption]

It’s lovely and white today in Toronto with all the snow that has fallen. I’m lucky that I didn’t have to go out or shovel snow. While I very much enjoy the beauty of all this whiteness, my soul and spirit longed for colour tonight.

Luckily, I found some images that I had taken while visiting Niagara-on-the-Lake this past summer that brightened my spirit. Hope this collage will brighten your spirit too. For all those who like gardening and are looking forward to the time when flowers bloom again, here’s a poem for you in the dead of this winter.

Let it Snow!

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_641” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Let it Snow”][/caption]

We’ve been hearing a song by this name playing in many different places prior to Christmas and some of us were “Dreaming of a White Christmas” as is sung in another song. Toronto received all this white stuff Boxing night - over ten inches. Beautiful and white, isn’t it?

I was out for a walk yesterday and took these snow pictures in the neighbourhood. Even the little angel on my porch is now sitting in snow. All the little children love the snow and can make their own snowman now. They also like to lie in the snow and make “snow angels.”

The Rose Arbour Collage

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_574” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“The Rose Arbour Collage”][/caption]

One thing in life calls for another; there is a fitness in events and places. The sight of a pleasant arbour puts it in our minds to sit there. One place suggests work, another idleness, a third early rising and long rambles in the dew. - Robert Louis Stevenson

At the entrance to our garden, there is a rose arbour. It is particularly beautiful in the summertime when a variety of roses are out and we can enjoy walking under this canopy of roses to get to our door. When we sit on our front porch, we are also graced by this view.

Autumn Leaves

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_542” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Autumn Leaves”][/caption]

As I did the last post and was thinking of this Autumn/Fall season, I remembered a beautiful poem my Dad wrote called “Autumn Leaves.” He was reflecting on when it is that the leaves are really showing their true colours and whether each change is not really part of the whole process in Nature. My Dad did most of his writing in the Winter of his life. When he was alive, I didn’t appreciate his writing as I do now. I will share this beautiful poem with you.

Fall at Niagara Falls

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_536” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Fall at Niagara Falls”][/caption]

A visit to Niagara Falls is always exciting. No matter what the season, the splendor of this great cascade of water remains. I took all the images for this collage yesterday morning. The leaves have changed colour and some have fallen. This is why this season is called Fall. Niagara is beautiful this time of year.

As with the seasons that change year after year, we too have our seasons of life. Being so close to Nature as I was yesterday, brought home to me with poignancy, that I too am in the Autumn of my life. After years of struggle with this stage of the journey, I am beginning to grow into it. It’s beginning to feel more comfortable now.

Lake Louise

Sat, 22 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_474” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Lake Louise - Canada[/caption]

Travel books, magazines, brochures, and the like, are always depicting the best places one should visit. The latest I saw was called “Ten Places to Visit before you Die.” I haven’t taken a look at it yet. One visit I’m glad that I made was to Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Banff National Park which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a glacial lake.with an altitude of 5052 ft.

Summer Garden

Sat, 22 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_500” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=““Summer Garden””][/caption]

Today, September 22nd, is the first day of Fall. This Summer has gone by very quickly. Before going completely into Fall mode, I wanted to create a collage to celebrate the season just passed.

I took all the photos in this collage. The image in the top left hand corner is a piece that I created myself and called “Summer Garden” over twelve years ago. The materials that were used include ceramic tiles, stained glass, pebbles, stones, jewelry, and paint. I was just beginning to want to express myself “artistically.” It is in my home and I enjoy looking at it very much. I never knew when I created it that I would one day use it in a collage.

Looking Glass

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

You never know what you will see on the sidewalk before garbage day. Sitting on my porch late one evening, I noticed that my neighbour on the opposite side had put out a mirror. There are huge trees around, and as I sat there sipping my tea, it was the reflection of the branches in the mirror that caught my eye. The images you see here came out of that photo-shoot.

Flowers

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_448” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Beautiful flowers and eyes!”][/caption]

Flower-arranging is one of my hobbies. It gives me great delight to choose flowers at the florist’s and to pick flowers from the garden to create an arrangement. Some arrangements I’ve made are small and some have been larger. I’ve made arrangements to give as Birthday presents, Christmas presents, and lots of “thank you’s.” Working with flowers gives me a wonderful feeling. The images in this collage are of a smaller arrangement I did to take to a Memorial Service three weeks ago. I took the photos at home. The eyes in this collage are those of a baby boy nine months old and the caption in the collage was photographed from the cover of a journal in my local bookstore. These three elements just seemed to come together - beautiful flowers, beautiful eyes, and the caption “Beauty for your eyes to see.”

Hanging Gardens

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_429” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Hanging Gardens”][/caption]

Niagara-on-the-Lake is the home of the Shaw Festival. The Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw’s works, are performed here in four theatres. The Festival has added some other contemporary productions over the years. Shaw won the Nobel prize for literature in 1925 and was also the winner of an Oscar. Many people come from near and far to visit this lovely lakeside town and also take in one of the shows. I was there for the Peach Festival. All these images of the Shaw Cafe and Wine Bar were taken two weeks ago.

Birdbath Fun

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0000

“Say not, “I have found the truth,” but rather, “I have found a truth.” Say not, “I have found the path of the soul.” Say rather, “I have met the soul walking upon my path.” For the soul walks upon all paths. The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.” ― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Peacock proud!

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_359” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Artsy Peacocks”][/caption]

I have a weakness for both artsy paper products and peacocks. I’m fascinated with just how beautiful the covers of journals have become as well as greeting cards and stationary. Peacocks are ostentatious and showy and make a colourful subject to attract the attention of buyers and admirers of peacocks alike. All the images in this collage come from such products. I took them at different times because of their attractiveness and wasn’t sure how I would use them. They just seemed to be begging to be photo-collaged and this is the result.

Snowy Day

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_329” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Snowy Day”][/caption]

This collage is to help make all of us who are sweltering in the heat of this summer day feel a little bit cooler. Toronto is hot, hot, hot!

We are complainers about weather when it’s cold

And we can’t stand much when it’s hot,hot hot!

Lilies

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_321” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Lilies”][/caption]

This collage was inspired by my neighbour’s garden. I looked across there and was mesmerized and thrilled by what I saw. I couldn’t resist the urge to go there and admire all the beautiful flowers, especially the lilies. This was late yesterday afternoon. We have some lilies in our garden but hers are truly splendid. What a beautiful gift a garden is! I realized that I don’t have to go very far to see beauty - and that I didn’t have to spend any money. All I needed were the eyes to see.

A Toronto Rose Garden

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_304” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Summer Roses”][/caption]

Branches laden with roses,

Nature’s bouquet!

A feast for the eyes

For all to see,

Morning, noon, and night.

The roses have been abundant beyond belief this summer. It didn’t matter whether one looked through the back window into the back garden or through the front window or door into the front garden. I enjoyed sitting out and enjoying them with their profusion of colour. Colour makes our world and our lives bright and brightens our spirit as humans.

Childhood

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_266” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Little hands and feet”][/caption]

It’s a long time since I was a child but there’s still a child within me who wants to laugh, dance, sing, and be free. The photos in this collage depict both the innocence and the potential of children as seen in their tiny hands and feet. Some of the children are personally known to me and they were having a good time playing freely and enjoying themselves with careful abandon.

Bridal Wreath

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_221” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Spirea Cantoniensis (Bridal Wreath)”][/caption]

If you’ve never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom. ~Audra Foveo

A few weeks ago, Spirea Cantoniensis (Bridal Wreath) was in full bloom. My soul, spirit, and every other part of me, was glad to receive this wonderful gift from Mother Nature. This shrub blooms for a short time in Spring and then fades to green foliage. As you can see from this collage, cascades of white blossoms hang on the branches and distill a feeling of purity, simplicity, and sheer beauty.

Watermelon Surprise

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_96” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Everyone irregardless of age loves surprises. Last Sunday night I received the most wonderful surprise - a carved watermelon. This lovely lady had done some beautiful fruit carvings for my 60th Birthday. She acquired this special skill in Thailand where she attended a month-long course.[/caption]

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

Spring Blossoms

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Spring comes to us bringing its own magic every year. Nowhere is this more evident than in the earth coming to life and producing a spectacular showcase of colorful, fresh blooms to make our hearts joyful. Spring is truly the Earth’s Birthday.

[caption id=“attachment_59” align=“alignleft” width=“300”] To everything there is a Season[/caption]

As I went about the garden and neighborhood taking the photos that are in this collage, I was mindful of the seasons that have passed in my own life and of the old verse, “To everything there is a season.” These kinds of thoughts were remote to me when I was in the springtime of my own life as I’m sure they don’t come to many people at that time of life. We tend to take life for granted.

Metamorphosis

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies. (Author Unknown)

The photos in these collages were taken at the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls on a recent visit. A beautiful glass-enclosed, tropical setting, heightens the experience of being with these “lovely critters.” Butterflies are weird little critters. They have taste buds in their feet, which they use to decide if the leaves they land on would make a good home for their children. They have eyes that see in the ultraviolet and infrared, so what we see as a white pansy is actually a multicolored neon “Eat Here!” sign to them. And they have noses on the end of their antennae, which they use to sniff out flowers that are full of nectar.