Monthly Archives: July 2012

Weekly Photo Challenge: Purple

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The first thing that came to mind when I saw this week’s photo challenge was the poem, “Warning,” by Jenny Joseph. Most of you have probably heard it many times before. I’ll print it here as a reminder. After reading it enjoy nature’s purple decking!

Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people’s gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Jenny Joseph

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Henrik Ibsen, fracking, and jobs

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Reblogged from Nancy Werking Poling:

Click to visit the original post

I went to college before CliffsNotes came on the scene. All those classics young people find boring—I had to actually read them. (Okay, not always carefully.) In the intervening years I’ve never gone back to give any of the assignments a second look. That is, until a few weeks ago, when I downloaded Enemy of the People, a play by Henrik Ibsen, a Norwegian playwright of the nineteenth century.

Read more… 350 more words

Another blog from my friend and writer, Nancy Werking Poling. Hope you'll read it.
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The Lazy Days of Summer are HERE!

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Summer is the time to be outside as much as possible. So I am. Outside, that is. It is easier this year to stay out-of-doors than in the past because now we have our place. I LOVE to garden and it has been years since I’ve been able to dig in the dirt and plant and watch things grow or sit on a porch and watch the chipmunks at play. I still have my studies, but when my head is not in the books or I’m not writing a paper, I am outside watering plants, mulching the flowerbed, digging up new garden plots, etc. I imagine that is the way it will be for the rest of the summer. Growing things and watching a yard come to life is my idea of heaven! So out in the yard is where you’ll find me even on the hottest of days.This year the yard may look bare and scraggly, but next year we should see the beginnings of what promises to be lush gardens.

Russian Sage and Lavender: The beginnings of a butterfly and hummingbird garden.

What my cone flowers will look like next year!

Echinacea (a.k.a. Yellow Cone Flowers). Planted next to the purple cone flowers. Mine will look beautiful, too, next summer. :-)

These tiger lilies grew in our yard this year. My sister-in-law gave me more day lilies to add to these for next year.

This is one of my peonies this year. My sister-in-law gave me more to add to the few that I have, and of a different color, too. I can’t wait to see my peony garden next year!

A rose-bush grows beside the deck but it has not been pruned for years. I will cut the bush back this fall so that next year roses will fill the branches with healthy, fragrant blooms.

We have at least three rhododendrons in our yard! I cut them back at the beginning of summer and new growth has already sprouted. :-)

There’s more but these are the photos I have. If you have suggestions of what might look good in the yard for next year, please do tell! ;-) I have a big yard and it will take a few years to create a real garden with veggies, flowers, trees, and other wildlife. I plan to make some “proper” birdbaths to place out in the yard next year, something other than old pie tins that I found lying around. I also have ideas for various bird feeders with different food to attract birds of all kinds. And yes, I’ll also put up a squirrel feeder for my furry friends. Do you think that will keep the squirrels out of the bird food?

I’m not around the blogosphere as much these days. On one hand I miss my regular blogging routine. On the other hand, who wants to be inside all day every day when the sun shines, the temperatures are warm and the out-of-doors beckons? Thank you to those of you who check in on Inspired Vision regularly, or just pop in occasionally. Once the cold weather and dreary days return, I’ll jump back into my blogging habits. Until then, enjoy the summer. I know I am. :-)

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Inside

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A few weeks ago Richard and I took a drive up along the lake (Erie). We stopped in Vermilion, OH to explore this quaint village and stumbled upon an old-fashioned soda shop. Below are a few shots from inside this nostalgic place. Enjoy.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreaming

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Well, this is not a very pretty or dreamy photo, but it certainly makes the point. If I come up with a better one this week, I’ll be sure to post. But for now, don’t you just love the cone flowers, daisies and lazy susans? And what about those new peonies in the back there? The azaleas near the deck are just lovely, wouldn’t you agree? And the fragrance of that russian sage near the bird feeder is absolutely heavenly!  :-)

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Beautiful Blogger Award

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Thank you to Doris for bestowing this beautiful blogging award on my blog. There were no ‘rules’ passed along regarding accepting the award. To be honest, it is nice to be recognized without strings attached, so I thank you Doris for your thoughtfulness. Due to the fact that I am back in school now and my time is limited, I am not going to “choose” who deserves an award such as this. So if you are a reader of this blog, feel free to take this award for your page. All of you are deserving! Blessings to you and may today be filled with contentment and gratitude.

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All Good Things Must End My Friends.

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No, I’m not closing down this blog. The good thing that is ending is my three-week break from courses. This morning the classroom once again lit up as another quarter begins. This time however, I expect a more sane and reasonable work load. Last quarter just about did me in but now my toughest courses are behind me and I’m heading down the stretch to practicums and field work (to take up the entire year 2013).

As a last hoorah before the new quarter, Richard and I took a quick trip to Kentucky to spend a few days with family and friends. Other than the brutal heat (temps in the six digits each day we were there) we relaxed and enjoyed the time we had with Mom and Dad and others. I came back with a car load of plants to beautify our yard. Enjoy some of the photos I shot while in Kentucky. If the plants take root, this will give a hint of what we look forward to next year.

Enjoy your weekend. And for those of you in the US (especially central and eastern), stay cool if you can.

My potted garden thrived even while we were away!

We came home to find our first two ripe tomatoes! Yum.

The beginning of our Kentucky garden in Ohio. ;-)

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Create

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A week late. Oh well. Still good, though. I did not create this baby tomato, but nature worked creative wonders to bring this about. I helped by placing the plant in soil and adding water. This is the first tomato to grow on my potted tomato plant that sits on our deck! Yay!!!!