Paris Potager

When we were in Paris a few weeks ago I came across this petite potager garden in a box in front of a cafe. How adorable!
Well, I decided to make my own Americana version of a mini kitchen garden and here it is:
Planted some red onion bulbs and will use these like scallions or spring onions, mostly cutting the green; some flat leaf parsley and a couple varieties of lettuce. Next time shallots.

No secret that I save everything. We eat clementines like they are popcorn and I hate to toss the little wooden crates. Here I filled one with potting soil and planted some lettuce in it. Cute! I used the cellpack lettuce for immediate gratification but just as easy to start from seed for micro greens in no time!


Hmm..., maybe a nice gift for my NYC apartment dwellers to put on their windowsill so they can grow their own too!

Oh My Jerash!

Jerash. One of our favorite spots in Jordan. Amazed at how these ruins are barely unearthed. Why isn't more being done by the country of Jordan to expose, excavate and restore these treasures? Barely 15% of these ruins have been uncovered.
The ancient city of Jerash boasts an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years. That's old! wicked old as Jeff would say.
click on any of these photos to enlargeHow cool are the cobblestones on Cardo Maxius (the main street that was lined with shops) the chariot wheels wore grooves in to the stone. Wow. Groovy.
Can you imaging what hidden secrets lie beneath these wildflowers?

this was the fabulous restaurant we had dinner at our first night in Amman. Very glamourous, the building was a private home that was converted in to a restaurant. Now that is the kind of kitchen/dining room I'm talkin' about!

Transformative

Surreal. Uplifting. Magical. Transcending. How do I describe Jordan? We started in Amman. Big City. Only thing that lived up to my misconceptions about this middle eastern country was the security check you had to pass through to get in to the hotel. Small price to pay to feel save? Let's just say the only thing to fear in Jordan is fear itself..and maybe some really stinky gas from all the hummus (no names mentioned) and the fresh almonds (see eyes here) which I think were only for decoration or perhaps not washed. I had some serious rumbleitis the first day.
After a very nice breakfast at The Grand Hyatt in Amman we met our guide and driver for the week, Majdi, and went for a hike. Was I expecting wildflowers? Moss covered trees? Mountains? uh...no...again I had always envisioned all of the middle east a big, dry expanse of sand, with a couple oil wells here and there. Stupid Americans, table for two. more tomorrow...on the fabulous restaurant we went to our first night. Table for two.

Jordan and Back

The most incredible adventure of my life. What a treasure trove of locations mentioned in Sunday School long since forgotten. Wow. Amazing. I took about 800 photos, will upload some and try to persuade you later to visit Jordan. I am so tired. Jet lag. zzzz.

We're Off!

Well off to Jordan to see Peter, my step-son, very excited for an exotic adventure! The ancient city of Petra! It's like indiana Jones meets Jesus and has a falafel. Far cry from Paris!

If The Shoe Fits....

I like repurposing things. Like these antique iron clogs I gave Jeff for Christmas a few years ago. The pansies fit just right don't you think? Jeff will now have to wear those zinc pots for shoes. Kidding. Those are way too small, he'll need much larger ones.


What unusual vessel have you planted in?

Farmers Market

One of my favorite surprises while walking from 1st arr. to Les Puces (it took a few hours) was this Farmers' Market. Unfortunately they were packing up when we got there. Next time I find myself in Paris, this will be my first stop on a Saturday morning.
Tell me this gorgeous display does not look like a still life worthy of wallspace at The Louvre?!
I was so inspired by these little babies that I bought some french radish seeds and planted them in my garden.
Noticed on my garden walk yesterday that our first asparagus has broken soil. The ultimate harbinger of spring for me.
How 'bout those tomatoes? Hannah, my amazing step-daughter, will be selling her garden goods at a stand at the Millerton Farmers' Market this summer. Should you find yourself up that way, please stop by and say hello.

..and with this ring I thee wed

Our marriage is only a few rings old but sturdy as this old oak.

Seems like it was only yesterday when Jeff and I were planning our big day. Recently I have been sharing some "good things" with a few soon-to-be brides, thought I would share them here too.
Jeff and I love trees. Love to plant trees, study trees, save trees, trees.. trees... trees... we love trees. We also love our families so why not a 'family tree' for our wedding invite? We even got married at the Bartlett Arboretum under the Fremdii Hemlock which was hybridized by my relatives who owned Rye Nurseries for many generations in Rye, NY.

I created this image by hand, see the names of each of our family members hidden in the branches? Hannah? Scott? Judy? See them? If you click on the image you can get a better look. Check out Cheddar peeking around the trunk.

We also enclosed a blank card with the invite and asked folks to express themselves and bring the card to the wedding to place in our guest book. This way they had time beforehand to put down their thoughts, draw an image, copy some prose, paste a photo... let just say we got a lot more than just a signature, city and state! Our guest book is an antique ledger that my bridesmaid Cupcake gave us. Here she is with her Mom Sally. That apple doesn't fall far from the tree! More on the guest book later.

Bonjour!

Love this tea cozy that my mother-in-law gave me. Aren't those hand embroidered fraise so beautiful? Her mother made it and I treasure it. Keeps my tea warm and cozy most every morning. What are your favorite heirlooms?

Art Imitates Life

Detail shot of cloud reflection on one of Monet's Water Lily paintings at the Musee' de l'Orangerie in Paris
Sanded side of an old wooden lobster boat in Maine where our sailboat Nellie is being restored. We stopped up there this past weekend to check on the old girl. 

Both the work of masters! Art certainly is where you find it.

Happy Easter!

Hope your easter was filled with joy, fun and family!

My Peeps in Paris

Bonjour! What about Paris reminds you of Easter Ester?
Ce va Henny, it has to be the moving memorial monuments in the cemetery no?



Those are tres touching for sure.
When I think of Easter I think of chocolate. I wish I brought some of these beautiful confections back with me. They look too good to eat!

I thought the same thing about ma tante! wahh wwaahh wahhhhh...


Happy Easter Everyone!! Rejoice Rejoice Rejoice!

Great Friday! Praise all things Good!

Like Puppies....
...Parisian Pushcarts...
....Paris Windows (and bunnies)....
.....potatoes! fresh and buttery from the garden.....

..paintings....
potager garden in a box......
...pots....lots and lots of copper pots....
pretty flowers to plant....
and most of all..the people in your life that make life worth living! Happy Easter and Passover to everyone! Take a minute to praise those things that bring joy, peace and promise to your life. 

Hallelujah! click on link.... what a gift.