tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-343523992012-01-26T18:40:16.293-05:00Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.comBlogger5641100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-26887110055173720962011-01-08T19:28:00.000-05:002011-01-08T19:28:39.638-05:00

Will be blogging at a new address. Thank you for all of my blogging friends who continue to drop by to see if I have ended my long, long haitus from blogging.  I have, but am beginning fresh, with a new blog. You can find me here:  Whatever the Weather

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-14383902935880676202010-07-05T12:30:00.000-04:002010-07-05T12:37:24.161-04:00

I'm going to be taking a little blogging hiatus... If any of my regular Sunday Strollers would like to take over hosting the event for a while, I'd love that. Please comment here or email me to let me know.There is just so much going on in my life away from the computer... including my own schooling and helping my daughter get ready to go away to a university in another state... among other

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-84499707693285521762010-07-04T08:06:00.005-04:002010-07-04T17:22:52.823-04:00

"The mere thought of walking outdoorson a brilliant golden-blue day causes fire-works of delight to go offin most people’s psyche.It gives one an instant feeling of happinessand that is meditation!" Karen Zebroff If you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment letting me know that you are joining in, and please

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-59945324412931896332010-06-27T09:38:00.004-04:002010-06-27T20:33:09.015-04:00

The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses.~Hanna RionIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment letting me know that you are joining in, and please include a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this post on your post or sidebar if you would like. I

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-25450117274569467982010-06-20T21:07:00.013-04:002010-06-20T21:48:09.082-04:00

The garden is in full bloom right now,and filled with friendly little faces,but the soft light spilling through the cloudsand down onto the meadows,lured me from the garden,Deer were nibbling leaf shoots in the neighbor's field,and a little boat was moving slowlyacross a very quiet lake.Three of my children ran on ahead of me,sparkling in the evening light.And leaving footprints in the sandy lane

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-18735874744464231192010-06-20T08:20:00.006-04:002010-06-20T21:06:42.174-04:00

Each moment of the year has its own beauty . . .a picture which was never before and shall never be seen again. - Ralph Waldo EmersonIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment letting me know that you are joining in, and please include a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-33188397277102359652010-06-13T17:18:00.018-04:002010-06-13T21:34:04.233-04:00

On a Sunday afternoon in June,when wild roses scent the air,vibrant life is everywhere.Dangling from blossoms,or warming on slate,some busy working...While others simply wait.Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you serenity.all photos and text by Aisling, June 13, 20101 & 2) baby sun coreopsis 3) elm leaf beetle 4) crater lake blue veronica 5) honeybee on butterfly blue pincushion

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-62077763075787914602010-06-13T08:02:00.009-04:002010-06-13T18:48:23.506-04:00

Nature will bear the closest inspection.She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf,and take an insect view of its plain.~ Henry David ThoreauIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment letting me know that you are joining in, and please include a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-48939632226241685932010-06-06T16:37:00.009-04:002010-06-06T16:52:38.374-04:00

After the three days of rain, I went out to walk through a worldsweetly painted with water colors.Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you color and light.all photos by Aisling, June 6, 2010

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-57263992587659894062010-06-06T08:51:00.006-04:002010-06-06T18:35:35.317-04:00

That we find a crystal or a poppy beautiful means that we are less alone,that we are more deeply inserted into existencethan the course of a single life would lead us to believe.~John Berger, The Sense of Sight, 1980If you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment letting me know that you are joining in, and please include

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-34118358236808790672010-05-30T19:35:00.013-04:002010-05-30T20:11:09.692-04:00

Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you peace.

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-13475900624485932372010-05-30T09:14:00.008-04:002010-05-30T20:11:36.155-04:00

"People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us." ~ Iris MurdochIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment letting me know that you are joining in, and please include a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-34287908951611635692010-05-23T21:44:00.015-04:002010-05-23T22:13:28.379-04:00

I wandered the quiet trails at camp this afternoon, listening to bird song and wind rustling through the fresh leaves of mid-spring. In the birch woods, some ferns were open, while others were just unfurling...In the open fields beyond the birch wood, there were things to see above my head and below my feet.Even returning home we found beautiful vistas.These white tail deer watched us approach

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-48656167414124128612010-05-23T08:06:00.006-04:002010-05-24T08:53:47.249-04:00

You can't be suspicious of a tree, or accuse a bird or a squirrel of subversion or challenge the ideology of a violet. ~Hal Borland, Sundial of the Seasons, 1964 If you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment letting me know that you are joining in, and please include a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-56753472128256206522010-05-16T16:48:00.012-04:002010-05-16T18:27:30.199-04:00

Beneath the brilliant blue of the sky,blossoms sparkle with brilliant colors of their own...with petals of rich plum,or lipstick pinkor a blue to rival the sky.Shyer blossoms nod in pale crimsonor sweet lilac,or a soft blush of purple.Where ever you are, what ever the weather, I wish you color and joy!1) The Chinese Elm 2)Black Hero Tulip 3) Lipstick Pink Alpine Strawberry 4)Grace Ward Lithadora

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-26470957459326109182010-05-16T05:00:00.004-04:002010-05-16T19:44:34.705-04:00

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature,he finds it attached to the rest of the world."~ John MuirIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment letting me know that you are joining in, and please include a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this post on your post or sidebar if you

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-34344608103567958432010-05-11T14:54:00.008-04:002010-05-12T10:00:20.357-04:00

1) self-sown ajuga along the trail; 2) iris blooming one month early 3) heart-leaf brunnera (aka perennial forget-me-not) 4) unidentified bird in the pond (I'm working on identification.)

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-82994039280159187992010-05-09T07:18:00.002-04:002010-05-10T14:05:50.574-04:00

Monday Note: I'm still having internet trouble. I will update the list quickly (I'm at a "remote" location) and will probably have to visit all the strolls later in the week, as well as add my own, when we get our connection repaired. If you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment etting me know that you are joining in,

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-4574131808475726252010-05-02T16:14:00.017-04:002010-05-02T20:56:58.007-04:00

Who tends the garden?Who silently climbs a ladder bright,Stitched of color and woven light? While soft wings flutter out of sight,Who tends the garden day and night? Who softly across the petal-silk creeps,Watching and waiting while the gardener sleeps? While the wild wind blows and the gray sky weeps,Beauty is tended by the Beast.Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you beauty and

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-59618050882078051962010-05-02T06:27:00.009-04:002010-05-02T20:36:07.854-04:00

"A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease. "John MuirIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment etting me know that you are joining

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-73255489895534549632010-04-26T14:42:00.004-04:002010-04-26T14:47:17.490-04:00

I found this lecture by Kavita Ramdas, head of the Global Fund for Women, tremendously inspiring. My favorite quote, "We are not flowers, we are sparks of change." If you have 18 minutes and 40 seconds to spare, this talk about women who are trying to improve conditions in their world while preserving culture and traditions is well worth your time.

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-10880161801359163792010-04-25T11:47:00.018-04:002010-04-25T17:46:26.536-04:00

April flowers grow low and sweet, kissing the earth,while greeting the sky,welcoming the spring, as we walk, barefoot and joyful,through days of gray and days of blue,into the month of May. Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you joy!1,2,3) from a collection of Butterfly Daffodils, 4) creeping phlox, 5) purple prince tulip 6) double cheerfulness daffodils 7) white impression tulips

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-45476510015827466902010-04-25T07:12:00.009-04:002010-04-25T16:25:27.454-04:00

"A day out-of-doors, someone I loved to talk with, a good book and some simple food and music -- that would be rest."-- Eleanor RooseveltIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment etting me know that you are joining in, and please include a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this post

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-7623194960146973262010-04-21T07:11:00.007-04:002010-04-21T07:37:23.766-04:00

all photos by Aisling, April 11, 2010

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-88470821438369122862010-04-19T05:00:00.001-04:002010-04-19T05:00:01.131-04:00

I have enjoyed the music of Natalie Merchant since her days in 10,000 Maniacs, many years ago. Her latest project amazes me... She is singing the poems of 19th century poets. I love the blending of literary and musical pursuits, both of which are important to me. If you have a long stretch of time, 27 minutes and 17 seconds to be exact, this video on Ted.com is well worth watching. If you have

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-18623705174238738212010-04-18T16:12:00.013-04:002010-04-18T16:45:41.406-04:00

Late this morning, my seventeen year old daughter and I drove along the lakeshore to the city. By some standards, this city of less than 15,000 residents would be merely a small town... but to us, it is a city. We were attending a fundraiser for a fresh foods project which supplements the dry goods provided by local food pantries. Walking to what we thought was our destination, we encountered

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-58621169178418867092010-04-18T07:32:00.008-04:002010-04-18T19:45:11.046-04:00

"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive."-- Eleonora DuseIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment etting me know that you are joining in,

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-16101007015604697832010-04-12T06:33:00.003-04:002010-04-12T06:35:41.333-04:00

I added a stroll or two to my list of strollers late yesterday and early this morning, so scroll down to my "Sunday Stroll Invitation" or check out this link to be sure you don't miss any of yesterday's lovely photo tours.Have a beautiful day!

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-40376646479107185872010-04-11T16:49:00.017-04:002010-04-11T19:28:49.945-04:00

Immersed in the sunshine of a particularly mild March, my May tulips are blooming in April,and pansies are peeking up in the front garden.A tiny misumena vatia, or goldenrod spider, has taken up residence in the jet-fire narcissus.Immersed in warmth, muscari & Rip Van Winkle Daffodils, white rock cress & wild violetsare blooming along the garden path.As I walked through the garden, and up into

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-22300431992079636912010-04-11T07:28:00.006-04:002010-04-12T06:32:21.463-04:00

"April hath put a spirit of youth in everything."- William Shakespeare If you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment etting me know that you are joining in, and please include a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this post on your post or sidebar if you would like. I will add participant

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-26283306207022124552010-04-04T16:51:00.007-04:002010-04-04T17:17:56.285-04:00

Bright bits of Easter Color, were tucked amid spring flowers todaynear hyacinth,and daffodils and tulips brightwhile over these wind-swept hills clouds gathered. Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you happy gatherings.all photos by Aisling, April 4, 2010

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-50516732992630508772010-04-04T08:09:00.004-04:002010-04-04T16:34:29.974-04:00

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul."~ John Muir If you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment etting me know that you are joining in, and please include a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-16054491127729087582010-03-29T08:43:00.004-04:002010-03-29T08:52:54.329-04:00

Some time ago, I read about Blue Zones, places on earth where people live the longest. I discovered their website recently and have been enjoying their series of videos about Ikaria, Greece, the most recently discovered Blue Zone. It is fascinating to consider the reasons for longevity as one compares the various Blue Zones. In particular, what fascinates me is the deep sense of connection to

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-26106930627902526922010-03-28T22:54:00.010-04:002010-03-29T08:43:19.289-04:00

The sky was so blue and the light so beautiful today, that I took three walks. These photos are from a late afternoon walk to the lake, where sunlight was dancing over wind-tossed waves. In the fields above the lake, there are remnants of last year's harvest... whole cobs of bright yellow corn, with the brittle brown husks blowing away... bits of honeycomb from hives that were taken away for the

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-71780765461545802852010-03-28T06:30:00.005-04:002010-03-28T22:50:16.869-04:00

"Daffodils,That come before the swallow dares, and takeThe winds of March with beauty."- William ShakespeareIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment etting me know that you are joining in, and please include a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this post on your post or sidebar if

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-40086505429639531842010-03-26T18:27:00.003-04:002010-03-26T18:36:40.348-04:00

"Boredom is the feeling that everything is a waste of time; serenity, that nothing is."~ Thomas S. SzaszToday is the first day of spring break in our community... I still have one course to attend this coming week because I am dual-enrolled, and my university does not have spring break the same week as my college. Ah well! I don't have much planned, and am in fact looking forward to some lazy

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-19287058205256958262010-03-25T07:46:00.006-04:002010-03-26T22:34:47.038-04:00

"It was cold and windy, scarcely the dayto take a walk on that long beachEverything was withdrawn as far as possible,indrawn: the tide far out, the ocean shrunken,seabirds in ones or twos.The rackety, icy, offshore windnumbed our faces on one side;disrupted the formationof a lone flight of Canada geese;and blew back the low, inaudible rollersin upright, steely mist." - Elizabeth Bishop, The End

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-71369731601535052642010-03-22T10:02:00.002-04:002010-03-22T10:03:27.989-04:00

I've added another stroller to the list of Sunday Strolls from yesterday, so please scroll down to find her!

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-22552619283832867042010-03-21T19:34:00.012-04:002010-03-21T20:32:56.842-04:00

Evening fell softly on our northern hills... on the first blossoms of spring... on petals falling softly open, and on petals folding softly together.Shadows fell across the garden trail, as golden sun spilled across the eastern hill beyond the garden.The sun slid down the western sky,and the world glowed.all photos by Aisling, March 21, 2010

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-53400548604092277842010-03-21T07:14:00.004-04:002010-03-22T10:01:31.580-04:00

" Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience." ~ Ralph Waldo EmersonIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment and a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this post on your post or sidebar if you would like. I will add participant names to this post so that other strollers may walk

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-7623609663315028062010-03-14T16:47:00.013-04:002010-03-14T19:15:31.408-04:00

Unexplained rock collections reveal that my boys have been getting outside more often with the arrival of warmer weather.Amid the gray and brown leaf litter left by last year's garden, bits of green are emerging. There are daffodil shoots under the lavender.There is Sage , and cucumber-scented salad burnet,hyacinth,and tulips The still gray treeline stands beneath cloud flecked March skies,

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-25688204150256726042010-03-14T09:46:00.005-04:002010-03-14T10:00:52.787-04:00

"Walking aroundan early spring garden--going nowhere."- KyoshiIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment and a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this post on your post or sidebar if you would like. I will add participant names to this post so that other strollers may walk through your

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-18683329937957670612010-03-07T17:53:00.013-05:002010-03-07T18:57:20.576-05:00

My daughter and I walked down the trail to the park, in the sparkling hours of a March afternoon. All over town, smiling people were walking their dogs. As we walked along the river, the mallards splashed and preened.A maze of snow fence framed our first glimpse of the bay.Looking out toward the open water, dreams of warm sand and sunshine began to stir.We tried to touch the blue, blue sky... my

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-70026039614646637362010-03-07T07:17:00.005-05:002010-03-07T14:03:01.342-05:00

"A light exists in SpringNot present in the yearat any other periodWhen March is scarcely here."- Emily Dickinson If you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment and a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this post on your post or sidebar if you would like. I will add participant names to

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-28922957046581228872010-03-01T15:15:00.007-05:002010-03-03T21:34:07.934-05:00

"A flash a flare a wind of great wings, Heron's equally Significant Other flushes from the dry spartina leaping, a cool gray fire. Hardly the span of a tall man's arm is between us, she settles like smoke and we stand eye to eye. Now it is me who must remain, transfixed by her flame.The Mystery of Great Blue Heron and his mate is not solved by science or by sovereignty. They appear, they vanish,

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-39202123720061945952010-02-21T16:39:00.012-05:002010-02-21T18:16:50.399-05:00

A slow melttrickles nourishing waterinto the earth.Windows in the snowoffer glimpses ofthe seasons to come.In the spring daffodils will rise here,and brilliant red tulips will blaze in the sun.Here bright poppies will sway in summer,and silvery lambs ear will bloom soft and sweet,at the feet of the sensation lilac. This cycle…the bloom, the fade, the freeze, the thaw…This is the song of the year;

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-81752157047491056652010-02-21T08:13:00.005-05:002010-02-21T16:37:44.084-05:00

"Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look what they do when they stick together. "- Verna M. Kelly If you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment and a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this post on your post or sidebar if you would like. I will add participant

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-28986771467618477422010-02-15T12:00:00.004-05:002010-02-15T12:21:39.681-05:00

Here is one of the most beautiful methods of storytelling that I've ever encountered:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOhf3OvRXKgAs I understand it, it tells the story of a family during Hitler's invasion and occupation of the Ukraine in WWII.

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-87079688876807976172010-02-14T14:15:00.009-05:002010-02-14T14:37:28.521-05:00

With a nod to both Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year, I went looking for color today, especially red. These snow covered hills are not as monochromatic as one might expect,thanks to the intense color of sunset (this one is from several nights ago) or the soft rosy glow of morning. Abundant evergreen and red-twigged dogwood also offer relief from the white, gray and brown palette of mid-winter

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-2367597610042400632010-02-14T08:19:00.002-05:002010-02-14T08:43:08.874-05:00

When snow falls, nature listens. ~Antoinette van KleeffIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment and a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this post on your post or sidebar if you would like. I will add participant names to this post so that other strollers may walk through your garden

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-70202932469769822182010-02-07T11:28:00.023-05:002010-02-07T13:39:12.871-05:00

On a cold, clear morning in February, the boards on the front deck creak under foot… but the air is still and quiet. Smoke rolls out the chimney, pearly white against a blue sky. Frost and slivers of ice cling to tree branches and blades of grass. Where the sun touches the snow, it sparkles.It seems as if the entire world is sleeping, except for the rippling light and the shadows at play between

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-49456723530703627912010-02-07T09:46:00.003-05:002010-02-07T17:27:02.960-05:00

"From within or from behind, a light shines through us upon things, and makes us aware that we are nothing, but the light is all." ~Ralph Waldo EmersonIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment and a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this post on your post or sidebar if you would like

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-90384100176341041772010-01-31T15:58:00.011-05:002010-01-31T17:52:45.003-05:00

A snow storm veiled the village in white this afternoon as I walked. In summer, laughing children lean against the rails of this bridge, calling out to their friends swimming in the river below. On this last day of January, ice has formed along the edges of the river, narrowing it's cold swift flow, and a hush seems to fall with the snow.The streets of town were nearly deserted, except near the

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-61887075891391300542010-01-31T07:18:00.005-05:002010-01-31T14:07:01.279-05:00

"The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination."~Ward Elliot HourIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment and a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this post on your post or sidebar if you would like. I will add participant names to this post so

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-41736043826131391282010-01-24T16:26:00.004-05:002010-01-24T16:43:34.852-05:00

As I listen to the rain pelting against the front door, I've decided to stroll through the Januarys of the past few years rather than head out into the wet and windy afternoon. It is warm enough for the falling precipiation to be rain and cold enough for it to freeze on many surfaces, especially the big patches of snow that still linger on our country lane. All of the photos which follow are from

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-52918821088254456692010-01-24T10:04:00.004-05:002010-01-24T14:09:02.456-05:00

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ~ Lao TzuIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment and a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this post on your post or sidebar if you would like. I will add participant names to this post so that other strollers may walk through

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-2068625146048779962010-01-18T17:40:00.003-05:002010-01-18T17:58:17.222-05:00

If you have been reading my blog for long, you know that each year my family and I select a country to "adopt" for the year. We learn what we can about that country, focusing on the geography and customs, the people and their stories. In 2009, we studied Tibet. I haven't had a chance to summarize our study of that country and write about post about it but we were fascinated by the people of Tibet

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-65063441146171938082010-01-17T18:57:00.012-05:002010-01-17T20:06:36.791-05:00

As evening settles into the hills, my daughter and I walk slowly along the lane.Looking for color through the misty air, we see autumn's still-red apples clinging to naked branches. We find twilight washing down the sky like water colors,streaming blue and purple light into the empty spaces between the poplar trees .We find summer's flowers lying colorless on the icy edges of the road, While

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-60675145839333995922010-01-17T07:36:00.006-05:002010-01-18T08:40:24.530-05:00

"Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience."Ralph Waldo EmersonIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, time to go looking for the extraordinary, please post about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment and a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this post on your post or sidebar if you would like. I will add participant names to this

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-85013140820324833112010-01-10T18:57:00.008-05:002010-01-11T09:07:06.890-05:00

I almost didn't go outside. The sound of the wind singing through the cracks around the doors and windows, the cold chill that came in with the sound, were enough to convince me that sometimes Sunday is a good day to stay indoors. I pulled on boots and coat long enough to snap an image or two of the snowy hills, and the sled at the ready on the front deck. The string is looped around a post to

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-47831799142632155982010-01-10T09:03:00.007-05:002010-01-10T19:29:10.122-05:00

"To be alive, to be able to see, to walk, to have houses, music, paintings - it's all a miracle. I have adopted the technique of living life miracle to miracle."- Arthur RubinsteinIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, to walk and see the miracles around you, please write about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment and a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-48205359179204813832010-01-09T10:14:00.004-05:002010-01-09T10:47:22.949-05:00

MaudeMay 15, 1995 to January 8, 2010I would like to tell you all about this sweet, nutty girl who romped through our days for nearly 15 years, but how do you put so much vitality and verve into a written narrative? It has been clear for months now that Maude was slowing down... She kept her amazing spirit despite a growing list of aches and pains, but the last few weeks were difficult. Her little

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-36970659600977954382010-01-06T08:28:00.004-05:002010-01-06T08:52:47.314-05:00

(If you'd like to hear just the snowfall, you can turn off the music on my right sidebar.)video by aisling, filmed 1/3/2009

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-25494402617866684872010-01-03T13:54:00.015-05:002010-01-03T15:02:15.884-05:00

Snow dominates earth and sky in a northern winter, but beneath the pale sunlight and betwixt the snowflakes, caught in the crooks of trees and piled on vacated nests, there are remnants of other seasons. Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you beautiful moments.all photos by Aisling, January 3, 2009

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-57715839062393012010-01-03T07:48:00.005-05:002010-01-03T18:15:37.176-05:00

"Nature has undoubtedly mastered the art of winter gardening and even the most experienced gardener can learn from the unrestrained beauty around them."- Vincent A. SimeoneThis is one of those rare Sundays where I might not get outside and take photos. I don't think the camera would withstand the cold, cold temperature and the frenzied, blowing snow. I will wait to see what weather the afternoon

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-11434679723693338622010-01-01T17:54:00.002-05:002010-01-01T18:14:17.789-05:00

"Nourish beginnings, let us nourish beginnings. Not all things are blest, but the seeds of all things are blest.The blessing is in the seed."Muriel Rukeyser I love this quote found today at the beginning of a new year which is attributed to Muriel Rukeyser, who is also responsible for one of my favorite quotes ever, "The universe is made of stories, not atoms," which you will find as a permanent

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-12067952017752933362009-12-31T19:44:00.008-05:002009-12-31T22:28:23.418-05:00

As a blue moon rises over the waning yearspilling soft light through cloud-lace,and tree shadows,we burrow into the comfort of home.Warm air from the woodstovecurls through hallways,through doorways,through the memories of bygone days.Stories rise like the moon,up through gales of laughter,up through tears of loss or longing,like ribbons, weaving things together...weaving us together.~ a poem for

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-77451875399773676072009-12-30T20:46:00.008-05:002009-12-31T09:29:35.644-05:00

I'm borrowing this idea from a couple of different sources. My friends Nan, at Letters from a Hillfarm and Abbie, at Farmer's Daughter have recently posted the first lines of each month's first post from the past year. I really enjoyed reading their review of the year, and have done a similar post. So without further ado, here is my year in review.JanuaryI’m never sure whether to make a New Year’

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-42632500463147241982009-12-27T12:55:00.021-05:002009-12-27T15:59:39.067-05:00

Maude and I headed out into the brisk afternoon for one last stroll of the year. The cold wind tugged at our hair, and a bittersweet ache tugged at my heart because I know that Maude doesn't have many more strolls to take through these gardens with me. Here, at the trail head of the butterfly garden, is a quiet place to sit and think... But Maude and I kept moving down the snow-covered trail,

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-17359019228665759902009-12-27T08:53:00.005-05:002009-12-27T17:38:39.641-05:00

"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us." ~Hal BorlandIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, to walk into whatever weather the last Sunday of the year offers, please about about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment and a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-79539111801587494252009-12-24T15:39:00.004-05:002009-12-24T15:46:51.808-05:00

Wherever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you the comfort of traditions, the beauty of believing, and all the joys of this season!

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-67308127160249564202009-12-20T16:51:00.014-05:002009-12-20T20:12:11.339-05:00

The crest of mid-Decemberand all is a-flutter.Snowflakes tumble, Flags wave Leaves shiver, And trails wander away. Paper snowflakes twist on ribbons, As the cold settles in, and the days slowly roll by, while hearts are all a-flutter. Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you the joys of the season.For strolls by other bloggers, please scroll down to the previous post.all words and

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-62092896583450776332009-12-20T09:54:00.007-05:002009-12-20T17:28:40.454-05:00

“Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace."~May SartonIt was the last week of a semester and the first week that I focused on Christmas preparations and gift shopping. There were also after school activities for the kids, my birthday mid-week, and school holiday parties on Friday

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-52145803344611796852009-12-13T09:24:00.005-05:002009-12-13T16:16:16.280-05:00

"The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." ~ Bertrand RussellDecember is a waiting time in house with children, isn't it? They are waiting for magical things, for Christmas, and the lively colorful days at the end of December. Today, it seems as if all the world outside my windows is waiting too. Clouds are gathering in the sky, waiting to let more snow

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-76112597547166577322009-12-06T16:51:00.010-05:002009-12-06T17:13:36.371-05:00

It has been snowing for days now, and when the sun peeks through the clouds the hills shine, and the tree tops glitter with the snow caught on the branches.My sons put on their winter gera and headed outside with their sleds this afternoon. The wild flowers have donned their winter hats as well.The cold wind was tugging at the fraying birch bark as I passed by.This chair along the southern trail

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-79738335816024065912009-12-06T08:05:00.006-05:002009-12-06T17:40:52.497-05:00

"Treesglitter like castlesof ribbons, the broad fieldssmolder with light, a passingcreekbed liesheaped with shining hills;and though the questionsthat have assailed us all dayremain — not a singleanswer has been found –walking out nowinto the silence and the lightunder the trees,and through the fields,feels like one."From "First Snow" by Mary OliverThough Mary Oliver's beautiful poem from

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-88333033360143559462009-12-03T12:17:00.007-05:002009-12-03T12:25:04.897-05:00

cystal petals falla gift from heaven to earthflowers made of icea haiku, by Aisling, December 3, 2009all photos by Aisling, December 3, 2009

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-1095923278605715552009-11-30T18:02:00.008-05:002009-11-30T18:31:11.544-05:00

Yesterday our children put the nativity set in the hutch. With four of them working, it was done in just moments. Only one figure was dropped; a shepherd boy who survived his fall without a scratch. This afternoon, with the little ones in school, I hung the stockings up along the staircase. When Haiku got home from school she helped me make a Countdown to Christmas garland for each of the boys,

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-24406194190128581792009-11-29T12:55:00.020-05:002009-11-29T16:15:06.045-05:00

I followed the sound of a lone bird's call, down past the cornfield, and into the woods. Sun light pouring through green cedar bows surrounded me,as I walked to the braided tree at the heart of this forest sanctuary. I followed the trail to the lake, so quiet in late November. The sky was reflected in the mirror of the water, as swans drifted... seeming to swim through clouds... through trees...

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-3869699575472814272009-11-29T07:34:00.006-05:002009-11-29T16:05:40.148-05:00

"Time is a brisk wind, for each hour it brings something new... but who can understand and measure its sharp breath, its mystery and its design?"~ ParacelsusNovember has certainly flown by, as if upon a brisk wind. That wind has torn the leaves from the trees and left a different landscape. The skeletal trees and deflated fields, with their tall grasses laying prostrate upon the earth or cut to a

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-67448472578751538532009-11-28T17:39:00.005-05:002009-11-28T19:41:57.973-05:00

I wrote yesterday about my annual tradition of cleaning the hutch to make way for the nativity set. I've decided to post links to some other posts regarding our family holiday season traditions, just in case some of my newer blogging friends are interested in getting to know how we celebrate the holidays.Here is a post about studying a new country each year during the holidays; lots of links to

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-42741029733138547672009-11-27T15:19:00.006-05:002009-11-27T15:41:46.159-05:00

"There must be more to life than having everything!" ~ Maurice SendakIt is slightly ironic to me that we give thanks for what we have one day, then run out to buy more the next. I did have to purchase a few groceries today, but made my purchases in our local sleepy village amid familiar faces. I avoided the rush of "Black Friday" in the city, and steered clear of malls and big box stores. If you

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-92067332121830864952009-11-26T16:29:00.005-05:002009-11-26T21:47:11.068-05:00

IT IS ENOUGHIt is enough to have this morning's dayThe sky swept clean by stars' adventurous lightThat garnished earth and gave the animalsFreelancing songs and stillnesses of night. We share the entire wealth of calendarsThat hold the love of earth and happy heavenMarking our own spot in centuriesWriting our own labors in our own love given. It's quite a legacy to have charge of TimeTo tick the

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-45872894675519097112009-11-25T13:42:00.005-05:002009-11-25T19:56:36.847-05:00

Today I am thankful for the abundance of my life. I had to scrape pennies together - almost literally - to purchase the little odds and ends that I needed to complete my holiday meal. I felt overwhelmed with the bounty of my life even as I did so. I bypassed the sugary sodas and hoped that my family would not feel like our holiday meal was served without "special beverages" but I couldn't justify

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-85740087258305402372009-11-22T09:18:00.014-05:002009-11-22T17:40:16.675-05:00

I walked early this morning, while the sun lit the hills and the fields, through rising mist. When I drove my daughter to work in the village, I walked down to the harbor. The marina was very quiet in the early morning, and the water as still and smooth as glass. To the east, the sun was touching the river with soft color. I took the long way home, and stopped by the township park. The soccer

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-58473702684588194072009-11-22T08:35:00.006-05:002009-11-22T19:15:34.039-05:00

In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary. ~Aaron RoseIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll, time to go looking for the extraordinary, please about about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment and a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this post on your post or sidebar if you would like. I will add participant

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-91218408400290558672009-11-15T17:31:00.016-05:002009-11-15T17:54:41.579-05:00

I didn't really take a leisurely stroll today... I ran out the front door into the cool breeze, and then across the road and down the hill through a stubbled field to take these photographs of bull thistle.Looking back toward the east, I could just see the roofline of our little house against the cloudy blue sky.I jogged back up the hill to wander, a little more slowly, through the gardens

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-25758562235487284502009-11-15T09:00:00.006-05:002009-11-15T17:56:50.297-05:00

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change." ~ BuddhaThat my flowers are now folding in upon themselves does not make them any less of a miracle. This week was filled with warmer days than November usually brings to these hills, and I saw several new flowers open, though others around them were rendered colorless and limp by heavy early morning frost.

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-89715995306716388492009-11-08T17:13:00.014-05:002009-11-08T17:55:52.482-05:00

All the leaves have fallen from the pear trees, except the russet beauty in the photo above. Though it is November, the milkweed pods are just now opening to release their seeds to the wild northern wind.Though the "time of yellow and purple flowers" that I wrote about weeks ago has passed, a few tenacious goldenrods and starthistle are still blooming. Some wild berries still cling to bare

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-59291257575227253622009-11-08T07:06:00.006-05:002009-11-08T18:38:48.414-05:00

Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons.~Ruth Ann SchabackerIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll... to get outside and listen to the acoustics of the season, please post about about it on your blog and then come back here with a comment and a link to your post. You may use the Sunday Stroll button at the top of this post on your post or side bar if you would like. I will

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-3611627804312681692009-11-06T19:18:00.004-05:002009-11-06T20:35:56.258-05:00

"Artists should always think of themselves as cosmic instruments for storytelling."~ Ted LangeFridays ought to start with sunshine and blue skies... and this one did. Now, late in the evening, the wind is dancing wildly outside in the darkness and the cold is tapping at my window glass. Inside, I'm warm and cozy, sipping my mug of hot tea and listening to my six year old chatter on and on. He is

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-37950108375640382852009-11-01T16:49:00.012-05:002009-11-01T17:15:30.160-05:00

Most people use the terms Autumn and Fall synonymously. For me, they are two different seasons. Autumn days intertwine with the days of late summer, with warm days and crisp nights and generous color in the trees. Fall begins unexpectedly one night as a cold wind rips the leaves from many trees at once, and in the morning the streets and sidewalks are paved with slippery, gold and brown leaf

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-8868103168629351202009-11-01T06:00:00.004-05:002009-11-01T17:14:42.715-05:00

"A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air." ~ Eric SloaneIf you have time this week for a Sunday Stroll... to get outside and listen to the acoustics of the season, please post about about it on your blog

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-37800536042603541512009-10-31T15:13:00.004-04:002009-10-31T15:22:54.777-04:00

"There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls..."~ George CarlinIt is cold and blustery here. Too cold for trick-or-treating, but very typical for our northern Great Lakes region. Despite the sleet and cold air, we will put on extra layers, slightly inhibiting the impact of the boy's costumes, and trick or treat in the village. Hot chocolate and candy sorting are on the

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-62762456127787755462009-10-29T07:00:00.006-04:002009-11-01T09:59:20.234-05:00

"Let us give the world to the children at least for one dayLet them play with it as if it's a spangled balloonLet them sing and dance among the starsLet us give the world to the childrenLike a huge apple or a warm loaf of breadat least for one dayso that they'll have enough to eatLet us give the world to the childrenso that even if it's for one dayit will learn what friendship isThe children will

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-67913609126334753702009-10-28T09:04:00.006-04:002009-10-28T09:07:31.704-04:00

all photos by my daughter Haiku, October 27, 2009 in the late afternoon

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-66181706438565030162009-10-27T14:15:00.007-04:002009-10-27T14:58:46.673-04:00

This neighborhood resident came to visit me today. I wonder if he was planning to nibble on my butterfly bush? He arrived on the country lane, walking at a leisurely pace, however when our dog Maude told him in no uncertain terms to "take off Buddy!" the llama high-tailed it cross country, heading through the field behind the play house. I saw him back on the lane a couple of minutes later,

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-1218080607256239722009-10-26T18:46:00.003-04:002009-10-26T18:49:21.162-04:00

I just added two "late arrivals" to the stroll from Sunday. Scroll down to find links to their strolls, and to visit any others you may have missed! :)

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-62807002758862180372009-10-26T08:57:00.003-04:002009-10-26T09:02:25.833-04:00

A little acoustic music for you this Monday morning, which is gray and rainy in my northern hills. I love this young Florida band, Boyce Avenue. They have acoustic covers of alot of popular music on Youtube, but also some original music too which I really enjoy. This makes me want to get my dusty guitar out of the case and polish up my rusty skills!

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34352399.post-53745658924080610152009-10-25T17:23:00.013-04:002009-10-25T18:17:57.900-04:00

On my walk to the birch wood, I passed these pumpkins culled from the vegetable garden by my husband, after frost had killed the vines. To the east edge of our property, a stand of large white pines makes a patch of dark green, and the birches glow orange and gold.In the low-lying marsh, I walked beneath this little nest... empty now and quiet. The woods were quiet too, the late afternoon hush

Aislinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582731584317660272noreply@blogger.com13