Out of Africa

"If I know a song of Africa...

...does Africa know a song of me?" 

--Isak Dinesen

Travel Journals

If you were going on a journey, which one would you take?

Day 14

Can it be that the first rose of the year is already starting to bloom? And the first day of spring still two days away! 

Day 10: No Pictures Today

And, unfortunately, probably not many words either. I've had a long, busy day, productive but busy. I went over to Becki, my sewing teacher's house this morning to finish up that shirt I was working on. It turned out to be much more complicated than I had anticipated, but I've learned a lot. Now it's just about finished. There's only one more step to complete which will go quickly.

The other good news is I now have a sewing table all to myself so I can set the sewing machine up in my room permanently. No more borrowing the game table, hauling it up to my room, and setting everything up each time I want to sew.

But no more sewing for today. I am ready for the weekend.  

Farewell October

Trying to get the perfect angle. 

Welcome November and the holiday season!

More October Pictures

I know this is pretty much more of the same, but all the fall colors have intensified in the past three days.

October is so very photogenic. 

October Colors

Yet amongst the changing colors of fall... 

 

 ...there still remain a few remnants of summer.

 

Glimpses of the Fading Summer

And the beginnings of a beautiful fall. 

What I Saw Today

 If I remember correctly, this cloud of dainty, little, star-like flowers is a called clematis. 

As far as the names of flowers go, I am not much of an expert. My mom is the master gardener, at least as far as flowers go. 

 

I just can't get enough of these roses!

September is such a beautiful month.

Another Journal Behind Me

Yesterday, as I sat in sweltering heat, too hot to do anything but read, write, watch a movie, or take a nap, I filled the last page in another pretty journal. I always feel a sense of accomplishment whenever I cover the last few pages of my journal in my handwritten words and put it away with all my other past journals in a box, safely tucked away. And I feel renewed inspiration and adventure calling me in the virgin pages of another unmarked book. Sometimes I hesitate to mar the untouched cleanliness of a new journal with my hand that will often complain, and whine, and write things I may later be ashamed of. But that is all a part of human life, my human life. And alongside pages filled with anger and sadness are pages filled with beauty and happiness. My journal is my friend who hears me out on all the good and bad things I have swimming around in my head. It is part of my story. And when I open a brand new one I feel like I am opening a new and hopeful chapter in my life.

   "Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?"

--Anne of Green Gables

A Garden Walk

I was born loving gardens. I have been taking garden walks since I could walk. When we first moved to our current residence I almost refused to stay altogether because there was no garden and no green grass. But soon my green-thumbed mother remedied that, and today we have an even larger garden than before to stroll through.

Spring is here and everywhere I look I see life in the form of little green leaves and flowers of all colors bursting out! Come and see the garden with me.

That is an amazing color!

The roses are just putting on their leaves.

Don't go past the lamppost, or you'll leave Narnia!

Where there are flowers...

...there are fairies!

I wonder what's around the corner.

Another Fairy Bookworm!

Our walking companion.

This tree almost overwhelms me with its beauty.

Look at those blossoms.

And finally a look at Elizabeth's vegetable garden. Here we have red cabbage and kale,

a trellis for the sugar snap peas,

and garlic.

Have we come to the end already? Garden time must be faster than regular time. Don't forget to come back in June, when the roses will certainly be on parade.