Peonies in July?

I learned that if you have an explosion of peonies now, and want to have peonies later in the season, you can. When the bud feels likes a marshmallow, just clip the buds about fourteen inches down from the bud. Wrap them well in plastic, leaving the ends of the stems free to allow for air flow. Put them in the fridge. In a few weeks, take them out again, put them in water and enjoy their heady scent all over again.

Finished.

Choosing

Some days I let things bother me. The fact that my desk is a mess, I have to work longer than I want to, or someone cuts me in traffic. I remind myself that I have a desk to work at, a job that brings me modest pleasure, and that I have a car. And then life becomes so simple.

The Beautiful Foods

I'm crazy about the photos by this guy, and felt inspired to take a few foody photos of my own. Look what you can find when you go to market looking for beautiful foods.

Julie & Julia

While I'm not smitten with the idea of blogging about cooking my way through an entire Julie Child cook book, I'm smitten with Julia Child. She was a magnifiscent woman, undaunted by the fierce challenge of French cooking. And she reigned supreme. I can't wait for this film to come out. I'm sure Meryl Streep will be at her spot-on best.

Lilacs for Diane

My sister Diane loves lilacs and would surround herself with them daily if she could. Sweet little lavender explosions of scent that last only a couple of weeks. They lend romance and elegance to any room you put them in.

As the poet Amy Lowell says in her poem 'Lilacs';
You persuaded the housewife that her dish pan was of silver.
And her husband an image of pure gold.
You flaunted the fragrance of your blossoms
Through the wide doors of Custom Houses--
You, and sandal-wood, and tea,
Charging the noses of quill-driving clerks
When a ship was in from China.

Happy Spring, my dear Diane!

Robin's Egg Bleu

This is a special gift for my sister, Carol. You think that I spelled blue wrong? No, that's how you spell it in French. She has a special place in her heart for the color, and I can see why. Happy Spring, my dear sister!

Magnolia

My neighbor Erin has kindly allowed me to photograph her magnolias as I wait for my own to bloom. I have a madness for magnolias. Their soft pink-white blossoms slowly unfolding in a spring breeze on branches that, a month ago, were bare. And so quickly, they're gone ...

Sound

Music, when soft voices die, vibrate in the memory ~ Byron
As if the pictures in Sensual Living weren't enough to strike an emotional chord in your heart, Llyod's descriptions of the sounds we have known all our lives are also vivid and powerful:
the gentle applause of rain
voices of people we love
a cat purring
village church bells
the clang of a toaster popping up

What sounds do you treasure?