Holiday Display

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory (0.5 acres) in Como Park was first opened in 1915, and is open every day of the year. It includes gardens and galleries, one of which is the Sunken Garden that has seasonal displays of flowers. Follow this path and I'll show you more treasures.
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Here's flowers for you;     [Poinsettias,too!]
Hot lavender, mints, savoury, marjoram;
The marigold, that goes to bed wi' the sun
And with him rises weeping: these are flowers
Of middle summer, and I think they are given
To men of middle age.
The Winter's Tale (4.4.122-7)

Como Park Conservatory

  Como Park has many attractions. Come back tomorrow and I'll show you some of them.

ABC Wednesday-"A"- ABUNDANCE of Cheese Choices

Take your pick.  If you can't find a cheese that interests you, hop over to your closest cheese shop or super market and ask for some help ASAP.Click here, if you wish to see more ABC Wednesday photos posted by bloggers from around the world.

Let there be light!

This is one of the many light fixtures suspended from the ceiling at the Ikea store.  I've only been there twice, and I'm not sure what I think about it. It certainly is popular so their merchandise must appeal to a large number of people.  I particularly like the Marketplace where we bought pickled herring, lots of delightful jams, and swedish meatballs. Came home and made mushroom-swedish meatball soup.  Was missing something, tho; need to keep experimenting. If you shop at one of their stores, what do you like or dislike about Ikea?

Camera Critters-Beseeching for the Outcome! (Repost)

Looking heavenward, my loyal friend, Maggi, seems to be beseeching for the correct outcome of tonight's game with the Atlanta Falcons.

"The Green Bay Packers never lost a football game.  They just ran out of time."

Vince Lombardi (American Football Coach, national symbol of single-minded determination to win.1913-1970)

To see more camera critters, stop by here.


ADDED LATER: 48-21 ain't bad!  Go Pack!!

                          "The Green Bay Packers never lost a football game.  They just ran out of time."

 Vince Lombardi (American Football Coach, national symbol of single-minded determination to win.1913-1970)

127- DODGE AND DUCK!

Sighted this latest casualty resting on the boulevard on the corner of Summit and Fairview Avenues.  No-one was around but it's safe to assume that the driver lost control, even though the conditions were not too bad the day I snapped this.  Not a laughing matter for the driver, but I couldn't help but be amused by the license plate and the make of the car.

Not from Wisconsin!

Last Monday Molly, another St. Paul blogger,  identified a cheese and sandwich shop on Grand Avenue that I had never visited, despite making weekly stops at Breadsmith next door.  I checked it out and met both Blyth and Steve, very personable folks who were behind the counter.  I'll be back to taste not only the cheese, but to sample the sandwiches, too. Oh, yes, I also bought some cheese on this first trip to the store.

"How can anyone govern a nation that has two hundred and forty-six different kinds of cheese?"  Charles De Gaulle 

ABC WEDNESDAY-"Z"

A ZILLION SPOTS/DOTS-ABC WEDNESDAY "Z"

Aren't these beautiful paintings?!

All of these paintings are by artist, Farida Hughes, on  exhibit
in the Harry M. Drake Gallery at
St Paul Academy and Summit School
(where I used to teach in the English department)


To see more ABC posts from bloggers throughout the world, click here.

A New Beginning

This is my old-stock-in-trade photo for the beginning of a new year.  


"An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves." 
Bill Vaughan

The Holiday Spirit Lives!-Camera Critters Saturday

This rabbit is a favorite of children and passersby.  In the summer children climb all over it,  but in the cold winter months,  it's left alone except for some revelers with holiday spirit. To see more camera critters posted by bloggers from around the globe, click here.

Physical Therapy Bands

If any of you have ever had physical therapy, you'll recognize these colourful bands that are stock-in-the-trade to help patients recover from whatever ails them. I haven't had to use these...too tame.  Joel, my therapist had bigger and better tortures scheduled for me.  But, hey!  It's working since I'm healing so rapidly!!

Physical therapy

Thanks to a good surgeon and an excellent physical therapist, my doctor says that I'm about two weeks ahead of where he thought I would be in my healing process.  Here Joel, my therapist, is shown checking for more illustrations of tortuous shoulder exercises he makes me do. 

NOT EXACTLY A FULL HOUSE!

On December 30th, 2010, I noticed a familiar scene on Jack's Hartford post when I visited our busy Apple store before I bought  my new iMac, (which incidentally is now occasionally frustrating me as I'm trying to learn the programs). A few days  later I was amused as I compared my after-holiday Apple store scene with his photo.  Check to see the difference between these photos and his on Jack's Post.

First Breakfasts of 2011

 

 I think we need a little more variety in our meals. I probably should probably find a good Stollen recipe or a Swedish pastry. Tell me what you had for breakfast on January 1, and then perhaps I can then add a little more diversity to our menus.

Christmas Gifts

             Two wonderful Christmas gifts: Peter's glass platter and the traditional delicious Stollen! Yum!

Early in December I posted several photos of my former 8th grade student, who is now an adult, giving a glass blowing demonstration. In case you missed it, here's another photo of Peter at work. Notice how the steam rises from the wet newspapers he holds as he  shapes the hot object!

A Fine Beverage!

I hope that y'all had a safe and happy New Year's eve!!

JANUARY 2011 THEME DAY-Man the Hoses!

Our annual neighborhood block party took on a life of its own after the fireman with their trucks and hoses arrived.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants!

"berried 'n chocolate"

What do children do when school is not in session on a sunny, but cold winter day? Perhaps find a bakery and juice shop and sit next to a sunny window while eating a pastry?  Sounds just about right!

Safe Crossing?

If you can see over the plowed snowbanks, I guess it might be safe to cross.

Two Views

On a Clear Day

Interesting to see how weather affects images. 

A Repost (Dec. 16) A Blizzard

Bus Stop

New York and the eastern seaboard have nothing on us!

F.Scott

DH and I often stroll through Rice Park downtown when we are going to a performance at Ordway. This sculpture of F. Scott Fitzgerald (one of our boys, you know) is a prominent statue among many others in this little jewel of a park.  F. Scott is a familiar person to me since I've taught his short stories to middle schoolers and The Great Gatsby to high school students...at St. Paul Academy, the school that he attended as a youngster before going off to a private school in the East. Whenever we walk by, I stop to chat with him or give him a hug, much to DH's consternation and the amusement of passersby.

Obviously this was taken during the summer.  The snow and my wounded wing have severely curtailed my photo shoots so here you have it...more photos from the past.


So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." The Great Gatsby, 1925

Glass Masks

I have a similar mask hanging in the window in my kitchen.  It always cheers me when I see it. Yes, these are creations from Peter's work.

My Purchase

Peter will make a wall hanging for me of the Zen stones similar to this one.  I intend to

place it  in "the room of my own" that I redecorated  last year as my very own personal space. It will send off good vibes for me!

Merry Christmas!

My Favorites!

Selecting a favorite in Peter's showroom is not easy, but I was quite taken with these Zen stones.  Come back tomorrow to see what I commissioned Peter to make for me!

Objects to sell

Here are just three of the many beautiful glass pieces Peter has in his showroom, ready to be purchased and brought home. Come back tomorrow and I'll show you my favorites.

Almost completed!

It almost looked like magic whenever Peter put an object into one of the furnaces, removed it, and then placed it back in another furnace to continue the shaping process.  Each step seemed to take on a life of its own. Fascinating to watch.  This bowl is going to be a beauty after it has cooled and is truly finished. I  can't show any of the pieces Peter made during the demonstration because they each needed to be placed immediately in a special case in order to cool.  Tomorrow I'll show you just a few of the many pieces for sale in his showroom.

Glass Blowing Process

While we were watching, Peter made three different objects: a snowman, a vase and a bowl. These four photos show him at work while shaping two of them.

Glass Blowing

This is Peter's studio where I was able to snap a few pictures during the Glass Blowing demonstration at his open house. The large furnace heats at 2400°F and the small furnace on the upper right heats to 2000°F.  Tomorrow I'll show you a few photos of the steps in the process.

Meet Peter

Meet Peter who was one of my students when he was in 8th grade.  Not only was he one of my favorites then, he remains so now, not as a student but as an artist.  Yesterday we went to his studio for his annual Holiday Sale and to watch his glass blowing demonstration. Come back tomorrow, and I'll show you some of his work.

Air Bag Demonstration

After buying a new car, we went back to the Toyota dealership in Maplewood for an evening seminar on basic features and safety devices.  It was an interesting evening, which began with a grab bag of goodies (flashlight, notebook, Swiss Army knife and various other objects), dinner, followed by the information lectures, prizes selected by lottery (of course, I won nothing), and then a trip through the shop to look at different Toyota car models with salespersons, managers, and mechanics who were there to answer questions. My favorite was a demonstration that deployed an airbag, as seen above. I was assured that none of the airbags would result in greater injury to my wounded wing.

December Blizzard #3

Although this was not snapped during the blizzard, the figures look like everything else on the horizon...surrounded by snow!!

St. Paul Blizzard December 2010 #2

I was not kidding!

Just to let you know that I was not kidding! Check out the bandage on the right shoulder. Now both the sling and the bandage are gone. Alleluia!

St. Paul Blizzard December 2010

This is my first photo on my new iMac, and I sure wish that I knew what the heck I'm doing. I wonder how this is going to turn out on the portal? If this works, I hope that I can duplicate it again tomorrow!!

For those of you who have asked, my medical recovery is going along quite well!  Yesterday my doctor said that my progress has EXCEEDED his expectation.  Can't drive yet, but I no longer have to wear the **^&!!%$#!** sling at home but need it when I go out so as to forestall anyone jostling me or slapping me on the shoulder. Freedom!!