-
A to Z Challenge: “O”ld Country Roses china pattern
I’ve always loved roses – the real kind that bloom from spring into fall and can be cut and put in a vase for continued, indoor enjoyment. My husband and I have a small rose garden at our house and those plants are fed, watered and babied long into the winter. One of my favorite china patterns is Old Country Roses by Royal Albert. You can almost smell the sweet clusters of English roses in the pattern. The colors are so vibrant and beautiful! Many patterns come and go but this china pattern remains one of the most popular patterns of all time. I used to travel a lot with…
-
A to Z Challenge: “F”orsythia
O forsythia, forsythia, wherefore art thou Forsythia? (I don’t know why but this plant’s name just seems to lend itself to Shakespeare!) Why are all the springtime blooms bright and cheery? I’d like to believe it’s to remind us that winter is on its way out, and that summer is coming! I talked about the daffodil in all its glory! Another bright yellow flowering shrub to quickly shake off the winter chill is the forsythia plant. Its slightly bell-shaped blooms can range from buttery yellow to warm gold. Did you know it’s part of the olive family? I had no idea. They were named after English horticulturist William Forsyth (1737-1804).…
-
“U”nsung heroes
Photo by Diane Weidenbenner. Why is it that all the carefully plotted, planted beauties get all the glory? Rose bushes and Geraniums are majestic! Zinnias and Hydrangea have character, color and class. However, it is sometimes the unsung heroes of the field that give us pleasure as we drive by on a Sunday jaunt, like the frothy blanket of yellow against a green, leafy background. Is it a wild mustard plant or rapeseed? I’m never quite sure. It’s more prevalent in some fields over others. And, it seems to grow, and multiply without a lot of human effort or forethought. In doing a bit of research on the Internet, it…
-
“P”arks
Hawthorn Park is beautiful in the spring, summer and fall. It can even be peaceful in the winter, with new fallen snow. Photo by Diane Weidenbenner. One benefit of living in Indiana is the abundance of natural parks and wetland refuges within a short driving distance from towns and cities. It’s not uncommon to drive 15-30 minutes or up to one hour to reach parks, rivers, lakes and other such beautiful natural settings to relieve stress and enjoy time away. I live in Terre Haute and in a 15-30 minute drive from my house, I have access to Hawthorn Park, as an example, which is on 250-plus acres and includes…
-
Blogging A to Z: G-enes or “Who’s your daddy…?”
Genes are a miraculous thing. I know for example that I received my green eyes and red hair from my dad’s side of the family. And, I’ve got my love of learning and my bad temper from my mom’s genetic pool. There are probably a lot more gene combinations in my make-up that I don’t even realize. Hershey, our 5-year-old puppy. Take our adopted dog, Hershey, for example. He’s a beautiful black and brown color with a touch of gray on his chest, tummy and chin (which you’d see if his tongue wasn’t in the way). He’s 70 pounds of pure muscle with a German Shepherd tail and what I…
-
Blogging A to Z: Eco versus Ego
I work for a Catholic organization that has as one of its ministries White Violet Center for Eco-Justice. It’s goal is to help educate people to walk more softly on Earth by learning about the benefits of buying local foods, supporting ecological justice, organic agriculture and fiber arts. No, this isn’t a commercial for that ministry, but it is how I discovered the graphic to the left. I’ve been a nature nut since I was a child. I love science and because I think God is too big to be put into a box, and limited to only what I can understand, I don’t think that science and spirituality are…
-
Newport Beach – a gift from a loving God
© 2013 by Diane Weidenbenner There is something magical about the beach. I never gave it much thought until two of my good college friends from California showed me pictures of the beach at sunset. What a spectacular site. Just as I cherished the beautiful, lush mountains from Colorado, they had the same fond memories of spending time at the beach. I have since been to several beaches: those in California, Florida and Mexico. One of my favorite places to visit is Newport Beach, near Los Angeles, California. © 2013 by Diane Weidenbenner The evening tide comes in to meet the sand as if on schedule and it leaves a…
-
“I”nspiration and jigsaw puzzles
Early morning sun peaking through a wooded area in Terre Haute, near Deming Park. © 2012 by Diane Weidenbenner Inspiration is one of those things that you simply can’t define, explain or control. It’s intangible. Yet, when you have inspiration, whether you are a writer, painter or other type of artist, it’s the most wonderful experience in the world. That’s what photography is like for me. When I take my camera along, I have no set expectations of what I might see or photograph. It depends on available light, the time of year, whether I have a telephoto or regular lens on the camera, and whether I’m paying attention to…
-
“E”arth
I love visiting the mountains and although I grew up and lived most of my life in Denver, I never spent enough time admiring nature. I was always working or traveling elsewhere. Trees in foreground, snow covered mountain in background “Long’s Peak from North, Rocky Mountain National Park,” Colo. The U.S. National Archives. My dad liked to go fishing with his work buddies or go camping with the Boy Scouts. Sometimes my brother and I would go along and hike the trail before the entire troop went camping overnight. Again, I wish I had spent more time in the mountains when I lived nearby. One of my first Colorado mountain…
-
“C”amera
Bales of hay are common around the midwest. They do remind me of Tootsie Rolls. © 2013 by Diane Weidenbenner It seems like I’ve always had a camera. Of course my first was a Ricoh film camera. I traipsed around Europe with 28 rolls of film and swapped them out as they filled up with memories. I then had to save up money in order to get them developed after I returned to the States. When I did finally have the money, and the gumption to fill out all those film envelopes, six months later, it was exciting. Through those developed photos, I relived the highlights of my vacation all…
