tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409286474248487732.post4993991624190251858..comments2023-08-12T03:35:27.082-04:00Comments on Susan and Her New England Garden ♥: Hello, spring!Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738801059116109351noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409286474248487732.post-65304446733799070662019-05-27T14:55:46.203-04:002019-05-27T14:55:46.203-04:00Hi Gretchen, thank you so much for your lovely, lo...Hi Gretchen, thank you so much for your lovely, lovely comment. It truly made my day. Yes, that was me at Bird and String. I'm so glad you remembered me. I have moved my blog twice since then--which seems really silly, but I had good reasons for hopping around at the time. Now, I am "here" and hope to remain in this space for a while and write more posts soon. <br /><br />It has been a long, cool, wet spring in New England, but I have managed to do quite a lot of work out in my garden despite how such weather affects my health and mood. In the last week, the temperature finally warmed, and we've had some brilliant days of sunshine. Yesterday, I bravely planted out my dahlias and tomatoes.:)<br /><br />Thank you for recommending Penelope Lively's _Life in the Garden_ . I have placed it on my book list and will look for it later in the year (when the snow flies again). It will be good medicine for me, as gardening books truly saved my sanity this winter. I haven't read The Enchanted April yet, but I plan to get to it this summer. I have heard wonderful things about it from many people, and I love Elizabeth von Arnim. <br /><br />Thank you again for taking the time to write such a kind note. God bless you and your family! ♥ <br /><br />Suehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11738801059116109351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409286474248487732.post-88821407067740982012019-05-27T14:35:02.192-04:002019-05-27T14:35:02.192-04:00Thank you! ♥Thank you! ♥Suehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11738801059116109351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409286474248487732.post-49719691313068004332019-05-27T14:34:42.230-04:002019-05-27T14:34:42.230-04:00Hello, dear Magpie! It has been a l o n g, dark,...Hello, dear Magpie! It has been a l o n g, dark, wet spring, but I am beginning to emerge from my cocoon. I owe you a letter and hope to put pen to paper soon.♥ xoSuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11738801059116109351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409286474248487732.post-52515161710787233972019-05-25T12:25:39.943-04:002019-05-25T12:25:39.943-04:00Sue, I was just now trying to read your old blog a...Sue, I was just now trying to read your old blog at Bird and String -- I think that was you? -- and eventually tracked you down to your New England garden :-), and I'm so happy. I hope you find more time to write an occasional blog post, because they are a joy to read. But I truly understand the need to be always assessing what is the best use of our time, maybe especially when we have more of it and are tempted to be inattentive.<br /><br />I'm interested in your gardening books! I have never enjoyed books about gardening, because in my climate there is always work in the actual garden that can be done, which is more pleasurable and satisfying than reading about it. But recently I did read <i>Life in the Garden</i> by Penelope Lively, one that you might like to add to your stack ;-) It was so nourishing to me. She mentions Von Arnim; now I can't remember if I read both of the first two books by Von Arnim that you mention, or if only one, <i>which</i> one! That's because it was during a time when because of my husband's illness and death my reading habits were uniquely strange. But <i>The Enchanted April</i> I did read a couple of years ago, and it was purely good for me in so many ways, I listen to it still during the nights when I am inexplicably lying awake. I know it so well now that it doesn't matter if I fall asleep and miss parts!<br /><br />I hope by now you are able to be out in your own garden a little bit and accumulating stories for your own retelling. God bless you and your family!<br /><br />GretchenJoannahttp://www.gretchenjoanna.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409286474248487732.post-1417321493396739632019-04-27T10:13:47.217-04:002019-04-27T10:13:47.217-04:00so very lovely to see you here!! I'm so glad I...so very lovely to see you here!! I'm so glad I logged in today!! xoxoxomelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07984286138124792000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409286474248487732.post-81272557544240418532019-04-23T13:19:30.171-04:002019-04-23T13:19:30.171-04:00Lovely blog ♥♥Lovely blog ♥♥Sopa Azulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01886768097509256527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409286474248487732.post-85714734699446164962019-04-12T15:54:26.788-04:002019-04-12T15:54:26.788-04:00Hi Karen! Thank you for commenting.♥ I'm glad ...Hi Karen! Thank you for commenting.♥ I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who has a hard time with Lent! Suehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11738801059116109351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409286474248487732.post-52353323528504855582019-04-12T15:42:37.435-04:002019-04-12T15:42:37.435-04:00Hi Ann, thank you so much for commenting.♥ I love ...Hi Ann, thank you so much for commenting.♥ I love reading your thoughts about things. <br /><br />I like what you wrote about Lent. As you pointed out, acts of devotion or piety are meaningless if they aren't practiced in a spirit of gratitude and love. The Judeo-Christian scriptures are full of references of God desiring thanksgiving/gratitude rather than some other kind of sacrifice. <br /><br />_Elizabeth and her German Garden_ was von Arnim's first book and published simply under the name "Elizabeth". It was a runaway bestseller. Both _Elizabeth and Her German Garden_ and _The Solitary Summer_ are in Public Domain and available on Project Gutenberg.<br /><br />Yesterday I checked out Beatrix Potter's Journal--which she wrote in secret code between the ages of fourteen and thirty--from the library. I find everything about her utterly captivating; she was surely a genius. Suehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11738801059116109351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409286474248487732.post-9634511374848158702019-04-12T14:12:14.812-04:002019-04-12T14:12:14.812-04:00Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for commenting and for ...Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for commenting and for the link to the barred owl article--very interesting! I've noticed a LOT of chipmunks around during the last year, so I do wonder if the rodent population is down or up. We actually had a barred owl land in one of the trees in our backyard one night this winter, but it was dark, so we could only see it's shape. It perched for about twenty minutes and then left.<br /><br />I know I WILL finish my afghan this year. I enjoy crocheting, and I love how the blanket is turning out.♥<br />ReplyDeleteSuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11738801059116109351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409286474248487732.post-71195766738011264872019-04-12T13:11:24.822-04:002019-04-12T13:11:24.822-04:00i did not know of von arnim's gardening, and s...i did not know of von arnim's gardening, and should like to see the book about it. and i have not read her second book... need to look forit. beatrix potter is one of my favourites as well. how much sadder childhood would have been without her books. an interesting life, as well.<br /><br />not being christian, i don't do lent, but after K-12 in catholic schools, i am very familiar with it. personally, i don't feel like the divine is honoured in privation, but more in gratitude. maybe we should make lent about giving up wasteful ways and unecological practices instead of giving up sweeties or whatever... besides, i've always been amused by those (we all know one) who "keep the lenten fast" by saying, "oh, it's friday; i cannot have meat. i'll have the lobster thermador or shrimp scampi!" ��<br /><br />love the kitty pics, and oh, the owl! so beautiful. nofixedstarshttp://nofixedstars.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409286474248487732.post-66310724307015835132019-04-12T12:50:19.460-04:002019-04-12T12:50:19.460-04:00I'm not a fan of Lent either. It doesn't ...I'm not a fan of Lent either. It doesn't help that our priest is doom and gloom during it and how we are not doing enough....So glad you are doing well and living life fully!!!karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09252685705241032079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409286474248487732.post-41273659412371105032019-04-10T21:29:58.241-04:002019-04-10T21:29:58.241-04:00I made a few ripple afghans many years ago, and we...I made a few ripple afghans many years ago, and we still have them;I enjoyed the process. A friend two towns over had a barred owl in her yard! She also got great photos. Here's an article: https://www.ctaudubon.org/2019/01/the-barred-owl-boom-of-2019/ Good luck with your blogging hopes. :)Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12503930255842185609noreply@blogger.com