NY Botanical Garden

Skipped on over to the NY Botanical Garden this weekend to see their Kiku exhibit. Kiku are "meticulously cultivated chrysanthemums." Or as I like to call them, exhibit "A" proving that the Japanese really are a little more than batty, obsessive and perfectionist.

However, it can be beautiful, especially these huge flowers...but the whole thing felt cold and slightly rediculous.

But trust the NYBG to still have lots of beautiful things to look at...

Bird of Paradise

A begonia

Orchids, lovely lovely orchids. One day I'm going to have lots of orchids in my dream house...while I'm dreaming, I'll also have a hot man-toy who's filthy rich.

Forgetting

The street I grew up on is being taken over by eminent domain. Almost all the houses on it have been emptied and some are already reduced to piles of rubble. My parents are still living in the house but in a year it’ll probably be demolished.

The following pictures are taken from our next door neighbor’s house. They lived in this house for over 40 years and took such careful care of it. Mr Burns died about 10 years ago from Alzheimer’s and horribly, no one knows where Mrs Burns is. What's left of them is open to the elements, people have come in to strip the house of whatever might be valuable and from the mattress, it looks like someone is squatting here.

I guess this is just the natural process of living, dying and the march of incessant progress. But I can't help remembering the story of how they won a coveted bag of onions in a dancing contest in England during WWII, her Shepard’s Pie and how they gave our rabbit carrots and ice cubes on hot summer days.

Banana bread recipe

Christmas ornaments found and discarded.

Years and years of carefully kept checks now scattered.

Southern exposure

Went to visit the family again...

Butterfly wing

The south is going through a record breaking drought right now. From the airplane, you could even see the dwindling water levels in the lake. Yet people in Atlanta still insist on watering their damn lawns even though they've been warned that drinking water will run out by december. Sigh. I never understand the selfishness of people when it comes to things like this.

Open House New York

It's been a while since my last post...life has been busy.

Anyway, I only made it to one OHNY spot this year (so sad) and St Ann's Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn Heights was it.

Interior.

Such a fantastic gothic church...I was lucky enough to show up when there was an organ concert and the organist invited us up on the balcony for the last piece.