Last weekend might have been Super Bowl Sunday, but it also marked the beginning of the Botanical Garden’s annual Orchid Show — which is my Super Bowl. Overall, orchids are thought to symbolize love, beauty, fertility, refinement, thoughtfulness and charm. But meaning can also be found in individual colors. Orange: Enthusiasm, boldness, and pride Purple:…
Category: if you lived here
Distracted Runner: Frozen Edition
“When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or make snow angels.” Running lately has been cold. No way around it. But there are two choices: retreat to the gym’s treadmill or work with Old Man Winter. I’ve done the latter, and he seems to appreciate it. And a lot of folks in the community…
And So It Begins
“Keep the lessons. Treasure the love and laughs. Ditch the stuff that doesn’t serve you. Embrace the adventures yet to come.” – Nanea Hoffman, Sweatpants & Coffee First adventure of 2018: Lone Elk County Park. Which is the only acceptable outdoor adventure when it is eight degrees outside because you’re not allowed to get out…
Let’s Go.
“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning, but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.” — Hal Borland , author It’s freezing outside and I’m happily hunkered down at home, creating my favorite annual post: the year in review. It’s always been amazing to me that even…
Inside the Garden
In the middle of another snowy day, I took my Little Sister to the Botanical Garden to check out the happenings in the Climatron, etc. The massive train display is still up and active…and even though we’re post-holiday, it is still magical. Large and small, everyone was mesmerized by these miniature worlds. Of course everything…
Unplanned Stop and Lessons Learned
This morning, I had a small window of time between mass and work in which I’d originally planned on picking up breakfast, enjoying a chai latte, and making a leisurely drive to the office. But the early morning sun rising over a nearby lake made for an unplanned stop along the way. It was a bitter…
Life Lately on the Run
The fall running season has begun. And here are just a few things I’ve seen along the way… – Rock ‘n Roll St. Louis starting line – Someone who takes his carb-loading very seriously – Happy little critter – Apparently this neighborhood display represents Game of Thrones – Late bloomer – Okay, this wasn’t…
Big Birthday
“If I didn’t have you as my mom, I’d choose you as my friend.” Earlier this week, I got to spend a day with my mom to celebrate her birthday. Perfect weather, favorite foods and places, and the best company. Totally fitting for a big birthday. Here are a few photos from time spent at…
Sunday
“Spring passes and one remembers one’s innocence. “Summer passes and one remembers one’s exuberance. “Autumn passes and one remembers one’s reverence. “Winter passes and one remembers one’s perseverance.” – Yoko Ono Autumn colors are starting to make a statement, but summer temperatures are making it tougher to fully transition. But some super fun finds made…
A Special Eclipse
So…I know I’m weird, but I wasn’t caught up in the eclipse hubbub before today. I’d seen the t-shirts, articles, Facebook posts, etc., but I hadn’t given it much thought and didn’t really care to. I hadn’t even bothered to purchase the glasses just in case. But today I finally caught the bug. There was…
Who Would Have Guessed?
“Everything has changed and yet, I am more me than I’ve ever been.” – Iaia Thomas It’s going on three weeks now since my kids moved to other states and started their new life adventures as adults. Prior to their leaving the nest, I was anxious and more than a little sad with anticipation. I…
Octavia
This was the most unusual cloud formation I’ve ever seen. (An “anvil” cloud, as a dear friend taught me.) I watched it billow and balloon as I made the drive to see something even more unusual. Meet Octavia. I first saw her on Friday night at the Botanical Garden during a visit with my oldest,…
Summer at the Garden
“‘Cause a little bit of summer is what the whole year is all about.” – John Mayer Trip to my favorite place with my favorite friends this weekend and just a few photos to share as a result. See the butterfly? Lovely desert exhibit going on.
Note to Self
“Note to self: No matter what, hang on to that part of you that gasps at a beautiful sunset or gets super excited about a new notebook or a freshly baked cupcake or a dog you just met on the street. Allow yourself to be regularly startled and humbled by joy.” – Nanea Hoffman, Sweatpants & Coffee Pretty sure there are…
Hello…
…Kitty Cafe! This is how I spent my Saturday morning…and it represents everything I love about being an adult. Sometimes you get to do things that are simply indulgent and fun for no other reason than you can. This little girl (please forgive the crap photo from my iPhone) is my spirit animal. While the…
Garden of Glass at Night
For the first time since Christmas, I have my family together. We spent our first full evening at the Botanical Garden with Tanner’s girlfriend and my Little Sister for the Garden of Glass at Night. Before checking out the glass, however, we wandered around the Garden grounds as the sun went down. I’d somehow forgotten…
Garden of Glass
Took today off and headed to the Botanical Garden for its newest exhibit. The bulk of the pieces were in the Climatron greenhouse, which was awesome because there were times that it was tough to tell what was glass and what was real. It was all gorgeous. As was the rest of the garden, per…
Rest Day
“The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” – Ram Dass I don’t know when or how this came to be, but Mondays are rest days for me. The “Sabbath” of my exercise schedule, if you will — which means no running, no biking, nothing. Normally I end up at home doing laundry or catching…
Good to See You.
“A garden is a friend you can visit anytime.” Not a floral photo, but this guy and his dog looked like the epitome of relaxation. Above photos are from CityGarden. Below are from the neighbor’s garden. Can you spot the bees in the redbud blooms above and in the purple blooms below?
Goals
“Ah, how good it feels! The hand of an old friend.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Please forgive this blurry photo, but when you see something this dear, you use whatever you have handy. Which in this case, when I was looking out the window at the art museum, I only had my iPhone. So I…
hey there, friends 