Holiday Decorating

Palm Trees © melabee m miller

Best Wishes for the Holiday Season!

Melabee

 

 

 

My Pine Tree

I loved the pine tree outside my bedroom window.  I watched it grow almost 20 feet and stand tall through all kinds of weather.  When the oil tank was removed, my pine tree’s stability was compromised.

I’ll miss the way the snow rested on it’s branches and the way I felt protected by it’s presence. Below is one of my favorite photos of

My Pine Tree.

View our my window. © melabee m miller

Plant a Tree Today for Arbor Day!

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According to the book, The History of Arbor Day, found on The Arbor Day Foundation website, the first Arbor Day was April 10, 1872 in Nebraska where over one million trees were planted.  All thanks to J. Sterling Morton and his wife, pioneers who moved from Detroit to the Nebraska Territory in 1854. As the editor of a Nebraska newspaper, Morton advocated tree planting as much for his love of trees as for the need for windbreaks to keep soil in place, for fuel and building materials, and for shade from the sun.

As secretary of the Nebraska Territory, Morton proposed a tree planting holiday called “Arbor Day” in 1872 and in 1885 it was named a legal holiday in Nebraska. Since then National Arbor Day is the last Friday in April.  Some states have their own celebrations on a day that coincides with the best tree planting weather. For example, Florida and Louisiana celebrate on the  third Friday in January.

Above are my photos of trees-care to guess which one is my favorite?

2012 Holiday Greetings

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Respite from the storm.

The past two weeks have been quite difficult.  I hope that my photos from a recent trip will transport you away….for just a moment or two.

In mid-October, I went to the New York Botanical Garden‘s show, Monet’s Garden. My garden had just a few flowers, so I was amazed at the amount of plants in full bloom outside the Conservatory.  Even some water lilies were still blooming in the courtyard pools. Of course, inside was overflowing with plants similar to the ones that Claude Monet  planted in his garden in Giverny, France.  I hope you enjoy these photos and take a moment to smile.

All my best to those who are still struggling.

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I know it’s Autumn when…..

The days are shorter, the weather is cooler and orange becomes nature’s favorite color.  It’s mine, too.  What’s yours?

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I know it’s Summer when

I see sunflowers-in the garden, along the road and at farm stands.  Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers. The ones I photographed last week were as tall as I am.  Sunflowers turn toward the sun, shine even on a dark day and produce seeds that can be dried and eaten.  Have you ever tasted sunflower honey?  I like the Italian variety- Girasole Miele.  Try it and tell me what you think.

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Relax at the Water’s Edge

On almost every beach we visited in the Virgin Islands there were lounge chairs perfectly positioned to watch the water lapping the shoreline.  Find your ideal spot this summer and let me know.

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Zoo Lights

Let’s take a break from Florence and go to the zoo for the holidays.  It’s a short trip to Washington DC and  The National Zoo where we can see a sparkling light show that is quite wonderful.  The zoo is free and the lights will be on until January 1st.

All my best wishes for the holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

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Florence, Italy!

I’ve visited Florence numerous times and I wondered if I would tire of it and take the first train to, well….somewhere.  But no, there are always new things to do and familiar places to see again.

During my visit to Florence this summer, the first tour was to see the newly restored frescoes which depict The Legend of the True Cross on the walls and ceiling of the High Altar of the Church of Santa Croce. Scaffolding was in place while the finishing touches were made to the frescoes and this allowed visitors to tour the art. Without a special request or additional cost, an English speaking tour guide was there to translate just for us. Grazie!

We climbed the 110 scaffolding steps to the top. It was so exciting to literally be face-to-face with the life size figures in these incredible frescoes painted by Agnolo Gaddi – son of Taddeo Gaddi.  Italian restoration only allows the frescoes to be cleaned.  If paint or gold leaf is missing, it remains in that condition. Because of this, we saw some of the lines of the original drawing on the wall.  Amazing! No photos were allowed in this area, so we took out our journals and drew.

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To see even more photos of Florence, be sure to preview my book at blurb.com.