Steve Jobs (2005) "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." (From his speech to a graduating class at Stanford — using a quote taken from Saint Bruno)

Rest in peace, Steve Jobs, you have fought the good fight as many of my readers and colleagues will surely agree.


I was sad to hear of the death of Steve Jobs last evening and so today's post is designed to serve as a moment for my readers and colleagues to remember his great spirit and contribution. Anything that I can say on this mournful morning after Steve Jobs' passing, I have said on my blog in previous posts, which can be found by clicking here as well as here and here. 


With heartfelt appreciation for what Steve Jobs' vision has brought to my life, 
Patricia Youngquist The LLG  — Last Leaf Gardener 
(And a self-proclaimed dot connector advocate long before I heard Steve Jobs say it!)

Today's Blog Post is a Double Feature! 2-PRESS RELEASES! PART TWO OF PRESS RELEASE: FROGSPOTTING: The Last Leaf Gardener Takes the Leap! The Move From MobileMe to VIMEO!

Frogspotting from Patricia Youngquist on Vimeo.


This little presentation, Frogspotting, which follows the tune of  the well known song B-I-N-G-O as a frog leaps over the various thumbnails of the fifteen items that I now have on Vimeo) was made to honor my array of movies and virtual presentations that are now on Vimeo or as it states in the aforementioned movie, "V-I-M-E-0".



I chose to use a frog as a mascot; to announce my leap from MobieMe to Vimeo, because frogs leap —  and so should I. Here's what it is: Because of the recent decision of Apple to do away with MobileMe, I had to do some major shuffling of movies and virtual presentations that I had in my MobileMe gallery. On August 16th 2011, after recalling how pleased I was with the results I had in May of 2011, when I  put my first garden-themed movie, The  Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame .  . almost on Vimeo, I decided to move everything in my MobileMe Gallery to a new home, rather than waiting to see what Steve Jobs and iCloud will do about things that Apple consumers have posted in  their respective MobileMe  galleries.

FYI, the movie, The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame . . . almost, can not only be seen within my Vimeo Library, it can also be accessed when you click on my profile picture in Vimeo, and this movie, as you may recall, dear reader, is my first full length garden-themed movie, narrated by my Actinida kolomikta (Kiwi Vine). His partner, Actimida, also a Kiwi Vine appears, but is silent. This movie was released in May of 2011 and announced with a trailer that also appears in my Vimeo Library for your consideration.

As you may recall, at the time of the release of my first urban garden-themed movie, there was a specific post which included a related trailer and announcement regarding its access on Vimeo. This post can be found by clicking on the following link within my blog:
thelastleafgardener.blogspot.com/​2011/​05/​movie-release-kiwi-speaks-fifteen.html

The Frogspotting presentation which can be viewed above is also in my Vimeo Library. Besides reference to my Kiwi Vine's first movie, this presentation also references my virtual flip-books that showcase my lines of invitations which enhance any occasion, event program covers that preserve a moment in time, and my line of greeting cards which go beyond communication.

As you undoubtedly remember, dear reader, one of these virtual flip-book presentations is for valentines, the other is for non-valentine communication; although, depending on the situation, you could certainly use the latter for valentine-communications. 

For a direct link to my posting about a "general" flip-book, please click on the following link within my blog:
thelastleafgardener.blogspot.com/​2011/​01/​sobraprapaev-estonias-valentines-day.html

For a direct link to my posting with a flip-book about Valentine's Day cards; please click on the following link within my blog:
thelastleafgardener.blogspot.com/​2011/​02/​influence-of-snowmen.html

Additionally, this (Frogspotting) presentation references two mini-movies which show-case Gifts by Helen. (The Origami and Pink Cat Rock presentations). To refer back to these within my blog, please see the following within my blog:

For Origami, please click on the link below:
thelastleafgardener.blogspot.com/​2011/​01/​ystavanpaiva-friends-day-way-to-express.html

For the Painted Cat Rock (Pink Cat), please click on link below:
thelastleafgardener.blogspot.com/​2011/​02/​confessions-of-pink-panther-wannabe.html

Other movies in my Vimeo library thus far include one which pays a tribute to voice cards and one dedicated to those who follow my blog. You can refer to postings about both of these presentations by going to the following links within my blog:

For Voice cards click on the following:
thelastleafgardener.blogspot.com/​2011/​01/​looking-towards-twelfth-night_05.html

For mini-movie directed to The Last Leaf Gardener blog follows, click on the following link:
thelastleafgardener.blogspot.com/​2010/​12/​happy-new-year.html

A few other selections, referenced in Frogspotting, and which can now be found in my Vimeo Library, relate to my Virtual Stories. Thus far I have created one for a vow renewal ceremony and a memorial one which at this time is a private video until I get a clearance to share it, however, it has been discussed in a blog post which you may read buy going to the following link within my blog:
thelastleafgardener.blogspot.com/​2010/​12/​lighting-fire-inside-heart_6358.html

As for the vow-renewal DVD, in my Vimeo library, I have the full movie, the trailer for the movie, and a mini-movie, which is especially dedicated to the couple's three month anniversary of their ceremony. The link to read about the latter on my blog is posted below:
thelastleafgardener.blogspot.com/​2011/​03/​what-difference-three-months-make.html

Another item which Frogspotting references in my Vimeo library as it stands thus far, is a trailer for the sequel to my first garden movie, The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame . . . almost. This sequel is titled The Kiwi Vine AND the Monarch Butterfly and the trailer's title indicates this. The "back-story" news about this is referenced in Part One of today's blog entry.

Lastly, in terms of things that are in my Vimeo Library as of this Frogspotting presentation (announcing my full move from MobileMe to Vimeo), there is a mini-movie, called, An Apple a Day, which is a dedication and appreciation offered to various one-to-one trainers at Apple. You may want to re-read about it on my blog, The Last Leaf Gardener, by going to the following link within my blog:
thelastleafgardener.blogspot.com/​2011/​03/​encore-apple-day.html

An Apple a Day honored trainers who were currently at Apple, as well as new trainers and ones that left Apple UWS. Since the release of the "apple movie" in early April of 2011, a few other trainers have left Apple UWS; including (in alphabetical order) Anthony, Clinton, JD, John, Lee, and Tim.

Tim's departure was discussed in a blog post which you may refer to by going to the following link within my blog:
thelastleafgardener.blogspot.com/​2011/​06/​happy-half-year-to-you-part-two-march.html

With that, dear reader, I have covered the bases for what Frogspotting is announcing regarding my Vimeo Library and I hope you enjoy viewing my selections. 

So without further ado, I 'd like to thank both Matt R and Greg C who are both Apple one-to-one trainers, for their hands-on training in making Frogspotting leap forward!

Happy Half Year to You! (PART TWO: March and April 2011 Follow-Ups)

In March, I posted a few entries about my appreciation for the trainers at the Apple Store on the upper westside of Manhattan, and if you'd like, you may refer to those posts by clicking here and here. Since that time a few trainers have left that store, including Tim Larsen, whose doing so was addressed in a comment, made by someone who read a blog posting that I had made this past November.

(You may view post and his comment by clicking here.) When Tim Larsen first left Apple, I wrote a letter to corporate on his behalf and a copy of it is posted below:

Dear Joanna,

It was a pleasure speaking with you by phone yesterday and I truly appreciate your willingness to forward my email to someone who might look into revisiting an Apple policy. As you can see I've "cc-ed" Steve Jobs, but I am sadly aware that health issues may prevent him from going through his email, so I especially appreciate your willingness to bring my concerns to someone's attention — a person who may have the authority to consider my suggestion.

By way of background, I have been enrolled in Apple's One to One Program since March of 2010, and have been very grateful for it since day one. This is a fact that I have expressed in an Acknowledgement Page, which I included in a  project I created in iWeb in the spring of 2010. I have also expressed my gratitude to the excellent and attentive managers (Steve Gockerman, Anthony Aliffi, and Gerald Malachi) at Apple UWS store on many occasions (including a presentation that I gave at Apple UWS this past October, as well as a formal essay that I wrote and gave to  the helpful Anthony Aliffi in November of 2010 — a copy of this essay is on my blog which you can read by clicking here). Additionally, I recently found a small way of expressing my appreciation to the staff at Apple UWS when I celebrated my year anniversary of one to one membership, and you can read about these efforts as I wrote about them in two separate blogposts which you can read by clicking here and here. 

Moreover, I have been impressed with the team spirit of Apple, and have also expressed this on my blog, which you may read by going to this post, this post, and this post. My enthusiasm and gratitude towards Apple remains, but, I am very saddened by a recent circumstance that occurred at Apple UWS last week, which is the firing of Tim Larsen. He truly was an asset to Apple, and in a review of his performance as a trainer (that I was asked to submit on August 30th 2010), I said this:

  "Tim Larsen is an excellent trainer. He is very knowledgeable and willing to share his expertise. I first worked with Tim on April 28th 2010,and he helped me with masking in iWEB. On May 3rd , I worked with him again and he showed me how to search for colors and "grab" them for the web-site I built in iWEB. We worked again on May 28th and June 3rd, resolving a lot of issues in using MAC , as I unfortunately came from a PC background. On June 6th, I worked with Tim again and made the leap of cutting my umbilical cord known as bootcamp, and thus eliminating the windows side of my Mac Book Pro. On June 9th, Tim suggested I up my RAM, and on June 11th, with his advice, I purchased more RAM, and I love the smoother sailing! I did not get to work with Tim again until August 12th, but when I did , he once again helped me with a problem I was having . This time it was with a brochure that I created in Pages. Additionally, because the memory-card to my camera was damaged, he suggested I try the Eye-Fi card; which I have purchased, and I am enjoying. I had a chance to work with this card as it relates to iphoto when I had the session with Tim on August 30th. He knows his products. He is willing to share "trade secrets" and "tricks of the trade" which make using the Mac Book  Pro a rewarding experience. Apple surely knows what a great trainer he is and how passionate he is about sharing his knowledge. Thanks for the opportunity."

Since this review, I have upgraded many of my Apple products, purchased new software, and I have worked with Tim on many, many other occasions. There is so much that I could add about his talents, and his evident love for Apple products, but my doing this would fill volumes, and I am already being a bit too wordy for email. However, I would certainly like to add that not only has Tim been helpful to me, but he has been valuable to many other one to one clients (I see this first hand when I am at Personal Projects), folks with "genius bar" issues, and to his team of one to one trainers who often seek his expertise when they are helping other clients.

Tim Larsen's dismissal was evidently provoked by attendance issues. It is common knowledge that Tim has a long commute, and additionally, this past winter, New York City suffered from many snowstorms, which even caused banks and post offices to close, but not Apple. As I write this, I want to clarify that I am not sure if Apple "forgave" snow related absences, or, if those absences were included. I also assure you that Tim did not complain about this, or about anything related to Apple or complain about anything for that matter.

My point in writing to you, is to let you know that Tim Larsen's dismissal has caused a cloud to linger over Apple clients, and I am truly concerned about the well being of other Apple trainers. It would be very easy for them to become disheartened in light of Tim's situation. There are many talented individuals at the Apple UWS store and they empower clients with skills which is smart (although not their main motive) because the clients then want to purchase Apple products.

If policy is not revisited, these trainers could become just pay check collectors, and time-clock punchers (like many horrible teachers that I have had at various academic institutions), and depart from their being willing to work at learning additional programs to be more qualified; or they may hesitate to be engaging, because if they are penalized for things, then ultimately what is their incentive to persevere?

It is also common knowledge that Steve Jobs recently gave employees three days paid vacation. This indicates to me that he would be open to revisit Apple's attendance policy — especially in the instance when ALL evidence of good stacks up against a few absences. Steve Jobs, as everyone knows, refers to his Apple community as a "team", and I am imploring you to work as a team to revisit your policy, and thus insure that you will continue to have the best of the best working for an organization such as Apple — that one would think — is a cut above adhering to rules that could be altered. Perhaps you could call a revisited policy "the Tim Larsen" clause.

With Appreciation for your time and consideration in this matter as well as gratitude for what Apple has brought to many lives,

Patricia Youngquist




All of my Apple correspondence took place before I ever discovered Ms. Fabio's blogs referred to in Part One of this special half-year posting, as well as in one of a prior blog entries, which you may read by clicking here.  One of the things as I have stated that I liked about Fabio's blogs was that she followed up on topics that she discussed. Another thing that I liked was that she took an action to help someone in need. In this case the someone in need was Benny the goat, pictured at the top of this blog entry (for image credit click here).




However, the point of my follow up today is not Benny (you can read about that story if you like by clicking here), but my point is  about Fabio's response. Allegedly when Fabio heard about Benny, she said to herself, "I have to do more than tweet about this", and she did; by creating a Facebook Page for Benny's cause, and also by writing a letter to a court official, that her readers could cut and paste into an email and send it to the official as well (which yours truly was pleased to do).




So what's a goat in danger of being ousted from the digs it has lived in since it was quite young, and Fabio's response, have to do with Tim Larsen leaving Apple and to my writing a letter on his behalf? Like Fabio, (though I had not heard of her or her blogs at the time), I wanted to take an action that might help Tim, or at the very least raise awareness at Apple. However, thus far, I do not tweet about anything, nor do I have a Facebook Profile, so I did some research to see how to reach the "powers that be" at Apple, and I made the necessary phone calls to confirm my findings; then I wrote the letter on behalf of Tim. The old "if you see something say something" method. Therefore, when I discovered Fabio's blogs and noticed she had done things on the behalf of others I felt a kinship.




Writing a letter is no big deal, I realize, but not writing on someone's behalf, when you are able to so, is a big deal, in my humblest opinion. Having said this, it is a pleasure to let you know dear reader, that since Tim Larsen's leaving Apple this past spring, he has not only landed a great job, but he was  also cast in a lead role in the play, Panic. He played John Housemann. This took place in Leonia, New Jersey at The Players's Guild of Leonia's playhouse. I saw the production, and Tim was fantastic; which should come as no surprise to anyone fortunate enough to have worked with Tim on anything. I happened to take a few pictures from the event which can be seen posted below. 

Tim subsequently sent me the following photograph of the "actor less set".

 In terms of April 2011 blog post follow ups, I have two. The first  is regarding my garden. My Actinida kolomikta and Actimida (Kiwi Vines), featured in my first garden movie, The Kiwi Vine Speaks Fifteen Minutes of Fame almost (details for this movie available at a blog post which you can find by clicking here), are doing as I suspected they would (which you can read by clicking here).




The Actinida kolomikta and Actimida (Kiwi Vines) are now turning the corner on the rail of my terrace garden, and heading west as seen in the photograph posted below.

The second thing that I wanted to follow-up on in terms of ideas discussed in April of 2011 is this, on April 17th, 2011, I introduced my readers to Maida pictured here (again) in the photograph posted below. And, dear reader, you may recognize her unusually open and animated features while recalling that Maida is a resident at an ecumenical place where I have done volunteer work since November of 2003. 

The place is often referred to as "the home", but, Maida has pointed out to me, the connotation of it being called "the home" is troublesome to her. "It is a residence, "  she explains and goes on to say that by folks referring to it as a "home", there is an implication that she and her fellow residents do not have severe physical or mental capabilities, and often wonders aloud why folks just don't call where she lives a "residence".  Maida, like yours truly, is very sensitive to language and has an appreciation for literature — a fact that I referred to in my April 17th blog entry when I mentioned her love for T.S. Elliot. Most recently Maida has been reciting poems from  memory from her tattered book ,The Galaxy of English, which she says was stolen from her room. I am always moved by the stories of the lives of the residents in the place I volunteer, and I mentioned in April my idea of adding a weekly or bi-weekly column to my blog, featuring different ones of them. It is an idea for which I am still working out the logistics, so please stay tuned.




For now I will say I am gathering photographs and stories and most likely will begin the series with interesting stories concerning Little Shirley and Doctor Marilyn, both very charming residents pictured below respectively.

Encore: An Apple a Day

Last week I posted that it was my anniversary of one-to-one sessions at Apple 67 — or Apple USW as "they" say, and today I'd like to tell you, dear reader, that the response to my efforts from the Apple trainers, greeters, cash-wrappers and security guards has been touching and somewhat overwhelming, and if any of you "out there" have ever toyed with the idea of expressing your gratitude towards someone, I encourage you to do so. We are living in tough times. Maybe we can't send dollars to Libya or Japan, but that should not stop us from reaching out to those in our own world, by sending them a card (and I have a wide selection in my store-front). Let's heed the warning in the (I'm showing my age now), song by Three Dog Night, Easy To be Hard, and if we truly care about the issues at hand, there is always something we can do for those right in front of us, and I am suggesting, sending a "snail-mail" card (for starters) to warm the hearts of anyone in your life that has helped you move forward.

And with that thought, I leave you with this "reprise" — a video (short, short), in honor of the wonderful training I have received, produced by yours truly (with some techie assistance). The animated "show" starts out with all the people I've met during "class-time" (represented by apples with the individual's name on each one) and cuts to the ones that I first worked with (and many of those are acknowledged an on-line brochure). This cuts to the clapping/applause that you will hear as individuals leave their position at Apple 67, and BTW, this occurs every time someone employed by Apple 67 moves on to their next endeavor — often a sad moment for me, but a ritual rooted in Apple 67's (excuse me, Apple USW) spirit of encouragement and good will. Then the newer apples enter, each contributing a unique perspective. Thanks again.

An Apple for the Teacher: Celebrating Apple's Variety of Gifts and One Spirit

It has been written that there are "a variety of gifts but one spirit," and while, in this instance, it is the spiritual gifts from God that are being referred to, I would like to equate this passage with a place— a place where there are a variety of gifts and one spirit, and that place is the Apple Store on 67th and Broadway, in the Upper Westside of Manhattan, where the variety of gifts are from the talented people who work there, and from their common spirit which seems to be a willingness to share knowledge. Today I will be "celebrating" my anniversary of one-to-one sessions that I began taking at this location on March 22nd 2010. I heard about the one-to-one program from a man named Orlando whom I met (at that time he was an Apple 67 greeter), when I wandered into the store last March.

At that time I was a fairly new owner of a Mac Book Pro; however, my visit to the Apple store on 67th and Broadway was prompted by a suggestion of a colleague, who informed me that Apple had an array of classes as well as training opportunities. Had it not been for her suggestion, I might not have wandered into the glass structure, which I had perceived to be ominous, and my readers may recall this from a previous post, where I wrote about the Apple trainers involved in assisting me in the construction of my on-line brochure via iWeb (my "formal" presentation of my iWeb creation was discussed on this blog in October). Since that time, my learning experiences at Apple have continued to flourish, and I have met additional trainers that have truly taught me remarkable skills which would fill volumes — far too many things to mention in a blog post. I have expressed my sentiments about the 67th Street Apple Store in a prior post honoring Steve Jobs, but today, on my "anniversary," I will be honoring those who have taught me so many skills (as well as the greeters, genius-bar folks, security guards, and "cash wrappers") with a handmade card in my "signature" colors featuring the Apple symbol with the name of each individual on the "stem" (a sample bearing Orlando's name  — since he introduced me to the program — can be seen at the top of this post) symbolizing an apple for the teacher.

Influenced by Bette Midler's acceptance speech for an Oscar she received when she stated,"I'd like to thank everybody I ever met . . .",  I want to take this opportunity to thank those who have made my experiences of learning aspects of the Mac Book Pro rewarding. In alphabetical order, here they are: Andrea (Andy), Adrian, Al, Alan, Anthony, Cat, Christina, Clinton, Corren, David, Dru, Evelyn, Gerald, Greg C,  Greg G, Greg S,  Jessica, JD, John I, Johnny, Josh, Juan, K-Lee, Kris, Lee, Lewis,  Maggie, Matt, Melissa, Mierelle, Mike, Nina, Orlando, Rose, Sam, Scott, Stephanie E, Stephanie H, Thibaut, Tim L, Tommy, Trey, Vlad, and Yuko.

Happy Birthday Steve Jobs, Happy Birthday to you!

Today is Steve Jobs' birthday and I certainly wish him good health. When I learned last month that he was taking another leave from Apple to "focus on his health", I was at a loss for words (as I stated in a previous post), and since that time, I have replayed a video of him making a commencement speech in California (which I included in a prior blog entry that you can view by clicking here). In that speech, Steve Jobs said, "If you live everyday as if it is your last, one day you will be right." I pray that Steve Jobs is not even close to his last day, but my blog post is not intended to dwell on the philosophy associated with such a statement; rather, it is to ponder a reason for the pressure shareholders and influential investors are putting on Apple Inc — a reason which I believe goes beyond monetary concerns. Since I hold no stock in Apple and have very little cash flow in general, my insights may prove to sound altruistic, but please, hear me out:
I am here today to say that while stock-holders, as well as share-holders of Apple, are putting pressure on Apple Inc to reveal its succession plans should Steve Jobs have to permanently leave Apple (as reiterated by Dominic Rushe who recently reported that "the International Shareholder Services known as ISS, which advises pension fund investors, backed a shareholder proposal to require Apple to disclose a succession plan for Jobs . . ."), and to insist on addressing their financial concerns over what repercussions such an "upset" could cause, I find it difficult to believe that such worries are solely rooted in monetary reasons. While it is true that these types of anxieties are very real, given the consequences of "the unexpected high-profile departures at drugs group like Pfizer and Hewlett-Packard" (as pointed out by Rushe), it is also true that Steve Jobs surrounds himself with very capable and talented people (such as Tim Cook), and his company hires very proficient individuals (I've had the pleasure of working with a number of these folks at the Apple Store on 67th and Broadway in New York City) as stated in a few of my blog posts which you can view by clickinghereas well ashere. Not only does Steve Jobs make sure that very great people work for him, he seems to treat them as valuable, which I surmise from his emails where he addressees his workers by referring to them as a "team" (click here to read samples posted within my blog entry).



So, if Steve Jobs surrounds himself with a "team", then why the worry by stock-holders and share-holders as to Apple's financial picture should Steve Jobs no longer be able to be involved?

Should this prove to be the case it would be very sad indeed and an extreme loss; however, I think the frenzy over the speculation of Jobs' stepping back is not purely due to the "practical" concerns of investors; rather, it is an inability to come to terms with the fact that such an admired and talented man has been afflicted with the resurfacing of his cancer when it seemed he had won the battle over the disease. As I write this, I am reminded of what Joan Didion (an author I've credited in previous posts which you can read by clicking hereand here), had to say about a prominent figure stricken with cancer (in this case it was John Wayne) in an essay re-published in a book of her collected essays, Slouching TowardsBethlehem.

"It did not seem possible that such a man could fall ill, could carry within him that most inexplicable and ungovernable of diseases. The rumor struck some obscure anxiety. In John Wayne's world, John Wayne was supposed to give the marching orders . . . but there it was, the rumor, and after a while the headlines, 'I licked Big C', John Wayne announced as John Wayne would, reducing those outlaw cells to the level of other outlaws, but even so we all sensed that this would be the one unpredictable confrontation, the one shoot-out Wayne could lose."


I truly pray thatSteve Jobs does not loose this "shoot-out," as I pray when anyone finds themselves in the battle with a disease that could cost their lives, but I hope too that investors and share-holders will not add to the strain by making demands for disclosure that may be unfounded.

Kudos to Steve Jobs for surrounding himself with talent, for being open to working as a "team" and for his courage to step back when he needs to — a courage he apparently expressed when he stepped out of Reed College (not for health reasons) to focus on what he needed to do at the time. Jobs' has expressed "love" for Apple, why would he not do all he could to insure its legacy?Once again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEVE JOBS! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU . . . AND HERE'S TO MANY MORE!

The Kalomeris's Garden

New York City dwellers who own and maintain urban gardens (such as yours truly) are often artists and tend to find each other by happenstance, as was the case when I met Cecilia Kalomeris, an urban gardener and fine artist  (known as Cecilia Abs André), who lives a couple of blocks north of me. I had admired a postcard that featured her painting, Bird/Vessel (a photograph of the painting can be seen above). Cecilia had used the postcard as an invitation to an art exhibition of her paintings which had taken place several years prior, and when I met her we were both working on building projects in iWeb at the Apple Store on 67th Street and Broadway in the Upper Westside of New York City.

As we talked, we realized our appreciation for making art was not the only thing we shared, and one of those things was the fact that we both had apartments with outdoor spaces. Mine a roof extension garden off of my fifth floor walk-up studio, hers a terrace garden off of a fairly large apartment in a luxury building with a doorman and an elevator. Both of our outdoor spaces have a Northern exposure which means we have similar growing conditions. 

We met late last fall and then again in the early winter — at the end of the season for terrace gardeners — so I am looking forward to seeing her garden flourish this spring, and when I do, I will share it with my readers. However, upon seeing her outdoor space when we first met, I was very moved by the fact that her daughter had contributed to the Kalomeris's garden by making a painting on one of the panels in between the rod-iron railing that surrounded their terrace and calling it The Kalomeris's Garden, as seen below:

This painting adds such delight to the garden. and it reflects the warm and creative nature of the young artist's (Elisabeth) mother, Cecilia. It is especially nice when gardens become family affairs and the influence remains throughout all the seasons, as can be seen in the photo below with a snow-speclked outdoor chair and a portion of the painting to its left.