Tuesday is here again, and you know what that means, dear reader — if it's Tuesday, it must be tumblr. However, before I send you there, I would like to share a few thoughts about November, since today is also November First.
This past Thursday, when I was walking home to my studio apartment in the Upper Westside of Manhattan, the rain was falling heavily, and even though it was only somewhere between five-thirty and six in the evening, it was quite dark, prompting me to think that soon we'd be changing the clocks (fyi, the date to do this is the second Sunday in November to leave daylight savings time), and that it would be getting darker much earlier in the evening.
The streets were quiet that evening; and while the hour said it should be dusk, "the state or period of partial darkness between day and night; the dark part of twilight", the darkness, enhanced by the heavy rain, was more than "partial", and it was quite peaceful, as it always seems to be when November approaches. The very early part of November. The part before it becomes Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving becomes Christmas (or Chanukah, or Kwanzaa), and Christmas becomes New Year's and New Year's becomes Valentine's Day and Valentine's Day becomes Easter (or Passover), and Easter (or Passover) becomes Memorial Day, and Memorial Day becomes The Fourth of July, and The Fourth of July becomes Labor Day, and Labor Day becomes Halloween, and then it is November and where did its thirty days go?
It always seems they go by quickly (even if some "single" days can feel like they are a year long), and, because time passes the way it does, November, with the change of colors it brings to the leaves (at least in the northeastern part of the United States where I live), is a good time to remember.
I am aware of the fact that the expression, "remember November" has election connotations associated with it, but my association (perhaps because I am an urban gardener) with remembering and November is to appreciate the changing colors of the leaves which happens at this time. My Ipomocea multifida (Cardinal Climber AKA "CC"), which was lush with emerald-green leaves and bursting with red flowers only just a couple of months ago (please click here for my September 8th 2011 post about my then thriving "CC"), is now sporting an array of colored leaves (evidenced in two of the photographs included with this posting.These beautiful leaves will soon be falling. and therefore it is essential that I heed the advice offered in Elizabeth Lawrence's quote: "Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."
Ms. Lawrence did not live in this digital age where folks rarely take time to look up from their hand-held devices (even while they are walking across city streets), much less look at nature, but it is November First, and just as the leaves are changing, we too can turn a new leaf in our routines and stop – yes I did say stop — and watch the leaves turn. This is November's answer to spring's adage, "stop and smell the roses"!
And it is almost too late for those who live in the northeastern tri-state to do this, to stop and watch the leaves turn, for we were "hit" this past Saturday by an unexpected raging snowstorm (albeit a "soupy and gloopey one) that knocked many of the leaves off our vines, shrubs, and trees! However, the vines, shrubs and trees are resilient and forgiving: they will give us another chance to watch the leaves turn.
In fact, my Continus Coggygria AKA Smokey Bush, Royal Purple, and Grace, seemed to delight in the icy-soup of snow that pounded on her leaves and branches; she was very cavalier about the whole thing; and she even seemed to be playing catch (and maybe she could teach our — ahem — New York baseball teams a thing or two about catching) with the cold mushy snow that fell upon her. This is evident in the image posted below:
Leaves, as you know, dear reader, are a big part of my inspiration, or I would not have called my blog, The Last Leaf Gardener, as per a story which you may refer to by clicking here. And the leaves of my Continus Coggygria AKA Smokey Bush, Royal Purple, and Grace are no exception.
I have written about this magnificent shrub in a number of previous blog entries including ones which you may refer to by clicking here as well as here and here and here, and you will find more (but not all) by clicking here and here and here. Additionally, I have featured images of my Continus Coggygria's leaves within my Flickr Gallery in a set called AUTUMN LEAVES: "Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn," and if you'd like to view them, please click here, and look for the set with the aforementioned name.
Moreover, the leaves of ny Continus Coggygria provided the inspiration for an all occasion greeting card which I created called 'Grace' (Smokey Bush). This card is wonderful for sending to someone near and dear to you at any time, but it is particularly nice for sending at this time of year.
This lovely card is featured within the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo-Art ,and a link to find its location within the aforementioned pages may be found by clicking here.
But, since it is Tuesday, that means it must be tumblr — and you may get there by clicking here — but before you do,sit still and watch the leaves turn before they fall completely, before this November First becomes Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving becomes Christmas (or Chanukah, or Kwanzaa), and Christmas becomes becomes New Year's and New Year's becomes Valentine's Day and Valentine's Day becomes Easter (or Passover), and Easter (or Passover) becomes Memorial Day, and Memorial Day becomes The Fourth of July, and The Fourth of July becomes Labor Day, and Labor Day becomes Halloween, and then it is November and you find yourself saying, where did its thirty days go?
AFTER YOU HAVE WATCHED THE LEAVES TURN AND HAVE TIME, I'd like to hear your thoughts which you may share via the "comments field" below. If you are new to posting this type of thing, you may click here for directions.
The streets were quiet that evening; and while the hour said it should be dusk, "the state or period of partial darkness between day and night; the dark part of twilight", the darkness, enhanced by the heavy rain, was more than "partial", and it was quite peaceful, as it always seems to be when November approaches. The very early part of November. The part before it becomes Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving becomes Christmas (or Chanukah, or Kwanzaa), and Christmas becomes New Year's and New Year's becomes Valentine's Day and Valentine's Day becomes Easter (or Passover), and Easter (or Passover) becomes Memorial Day, and Memorial Day becomes The Fourth of July, and The Fourth of July becomes Labor Day, and Labor Day becomes Halloween, and then it is November and where did its thirty days go?
It always seems they go by quickly (even if some "single" days can feel like they are a year long), and, because time passes the way it does, November, with the change of colors it brings to the leaves (at least in the northeastern part of the United States where I live), is a good time to remember.
I am aware of the fact that the expression, "remember November" has election connotations associated with it, but my association (perhaps because I am an urban gardener) with remembering and November is to appreciate the changing colors of the leaves which happens at this time. My Ipomocea multifida (Cardinal Climber AKA "CC"), which was lush with emerald-green leaves and bursting with red flowers only just a couple of months ago (please click here for my September 8th 2011 post about my then thriving "CC"), is now sporting an array of colored leaves (evidenced in two of the photographs included with this posting.These beautiful leaves will soon be falling. and therefore it is essential that I heed the advice offered in Elizabeth Lawrence's quote: "Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."
Ms. Lawrence did not live in this digital age where folks rarely take time to look up from their hand-held devices (even while they are walking across city streets), much less look at nature, but it is November First, and just as the leaves are changing, we too can turn a new leaf in our routines and stop – yes I did say stop — and watch the leaves turn. This is November's answer to spring's adage, "stop and smell the roses"!
And it is almost too late for those who live in the northeastern tri-state to do this, to stop and watch the leaves turn, for we were "hit" this past Saturday by an unexpected raging snowstorm (albeit a "soupy and gloopey one) that knocked many of the leaves off our vines, shrubs, and trees! However, the vines, shrubs and trees are resilient and forgiving: they will give us another chance to watch the leaves turn.
In fact, my Continus Coggygria AKA Smokey Bush, Royal Purple, and Grace, seemed to delight in the icy-soup of snow that pounded on her leaves and branches; she was very cavalier about the whole thing; and she even seemed to be playing catch (and maybe she could teach our — ahem — New York baseball teams a thing or two about catching) with the cold mushy snow that fell upon her. This is evident in the image posted below:
Leaves, as you know, dear reader, are a big part of my inspiration, or I would not have called my blog, The Last Leaf Gardener, as per a story which you may refer to by clicking here. And the leaves of my Continus Coggygria AKA Smokey Bush, Royal Purple, and Grace are no exception.
I have written about this magnificent shrub in a number of previous blog entries including ones which you may refer to by clicking here as well as here and here and here, and you will find more (but not all) by clicking here and here and here. Additionally, I have featured images of my Continus Coggygria's leaves within my Flickr Gallery in a set called AUTUMN LEAVES: "Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn," and if you'd like to view them, please click here, and look for the set with the aforementioned name.
Moreover, the leaves of ny Continus Coggygria provided the inspiration for an all occasion greeting card which I created called 'Grace' (Smokey Bush). This card is wonderful for sending to someone near and dear to you at any time, but it is particularly nice for sending at this time of year.
This lovely card is featured within the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo-Art ,and a link to find its location within the aforementioned pages may be found by clicking here.
But, since it is Tuesday, that means it must be tumblr — and you may get there by clicking here — but before you do,sit still and watch the leaves turn before they fall completely, before this November First becomes Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving becomes Christmas (or Chanukah, or Kwanzaa), and Christmas becomes becomes New Year's and New Year's becomes Valentine's Day and Valentine's Day becomes Easter (or Passover), and Easter (or Passover) becomes Memorial Day, and Memorial Day becomes The Fourth of July, and The Fourth of July becomes Labor Day, and Labor Day becomes Halloween, and then it is November and you find yourself saying, where did its thirty days go?
AFTER YOU HAVE WATCHED THE LEAVES TURN AND HAVE TIME, I'd like to hear your thoughts which you may share via the "comments field" below. If you are new to posting this type of thing, you may click here for directions.
