WEDNESDAY'S WISDOM: "If cats could talk, they probably wouldn't ."

Halloween is a mere six days away (including today) and while it is a favorite time of humans, "who excitedly plan their costumes of spooks, vampires and monsters, in anticipation of (it), cats, particularly black cats, have little cause for celebration this month,", says Franny Syufy (in her article, October: Black Cat Month: The Perils of Halloween, which you may read in full by clicking here).  

If indeed the fate of some black cats  on Halloween is as bleak the aforementioned article indicates, this may explain why the painted cat rock in the upper-right hand corner has such a pensive expression on his face. It seems one never knows what is going on in the minds of cats.


My friends who have cats seem to be in agreement with a quote that claims, "If cats could talk they probably wouldn't, " which is attributed to Nan Porter (whose identity remains a mystery even to the most powerful Google Search Engine).



Not being a cat owner yet hearing a cat in heat yelling across my court-yard causes me to be unsure of the total truth of Porter's sentiment. Perhaps, cats do speak, but folks may not be listening. Be that as it may, it is very sad to think that there are people out there who would use Halloween — or any other occasion for that matter — as an excuse to torture black cats — or any living thing. However, since it is true that cats are not able to verbalize, they are unable to get the word out there that they need protection. It is a blessing that there are people who will speak for the felines, protecting their lives, and trying to prevent cruelty from being bestowed on them — whether it be as a Halloween prank or otherwise.


That being said, there are many more people who appreciate cats than there are those who torment them. The successful Broadway musical, Cats, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot, (an author who I have referred to in previous posts which you may refer to by clicking here as well as here and here). Eliot's literary work regarding cats is just one example of how much cats are appreciated in the arts, and as a matter of fact, an image of the eyes of a black cat adorn the cover of the CD recording of this musical.

Additionally, another person (an artist) expressing  her appreciation of cats by "using" them in art work is Phyllis, the artist who creates portraits of cats on rocks (and who I have referred to in my pervious blog entries which you may find by clicking here as well as here and here and here). She has recently designed some especially unique black ones, as evidenced by the images accompanying today's blog entry. The eyes of the cat rock to the immediate left remind me of the cat's eyes featured on the aforementioned CD cover (as seen below in the Wiki Image associated with a link you can access here).

Helen has Phyllis's new (black-cat) painted cat rocks at her "vending station", and as always she is featuring them with an array of other painted cat rocks (all by Phyllis). In addition to the painted rocks, Helen's other unique gift items include journals and photograph albums that are made of natural materials — a fact that I have described in a previous post which you may re-read by clicking here. 


Furthermore, I have produced mini-movies (Virtual Stories) that are based on Phyllis and Helen's novelties. These are currently available for viewing in my Vimeo Library and the specific links to the aforementioned films may be found by clicking here and here. If, dear reader, you happen to be an artist, a vendor, or a shopkeeper and are looking for a way to promote your "products", I would love to discuss producing a virtual story for you that would promote your endeavors in a personal manner. Should this be of interest to you, please feel free to leave me a few details in the "comments field" below this blog post, or if you prefer, you may send me an e-mail by clicking here.  


Additionally, my Virtual Stories, are not limited to showcasing gift items. As of this blog entry, I have sixteen Virtual Stories in my Vimeo Library,which include a garden-themed movie called The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame (almost), that I have blogged about in a previous post, which includes a trailer and you may refer to it by clicking here. Moreover, my Vimeo Library also includes The Miracle on 71st Street. This Virtual Story is also discussed in a prior blog entry and if you'd like to refer to this, please click here.

Another Virtual Story included in my Vimeo Library is a fun-loving movie dedicated to Apple's trainers (this was blogged about in a post which you may read about by clicking here), and there is a touching Virtual Story (memorial) that was produced for a friend who lost her friend to AIDS. I plan to blog about this in November, as it is the month dedicated to all souls.


I encourage you to follow this blog for details on my Virtual Stories; and invite you to view and download the "calling card" which I am using to promote them. It may be found by clicking here, and if you are interested in having me produce one for you for a memorial, wedding, tribute, or any occasion, please leave me a few details on the "comments field" below this blog entry, or, if you prefer, you may send me an e-mail regarding this by clicking here.

Meanwhile, the link to see my other Virtual Stories that are not mentioned in this blog entry may be found by clicking here, and if you need one within the formats that these have been produced, either post your request in the "comments field" below this blog entry or send me an e-mail by clicking here.

That's it for today, dear reader, except to remind you how good it makes someone feel when you reach out to them, and how good it feels to you when you do this for someone near and dear to you. Even Phyllis's painted cat rocks are aware of this as evidenced by the little brown one who has joined the soulful looking block one who appeared alone at the top of todays blog entry. One way we can reach out to others is by sending greeting cards and Helen is currently selling my Halloween greeting cards as "singles" —  they are only in boxed sets on the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo-Art. If you'd like to see what they look like before heading over to Helen's,  click here for a direct link to where they are posted on the  Card Shoppe Pages.


P.S. If you are interested in getting any of my cards as "singles" or any of the painted rocks  as well as any of Helen's gift items, please click here for her vending location and her contact information. If you decide to e-mail her, please indicate that you read about her endeavors on this blog in the subject line of your email. AND if you would like to contact me about my producing a virtual story for you, and prefer to leave your questions or concerns in a "comment" as opposed to sending me an e-mail, but  are new to posting things in a "comments field", you may click here for directions.

A & P Catholics

Today is Palm Sunday,"the sixth and last Sunday of Lent, and beginning of Holy Week",  which ends on Easter, a season that then lasts for fifty days, which this year will be June 12th 2011. Therefore, if you have not gotten your Easter cards for those near and dear to you, there is still time, so please take a look at the selections I have for this occasion in the store-front of my web-site. The cards are lovely for Passover  too, which also begins this week, at sundown tomorrow, April 18th, 2011, and goes until April 26th 2011. Both of these holidays take a certain amount of spiritual preparation, and can catch one "off guard" when the holiday arrives, no matter what good intentions are involved in being ready to observe the holiday and extend good wishes to others.

For me, this last Sunday of Lent came quickly, and I confess I did not give up much of anything, which I discussed in a previous post , so maybe that is why I felt a bit dry this Palm Sunday. Nonetheless, as per my Sunday morning routine, which I have been doing since the year 2003, I went to the Seventy-Fourth Street Home (known as The Home) — an ecumenical assisted living center in the Upper Westside of Manhattan, to visit the homebound, and to assist with the distribution of Holy Communion. The woman in the photograph posted above is Maida, a delightful resident, and a true diva: always dressed in fine clothing with accessories and wearing full make-up (unlike yours truly who rarely dresses up and who almost never wears make-up even though I should).

I am including Maida today because she is the person who first mentioned (a couple of years ago during a cold month of April) the 'T.S. Eliot quote' (about April being the cruelest month), the quote that I referred to five days ago. Besides including Maida today, I am now pondering adding a weekly blog entry to The Last Leaf  Gardener, where I will feature  a different one of the residents each Sunday. They are such a vital part of my life and thus an influence on my art work. I am sure that you, dear reader, might like to meet them (via my blog); however, I confess I am still working out the logistics of including such a feature in my blog.

Nonetheless, it seems appropriate to honor Maida and  her contribution of sharing the April quote with me a couple of years ago — especially today, Palm Sunday. For, if truth be told, I don't see Maida on a regular basis (as being a "night owl" she often sleeps late which I also prefer to do whenever I get the chance), and so she often misses our "regular" Sunday morning services. But Maida was there today, ready to receive communion and ready to receive her palms.

However, today we had no hosts and we could only offer palms; not communion. The reason for this was that there were throngs of people at the mass (where the hosts are picked up prior to coming to The Home) and the priest ran out of hosts.

The residents at The Home were good natured about their loss, and not surprised that there were not enough hosts to go around, for it is common knowledge that throngs of people do show up at mass on Palm Sunday; as well as Ash Wednesday: The "A  & P" Catholics.

"But I bet the church did not run out of offertory envelopes," a male resident quipped, and Maida laughed heartily, still basking in the fact that she was being recognized for her literary mind, and perhaps this made April not so cruel for her after all.

My NYC Terrace Garden Spring Cleaning: Opened 62 Presents, Welcomed 2 New Arrivals

BEFORE:

AFTER:

AND A LOT OF FUN IN BETWEEN:

Yesterday, April finally relented and gave into Spring. Perhaps she heard me bring up the "cruelest month" quote from T.S. Eliot the other day, and said, "oh not that  bit again . . . " because yesterday's spring-like weather certainly made up for any ill feelings regarding April. I was able to unwrap all my herbs, plants, shrubs, and trees that had been fitted in winter-gear early last December when they were winterized. It was like unwrapping Christmas presents — 62 of them.

And I was blessed with two new arrivals (at the suggestion of Juan V, gardener extraordinaire, who has been mentioned in previous posts for his "trivet installation" and "turning table skills").  When he came to help me with my unwrapping today, he brought me an "Alfresco" mix of truly wonderful salad greens (red and green leaf lettuces with arugula, endive and radicchio) that boast a "Mediterranean flavor and feel," which I felt compelled to try with some  Greenmarket Olives, Pere Joseph cheese, and a Tom Cat baguette accompanied by Jovly — an off dry Vouvray — that I've just been to introduced by Nancy, a wine shop owner, whose exquisite taste in wine has never let me down and has been included in a previous post.

Here's hoping I have better success with salad greens this time around. Many years ago I had a "salad bar" theme,  attempting to grow salad greens in little containers, hoping my dinner guests would enjoy picking their own salad as much as I did (as indicated in the post that describes Juan V's "turning tables", and in case you missed it in the "referral" above: here is that link once again).

Upon reflection, those "salad bar" salad greens look a lot more timid than today's newcomer, or is it that I've become less timid as an urban gardener? In any event, some folks might say that my early garden years were my "salad days" (a  phrase that you may recall Shakespeare's Cleopatra using to say her affair with Marc Anthony was real — unlike her "salad days" with Caesar  when she was young and unreflective ), but I highly doubt those were my "salad days" in the way that Cleopatra describes such days, as I have never been young or non-reflective.

However, I think my newest arrivals will do just fine. They look pretty confident in photograph above the "salad bar" photograph, and even my Paeonia suffruiticosa (Tree Peony), seems to be staring at them in awe.

Happy Spring to you at last, dear reader, and I'll keep you posted on any new garden images that I add to my web-site, where you can find my collection of invitations that preserve a moment in time, event program covers that enhance any occasion, and greeting cards that are about more than communication. 

Please, dear reader, feel free to let  me know how your garden grows.

"April is the cruelest month . . . Winter kept us warm, Covering earth in forgetful snow, feeding a little life with dried tubers."

"April is the cruelest month . . . Winter kept us warm, Covering earth in forgetful snow, feeding a little life with dried tubers."





Standing in the doorway that leads to my urban terrace garden and looking at my plants, herbs, trees, and shrubs, I am reminded of this T.S. Eliot's quote because the bleakness of this year's April, in New York City, has ruled (weather  wise) — evidenced in the photograph at the top of this blog entry — where one can see that the things which I grow in my terrace garden, in New York's Upper Westside, are beginning to "pop out" of hibernation.

In certain instances, some of them show a few buds (as mentioned in this past Saturday's blog entry), but they are all still 'wearing' the 'winter-gear' that they were 'dressed' in a few months ago, and most of the things that I grow are not nearly at the stage where they were last year. In fact, I had 'undressed' everything by this time last year, and my Paeonia suffruitcosa (Tree Peony), showed its first buds last April, and this can be seen below in a photograph taken last year on April 13th — exactly one year ago today.

These beautiful green "bud-shells" seen in the photograph posted above quickly became a white bud, a bud, that inspired a blog entry, that you can refer to by clicking here. Last spring, my peony went on to fill my April with joy and anticipation, and to inspire a few blog entries that were reminiscent of a baby book that my mother kept when I was born, and where she logged my first steps, words, lock of hair etc. My peony is one of my many children, and you can refer to the progress it made last year by clicking here, as well as here, and here . 





I am looking forward to what it will bring this season, but it is making its 2011 debut — where it appears to be either waving or applauding — as captured in the photographs posted below:

Some of these images may be rendered some into my line of invitations that preserve a moment in time, event program covers that enhance any occasion, and greeting cards that are about more than communication. You may recall that last spring, my Paeonia suffriyicosa, was the inspiration for images used in this way (described in my paper brochure which you can download here).





Today, as I write this, we are nearly at the midpoint of April, and my Paeonia suffriyicosa still is not quite ready to shed its 'winter-gear' and is still huddled in the southeast corner of my terrace garden with its friends, including the Ophipogon planiscapus (Black Mondo Grass) as seen below.

Seeing all my herbs, plants, shrubs and trees grouped together — outfitted in their burlap wrapping — reminds me of Christmas gifts waiting under the tree to be unwrapped, and I am eager to unwrap everything I grow, but I respect their need to wait before 'coming out' this season because they went through a rough winter  — which you may imagine from your own experiences with winter this year — and may also recall from one of my previous entries. However, winter kept them warm with"forgetful snow" (which you can see in the photo below) so I hope they all flourish in the forthcoming spring, summer and fall. 

Of course, we all know that Mr. Eliot was talking about something more profound than protecting garden treasures, in his poetic work, The Wasteland, from which the quote (used for today's blog post title) is taken. However, it is rather eerie, at least to me, that while this poem was published in 1922, its lines ring just as true today (with all the war and devastation that continues to occur in many parts of the world). According to the CSS Forum), The Wasteland refers to "the degraded mess that Eliot considered modern culture to constitute, particularly after the first world war ravaged Europe. A sign of pessimism which Eliot approaches his subject is the poem's epigraph. Eliot lives in a culture that has decayed and withered but will not expire."





But despite Eliot's supposed focus of decay, he does (as CSS points out) live "in a culture that will not expire", and  it is the value of persevering that has inspired my blog post today, on a dreary April Wednesday. Wednesday being a day that is not usually a part of my posting schedule.





No, dear reader, I have not suddenly been blessed with newfound vim and vigor. Rather, this morning, after I checked on my garden, and pondered how my garden looked last April, I wondered what my urban gardener followers are experiencing in their gardens and how they feel about the month of April. Please don't say "April in Paris" as I gave up being envious for Lent (which is almost over) and may not be that be able to stick with my intent (-;





And also please don't remind me that April's deadline for tax filing is approaching, which could be the very reason that April is called the "cruelest month" and a subconscious reason for my writing this week's "extra" posting, writing it provides an excuse for not following up with my accountant (-;





Wishing you a Happy (almost) Mid-April. Now on with those taxes, although, there is still plenty of time — this year we do have those extra three days . . .