What a Beautiful Summer

I hope everyone is having a great summer! Mine has been fantastic. In between working hard at my job, I managed to have some fun. I just wanted to share some pictures of the most memorable moments. Here is a beautiful lake where I went sailing with my husband and in-laws.

We did some more sightseeing by the water at the Hudson River.

Lots of dining at local restaurants al fresco. The Lamborghini is not mine!

The woods in our backyard have been a tranquil place to relax on the weekends.

We did quite a bit of entertaining outdoors on our deck.

OK, the giraffes are not in our backyard! No, I took this picture at the Bronx Zoo.

As always, we enjoyed the local farmer markets--here are some gorgeous sunflowers.

I have been trying to eat healthier foods and making salads every day--I love fresh tomatoes.

I have been doing container gardening in my favorite terracotta pots.

Beautiful blue skies in New York City where I commute to work. And lots more.

I've been busy writing poetry and prose and posting my black & white photography on my new blog, Magic of Words. I finally updated my profile picture here and on Google+. Recently, I returned to Facebook to stay in touch with family and friends overseas and on the West coast. I will continue to blog here but probably on a seasonal basis as this blog will always remain special to me.

Thanks for following along! xx

Through the Fog

It's been raining most of the day and the fog is quite thick in the woods in my back yard. The fog looks kind of mystical, doesn't it, as it covers the sky with a white veil. So mysterious like an enchanted forest! And all this rain has made everything green and thriving.

The fog reminds me of those days when things seem unclear or uncertain.
Yet, it's also poetic and hopeful.

The fog will eventually lift and everything will fall into place as it should be.

Towards the Sun

I have an inspirational quote in my home office that reads:

"Turn your face to the sun and always believe that you will receive all that you need."

It seems that flowers know just how to do that. I have been watching this rhododendron in my back yard as it started out with many buds and, little by little, each one turned to the sun and bloomed.

Here it is as each bud was beginning to open up. To me, the quote also means having a positive attitude, opening up to possibilities, and trusting in the best outcome.

And this is how the bud started out. I find this transformation to be pretty amazing and so in tune with what the quote conveys. We may not always get what we want but somehow it all works out the way it's meant to be and we do get what we need indeed.

~ ~ ~

Wishing everyone

Happy Memorial Day

and beautiful beginning of Summer! xx

After the Rain

after the rain

Spring colors burst into

a rainbow of vivid hues

the coolness of indigo-blue

the warmth of yellow-orange

blending harmoniously

bleeding hearts heal

with each raindrop, falling

in love again

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We've  had quite a bit of rain this Spring so far but afterwards everything looks so refreshed and colorful. I took these pictures of pansies and bleeding hearts blooming in our yard and had fun creating digital art. The poem can be taken literally, but it's also a metaphor for healing. Enjoy and have a great week ahead! xx

Flowering Trees

Happy May!

When we first moved into our new home last June, most trees had already leafed out into beautiful shades of deep green.

I was pleasantly surprised this Spring to discover that a few of our trees in the front and back yard had flowered with pretty white blooms.

I took these pictures yesterday on a partly cloudy day but the sky was a clear blue. I love the way the white blooms look amidst these vivid colors. I later learned these are dogwood trees.

In other news, I was busy in April writing 30 creative writing pieces in 30 days to celebrate National Poetry Month. If you're interested in more of my creative writing and black and white photography, you can find my original work at my new blog, Magic of Words.

Enjoy and have a wonderful week ahead! xx