Not only is this ABC Wednesday, it is also the first of December, meaning Garden Muse Day as well. Since I seem to be able to manage only one post a week lately, this is another one of my two-for-one posts.
T is for Tree
Winter Trees
All the complicated details
of the attiring and
the disattiring are completed!
A liquid moon
moves gently among
the long branches.
Thus having prepared their buds
against a sure winter
the wise trees
stand sleeping in the cold.
--William Carlos WilliamsWhile I miss the blazing color of autumn trees that light up the landscape, there is beauty to be found in the bare branches of winter trees as well. And certainly those bare branches make for much easier bird-watching, a favorite indoor winter activity.
T is also for Thanksgiving. While I should have shown here a picture of the Turkey and all the Trimmings, the truth is, I was much too busy cooking and trying to get everything ready on time to grab a camera. The little turkeys above, by the way, were a craft project I did with my grandkids last year. I think I've mentioned before that Martha Stewart I am not:)
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and this year's was extra special. Arizona Daughter came home, her first trip home in over a year, and she and Almost-Son-in-Law spent the better part of five days with us. That meant a thorough cleaning (neglected all gardening season!) and the grocery shopping was all done before she arrived in order to spend as much time with her as possible. Also keeping me busy these past few weeks was painting and refurbishing Younger Daughter's bedroom into a guest room.
Toby put his seal of approval on the new bed before Daughter arrived and kindly agreed to let Daughter share it with him.
The days were filled with an abundance of food, family, and lots of laughter. Youngest Grandson didn't really remember his aunt, but a few Oreos quickly won him over. The time flew by all too quickly, and by the weekend Daughter and boyfriend were flying back to Arizona. I'm hoping to see her again mid-winter--but this time I'll be traveling to her warmer home!
Thanksgiving weekend was also a time for two celebrations. Yesterday Sophie, pictured above with Oldest Granddaughter, celebrated her first birthday! She thoroughly enjoyed the visit with Daughter, the consummate dog lover, and all the attention from the grandkids. She even had her own birthday cake--a little pumpkin pie.
Another milestone yesterday--my husband and I celebrated our 40th anniversary. Won't you join me in a Toast?
"I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich."
--Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford, M*A*S*H
Garden Muse Day is hosted by Carolyn Gail; I hope you'll visit Sweet Home and Garden Chicago for other musings on the day.
What a lovely and delightful collection of words and photos for the T day! Thanks for sharing the fun!
ReplyDeleteHave a great day!
Sylvia
Very nice posting, - so much variety and I especially like the tree photo. Sparse and elegant.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the pictures and the poem, and happy anniversary.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations with the day - you are three years ahead of us... :-)
ReplyDeletePS And thank you for the nice commeent :-9
A wonderful Twofer post Rose. So glad your family was able to come together for Thanksgiving. I like that poem. Congrats on 40 years together. Wow. I will definitely have a toast to you.
ReplyDeleteLots of goodies to digest here, Rose! Having your family there is the best of the best! We have one who is easily bribed with oreos as well. I know you had a most wonderful holiday, even with the added work of cooking for a group and cleaning before their arrival. The labors of love. :-) I love the bare branches of winter as well. To see the birds, but also to better see the shape and structure of the trees themselves. Not to mention the delight of spring when the new leaves emerge.
ReplyDeleteFrances
Sounds like you had a lovely visit with all your 'babies'. Happy Anniversary!
ReplyDelete40 years Rose?! Gosh, well done!
ReplyDeleteAhhh, the lovely Toby :) He goes so well with the beautiful bed linen! I have missed him.
So glad you had a lovely family Thanksgiving, I almost envy you those festivities!
Sx
Great use of T Rose. Happy Anniversary to you and hubbie. How wonderful to celebrate 40 years.
ReplyDeleteWonderful "T" post! It sounds like you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and happy anniversary!
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary! And it sounds like you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It's nice you'll have the chance to visit Arizona when it's really cold here!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 40th anniversary!
ReplyDeleteYou have a beautiful family. It's so nice to have the far-flung members come home and reconnect.
Rose, I love "two-fers"! It's good to have beds inspected and approved by cats--forget Zagat, there's now Toby stars! Many situations go more smoothly with Oreos, I've found. I'm still game to meet up in Phoenix in Feb, btw!
ReplyDeleteSo much to be thankful for, Rose .. and Happy 40th!
ReplyDeleteDear Rose....such an emotional post....I love the fact you cherish your family so much. I am the same.......
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday sweet Sophie and congrats to you and Mr P, it is a long road we travel and many fall by the wayside. Marriage is a huge commitment.....well done and many more happy years ahead I hope......
What a pretty girl your Granddaughter is and you can see from that lovely photograph she has a natural affinity with animals......
What a fun, spirited and joyful blog..I have really enjoyed my visit..beautiful photos as well...and creative sparkles everywhere! Yay..that was fun!
ReplyDeleteKiki~
Indeed! A toast to all the transitions in life that your post speaks of...
ReplyDeleteSylvia, Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHildred and Charles, I've grown to appreciate the beauty of bare branches.
Anthony, Thanks for visiting and for the good wishes!
RuneE, An early congratulations to you, too!
Lisa, If you were here, we'd open that bottle of wine:)
Frances, Yes, it was all a labor of love. And I haven't had to cook since:) I've come to enjoy the bare branches of winter--as you say, so much better to see the structure of the trees.
Janet, Thank you, and yes, there's nothing I enjoy more than having all my family here.
Suburbia, The time seems to have gone by so quickly. Toby is always here, but he has a habit of hiding out whenever possible:)
Susie, Thank you!
Sweet Bay, Since we had a big Thanksgiving celebration, we didn't do much for our anniversary. Maybe a trip later, I hope.
Rose, Going to Arizona when it's below zero here is something I really look forward to:)
Janie, Arizona Daughter only gets home once a year, so it's a special time when she does.
Monica, the door to the guest room was kept closed so that Sophie wouldn't muddy up the new carpet, but somehow Toby finds his way past closed doors:) I'm still counting on it, too--watching and hoping airfares will go down a little.
Joey, I am counting my blessings; thank you.
Cheryl, My family is the most important thing in my life, as you can tell. Thank you for the sweet words about Granddaughter. She's a very special young lady, and I think she's beautiful, but I may be a bit prejudiced:) She is indeed an animal lover and always has been.
Kiki, Thanks for those sweet words, and thanks for visiting me! I enjoyed finding your blog.
Paula, Thanks; we'll pop the cork on that bottle of wine!
Many happy returns on your 40th wedding anniversary! Lovely post, Rose!
ReplyDeleteI love your poem and the tree photo. Happy anniversary!! Thanks for your comment on my Muse Day post! I'm glad you know Mary Oliver.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!!! 40 years! It's a lot! Thank you for the lovely poem Rose. A liquid moon - I like it!
ReplyDeleteWow! Forty years! We've got the big 30 coming up in a couple of months, and I'm truly amazed at how much I still love the man after all. LOL. I had to laugh about the Almost-Son-in-Law. We've got one of those in the wings ourselves. Rose, thanks for the uplifting post. I love bare branches too, by the way.
ReplyDeleteRose, so happy for you that the visit was great. What a great Thanksgiving present for you. You and I share our devotion to our families.
ReplyDeleteSophie's birthday and your anniversary-special events! Can you believe we've been married that long!!?
The T's were great, you always think of so many. And 2fer posts are fine-at least you are psting. I feel so uninspired these days. :)
A toast to you and happy anniversary, too! This was a fun post.
ReplyDeletetall tree, troublesome tabby, terrific take on T
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, salut! I love the tracery pattern of bare branches against a winter sky.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you had a good holiday~~I know how we feel when our son comes home for a visit! Happiest of anniversaries to you and your sweet husband. gail ps Happy Birthday Toby!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your anniversary! Thanksgiving sounds like it went over well, the photos are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteAh..I love two-fers!
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary Rose!! What a happy Thanksgiivng weekend you had with family from AZ!!
Purr-Zzz to Toby..great pose!
hugs aNNa xo
A great collection of Ts. And, here's a toast to you!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely poem. I enjoy seeing the bare branches in winter--the trees seem so graceful--especially with a sprinkle of frost or snow on them.
ReplyDeleteYour grandson looks as though he was enjoying himself...Toby (sleeping) and Sophie (entertaining) taking their chores very seriously.
Happy Anniversary! 40 years is a milestone for sure! Well done!
Nice blog with nice picture of Cutie. I especially like the picture of red roses in a vase.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Forty years is quite something - we're at thirty three right now. :)
ReplyDelete'The wise trees stand sleeping in the cold'.
Love that line!
What a beautiful post covering so many Ts.
ReplyDeleteI must say, I love the look of bare tree-branches.
Thanks for visiting mine :)
A lovely post and photos Rose, I loved the Winter Trees poem. Many congratulations to you and your husband on your Ruby Wedding Anniversary (it will be ours next year...Shh!...I was a child bride!!) That is a lovely photo of your granddaughter and Sophie, two beautiful girls together.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how I missed your previous post but I have thoroughly enjoyed catching up with it. All the photos of your colourful blooms are just lovely and it was beautifully written too. Solitude and solace are two of the most important things my garden gives me as does Nature in general. Thank you Rose, a lovely read.
Rose Congratulations to you and your husband! a bit late, but we will offer a toast to you tonight. 40 years... so wonderful!
ReplyDeleteReader Wil, Thanks for the good wishes!
ReplyDeleteMary Delle, I'd like to read more of Mary Oliver's poetry!
Tatyana, I've never been a fan of William Carlos Williams, but this poem seemed to speak to me.
W2W, I got married at a very young age:) Yes, I'm hoping I can one day take the "almost" out of his name.
Beckie, Seems like only yesterday we were all newlyweds. I know what you mean about being uninspired, but I hope you get back to posting soon--I get to see you often, but I know others miss you!
Kate, Thanks, but not as much fun as flying to Oregon:)
Roger, Thanks; Toby the cat, though, is not troublesome; he's the king of the house:)
MMD, I agree! Bare brances against a blue sky are beautiful.
Gail, Hope you had a great visit with your son, too. And today I hope the surgery went well, and you're relaxing with a big cup of strong coffee!
Anna, We did have a good Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit; Toby sends his love and a recommendation for frequent catnaps.
I especially liked that poem! I hadn't heard it before, but it so captures the lives of our trees.
ReplyDeleteTumblewords, oops, I missed your comment! Thanks for visiting--I like your poetry better than WCW's:)
ReplyDeleteJudi, Thanks for joining in!
MG, I know you understand when I say I could post 100 pictures of grandson:) Thank you for the good wishes.
Flowers, Thanks!
Jay, Your 40th will be here before you know it! That line certainly evokes a great image, doesn't it?
Dragonstar, It seems there are many of us who enjoy the bare tree branches. But I will be happy to see them leaf out again in spring.
Shy Songbird, I was a child bride, too:) Thank you for the comment on my last post; nature provides so much nourishment for our soul.
Di, Thank you; it doesn't seem possible that it's been 40 years already. I hardly feel that old:)
Joyce, Always good to hear from you! This was a new poem to me, too, but I thought it described winter trees so well.
Happy 40th anniversary, Rose! So glad that you were able to have your family together for Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time for your lovely musings.
Congratulations Rose!! To you and your hubby. May you have many many more happy years together. Sure, I'll have some wine! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI started to read the poem at the beginning of your post and got to the part that said something about a moon in the branches. Huh? I didn't see a moon in your tree pic. Had to go back. Hmm - no moon. Then I realized the poem was a quote! I do love that tree shot with the nest nestled in the branches.
Can't believe your doggie is a year already! He's beautiful! Gosh, you were so busy getting ready for Arizona daughter's visit! So nice that they were able to fly home for Thanksgiving. Little grandson looks so sweet. Oreos agree with him. LOL!
Sending you some snow for your bare branched trees!
Isn't being a grandma such fun? I only have one grandchild, but enjoy him so much. He'll be 2 Jan. 4th.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary! Congratulations on 40 years!
Happy Birthday to Sophie, too.