This is a post where you have to use your imagination a little. Bring the fairy tale front and center and think of deer wandering through the yard in the twilight.
My parents have a large daylily bed in northern Michigan that has become "Serta Perfect" for a family of deer. Can you see the dents? It might be easier to see them if you look at the rim of the daylily bed. See how it is fluffy and has many large grass-like fronds? Now look into the center - nothing is upright. Those are the deer dents. At least 7 deer (I counted the dents) come in the night and sleep in our daylilies. They really aren't eating the garden, we mostly notice their handiwork in the Spring when they devour the tulips. During the summer, this is strictly a nighttime spot for them. Isn't is romantic? We often are awake until 11:30 pm, no deer. And my mom gets up around 5:30 am on many morning, no deer. Sometime during the moonlight hours, the family comes, nestles into the leaves and sleeps.
Do any of your roses have movie star qualities? I'm convinced that an Eden Climber can't take a bad photograph. The quiet and demure photo above was taken on my patio last month. I liken this photo to a black and white portrait of a movie star in her silk dressing gown, sitting at her vanity full of perfume bottles.
This red carpet look was taken in July in northern Michigan at my parent's cottage. A different plant, a different plant hardiness zone, but thriving just the same. I think of this photo as one of "a star and her entourage." If you love roses and have a wall or fence for support, you really need to add this stunner to your collection. Then stick around for some camera-ready moments all summer long.
When I see a pastry like this and know that the baker must have been up late the night before baking them, I have a hard time resisting. Blueberries were in season and this simple shortbread crust masterpiece had to be mine. It was made by Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery in Traverse City and sold at the Sara Hardy Farmers Market.
What's funny is that while I took this beautiful photo to show you, I actually ate it "on the fly" over two days. A bite when I passed by it on the way to do laundry; another bite as I headed back to take a shower. Then I covered it and put it in the fridge. The next day it was much of the same. A bite here and there until it was finished and I enjoyed every bit of it. It became like a box of 6 chocolates, that I ate over time. Do you know what I mean? Sometimes when you each a gorgeous dessert stem-to-stern, you talk and chew and miss how delicious it is. Every time I took a bite and moved on, I was happy that I had splurged on a blueberry tart. You don't always need embroidered napkins and monogrammed silver to eat something this beautiful. Enjoy it in a way that works for you. I made the immediate gratification of a French pastry last. That is delight!
I happened upon a visual delight. My friend, Melissa and I were tea-tasting at Light of Day Organics, when we looked at the time and realized we had to scoot over and pick up her daughter, who was taking riding lessons from Emily Brinkman at Blue Oxer Equestrian Services. I had never been down the back roads we took as a short cut to Maple City and nearby Cold Spring Farm, where the Blue Oxer Equestrian Service thrives. I have had zero experience with horses and was curious to see inside the stable.
I was beyond impressed. My overall impression was that it was tidy and calm. You've heard of "content cows" in the ice cream ads? These were content horses. The whole place looked beautiful to me, like an equestrian movie set. Emily Brinkman, owner and expert, is just darling and was tickled when I asked if I could photograph her ribbon display for Moments of Delight. She was pointing to various ribbons, explaining the event or horse that helped her win it. I could hardly hear her over the sheer beauty of the display. Do you know what I mean? The colors, lighting and spacing looked like an artist had come in and arranged it just so. I am going to email her the photo above - hopefully she can have it printed as an 8 x 10 and have it as "art" in her home. This is the beauty of everyday life.
It has been a challenge this summer; I have been out of town so much that I've hardly given my rose garden the attention that it deserves. I have nineteen roses planted in a bed around my patio and while I tend them daily in March/April/May, it feels like they hardly see me June/July/August. I pop home, for a week at a time, but it isn't nearly enough. On the flip side, I've become an even better at traveling with flowers! This particular bouquet of roses and snapdragons in an ALOHA juice canmade it through the 5 hour car ride like it was nothing at all. I slip a sandwich baggie over the top of the bouquet to keep it safe (and to limit the allergen exposure for my husband). Do you love the vase? I will be selling bejeweled versions in my Etsy store next week. Stay tuned!
Ooh la la...Olana! I was able to route our day of exploration in the Hudson River Valley to the estate of the famed American painter, Frederic Church.
My mom has long admired the paintings by the artists of the Hudson River School and she has several beautiful coffee table books on the subject. In this case, school in Hudson River School is used to describe the style and era, rather than an actual place of study. While I was in Upstate New York, I heard the phrase "fleet of sloops" coming through the phone receiver every time I called home. You see, a relative of mine was the Captain of a fleet of sloops on the Hudson way back when and my mom was trying to peak my interest.
When I asked more questions, I found out that my relatives were from Nyack, much farther south down the Hudson than I would be able to travel on this long weekend. But I'll be back, armed with a camera and a family tree and I promise to tour the area properly.
Frederic Church was a prized pupil of the Hudson River School founder, Thomas Cole and they both eventually lived and painted on opposite sides of the Hudson River. Our enthusiastic guide pointed out Cole's home, which is also a historic site, as we looked at the familiar view from Olana's porch.
I have a policy of stopping in the gift shop first, whenever I visit a museum or historic site. You see, I love to buy cards, posters and paper souvenirs at museum gift shops and it only took me "running out of time" once to set this important policy. Remember when I only had about 8 minutes to shop the store at Windsor Castle? I showed the teenage clerk what "power shopping" meant! Anyhoo, now I start at the gift shop and always I have plenty of time to explore my options. This is what I bought at Olana; framable cards of Church's major works.
I may scan one of these images and then print it on inkjet fabric and make it into a personalized souvenir. Remember how this painting-turned-pillow turned out? You can shop for postcards from Olana here.
The home, Olana, that Church collaborated on with architects, was heavily influenced by his overseas trip to Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Jordan and Syria. The Persian-style home includes intricate woodwork, painted glass panels and mosaics. Church was even known to mix the paint color for the walls himself - creating just the right hue to complete his vision. His paintings hang in many rooms around the house and are all in place, just where he enjoyed them, during his life.
Photography is not allowed inside Olana, but I found this official video that talks of his life, inspiration and tours the inside of this famous home. If you are interested, you should watch this official video created for Olana, a State of New York historic site.
I was able to get a few great photos of Olana's exterior.
And this one of the grand porch, just off of Church's studio, overlooking the Hudson.
And the same porch, photographed from the outside.
One aspect of Church's work that I wish that I could show you are his sketches. There are few framed upstairs that show the landscape roughed out in pencil, then you can read his writing that says (something to the effect of): "deeper blue here, lighter than sky" or "moss green - A and B" and then you could find the A and B on the sketch, as if Church was building his own paint-by-number. I had never seen an artist's sketch like that, have you?
I am so lucky to have had a chance to go on a guided tour of Frederic Church's Olana and then wander his gardens on the estate.
While living at Olana, Church had the property planted with thousands of trees and plants to create a lush landscape to paint. It is an inspirational estate.
When I walked into the tiny tiny ice cream shop called Lick in Hudson, New York and saw the listing of artisanal flavors, I found myself wanting too much of a good thing. Their flavor list was extensive and I narrowed it down to: Lemon Poppyseed, Sassafras, Fig or Lavender. I mean I really couldn't decide. I easily recommended ice cream pairings for my family (chocolate & lavender, lemon poppy seed and toasted coconut) but I just couldn't pass up any of them when it came to myself. Finally the hipster scooper said, "Are you going to get 2 scoops?" Yes, I answered. "The how about I give you a half portion of all four flavors?" Bingo! And as I sat on a bench outside, licking and swooning over my ice cream, I appreciated his suggestion even more. The lemon poppyseed ice cream tastes so rich and delicate that it could be described as "fancy." It is bridal shower-worthy, if that makes my meaning more clear. The fig ice cream was not vanilla ice cream studded with fig bits. It was a delicious ice cream full of rich fig flavor. I'd love this flavor paired with a piece of gingerbread cake. The sassafras ice cream was nice, reminiscent of root beer, but it was my least favorite of the four. The sassafras wasn't strong enough to hold its own against the creaminess of the ice cream. That said, Dan's uncle ate a large waffle cone of just sassafras ice cream and he was in 7th heaven. He asked how I had "known" that we should stop for ice cream at Lick. I told him that I had not heard about it in my research, but I knew that any place called Lick had to be serious about only one thing - artisanal ice cream! The lavender ice cream was silky and delicious. Having had lavender ice cream (and shortbread, lemonade and chocolates) many times before, I knew that the lavender would be a strong flavor. But they approach lavender just right, at Lick. I enjoyed the floral notes and happily paired my spoonfuls with the fig ice cream (and some of Dan's dark chocolate ice cream - yum!).
When you are on a road trip, you always hope that the "arrival of lunchtime" and "finding a spot for lunch" will intersect. I usually find a cute place to eat lunch when it's only 10:30 in the morning. Or I'm starving, but there are only McDonalds for miles around. So when I realized that a French boulangerie was right down the street from where we were we would be shopping in Hudson, New York, I knew that this was going to be my kind of road trip. Cafe Le Percheis a lovely little bistro and bakery in the heart of Hudson.
It was fresh and chewy and perfectly delicious. I just read the Cafe Le Perche story on the website and now I know why I couldn't stop eating their bread. They had a special 17-ton round brick and metal wood-burning oven shipped from France and assembled in the adjacent carriage house. (Click here to read their story and see photos of the oven being assembled). That amazing oven is where they can bake 200 of the most perfect baguettes. I could eat them all.
If you are driving around the Hudson River Valley, on a roadtrip looking for antiques or otherwise, you are sure to need some sustenance. Set your GPS to 230 Warren Street, Hudson, NY and fell confident that you will have a delightful meal. You can thank me later.
I finally made it to the Hudson River Valley...although there is so much more to see! On our jaunt to visit my husband's family near Albany and then on to the Beekman Farm in Sharon Springs, we penciled in a day to explore the town of Hudson, New York and then tour nearby Olana, home of the famous American painter Frederic Edwin Church. Today I'll write about shopping in Hudson; tomorrow I'll show you the French lunch spot we found there, then on Wednesday I'll spotlight a sweet treat we enjoyed and on Thursday I will expound on Church's Persian-style home called Olana.
My first stop in Hudson was to the supermarket, but it was nothing like you might expect. This antique shop-filled town boasts a "get lost in for hours" store called the Hudson Super Market. This large retail space (formerly a supermarket - wink) has an enormous variety of vintage items and antiques for sale. I was tempted by all sorts of interesting conversation pieces. I loved the selection of glass chemistry beakers, mismatched hotel china and a small collection of ribbons awarded years and years ago at a horse show. I found interesting items everywhere I looked. When I am staging areas of my house, I like to create little vignettes and this interesting shop was loaded with the kind of unique pieces that would really tell a story. The Hudson Supermarket is also loaded with furniture, signage and architectural pieces that just wouldn't fit in an overhead compartment. If you are ever on a driving trip to Hudson, looking for statement pieces for your home, you will have hit the jackpot. Someday I will be back...with a station wagon.
Another intriguing shop in Hudson is called Rural Residence. What caught my eye right away? This display of tiny Farrow and Ball paint cans. I know, you just never know with me, do you? There was something about these cans that made me want them. Was it that they looked like tinned candles? I think, deep down, it was the fact that they represent my favorite thing: color. The store has a beautiful selection of coffee table books, unique cards and paper items, a few pieces by the artist John Derian and a large display by Bellocq Tea Atelier. I know! I haven't seen a Bellocq Tea display since I was in Houston! Every item in the store gives the feeling that it has been carefully selected to inspire and delight. I could have shopped here far longer than I did, but it was time to move our group toward lunch down the street. I tell you, I need more time in Hudson, New York!
There were other shop windows that looked interesting - antique stores, flower shops, design spots as well as many abandoned buildings looking for tenants. Hudson seems like a town that is ready to grow, and with the shops and spots that are already committed to its success, I think Hudson will be a magnet for design enthusiasts for years to come.
The night we had dinner together (July 26) happened to be Josh and Brent's one-month wedding anniversary. We weren't at the wedding, but at least we could toast this first married milestone. Josh was at our wedding twenty-one years ago and it was so fun to reminisce. After the success of their first cookbook, The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook, which is loaded with beautiful photographs and wonderful family recipes, Josh and Brent have written the much anticipated cookbook on Heirloom Desserts! Butter and sugar and eggs, oh my! They are about to embark on a book tour and I look forward to seeing them in Lansing, Michigan, near our beloved Michigan State University, where Josh and I went to college. Are they coming to a city near you? Check their schedule here.
Josh and Brent were married at their farm on June 28, 2013 and Martha Stewart took some beautiful photos of the big event and blogged all about it here in The Martha Blog. Enjoy!
I have a dear friend who loves watching the Beekman Boys on The Cooking Channel (who doesn't?). But she is not an internet girl and she doesn't follow their life and career on Facebook or Twitter. Her perception of them is frozen in time, if you will, bound by the episodes filmed on their farm in Sharon Springs. So when I told her that I was going to visit my friends (who happen to be The Fabulous Beekman Boys) at their farm in New York, she had one request. "I just want to know that the llama's okay." THE llama is named Polka Spot and she has quite a following of her own. The picture above shows her happy and healthy, eating hay and showing off the new haircut she got for Josh and Brent's wedding. I printed this photo of Polka Spot for my friend and I'm sure that it's up on her frige.
These are some of the goats that were curious about our visit.
When we toured the barn, I was happy that we had a chance to meet John, the goat farmer. I "know" him from the television show and wanted to give him my best in person. He was busy milking the goats and tending to their every need.
These are the goats that produce the milk for the very fabulous soaps and cheeses that the world is buzzing about. Here is an excerpt from Vogue urging the beauty-minded to head to Sharon Springs and buy their goat milk soap.
I made an impromptu cheese board when we got home from our trip. We lovingly traveled back to Michigan with a wheel of Beekman 1802BLAAK and put simply, I-LOVE-IT. I served it with a variety of crackers and a cube of honey comb, along with a spreadable goat cheese/lemon curd combination from Idyll Farms in northern Michigan. The dinner that followed paled in comparison, that's for sure.
I am never one to miss a party. Add ice cream to the docket and I'm there for sure! It just so happened that the Beekman Boys planned an ice cream social at their store, Beekman 1802 Mercantile in Sharon Springs, New York for the same weekend that we were visiting! Here we are with my dear friend, Josh. You've already read in earlier posts about how we have been friends since our days at Michigan State University. It was great to be together again.
Josh and Brent introduced Beekman 1802 ice cream (made with cow and goat milk) to their line of Beekman 1802 products this summer. We were happy to join the party and devour these cartons of artisanal tart cherry almond and orchid vanilla ice cream. Townspeople and customers alike gathered on the steps of the Beekman mercantile and socialized. We agreed that nothing tastes as good as cold ice cream on a warm summer night. It was a little like Mayberry and I loved every minute of it.
Thank you, Josh and Brent, for hosting some old-fashioned fun.
As a girl that has dreamed of owning a general store (dollhouse size one at the very least!), it warmed my heart to step inside the beautiful Beekman 1802 mercantile in Sharon Springs, New York. The fact that this old fashioned concept has been recreated by my two friends and filled to the brim with items inspired by life on their farm, made my visit all the more sweet.
Naturally I have been buying their fabulous Beekman 1802 products online for years, but I must admit, that the store ambiance, selection and tasting bar made me want one of everything they offer x 3! In fact, Brent teased me about having to replenish the shelf of "Blaak Drizzle" after I loaded 4 bottles into my basket. It is a concoction of balsamic, fig and elderberry that I drizzle on everything from meats to salads and back again. I was smart enough to buy an extra bottle to keep at the cottage too, so I'll never be without.
So, yes, these are my friends, and yes, I want them to succeed, but I am writing about their store and products because they are unique, delicious and truly bring delight. There is no question about that. So I thought it would be fun to show you pictures of the store and tell you which products in particular that I love.
First I must start with their goat milk soaps, because that is where it all began. Beekman 1802 started with their now famous goat milk soaps. Their selection of natural soaps are named (and scented) based on the 12 months on the farm. When my friends at home asked me to bring them "a little something" from the store, I chose the month of July soap (since I was visiting in July) for each of them. The Beekman 1802 July soap has a fragrance "inspired by a walk through the Beekman 1802 Herb Garden with hints of thyme, mint, and more tasty summer favorites." It was a hit! They all loved it. I bought myself a bar of "After The Garden: Tart Cherry Pit" soap to keep with a bowl of water on my potting table. I will use it to clean up after I've spent time in the garden. The ground cherry pits are to help loosen the dirt and the cherry scent is fresh and lovely.
The store has a lit showcase in the wall (above) to display a product as the work of art that it is. When I was visiting, the "Summer" bar of soap was in the spotlight.
This is a display (above) of the "Good Neighbor Pie Kit," which is a set of 3 heavy duty metal pie tins stamped with Beekman 1802. The intent is to encourage the baking and giving of homemade pies by creating a good-looking, yet reasonable a pie tin that the baker can feel good about giving away. I love this idea. The funny thing was that when I showed these pictures to my mom, she saw these pie tins and proclaimed, "That's what I want!" Really? She doesn't bake. But mine is not to question why. I've added a set of pie tins to my next online order, just for her.
This photograph shows a bit of the delicious and inspirational "Mortgage Lifter Heirloom Tomato Pasta Sauce". Have you heard about this sauce? Josh and Brent won the Amazing Race last year (didn't I mention that?). Watch the Albany news station's broadcast (below) to see the announcement that the Beekman Boys had won $1 million dollars on The Amazing Race. It's a great synopsis.
Josh and Brent used their winnings to pay off their mortgage on the farm and this allowed Josh to leave his job in New York City and fulfill his dream of living on the farm full time. The two also put some of the million dollars into starting a line of heirloom tomato products (using tomatoes from their farm and other farms) called the "Mortgage Lifter." They in turn, have announced that "25% of the profits of this amazing sauce are donated to directly help struggling small American farmers." Isn't that outstanding? They are using their success to help others succeed. I'm in. Oh, and the sauce is wonderful. Rich and flavorful. I know that I will serve it for dinner again and again. ***Want to help them sell more sauce and therefore help more American farms? Intuit is having a "Small Business/Big Game" contest for a small company to win an advertisement to be broadcast during the Super Bowl - click here and vote for Beekman 1802!
While I was in their store in Sharon Springs, I also bought "Spring Harvest Honey" - yum! I have some of their "Rosemary Creamed Honey" at home that I serve often when I make a cheese tray, so I thought a classic pure honey would be a good next step. I was right. So...can you tell that my luggage was packed to the brim?! I was so happy to support my friends and have lots of new products to enjoy. Shopping at Beekman 1802 is a win-win, all day long. If you would like to see more of Josh and Brent's world, be sure to visit their webpage www.Beekman1802.com and look for their tv show "The Fabulous Beekman Boys" on The Cooking Channel. It will be time well spent.
Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Anne Reeves at the Beekman 1802 farm.
I finally made it to upstate New York to visit my friends, Josh and Brent at their farm in Sharon Springs. I have known Josh since college, where we were English majors at Michigan State University. I was part of a close knit group of friends (Josh, Tracy, Kerry, Me) and I don't think a day went by that I didn't see them. We are all still good friends, but life has us living in separate parts of the country and our "visits" are more often on the phone, than in person (though I do get to see Tracy next month!).
Over time, Dan and I have become friends with Josh's husband, Brent too and we try to see each other whenever we go to New York or they come to Michigan on a book tour.
We started planning this trip back in January and were so happy to be able to combine a visit to see Dan's relatives near Albany with a trip to see Josh and Brent and the world of Beekman 1802 that they've built in Sharon Springs.
This is their beautiful Beekman mansion on a picture perfect July day.
Now we've come to the portion of this blog post where I get to rave about my friends. Maybe you know of them already, Josh and Brent are The Fabulous Beekman Boys. I know, can you stand it? They are stars of a reality show on the Cooking Channel called "The Fabulous Beekman Boys." It revolves around how two Manhattanites leave the big city to work and live on a beautiful piece of property in a quiet New York town called Sharon Springs. The house (built by William Beekman in 1802), land and its history takes on a life of its own and eventually turns Josh and Brent into "accidental farmers" that create a lifestyle brand around products like goat milk soap, cheese and heirloom vegetables. You can delve into their fascinating world and shop for all of their wonderful products online at Beekman 1802. Is a show about a goat farm a little crazy? Yes. Is it a bit like "Green Acres?" You bet. But it is also light, charming, and a really fun blend of modern life with age old farming rules. Tweeting & pigs? Josh. Worried about having a clean farm? Brent. The show is full of love and nature and goats. The beautiful cinematography showcasing all four seasons on the farm alone makes it worth watching. And my friends do indeed show the world what I've known all along...they are fabulous.
So when Josh wanted to "show us around" the house and farm, we were technically walking around a television set. Yes, this is the barn that houses all their beloved goats. I must say, it was surreal (and wonderful) to visit my friends' home, after having seen it on national tv and in the pages of Country Living magazine. It is a wonderful place to call home and since filming ended a while ago, the house and farm seem peaceful. How could you not relax with a summer breeze blowing across the open landscape?
Josh and Brent have so many interesting aspects to their life and business and I want you to know them and support them, as I do. I will share more about my visit to their mercantile soon.
When I heard that Leelanau County had an organic tea farm (the only one in Michigan), I knew right away that I wanted to visit. Light of Day Organic Teas is just 8 miles West of Traverse City and is an easy drive from the cottage.
Dan and I drove over on a steamy ninety-degree afternoon and ran into the owner, Angela Macke tending (and watering!) the plants, flowers and herbs that she grows for her organic teas. On this large and breezy farm, there is a gazebo, yurt, hoop house (that's where the tea grows) and many many garden beds full of flowers.
Angela, a self-proclaimed tea-evangelist, told us about the tea bar inside the retail store and encouraged us to stay for a tea tasting ($6), if we had the time. A tea tasting was exactly what I was hoping for. At the time, four customers were in the middle of a tasting, so we had a few minutes to wander around before our tea tasting would begin.
Angela invited us to explore her biodynamic farm and told us that we were welcome to relax and lay down on a bench in the yurt. The yurt is where Angela holds her tea classes and seems to be the spiritual center of the farm.
Now, I have never been offered a chance to lay down in a yurt, so I took her up on it. Angela said that it is a quiet restorative space and that every once in a while she loves to take a moment to lay down and reflect. I can attest that it is a great space.
Our guide for the tea tasting was Rosemarie - she is a treasure! She has an incredible working knowledge of the Light of Day teas and their biodynamic farming practices. The tasting included an explanation of tea leaves, preparation, tea and wellness, along with a sampling of hot and cold teas.
When I returned with a friend this week, I was a bit disappointed to learn that the tasting format had changed to a less formal instruction. I can understand that the change was necessary. At the height of the season, it would be very hard to give a 2-4-person instruction and tasting, while new customers entered the store continually needing customer service and sales help. I feel lucky that we were able to hear Rosemarie give her whole spiel uninterrupted - she's a born teacher. If you see her in the shop, ask her questions!
On my first visit I bought a tin of Strawberry Ice (White Tea buds and leaves, Strawberry, Chamomile) and All Heart (Green Tea, Pink Rosebuds, Montmorency Cherry). I like them both! If you are interested in learning more about Light of Day Organic Teas, I encourage you to visit the farm (and their website!). Also, watch the YouTube video they have posted in their "Press" section of their website. You can see Angela explain her philosophy and get an overview of her tea farm. It's wonderful. If you have a chance to visit this interesting tea farm, do it!
I thought today would be a good day to explain my philosophy of delight. I just surpassed 1,800 blog posts and the accomplishment has brought out some great questions. Why do you blog? I love being able to share my photos, thoughts and ideas. I strive to write reliable and informative content full of delightful images, ideas and recommendations. I post five days a week, with one of my original photographs accompanying each post. An executive once told me that success comes from passion and persistence. I think my passion for things that delight (flowers, ice cream, entertaining, crafts, collecting, travel) can be recognized within each post. I show my persistence by posting day-after-day, year-after-year, with the hope that my words and images will bring delight to someone at just the right moment. I have over 10,000 people visit my blog each month, so I have a hunch I am on the right track. I published my 3 books so that my readers could have a physical collection of my photos and suggestions to read and show their friends. How do I decide what I am going to write about? I believe that "finding delight in everyday life" means looking for delight in a variety of places. Accept an invitation to a jazz concert, order an unusual dessert, experiment with color in your sheets and pillowcases, grow herbs, try painting. Can you see what I'm getting at? You don't have to specialize in just growing bonsai trees or collecting stamps. Dabble in a variety of things and see what speaks to you. As a result, each day in my blog is a surprise. Sometimes you will get a recipe. Other days an anecdote. And when I am traveling, I called it a "City Series" and I write a string of posts. You can "come along" on my trip and see the shops, sweets and treats I found. I label each post with the city or region, so that later you can go to the sidebar of the blog, find the "City Series" section and click "Atlanta" and read all of my posts from Atlanta. At the absolute bottom of the blog (scroll down) you can see my other labels: "accessories", "Jell-O", "hydrangeas" - you name it! Click the topic you are interested in and all of the posts in that topic will appear on one page. How do I find my way around your blog? I don't understand what a blog is. A blog is just like a webpage. It has an address (www.MomentsOfDelight.com) and you can visit it any time you want. The most recent blog post appears at the top. You can look in the sidebar and see links to visit my "Moments of Delight" Facebook page, Twitter account, Pinterest boards and Etsy store. You can also use the SEARCH box to look for a particular post. Click around and see what you can find. You can't hurt anything, click away! If you want a reminder to read my blog, you can locate the "Follow Blog By Email" box in the sidebar of my blog and enter your email address. Each new blog post will be emailed to you.
What rose is that? This magnificent rose is called "Abraham Darby" by David Austin. You see it here, blooming in my rose garden in southeastern Michigan.
