Springs' Time to Shine

For today, a few select scenes of the early blooms and buds from the lower Hudson Valley region.

Violets and vines and bushes and dandelions.

Sidewalk garland made of dandelion, with a side of wood violet.

Forsythia branch on the front porch.

At Home: Eucalyptus

Sprigs of eucalyptus in the shower.

I'd pinned something onto a Pinterest board months ago, in anticipation of actually using the tip some time in the future, unlike your average Martha Stewart-like devotee who has no intention of working with her hands. No offense ladies, but I'm no voyeur who fantasizes about other people's wealth and leisurely pursuits. I ain't got time for that. Unlike those of that ilk (again, no offense), I actually started making stuff before I was completely aware of it, like so many of us early humans. Unlike the rest of the herd, I splintered off into that specialized camp who actually succeeds in creating regularly, to such an extent that I knew better than to ignore it. I decided to make it my life's work.

To be honest, I have nothing against dreaming housewives. I spend a lot of time at home, and I've always enjoyed my own company and making spaces feel livable and healthy and good, like many, many women have before me. Even as I knew my life would be fuller than most, I cherish the time I have for hobbies, especially those devoted to hearth and home. So when I pin something onto a bulletin board, either of the cork kind or the newfangled  digital version, I really mean it, just like everything else I do.

It's that kind of authenticity that people have come to rely on me for, and I cherish that, too. I respect myself, and my audience. Years ago, my doctor (a very intelligent woman, and here's the full disclosure: all of my health care workers are women. I mean, like, every single one. Another feminine bias of mine;) advised me about the benefits of eucalyptus oil in a humidifier or steaming bath to naturally unclog congestion, just like those oily, thick, petroleum jellies of yore, except this is good for you AND it works.

With that in mind, I took another leap, and I promised myself that the next time I soaked in a hot bath, I'd get some actual branches of it to hang around the shower head, letting nature do the rest. What's great about this new bathing system (in addition to cleaning my sinuses without drugs), is re-using some of the dried leaves in a steamer pot that I have on the radiator. More natural health benefits: the steamer filled with water humidifies my environment, and gives off that beneficial eucalyptus steam. I get some branches of it from the local florist that they have leftover from the week's other arrangements. Thank you, Schweizer Florist!

When I come home hours later, the good, clean smell of it still lingers in the air. That's a tip on the house from me to you, which is way cheaper than a bunch of OTC pills and a doctor's visit. Take care out there, and remember, winter's almost over.

http://www.pinterest.com/mariedoucette/homedecor/

Nature: Florals

Magenta Floral.

It's no secret that I'm most inspired by nature: flowers, trees, leaves, grass, clouds, sky . . . . I love it all. It's in the landscape that I find perfection: through the symmetry of a snowflake, and the quiet beauty of a perfectly realized leaf fallen to the ground. That is has grown from a seed to a tree that grows, sprouts leaves, and then morphs one last time into this temporary perfection in the form of a fallen leaf is something worthy of divinity, because it is the beauty of life itself.

Yellow Cactus Flowers in Bloom.

So if you've noticed I don't take pictures of people often, that's why. As a subject matter, I find the bland snapshots of smiling people posing in front of objects horrid and most dull. Taking pictures of them on the sly appeals to me even less, and at worst, makes lots of enemies who think you're looking to capture them at their most unflattering, instead of getting the point that the photographer is seeking a deeper truth than the poser wants revealed through a candid shot. 

Magenta Flowers in Light and Shadow.

That's the thing with nature. It's always perfect as it is.

What inspires you the most?