Bluegreen, aquamarine, summer’s color of sea and sky.
An expansive color of tranquility and well-being,
cool, calming, fresh, and uplifting.
Coastlines and seashells mix colors of sky and water
in subtle shades from blue to green,
the range itself full of movement and light.
In these last days of summer, I hope you can enjoy the beauty of aquamarine, at the beach or by brining it into your home.
All images from Pinterest
Ah, the summer garden. A place that both calms and delights, soothes and stimulates.
Even a small garden or a simple window box brings pleasure and lifts the spirit.
The garden is the most accommodating of spaces — perfect for being along, or with others.
A place to read a book or share a cup of tea.
Or to enjoy a special dinner, with candles or little lights.
The garden is a space that reflects the gardener. It can be meditative, exuberant, peaceful — or all three.
Above all, a garden is a place that welcomes — and brings love and beauty into the world.
(All images from Pinterest)
I was born and raised in small-town Illinois, and the countryside played an important role in shaping my idea of the world – the sense of openness and wide skies, the beauty of the changing seasons, the rhythms of the land.
Though I never lived on a farm, country life was an integral part of the area and its presence was felt in the farms and orchards surrounding the town, in my classmates who lived on farms, in the county fair with displays of livestock and ribbons won for home-baked goods, canning, and 4-H projects.
And though my family lived in town, the country and farms were still a part of our lives. We used to drive out into the country to buy eggs from one farmer, and honey from another old-timer who kept bees. Some of my brothers and sisters earned money over the summer by detasseling corn, and we all learned to drive on those long, straight country roads.
Once, my dad took us out to glean a cornfield. A picture of Millet’s The Gleaners hung in my friend’s living room, and I thought gleaning sounded like an old-fashioned, romantic thing to do –
though I imagine the purpose of our outing was to show us the value of a dollar, part of the Midwestern work ethic that was woven into everything back then. We piled into the back of my dad’s pickup and drove out to a farm. With bags and buckets in hand, we began gleaning the cornfield of ears of corn missed by the combine. There was something fun and adventuresome about it, like being on a treasure hunt. After several hours, we emptied our bags into the bed of the truck, and then took our harvest to the grain elevator – we each made $2.
Probably because I never lived on a farm, I’ve always romanticized about it (though I know farming is backbreaking work with long hours, and farmers are at the mercy of the weather). It is that romanticized version the country and farms that made its way into my Christmastime books in the storylines that take place on Kate’s farm in Illinois.
(images from Pinterest)
The Christmastime series is available on Amazon, Kobo, B&N, iTunes, and Google and in libraries by request, on Ingram and Overdrive
Amazon — https://amzn.to/2xFgnt0
(Christmastime 1945: A Love Story, the final book in the series,
will be available in the fall.)
There’s nothing like a day at the beach to make you feel like you’re celebrating summer.
I recently spent a few days out on the North and South Forks of Long Island. We strolled along beautiful beaches and enjoyed several meals out on wharves and along the water.
There’s something about the lapping of waves and a gentle sea breeze that brings about a sense of well-being, tranquility, and timelessness.
And yet, the last month of summer is passing by quickly. Now’s the time to spend a few days at the beach or along a lake shore,
with a picnic lunch or curled up with a good book.
To summer!
Central Park is full of many beautiful places, but for tranquility and loveliness, the Shakespeare Garden is the place to go. It’s located near the Delacorte Theatre where the Shakespeare in the Park series is held every summer. Much of the interest in the sloping four-acre garden comes from the winding stone paths and rustic wooden benches and fences than run through the garden. At the foot of the hill is the Swedish Marionette Theatre, and at the top, the Belvedere Castle. Nestled between is the intimate Shakespeare Garden.
“What had formerly been known as the Garden of the Heart was, in 1916, renamed the Shakespeare Garden to mark the 300th anniversary of the William Shakespeare’s death.” (centralpark.org)
The garden is beautiful at all times of year. In the spring, brightly colored bulb flowers line the fences, and surround the Swedish Marionette Theatre.
The fall and winter have their own seasonal beauty. I used the Shakespeare Garden for a scene in Christmastime 1942, where Edith and her Shakespearean actor, Desmond Burke, stroll through the snowy garden.
But the garden is at its most glorious in summer, when it matures into full bloom. In mid-August the lush green of the garden is crowded with purple and white phlox, pink roses, yellow daisies, white lilies, and purple cone flowers.
Thistles, ivy, vines, and herbs also bloom, and there are several trees that cast their shade over the benches and paths. The heat releases the garden’s scents, both sweet and pungent, and the air is alive with bees and butterflies in search of summer sweetness.
Away from the sounds of traffic, and with its sundial and bronze plaques with quotes from Shakespeare, it’s easy to imagine stepping out of time, and into a much older garden. The perfect place to read a book, or have a quiet conversation with a friend, or just to enjoy the beauty of a summer day.
Spoken by Oberon, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 2, Scene 1
“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine:
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
Lull’d in these flowers with dances and delight.”
Linda Mahkovec - Author 