The Bee Cottage Story

 

Have you read this book yet?  

Frances Schultz writes for Veranda magazine and House Beautiful and has written several books, as well as hosting the cable show Southern Living Presents.  She also paints.  The book begins as a memoir.  I skimmed that part and went to the decorating part which includes decorating tips and lots of photos.  I soon started over at the beginning because I wanted to get to know more about Frances.  Her choice of house and decorating style told me a lot about who she was, and I wanted to get the facts about her life.  It's the same the other way around when it comes to people in my life.  I  have the facts about them, but I also need to see where they live so that when I think about them I can "see" them in their personal space. 

Autumn Memories

 🎵Autumn Leaves🎵

Click on photo to enlarge

Tasha Tudor's book, Season's of Delight, is a pop-up book about the delights of each season.  The above is her Autumn page.  She has two other books exclusively about the different seasons:  A Time to Keep and Around the Year.  In 2015 I did a post on Take Joy Society using Tasha's October photos from A Time to Keep.  These are from Around the Year. . .

A Walk Through My Woods and Gardens

Won't you join me for a walk through my woods and garden today.  There was break in the rain in the beginning, but soon a soft rain accompanied me on my walk. . .  

The Enchanted Woods beckons us to enter...

It Starts With a Seed

 "You're like the seed from which a plant grows:  Almost everything you need to be fully who you are is already inside of you---waiting for the things that nurture you, the things that bring you to life." 

--Magnolia Journal summer 2022

All Passion Spent

There are a thousand thoughts lying within a man 

that he does not know till he takes up a pen to write. 

--seen on a tombstone in England

The same could be said about reading a book.  This was brought home to me by a book published in 1932 by Vita Sackville-West.  I was familiar with Vita Sackville-West because Susan Branch visited Sissinghurst in May 2012 and wrote about it in her book "A Fine Romance."  She also blogged about it HERE.  This led me in June that year to read Vita's son's book about his parents, "Portrait of a Marriage," and her grandson's book, "Sissinghurst:  An Unfinished History."  

Shepherdstown Back Alley Garden Tour

Last month Ken and I went on the Back Alley Garden Tour in Shepherdstown, WV. . . 

It was a beautiful day to be wandering through other people's gardens.  We parked the car and walked to all 22 gardens in a few hours, stopping to eat our picnic lunch on a bench mid-way.  

Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage - Baltimore County

When a garden tour includes a house tour it makes for a much more interesting time.  When you get to meet the owner it is even more interesting!  Last weekend we went on such a tour in the Worthington Valley area of Baltimore County.  The day was overcast with misting rain but after the first house I was able to put my umbrella away.  I've included the write-up from the Tour pamphlet:

Secret Gardens

Welcome to my garden!  Please enter through the garden gate and find solace for your soul......

View from My Window

🎶Rainy Spring Day🎶

In 2015 Morning Musings featured a monthly post called View From My Window.  It was my idea of a Discussion Group where I'd ask a question and my readers would leave a comment.  By November I realized we should introduce ourselves, so I did a Getting to Know You post.  In 2016 I changed the title to More or Less because I'd shown you every view from my windows by then.  By 2017 I was writing less and less.  Last year I only wrote five posts as compared to 48 in 2016.

Since the beginning of the year I've been rereading my Morning Musings posts and all the comments and realize how much I've missed all of you!  So I hope to gather us all together again.  I'll start with this view....

View from my kitchen window