cloistered

Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife
Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray;
Along the cool sequester'd vale of life
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.

Thomas Gray (1716 - 1771




I was never less alone than when by myself.

Edward Gibbon (1737 - 1794)







My dreams were all my own;
I accounted for them to nobody;
they were my refuge when annoyed—my dearest pleasure when free.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797 - 1851)




Nobody can have the soul of me.
My mother has had it, and nobody can have it again.
Nobody can come into my very self again, and breathe me like an atmosphere.

D. H. Lawrence (1885 - 1930)

We must reserve a little back-shop, all our own, entirely free,

wherein to establish our true liberty and principal retreat and solitude.

Attributed to Michel de Montaigne (1533 - 1592)

And I was taught to feel, perhaps too much,

The self-sufficing power of Solitude.

William Wordsworth (1770 - 1850)

I stood Among them,

but not of them; in a shroud Of thoughts

which were not their thoughts

I stood in Venice, on the Bridge of Sighs: A palace and a prison on each hand.
Lord Byron (1788 - 1824)

novembre le marche'

apples always signify autumn to me.
they are beautiful.

the market was certainly embracing the cooler weather.
yes, that is meems, checking out the local cottage industries.
this is one made up of two young teen homeschoolers weaving their own
baskets.


meems and i agreed that this is the essence of what
home schooled children should be.
entrepreneurs and innovative.
meems has her camera ever-ready.

i love this cornucopia with all the squashes and gourds falling out.

there are always interesting characters at the market.

they guys were having fun singing their folk music.

i couldn't pass up on the purple okra.

i cooked them with heirloom tomatoes and onion.

indian corn was available for a harvest feel.

apples were glowing in the sunshine by the basketful.

another cottage market industry was offering these handmade scarfs.

have a wonderful autumn weekend!

his and hers

i have had just a wee bit of time for birding in the last couple of weeks. but i found this extraordinary gentleman on my open feeder yesterday.

i am supposing this is his lady friend keeping a close watch from the branches.

local neighbours were taking advantage of the sunny warmer temps(before the really cold weather approaching gets here).

they were thinking bathing was a good idea.

bluebird is patiently waiting for a turn in the bath.


happy sunny days and weekend to you all!

october 's burnish

"surrounded on each side with a deep

wall of woods, i enjoyed the serenity

of the evening in silent meditation:

everything which i saw and heard

taught me a lesson which required not

the powers of oratory to embellish it."
frances baily august 2, 1707

speaking of her experience on the old trace

time was on fast forward;

but at least i can rewind in my memory.

there was stopping at every turn to capture

what we were experiencing together.

meems is loving taken photos of all things tennessee.

the natchez trace has such grandness.

it is a natural parkway with hundreds of mile of scenic driving.

locals like me use to to go from here to there

when we have the luxury of more time.

photographers are drawn to it for it's sheer natural beauty.

these blackbirds formed a perfect star overhead

as we stood there taking in the blue sky

of that crisp october morning.

on the trace heading to cheekwood.

the leaves in cooperation with nature were turning

hues of gold, red, yellow, orange

with shades of brown and green mixed in.

what glorious weather we were gifted with on that october day.

we thoroughly enjoyed our time together until nighttime overtook us;

and once again we had to succumb to sleep.

botanical garden

bittersweet

~morning is bright, cool, beautiful ~

it is the last morn with my sis, meems.

our visit has flown by like time was running a sprint.

after her departure...i am filled with emotions.

my joy has been filled to overflowing...my heart sinks a little with her going.

we couldn't fit everything in...

there was not enough time to speak about all that was in our hearts.

i took my time going home...my thoughts were of our hours spent together.

the trees looked more vivid...the countryside more appealing.


we had a wonderful 4 days...i am sad and happy in the same breath.

i smile, but feel a little like crying...sigh...

baby grands

how wonderful little life...young life...sweet life...

i have had some lovely visits recently...

...from some of my baby grands.

this little princess was just here visiting from florida.

elle helped me see grace off at the airport.

this is another precious grand...little aiden...

...exploring marmee's angel and bird.

my one year old little boy is grand indeed.