Buffalo Garden Walk

Life Balance: a feat we try to achieve while searching to be the best that we can we, while simultaneously raising our children to do the same. This is the equilibrium in our inner life force whereby our heartbeat matches the divine force that exists all around us. When this life balance peaks, our sense of peace, joy, love and wisdom acts as one with our very soul.

Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed. ---Walt Whitman

Yesterday I had the glorious joy of doing Garden Walk Buffalo with my good friend Miss Kodak. In Buffalo, in the last week of July every year, about 300 homes and more open their yards to strangers to view their nature's landscapes. We get to see up close their outdoor artworks, bursting with color and beauty, all neat and tidy for the guests of thousands.

We settled on the blocks surrounding Richmond and Sumner as our starting point. Very pretty indeed. We happened upon a little cottage street with charming views. One house used umbrellas to light the world. She had many umbrellas hanging throughout the side and back garden, with lights inside to cast a glow in the darkness from their bright colors. There also was a hot tub with some suitcases floating on top, as well as suitcases piled to the side to be used as a table. It was a wonderful slice of Eden. The umbrellas and suitcases created the sense of flying away to paradise; of packing yourself suitcase of troubles and landing in a cove of serenity.

Another trove of beauty was hidden behind 4 houses in an area the size of my suburban lot. We took a moment to cascade our eyes at the 4 different living spaces, sitting at angles and corners to each other, 2 behind the front. We wondered if the 2 front houses were built first, and then the other 2 were added later, perhaps to house children or extended family. As we walked in to view the gardenscapes, we were further delighted by an alley between the 2 back houses. Upon opening the gate, we were transferred to an alley in an English village, complete with 3 charming cottages. There was a cobblestone walkway in front and between each, with side gardens and back patios with fences for separation. Very peaceful and pretty.

As we further walked and delighted in the use of space and light, we happened upon Dorchester avenue. In the center island down the half-mile parkway, were planted many garden treasures, some simple, many complex in texture, color and size of plantings. One simple planting, had a beautiful pink rose bush in the center, trimmed so only the top half contained leaves and flowers. Surrounding it were simple plantings of pink and green, spread out for space and air. It was really attractive. As we turned into the only house on that part of the street listed in the directory, we found a charming back patio with the most interesting bush of the day. It was a cone shaped hydrangea in a light pink, about 5 feet tall and 6 feet wide. It dominated the one side of the stone patio with its elegance. As we greeted the owner and talked about the transformation of her private garden, we glanced up to the topmost level of her deck. Amazingly, they had planted cantaloupes in pots, "because you know how you always search for the perfect melon in the store and can't find one."

It was really interesting as we walked to see the use of color and texture to make the eye wander. One patio was interesting in the levels of plants along the fence. First of all, they used the fence almost as a wall in a living room. There was stain glassed windows, framed Garden walk posters, iron and plaster artwork, all hanging amongst the plants. In the front of the garden were the perennials like bee balm, purple cone flowers and black eyed Susan's. Most people plant these to the back of the garden, and plant the shorter annuals in front, but not in this paradise. Instead, behind the perennials were pots and boxes holding up planters with annuals and multicolored coleus in lime and pink. At first glance, you would think these plants suddenly grew that tall, but we fettered out the careful placement of pots. Above these plantings often were other smaller pots cleverly attached to the fence. When you stepped back and took it all in, it appeared to be well groomed plants of different heights, arranged for peak viewing. This was the most magnificent garden of all and must have taken hundreds of hours to arrange.

As we returned home, we stopped at the Buffalo Historical Society to see the Japanese gardens. So simple in its tranquility on the lake. When we journeyed onto the Scajacquada expressway, we glanced over at the steps of the Albright Knox art gallery, where several exquisite bridal parties were capturing the beauty of the their new life on the gorgeous summer day.

God's architecture and sculpture were everywhere to see yesterday, but it was in the joy of the new brides that I think it was really captured. Their grace and love were the whipped cream on a perfect cup of a day.

Check out the flowers today and bring joy to your heart.

http://www.gardenwalkbuffalo.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=551

Snow Day

Life Balance: a feat we try to achieve while searching to be the best that we can we, while simultaneously raising our children to do the same. This is the equilibrium in our inner life force whereby our heartbeat matches the divine force that exists all around us. When this life balance peaks, our sense of peace, joy, love and wisdom act as one with our very soul.

"Mom, I want a snow day. Let's move to Virginia."--cupcake, upon hearing that Mrs. Virginia had off of school because it snowed 1 inch in Richmond.

Remember snow days? Oh, the glory of it. Waking up, wandering down to the kitchen where Mom was listening to WBEN AM 930 Radio with Jefferson Kay or Clint Buehleman, hearing the list of closings. In alphabetical order. Dying to hear your school's name. Come on OP! Enough about Nardin Academy and Nichols, tells us about Orchard Park. Sometimes you'd listen to the list for an hour, waiting to hear that our school was closed.

Finally, we'd hear it! Yes, it was closed! Yippee. And out would come the winter gear, and off to BFF's I'd go. We'd play and bake and draw and play in the snow for hours. Have grill cheese and soup for lunch, do it all over again. The best kind of vacation day, unplanned and totally free.No worries. Nothing to get done. No place we had to go. Nothing to do but use our imagination.

When my kids came along, snow days once again became special treats. We'd listen and then stay in our jammies all day. We'd bake chocolate chips cookies, play in bubbles in the sink, put on puppet shows (the stage was chairs, covered in blankets, the puppets stuffed animal friends) and watch favorite movies like "Ghostbusters" and laugh. It was great to take the day off and just play. Just imagine. Just be a kid. Just me and the kids.

We seldom seem to get many snow days now in Buffalo, not even one most years. We had the freak October storm last Columbus day, but really, we just don't get much snow. Nothing on the ground right now. It was 70 degrees here a week ago on Monday. Freaky.

Mrs. Virgina moved to Richmond 15 years ago, in her little Ford Tempo. Got rid of the wool clothes and long underwear. Doesn't own a shovel or the mandatory bucket of salt for the sidewalk. Freedom from the snow.

Then she bought a Ford Explorer. 4x4. Starts getting snow days as she begins her life as a teacher. They don't have snow equipment, so the smallest bit of snow, makes the world shut down. And she's goes out shopping on snow days, laughing, since the snow melts by 10 A.M. She laughs and laughs.

When she met her husband, and brought him up to Buffalo for Christmas, we got a little snow. And more snow. And some more. 8 feet of snow in 48 hours. Most places didn't even shut down. Just cleaned up, and told people to come in when they could. At best, 8 feet bought you one day off. 8 feet. Lots of shoveling, but nothing really shut down. We bought a six pack and stayed home.

After the 8 feet, Mrs. Virgina went home to laugh and laugh again, as she kicked in the 4 wheel drive and headed home to Richmond. And waited for her snow days there when it snows an inch.

Just like the guys always say, size doesn't matter. It's what you do with it that counts.

In Buffalo, we just keeping going on.