The past few days have been difficult. So I picked some roses to make my heart sing. Well, there really aren't any at the moment, so I picked a photo instead. A nice little bounty from this summer. I realize almost every rose in the basket is a David Austin English Rose. I can actually inhale their scent from my computer screen! The white ones to the left are Winston Churchill and they smell like a baby. All love and baby powder. It's the worst vase rose in the world, but to have some in my office for even a day matters. It's the sort of rose you want to bury your face in and never move. It only blooms in my Northern CA garden in the spring and fall, but that's okay because it's worth the wait. The white one in the middle is, of course, the brilliant Iceberg. No CA garden can be without one, or two or a trillion! The pink one, front and center, is the Austin rose, Heritage. Yummy. The salmon one to it's left is Sunset Celebration ~ no scent, but one of the greatest vase roses of all time (well over a week!) and a hardy bush too. In the back is one of my favorites (top 5) of all time, Heaven on Earth, from Jackson Perkins. It's a shrub rose. It's beautiful in the garden and in a vase. Not much of a scent however (if any). The deep pink rose to the right is another David Austin, but I can't recall the name. Nice scent too and great vase life. The smaller pinkish/yellowish/peachish one in the center is Climbing Jacobs Coat. Or is it Jackson's Coat, or Jacob's Ladder. Who knows!? It's just a terrific rose. No scent to speak of, but easy to grow, easy on the eye and easy to love.To all the guys who made it this far, I can also weld and operate a backhoe (as well as other heavy equipment!). No...seriously. I can. See, life is never what you expect, is it? If my brothers, brothers-in-law, some of my sisters, dear friends and Dad are reading this, I know you're all laughing right along with me! See what you did for us Daddy?! You expanded our world honey!
And here of course is our beautiful tree this fall. What are we going to do without her?
To all my dear friends who have commented over the past few days, thank you. You are all a gift. You constantly remind me that life is good. ~
Much love,
Suzanne
36 comments:
The roses are beautiful, thank you for sharing. I hope you plant a new tree to replace the one we have lost. Gardening, much like writing and painting, if very theraputic. I know that painting always sooths me when my life is in termoil. Keep your chin up and look to the stars. They are truly a most wonderous sight.
Hi Cecile,
And yes, "WE" have all lost it, haven't we. I guess most people are able to pick up and move on quickly, but Rob and I are having a tough time with this one. Honestly, it's like losing a dear friend. We've selected several replacements, but haven't settled on one yet. We have a long list, but have to narrow it to one. We will. We actually considered trying to resurrect it, but after consulting an arborist realize it's unlikely.
Unlike you, I can't paint when life is in turmoil. So this is definately a dry period for me. However, I do try to keep my chin up and look to the stars. My dad and grandmother are/were huge fan of the stars. They taught us to appreciate them as well. I was looking at them the other night, just before the storm. I like how they force me to look up. You're right. They are a "most wonderous sight."
Thank you so much for your comment and please come back any time.
Much love,
Suzanne
Dear Suzanne,
I am glad to hear you had a better day. I can imagine the pain you are going through right now.
(can you imagine someone holding a tree all the day in a stromy rainy day? my uncle did that...he saw our tree was about to go in a rain. he save the tree.
now my uncle is not with us nor the tree...only painful memories left.)
I hope i had some magical words to take your pain away.....but there is no words like that.
today was a busy day...it was raining all day so i couldn't walk so much.
hope this finds you having a good day.
take care
love
bindhiya
G'day Suzanne,
I'm at work on a lunch break as i write this. What a ripper photo of the tree! Reading your post has really brightened my day. :)
p.s. Hello to Cecile & Bindhiya too.
Bomber ~
You think this is good?! Go to Kylies blog for a good belly laugh! And thanks for your comment. You always make me feel terrific. I appreciate your friendship! I'm so happy you stayed around. And yes, that is one amazing tree. Now you know why we are in agony.
XO Suzanne
Binhiya!
Horray!!! You're here. I love to hear from you. I'm sorry to hear it was raining and you weren't able to walk. When you are able to walk again with your wee one, imagine me beside you. I love to walk wee ones, as you know! And, I'd be honored to walk with you too! I wish you were my neighbor. Wouldn't that be fun. I wish all my blogging friends could live in my neighborhood! Life would be grand. Perhaps I should go back to architecture and design neighborhoods for bloggers! Wow, what a concept. Some architect will read this and grasp the idea and do it brilliantly in a few years. I wanted to be a city planner or work for historic preservation, now realize nothing has really changed in all these years. I still want to bring people together. Being in this blogging community has just reinforced what I've always known. Good people deserve to be near one another. So far, it's been a great experience.
A tree is life. I don't know how to express it any differently. Losing this tree has hurt us. We almost want her to remain, dead, than be carted away. I know that sounds odd, but I can't explain the pain of having her here one day and gone the next. It is just painful to anticipate the void she will leave. You're uncle was a brilliant and kind man. Anyone who loves a tree understands life. Anyone who doesn't, has an awful lot to learn.
I adore you my dear and always look forward to hearing from you.
Much love,
Suzanne
Suzanne!
Lovely...lovely roses! You are so like my british mom! She has a magical garden. I call it her secret garden. Thanks for the pic of roses...it is pouring here in Elk Grove so it is lovely to see some soft, pastel colors to brighten up my screen!
Hugs!
And I am very sad now seeing that lovely photo of your tree! Gosh! He was very noble looking wasn't he! The movie was fun and I love those conspiracy theories. And yes it was a joy to be with my 'honey'! My power only went out on Friday and back on by the time I got off work!
Hugs!
So happy that you are comforting yourself with your beloved roses. My dad loved roses and all that was of the plant kingdom...I wish I had dirt to plant in right now. The pots on the tiny balcony will have to do for now! I look forward to pictures of spring.
Hello again Suzanne,
Wanted you to know why the title, The Queen. My cajun dad nicknamed me that when I was about six or so. He wanted me to feel special as the oldest of three brothers. He was a wonderful dad,husband and friend to me. He's my angel and why I still believe that there are good men in this world even if I did marry some real toots!
later
Robyn...No "HE" wasn't very noble because HE's A SHE! Isn't it funny how we all have our own interpretation!? Yes, she was a beauty. Absolutely gorgeous. Don't give her a complex for God sakes, she'll start questioning her gender! We don't want her to go away. We don't know what to do. I'm serious. We don't know what to do. We can't figure out how to live without her. She's been a constant in our lives for years and now we're asked to let her go. How?
Too bad about your power only being off while you were at work. That doesn't sound fair to the rest of us! And glad you enjoyed the movie and being with Hunny Hunk. I got that name from a dear friend in KY who calls her hubby that. It's just too precious to keep to herself. So I'm borrowing. I know Frannie won't mind. She's very generous.
It's been raining here too, obviously! It started this morning on the way to my ferals and the state park. I thought I could out race it at 80, but got behind a Luxus that was only going 70 in the fast lane. I couldn't get around her because the freeway was rather packed! I'm a very careful driver, especially in the rain, but I was trying desperately to out run the rain, and get to the park before it got there, but to no avail because of the lack of cooperation. I wound up getting the crap kicked out of me at the park. The good thing is, my kitties all showed up and we had our usual "picnic." I made a difference and that actually matters to me. For some reason, almost more than anything else. On the way home I stayed in the slow lane doing 55-60 miles per hour(you know the minimal speed is 65!) in a down pour ~ just following the rhythm of the cars in front of me. Tractor trailers were passing us (you know their maximum speed is 65!)! I didn't care. I enjoyed the ride and the calm. Never even considered moving from the lane.
Lots of love to you,
Suzanne
Good Lord. Spelled Lexus Luxus. That was a typo, not a lapse in judgement. Trust me...I respect the Japanese.
Suzanne!
LOL! Good lord...I beg your pardon on the he for she thing! Yes...yes she is a beauty! Is there a way you could find someone who upright her (with some crane) and then put back in the hole and back shovel new dirt. Or even a bigger hole then drop her in...oh I don't know just ideas pouring out of me.
Yes you are right I have always thought trees 'hims' and flowers 'shes'...lol!
Yes had a grand time with hunky hunny...and he was disappointed that CSI didn't write a new post today...so I told him to scroll down to older posts and catch up! I was on for an hour and I could hear him chuckling outloud a few times. Yes, I think most peace officers have the same sense of humor. And I know our husbands probably do...:)!
Well I begin the start of my 3 12 hour shifts tomorrow. I am running them back to back, so I can have 5 days off. I like working 12, yes long but so worth it when you are off for 3 to 5 days off!
Take care and will catch up with you tomorrow after work. Tata
Hugs,
The Queen,
Read your last comment and couldn't stop laughing. Called my hubby in and he read it and we couldn't stop laughing together. "Toots." That's too good.
Dads matter. At least the good ones. Like I said in my post, I know more than most women because of my dad and the male professors at UCLA. They never hesitated to teach me. NEVER. About anything. I'm strong because of them and I'm a better person because of them. I recently had a conversation with dad and asked him to teach me how to drive a tractor trailer when I come home! I grew up around heavy equipment and know how to operate most of it. But I never learned how to drive a tractor trailer. I asked dad to teach me. I have a BMW that's a standard shift and he knows I do, so he just went over the gear shifts with me on the phone! That simple! There are ALOT on a tractor trailer (like 18 or something!), but he trusted I would get it and I did. When I go home, we'll go for a ride, if I can get the damn truck out of the driveway! Yes, it'll be a hoot. But my dad is a funny man and he'll appreciate all the herky-jerkies. And that's what I love most about him. The way he loves me and the way he makes us all laugh. But most importantly, the way he never treated the girls differently than the boys. Never. That is a brilliant dad.
Much love,
Suzanne
I just stopped by to smell the roses. I have read your post for today, and I now feel a sense of peace. This is the Suzanne that I know. I hope that you are well.
Chat soon,
Brian
Brian,
Hi sweetie. Your comment made me exhale. Really, it did. You brought calm to my life I haven't felt in a few days. I was lost. Really, I was. I knew that the only thing that could center me was a rose. So I found my way back and wrote about what I love. All my dear friend started arriving and before I knew it, I felt safe again. I actually considered ending this blog because I didn't know what to say any more, but realized if I just talk about what I love everything would be okay. And it is.
Thank you for your friendship and kindness. You matter in my life. Really, you do. Like I tell other friends, it's as if your just next door. And that's how I imagine you...next door. I actually wish you were.
Your words were so perfect and I'm grateful.
With love,
Suzanne
Suzanne,
Just a quick one to let you know I'm still alive, here and thinking of you. Lovely photos, especially of your beloved tree - looking 'spiffing'.
Never end this blog - what would we do without your light? You urged me and others not to go away, and I urge you to do the same. I urge you to do the same.
I said it twice as you said it twice on my blog! I know, a bit cheeky, but that's me!
Take care my friend,
Peter xx
Hi Suzanne,
I've just read Robyn's comment about putting your tree back up. You did mention that the taproot was still attached. If that's still the case it could be done; especially as it is dormant. You could prune the canopy and I'm sure it would get off to a good start in the Spring. Please consider if it isn't too late.
Suzanne,
I stopped by at Kylie's place.
Hi Peter!
How good it is to have you home. I hope you had a nice time away, but it's good to have you back.
I've decided I'm not going to go away because I would miss so many of you with all my heart. So you're stuck with me. And I think for a long, long time. I've realized I just have to write about what I know and if people are interested, they will read. That simple.
Backhoe Operator too,... I love it.
Nice pics, I'll have to return.
Dear Suzanne,
Good Morning!!! Have a good day ahead too!!!
It is seems like we can go for a walk today...join us...we will be talking and singing all the way...sometime my baby will ask me the songs she want to hear....
My husband says " am a juke box and milk truck for Serene"
What a wonderful imagination.. a neighbourhood with all of our special friends.
Back in my home we know each other and care about each other. Friends and families come together to help each other in need.
How nice it will be if you live next door...my husband love to be in california...i dont know why, he just love california...one day we will move to somewhere in california...
am getting ready to get out of the house...but before i live i want let you know am here..
Hope this finds you having a wonderful day.
Take care dear.
love
bindhiya
my grandma (my mum's mum) had this beautiful tree in her backyard. She lived wit my uncle - my mums bro- and the house was some government property, and they lived there since my uncle served the government as an officer. They stayed there for over 17 years, and my mum was extremely fond of the entire backyard and the beauriful garden they had. I remember it vividly, coz as a kid I visited the place so often.
After my granma left all of us, my uncle shifted to another place since he was finding it difficult to stay in their old home all alone. My mum was very attached to the big tree in the backyard, since she had watched it grow, and she knew that her mum had watered it and taken care of it. so my mum with the help of an arborist plucked some branches and planted 'em in a pot. We have it right here in our house today, and though it took time to flower, it did after a 3 month long ordeal of giving it the right fertilizers and stuff, since it was in a pot and, it's not supposed to be a potted plant. But it's amazing to see it flower everyday, and we never thought it would make it since it's not supposed to be planted in a pot!my mum's the happiest,i guess somewhere she feels her moms presence, coz after all it's in a way a part of my granma, and i plan to keep it forever!
You can do the same ya know, get a branch or some roots as u said, and plant them and watch it grow all over again :)
Suzanne I missed a post from you on my blog! Aahhhhh...I was hoping you would pop in! Thats ok sweety! Just as long as you are ok and painting like mad or having picnics with the 'wee ones'! Miss you! Talk to you tomorrow! Sending sunshine your way!
Hugs!
thanks for your inquiries about my painting! it was (i say was because i already sold it) huge, it was a commissioned piece and the client had very tall ceilings and wanted it as big as i could make it. it a little shy of 9 feet so it could fit in my house. it turned out a lot like it looks in the picture, just red, and a lot of different textures.
i do work with oil and build my own frames, well my husband builds them. ;)
they are usually 2x4's (i like really thick, frames)...just regular wood from home depot!
i really like your rose paintings, do you work in oil as well?
Mar,
Good to hear from you and thanks for writing as always. We were told by experts the tree can not be saved. I wrote about it a bit in my most current post. Oh well, she had a good 40 year run.
Hope you're having a great day. It's been heckic here, but I've been trying to write quickly in and effort to say hello to some of you. Talk to you soon. If I have time this evening I'll stop by your blog to see what you've been up to. If not, hopefully tomorrow.
XO Suzanne
please forgive spelling errors, so time to proof today
Hi Arthur,
Thanks for stopping by. You made me laugh. I guess I should clarify. I can start most heavy equipment, move it around a bit and appear to look like I know what I'm doing! It's not as if I can scratch your back with a bucket like a pro. My father would definately refer to me as an amature, and I would have to agree!
I'll tell you a funny story though because it always makes me laugh. When we were teenagers my younger sister Laura wanted to learn how to operate the bulldozer, so one day Dad spent a few hours teaching her. We had a bad snow storm that winter and all on her own she decided to plow the driveway with the bulldozer! We were all cheering her on and Dad couldn't stop laughing. We had a long driveway and she plowed it brilliantly. She didn't take any gravel with her or anything ~ even left all the trees standing. After an hour or so, she jump from the tracks to wild cheers from her fans!
Stop back often. It's nice to have you here. When I have a few minutes I'll read through your blog.
XO Suzanne
Sorry Mar, meant Mark!
Bindhiya,
I always love to hear from you! I'm sorry I wasn't able to get back to you yesterday, but life has been a bit crazy lately. I don't even have time to write this, but just want you to know I'm thinking about you.
Hopefully you'll be able to move to CA one day. I think you'd enjoy it. Obviously much warmer. However, I'll probably be back on the east coast by that time to be closer to my family!
I agree with you. People do better when they have support from their family, friends and community. At least with blogging, the world seems a little smaller.
Hope you get to walk tomorrow. Sing for me too! Have a nice evening. And thanks for everything. Love you.
XO Suzanne
Dear Elusive,
What a beautiful story. Thanks for sharing it. I too plan to take cuttings because I can't let her go without trying.
The tree you have sounds beautiful and gives you and your mom a great deal of comfort. I have plants from my grandmother that do the very same thing.
Thank you for staying in touch. Your comments matter and I really do enjoy them and you.
Have a beautiful day and we'll talk soon.
XO Suzanne :)
Robyn!
I missed posting on your blog and missed writing here. Just ran out of time yesterday and last night. I'm not okay and I'm not painting like crazy! I'm having a very unusual pain in my back and was unable to sleep last night, so just laid on the sofa with Mickey trying to figure out what's wrong. No time to paint or sketch to speak of. I'm thinking about it though! And I couldn't picnic with the wee~ones because of the last two days of rain. Apparently you sent "sunshine" in another direction, cuz it ain't here honey!!! But I have hope because the insurance adjuster was very kind to us. Perhaps a ray or two did find us.
I'll talk to you soon. It's time to feed the kitties and T-Bone. Oh, and I did want to say I have been able to feed the wee~ones at the park, just not picnic. I arrived in a down pour this morning. I was supposed to shop at the market on the way home, but my sweat pants were so wet the crouch was nearly down to my knees and I kept tripping over the flared bottoms. Yes, it was funny, but as you migh imagine, a bit chilly! With my wet hair, sagging hat and drenched fleece coat, I looked like a really good New Yorker cartoon with the caption, "Ahhhhh, the joys of alturism." I came home and said "Honey, can you go?" I hope this stuff stops soon.
Your poor hubby's going to be disappointed because Brian's studying for an exam and doesn't have much time to write. Let's all hope Brian gets this thing over with, passes and can get back to the real business of satisfying his huge fan base. That's a lot of pressure, but I think he's up to the challenge. We're all going to have to buy his book now you know!
Love you and thanks for your friendship. I'll talk to you very, very soon.
XO Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
I found your comment on my blog! I'm glad you like my quilts! Making them brings me a lot of joy. I think your idea of painting quilts on canvas is a wonderful idea. Though most quilts do not bring in the higher fees of other artwork, there are some that so. When you get a chance visit, the website of a friend of mine. (www.hollisart.com) She combinds her eye as a photographer wih her phenominal quilting ability.
I also found another artist, a wood sculptor, that "makes" quilts. More unbelieveable work. (www.gofraser.com) He has figured out how to capture that look and feel you were describing out of wood!
I love to see quilt patterns in all forms and would love to see your talent applied to a quilt! If you can capture a quilt like you capture a rose, it will be extraordinary!
Hi Elizabeth,
So sorry for the delay in getting back to you, but life is rather hectic here and blah, blah, blah...you know the drill.
I love the painting and I'm glad it turned out almost exactly as you captured it in the photo. It's beautiful. No, I don't work in oils, only acrylic. Why? Because I have allergies and the scent of oils nearly kills me! Rather toxic. Acrylic suits me just fine. I can manipulate it as you can oils with extenders, etc. but haven't tired. Haven't needed to, I guess. I like working with acrylic because it dries fast. I tent to paint over an image a hundred times, so it works for me. I'd be waiting forever for oil to dry in order to do so. With oil I tend to think my paintings would get really muddy!
I build my frames from 1x1's or 2x2's (and yes, I build my own and stretch my own canvas). For some reason, I never thought of 2x4's or anything larger. Brilliant concept! THANK YOU!!! I have a project in mind that would require a very substantial 80 - 100' frame and now I know how to do it. If I have difficulty, I'll contact you and your hubby for advice.
It's been so wonderful to talk to you. Thanks for writing and I look forward to hearing from you in the future. Post more of your paintings. I really enjoy them, so know others will as well.
I'm glad you like my paintings. What a nice compliment. You might also like to know I love contemporary/minimalist art and probably why I'm attracted to yours. I wrote and then deleted a whole post of my love of white and why I would love to just create white canvases about a month ago! My dear friend and honors advisor at UCLA and also the Chairman of the Art Dept. and the Director of the Armand Hammer Museum in L.A., and former Director of the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, Henry Hopkins, said one day as he was reviewing one of my paintings, "You should submit your slides to "***gallery." At that time, the premiere gallery in L.A.. I said, "You must be joking, she would never even consider my work!" He replied "Suzanne, you are mistaken...we all love good paint." I never submitted my work to the gallery because I was too intimidated, but will always remember his words and regret my choice. I learned from him that if you're good, your work matters and that if you try, your effort matters. Keep painting honey, because your work is beautiful and impressive.
Please stay in touch and I will do the same. I'm going to link to you because I'd love my friends to meet you. I hope you embrace them.
With love,
Suzanne
thank you for the comments about my paintings, suzanne! it means a lot. i will try and post more, and i'm trying to put up a website with all of my work on it.
i would like to see more of your work also!
Hi t^(that's not me, that's Ohno...) Elizabeth,
I'm trying to put up a website as well. Seems were in the same boat. Good luck to us! I8i (that's not me either). It's difficult to write with Ohno around. He's rather obnoxious, but an awful lot of fun.
We'll see one anothers work soon!
XO Suzanne
P.S. Thanks for always stopping in.
Elizabeth,
I meant we're not were. Good Lord!
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