Day: 44-degrees | Night: 28-degrees
We have a visitor here in the Carondelet Garden this foggy Sunday morning. He's pretty huge for a slug. A little surprised to see him just hanging out on the fence. No harm right now but stay away from my Hostas this Spring! It's the beginning of the third week of Advent: Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is the Latin word for Rejoice! Rejoice Sunday. We light the pink candle on our Advent wreath this Sunday. Today we sing, "Joy to the World." We offer Tidings of Comfort and Joy. Yet, many of us don't feel like rejoicing. It can be difficult for some of us to find joy at Christmas. We wait in the darkness hoping. We pray. We meditate. Hopefully, we listen. Today we wait in darkness hoping for light. We pray that the fog will lift, and we can truly light the candle of Rejoicing. We hope. We keep holding on to faith. We cling to the love we get from friends, family (chosen and birth), pets, and sometimes even folks on Instagram. We cling to faith, hope and love. It's a choice. Today I choose love. I choose hope. I choose to believe. The fog will lift but the clouds remain throughout this Gaudete Sunday morning, but we just might see some sunshine this afternoon. Winds are out of the NNE at 5 to 10 MPH. I hope you can choose to keep faith, hope and love alive today. You matter. You are loved. Cling to that this Sunday in December. That's all the news from the Carondelet Garden.
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Day: 43-degrees | Night: 31-degrees
Obviously, this picture of our Amarylis was taken yesterday. Quite a beautiful little plant. It's nice to have a bit of color with live plants inside during this holiday season. We can't wait for the Paperwhites to come into bloom. It's still dark outside in the garden. It is foggy and there's a mist in the air. There's a bit of that bone-chill in the air. It's not particularly cold, it's just chilling. The garden feels like it is waiting. Waiting for Winter to really come. Waiting for the Spring to bring warmth and new life. Waiting. We are also waiting in this season. Waiting for the light to come. Waiting. Hoping. Praying. Waiting. It's dark right now but the light is coming. We wait with faith, with hope, and love in our hearts. For now, we wait in the darkness. The fog will lift later this morning. The rain will end but the clouds will stick around all day. Winds are light and variable. We are a bit slow in our start this morning. Coffee and Tea are in our mugs. Some lovely music is playing on the Smart Speaker. The light from the Christmas tree is illuminating the room. A roaring fire in the fireplace to knock off the chill. Not a bad way to begin this Saturday morning. I hope you find some goodness today. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to those you may meet along the way. That's all the news from the Carondelet Garden. Day: 53-degrees | Night: 34-degrees
It's dark and quiet in the Carondelet Garden on this second Friday of December. The clouds make it feel like it's earlier than it actually is. I've planted Red Clover as a cover crop in my beds this season. It has done quite well, and I've begun pulling and turning to get all of the nutrients from this amazing plant back into the soil. My first time trying it. I'm excited to see how it does. A big of fog hangs over the Garden with mostly cloudy skies above. There is a chance we could see a bit of sunshine this afternoon. Winds are out of the West at 10 to 15 MPH. I wish you peace this foggy morning in South Saint Louis. This holiday season can bring joy, but it also brings sorrow and sadness to many of us. My wish for you is peace. Peace of heart. Peace of mind. Gentle peace. Be kind to yourself. Be good to yourself. You deserve goodness, kindness, and peace. That's all the news from the Carondelet Garden. Day: 48-degrees | Night: 45-degrees
It's a wee soft day here in the Carondelet Garden. A misty rain is falling upon the ground and the world is quiet for the moment. The ferns on the back porch have given up life but the birds are loving the shelter and the fronds, so they are going to hang around for a few more months. I love watching the birds flying in and out of them all day long. Tonight, we head out @jazzstl for a concert with the incredible @denisethimes. A singer of amazing talent. It's her Christmas show so we are doubly looking forward to a great evening of vocal jazz in a beautiful listening room. The rain has settled in for the morning with cloudy skies and light showers hanging around all day. Winds are out of the ENE at 5 to 10 MPH. This is the perfect rain. Soft and gentle falling and sinking into the ground. A gardener's dream! We can all use a bit of good right now. Be good to yourself this Thursday. Be good and kind to those you may encounter on your journey. That's all the news from the Carondelet Garden. Day: 52-degrees | Night: 41-degrees
The Coneflowers are done for the season, but we leave the last of the old blooms out for the birds and other wildlife to use. We'll do cleanup in late Winter or early Spring. For now, they are very beneficial for the little critters that visit the Carondelet Garden from time to time. They may not be traditionally beautiful yet there is still beauty in them. At least for now, it appears that all of our doctors' appointments are finished for 2022. Whew! We are fortunate to have such dedicated and wonderful doctors, dentists, veterinarians, etc. in our lives, but I'm good with not seeing them for a bit. Walked outside to a misty, mild morning here in the Carondelet Garden. There are some areas of patchy fog hanging around under cloudy skies. The winds are light and variable. It looks like a very mild day for South Saint Louis if a bit overcast. We should get a bit of rain moving in tonight and tomorrow. The rains are welcome right now. My coffee cup is now empty and I'm thinking about another. It's that kind of day. A bit more coffee. Some good music on the old Smart Speaker. The newspapers have arrived. There's a Wordle to do! Such a busy day for an old gardener. I hope you have time to sit down and enjoy a second cup of coffee today. You deserve some goodness in your life. You deserve kindness and joy and peace. Have a bit of faith, hold on to a bit of hope and spread a bit of love this Holiday Humpday. That's all the news from the Carondelet Garden. Day: 46-degrees | Night: 40-degrees
It's Tuesday morning and I'm headed back to see the Dentist. Third time should be charmed. At least I know what's going to happen. It's a bit of a broken tooth that should be able to be fixed with a filling. Not a big deal but for an old man with an irrational fear of dentists. It's a big deal. Thank goodness my dentist is amazing. She's very kind and quite good at what she does. Still doesn't help a lot with the irrational fear. Needless to say, not a lot of sleep last night. I know, irrational. It's a foggy day here in the Carondelet Garden in South Saint Louis this Tuesday morning. Lots of clouds around this morning with a bit of rain sliding in for the afternoon. Winds are light and variable. Another wee soft day in the Garden. A reminder to slow down a bit. Take it a little easier. We all need that reminder this time of year. There is a lot of pressure on everyone during the holidays. I hope you are kind to yourself. Be good to yourself this Tuesday in December. You deserve it! That's all the news from the Carondelet Garden. Day: 54-degrees | Night: 40-degrees
I love Winter Pansies! There, I've said it. This gorgeous little hint of color in the Winter Garden just gives you a bit of a lift. Especially on a cold, December Monday morning. If past plantings are any indicator, we will have these little gems through April and May. Such a tiny touch of joy! This old Scots-Irish gardener loves Irish music, storytelling, dance, whiskey... you get the idea. With that bit of knowledge, we went to the Grandel Theatre yesterday for a wonderful show of music, dance, and storytelling: Tomaseen Foley's A Celtic Christmas. It was a one day only event and such a wonderful time. He's been doing this for 27 years and hopefully will come back again next Christmas. I will share this lovely Irish blessing: "May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night and the road downhill all the way to your door!" It's a chilly start to the day here in the Carondelet Garden. The skies are cloudy, and the winds are out of the South at 5 to 10 MPH. We might see a peak of sunshine later this afternoon. Then again, we might get a bit of rain. It is Saint Louis. Who really knows? I wish you faith, hope, and love this Monday morning. May the Lord hold you in his hands and never clench his fist too tight. That's all the news from the Carondelet Garden. Day: 47-degrees | Night: 29-degrees
A beautiful sunrise this Sunday morning in December in South Saint Louis in the Second Week of Advent. I took my first morning walk alone in almost four years. It was not the same yet not nearly as hard as I was expecting. My little Doodle Dog loved her morning sojourns around her neighborhood and easily made friends wherever she went. This morning was different. The sun was just coming up and the world was quiet. A Sunday morning coming down as Johnny Cash would say. There was only one other walker out this morning, and we spoke briefly while admiring the Christmas decorations. It was somewhat comforting to return to a daily habit only this time it was just me and the morning and meditation. Not a bad walk. Just a lonely walk. Step by step, day by day it gets a bit easier. The skies are sunny this morning. Clouds are expected this afternoon. Not a bad Second Sunday of Advent. Today I wish us all a Small Sunday. Small, Simple, Serene, Sacred. May today be a day of faith fueled by hope and fulfilled with love. Be good to yourself and those around you. Be kind to those you meet on your journey. That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden. Day: 39-degrees | Night: 24-degrees
The sun is starting to rise here in the Carondelet Garden. The morning breaks on the first Saturday of December. A chilly start to the weekend here in South Saint Louis but a beautiful day nonetheless. It's the Holiday season. Tidings of Comfort and Joy is written on the side of my coffee cup this morning. Yet, for so many of us, Joy is not always the first thing we think of when we think of the holiday season. For many of us it brings back unpleasant memories and times of struggle and sorrow. Remember to be kind to folks who may be struggling this year. We have all been through so much these past few years. Let's give each other a break this year. Not a bad a Christmas wish. The sun is shining but we can expect a few afternoon clouds coming our way. Winds will be out of the NW at 10 to 20 MPH. Give yourself a break today. Be good to yourself. Grant yourself a bit of kindness this first Saturday in December. That's all the news from the Carondelet Garden. Day: 56-degrees | Night: 30-degrees
It's the First Friday in December. It's a very mild morning for late Fall in Saint Louis. A simply stunning sunrise this morning. A great day for a long walk. It's going to be a full weekend of holiday experiences. Tomorrow is Christmas on the Quad at Saint Louis University. Always a fun way to start the Holiday season. Holiday Markets are open all around the area. We will be heading to Lafayette Square on Sunday. A fun weekend for this #supercoololdcouple! We can expect overcast skies with winds out of the South at 15 to 25 MPH. Gusty winds today so be careful if you are out and about this morning. I wish you peace this First Friday in December. It's a good way to start the month. Be good to yourself today. Be kind to yourself and those you may meet along the way. That's all the news from the Carondelet Garden. |
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July 2024
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