The rustic Enchanted Woods at Winterthur contrasted with the polished and elegant surrounding of the rest of the Dupont Estate. It was pure fantasy! I have always believed in fairies but this is the first time I actually felt like I was one!

The tree I'm standing in is made from a one hundred year old tulip poplar tree! There is room for two chairs inside, skillfully carved with squirrels and acorns. 

The wildflowers are just beginning to bloom. Virginia blue bells, spring beauties, sorcerer's violet, trout lilies and  blood roots grew in profusion, creating colorful carpets. 

Be careful crossing the Troll Bridge, and if you dance in the center of the Ring of Toadstools you may well disappear! 

There are so many reasons to visit this 1,000 acre site! Winterthur is abundant with treasures, varied and delightful, ever changing with the seasons!

The exhibit of Downton Abbey Costumes at Winterthur is exquisite. There are a few samples. If you want to see the wedding gown, numerous gowns with hats, fur trimmed coats, the men's costumes and the artistry of haute couture tailoring in all of them, you'll need to visit Winterthur! The exhibit will be there until January 2015 and is the only site in the United States that will showcase the collection. 

Winterthur is a treasure trove of enticements. Francis Dupont (1880 - 1969) was the visionary who created Winterthur,.The Dupont mansion expanded from the original 14 rooms to 250 to house his collectibles. There are 2500 American Eagles, a collection of soup tureens, ceramics, needle work, textiles, furniture and more, all of the highest quality originality and craftsmanship. The library contains over 100,000 items, featuring rare books on architecture, design, nature, children's books, women's magazines, and numerous other topics centering on the artistry of living life with beauty and grace. 

The estate is situated on 1,000 acres, artistically planted with trees from all over the world, Among them are seasonal plantings that bloom from late January through November, providing an endless living mosaic of blooms. He was known for his artistry in combining colors and fragrant, ever changing landscapes are a testimony.

The Enchanted Woods boasts a Story Stones, a Troll Bridge, a Tulip Tree House, Acorn Tea Room, Forbidden Fairy Ring and a Fairy Flower Labyrinth.

Time spent at Winterthur will leave you feeling refreshed and revitalized. I came home filled with inspiration and ideas to apply in my own space, admittedly on a much smaller scale. There are always opportunities to increase the beauty and sensuality in our world. The inspiration at Winterthur is endless. 

Food is one of my greatest pleasures. I cook everyday - meals that are healthy, filled with color, texture and variety, and most of all nutrients. When I sit down to a meal - and I do sit down - I want something that adds value. Food is fuel, not entertainment or bulk. I want to know what I am eating is providing value. What's In It For Me?

When did eating get so complicated? We are obsessed with it. We have five senses, yet 'taste', or possible lack of it based on some of the things I see people eating in the name of diet and deprivation, is the over riding concern. 

A study at the Center for Specialized Women’s Health at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio estimates that 70 to 80 percent of health risks come from poor lifestyle habits, according to Holly L. Thacker, MD, director of the study. 

When did food become a vehicle for ill health instead of simply a way to maintain our bodies to function as the miraculous machines they are? When did we start misusing it? And why? We are doing this to ourselves. We are literally taking the beauty, the joy, the flavor out of the way we eat and then wondering why we are hungry. Feeding is not just about what we shove in our mouths. There is a satisfaction and fulfillment that comes from the preparation and from the actual process of eating. It may not be scientific or proven, but I'm convinced the more time I spend slicing, whisking and artfully arranging, the less I eat. 

People weren't over weight when I was growing up. I truly can't remember anyone I thought of as heavy, let alone "fat". We all sat down to the table to eat delicious healthy meals, and often had dessert. Portions were small, healthy, and varied, simply prepared with not a lot of fuss. We didn't obsess about food, our weight or dieting. I can't remember hearing the word "diet" until I was in high school.  

In our home meals were prepared from natural ingredients with no preservatives, processing or artificial ingredients that we couldn't pronounce. Chicken, pork or steak thinly sliced stir fried with broccoli, red pepper, garlic, ginger and served over rice was flavorful, could be prepared quickly and supplied a variety of nutrients. One serving of broiled fish, a sautéed chicken breast (pre-Dolly Parton versions), a crab cake with lemon, served with a salad tossed with olive oil and lemon, and a seasonal vegetable and dinner was served. A little planning before one trip to the store a week and meal preparation was stress free. We didn't eat out or order in. We knew what we were eating because we made it in our own kitchens. 

We sat down together with no distractions. The television was not blaring in the back ground, nor was the radio. We weren't texting or checking our phones. We were paying attention to what was on our plates and having conversations with each other.

All this is running through my mind because a friend is frustrated after nine days of a ten day juice cleanse and is seeing no results. The concept of taking the much needed roughage out of our foods because we are concerned that there are fewer vitamins in the them doesn't make sense to me. If you feel the need for more vitamins, take more vitamins! 

My friend is  feeling deprived and is ready to go back to eating the pizza and hamburgers. I would be too. Depravation is something I don't associate with food. I'd be hungry all the time!  The less it is distorted and manipulated from it's natural state, the happier I am. As I said initially, I love to eat. I feed myself with food. Real food. Food that has color, vitamins and nutrients, roughage and texture. 

It's only natural after living in a fishing cabin for over a decade that fish are on my mind in April. The Pumpkin Seed was my first painting on stone, inspired by the natural 'hook'. He was followed by one of each of the eight fish in the Yellow Breeches, many painted numerous times. 

My former neighbors still have a complete set, given as gifts for special occasions over the years. I made them a calendar of photos of their fish, as well as birds, insects, turtles, lizards, etc. for Christmas last year.Other stones were sold at shows and galleries, given as presents or displayed around the property. My neighbors waded into the creek after the flood waters settled and salvaged some that were washed into the creek.

1 orange, peeled and divided into sections
1 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
1 mango, cubed
1 cup blueberries
1 cup grapes
3 kiwi, sliced
1 quarter pineapple, cubed
1 bartlett pear, sliced
1 red pear, sliced 

Raspberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette - on 5/27/2013 post (Dragon Fruit)

Have you noticed a pattern? My last numerical post was the number 12, and today's is 12,000. This wasn't planned. It's the result of a story a friend shared.  Her husband decided to plant marigolds. A lot of marigolds. 12,000 to be exact. He planted them in a relatively small area - a few feet wide by about two car lengths. - I'm guessing about 12 feet. I found myself smiling for the rest of the day, elated at the thought of the excessiveness. 

What a creative, grand gesture! Large numbers can lift what would be a rather mundane, every day event to extraordinary. Memorable moments can be achieved quickly through multiplication! Amethysts are the treasure most likely to use excess and exaggeration in memorable gift giving. Scroll down to the section on how each of the treasures use roses in gift giving for examples. 

Those of you who have been following my posts probably know that I am enchanted with the legends, lore and history of plants. You may also know that I visited India where the extravagant use of marigolds is a daily occurrence. So there were a number of things about the marigold planting that delighted me.

I arrived in India in the early hours of a full moon night. Even though the hour was late, the traffic was still memorable. It was shortly after my ride through the streets of Delhi, weaving in and out of patternless traffic completely amazed that no one hit anyone, that I learned that marigolds were credited with protection. Strands of marigolds were draped from rear view mirrors, piled on dash boards and draped across laps as unsecured seat belts. This from Article VI of Peter Hughes hilarious 12 rules of the Indian Road. (The number 12. There is it again. None of this is by accident).

Marigolds have a rich and extensive history - you could find volumes on them, I'm sure. Here are just a few highlights that might entice you to learn more. 

• The marigold is a masculine plant associated with the sun. 
  
• It's element is fire. 
  
• Marigolds provide protection, not only in traffic, but in your home and when dealing with legal matters.
  
• If you place them under your pillow or your bed, they will ensure prophetic dreams. 
  
• The officinalis in their Latin name indicates that they have been used as a healing herb. 
  
• The petals are delightful sprinkled in salads, in corn bread, dips. Use your imagination! Or, if you feel like going on a treasure hunt, you'll find more ideas on using the calendula under orange in my feast_of_flowers 
  
• There are numerous songs and films honoring the marigold.
• Marigolds have been used to dye fabrics, and cosmetics.
• Adding marigolds to chicken feed is said to make the yolks of their eggs more yellow. 
• In the 1960s, when flowers were competing for the honor of becoming out National Flower, David Burpee, the president of Burpee, advocated for the marigold. If you've read my book on the legend and lore of roses, or probably even if you haven't, you know the winner. 

The marigold does have other valuable attributes! If you skip through a field of marigolds - ok, you don't have to skip - once your feet come in contact with them you will be able to understand the language of the birds!

And if you stare at their vibrant golden color, they are said to improve eye sight.

As you can tell, my friend and her husband are in for a real treat when these 12,000 plants produce these lovely sunny golden orbs! 

Sundays in April remind me of trout season. My neighbors always had an opening day party and the creek was filled with canoes, kayaks and people wading and fishing. 

I was blessed to have spent eleven years living next to the creek. Great blue herons frequently fished outside my window and kingfishers bulleted down the stream, always dead center and on a mission. Occasionally a beaver would swim by or a kestrel, eagle or wild turkey would visit. Hummingbirds sipped nectar from the bergamot every summer, and a flock of cedar waxwings made their annual visit. One year I got to see a robin teach her baby to fly! 

Inspiration was abundant and the paint brush danced! Fish, insects, turtles, mallards, chipmunks . . . 

Many of my paintings were done on stone, the perfect natural canvas for capturing my visitors. 

This month I'm giving attention to numbers. It may be because it's tax season, or that I'm working on a VA report for my brother, or because this seems to be a month filled with assessing and measuring. For what ever reason, numbers, more than words and images, are on my mind. 

Thought the logical order is 0 or 1, I began with 30,000 days and 1000 marbles, then got off on other subjects. Admittedly, being linear is not my style. 

Right now, twelve is on my mind = probably because it is the 12th of April!  It is divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12. We find it in the universe, religion, mathematics, culture, sports, nature. These are just a few that come to mind. 

• Every time we look at the face of a clock. 
• The number of months in a year. 
• Jesus had 12 disciples
• Twelve tribes of Israel
• Twelve days of Christmas
• Twelve signs of the zodiac. 
  
• Hercules performed twelve labors in twelve years to atone for his sins
• Twelve days were given to King Priam to prepare for his son Hector's funeral 
• Twelve step programs in Alcoholic's and Narcotic's Anonymous
• Entertainment - 12 Angry Men, Ocean's Twelve, The Dirty Dozen, Twelve Monkey's, Twelve Rounds, Twelve, Cheaper by the Dose
• Twelve inches in a foot

On a trip to Tuscany, I had the most delicious rosemary roasted potatoes as we watched the sun go down on Lake Garda, probably my favorite place in the entire world! I've tried to recreate them many times, but they have always fallen short. This time i used new potatoes - 12 of them and that is the reason they are posted here - and I added a little zest (lemon). With the addition of garlic, capers and smoked paprika, they are even better than those I remember from Tuscany! 




12 Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

12 new potatoes, with a strip peeled out of the center of each 
salt
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
! Tablespoon capers (unless you are mad about them like I am, then 2 Tablespoons +)
Fresh rosemary, 2 Tablespoon. (must 
Two cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Smoked paprika

!. Cover potatoes with lightly salted water, bring to a boil and cook until just tender. Drain.
2. While potatoes are cooking, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice and capers in your serving bowl.
3, Brown potatoes in olive oil and garlic. 
4. When well browned, pour into the serving bowl with lemon, rosemary, capers and toss.
5 . Sprinkle with smoked paprika and serve

This morning I joined the Newcomer's of Baltimore County for a tour of Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore with renowned historian Wayne Schaumburg. Wayne weaves his love of Baltimore history with his art of story telling to create an entertaining and delightful experience. His light and lively approach is in stark contrast to the somber setting. I highly recommend his tours.

Even before I moved to Baltimore a year and a half ago, my daughter Mycala has been orienting me to the wonders of Charm City. She moved here seven years before I arrived and is an insatiable researcher of all things Baltimore. She may not be a native, or study Baltimore for a living, but her passion and enthusiasm help bridge the gap. I am also taking one of Wayne's courses at the Renaissance Institute of Baltimore at Notre Dame University of Baltimore. Between Mycala, Wayne, and Baltimore magazine, I felt fairly well educated on the wonders of Baltimore. 

So when I was called about going along on a graveyard tour, I decided if I could combine it with lunch with friends, it might be worth the effort. I go out of my way to walk around, not through, graveyards, and the setting was uninviting than enticing. 

Well. So much for that perspective! The tour was not dark, gloomy or ghostly. It was lively and captivating, combining wit, wisdom, humor and a wealth of details that brought life, not death, to the tour. Wayne's delivery is mesmerizing. I can't recommend it highly enough. I did find myself wondering how different my perspective of history would have been if I had been blessed with history teachers like Wayne. I was not. I found history dull, dead, and insufferable. I won't mention any names, but let me just say that passion and creative delivery make the a world of difference.

If you want to know more about Baltimore, and life, not death, join Wayne for one of his graveyard tours! You'll be both educated and enlightened.