I may not be able to feel the sand between my toes, but I can dip them in the pool!

Today's treasure was a birthday gift, even though my birthday was in February! I firmly believe in keeping celebrations going as long as possible, and this may be a new record! Our boat was also appropriately named "Celebration"!

Two young boys gathered the group and directed us to board. "My grandfather was the captain on the ferry from Lewes, DE to Cape May, NJ and before that he was in the Coastguard", one young man noted proudly.

Breakfast was served immediately and we carried it up on deck and found a table with a view of the water. We saw our first dolphin shortly after we left the dock and they appeared frequently through out the two hour ride. The weather was ideal with the sun beaming warmly but not oppressive.

The Captain directed our attention to groups of dolphin as they appeared, in addition to sharing He said one of his most memorable experiences was watching the birth of a dolphin and seeing the mother joyfully toss it up in the air. He noted that dolphins swim in pods, not schools, and are very sociable. The average life expectancy of a dolphin in Maryland is 40 to 50 years, about the same in captivity as in the wild. 

The trip was a delightful blend of relaxation, interspersed with repeated sighting the playful rompers!  There is a sense of ease to their movement - and aquatic dance. A pirate ship passed by, the ferry, and numerous other boats, wave runners and surfing boards. I'll treasure the memories os this delightful experience forever!

LOVE Seacrets in Ocean City, Maryland! At first glance there is a parking lot filled with black skull and cross bone flags flying in the breeze. A barrier of high grasses and huge boulders further disguises what's to come. 

As we rounded the corner the entrance came into view and the every step became more enticing as we entered! It was as if we had entered another world! We found a full blown Jamaican party with live music, multiple bars and dancing areas, including one where partiers danced in the waters along the beach!  

We lingered in our sea side seat to watch the sun set. 

On the morning of the race, I felt well prepared. I had purchased my hat for the Preakness weeks before the race at the Downton Abbey exhibit at Winterthur in Delaware. I waited until the day of the race to purchase the flowers to decorate it, hoping for them to be as fresh as possible. The Black-Eyed Susan is the state flower of Maryland, as well as the official flower of the Preakness, so I was certain that local florists and farmer's markets would be abundant with fresh blossoms to adorn my hat for the day's race,. There wasn't a Black-Eyed Susan to be found. Well, at least not of the floral variety.

There weren't even any silks available. I purchased a garland of daisies and hurried home to paint the centers with acrylics, thankful that it was a quick drying paint. Next year I'll be prepared, and may even try to force some blossoms for the event. 

Even California Chrome, the winning horse, was deprived of the thrill of wearing an authentic garland of the official flower.  Instead his 10 foot long, 4,200 bloom blanket was made of golden yellow chrysanthemums with black in the center. 

Numerous people, including a local florist, told me as recently as the day of this year's race, May 17, 2014, "the flowers used for the race and the blanket that covers the winning horse are daisies with the centers painted with black lacquer or shoe polish."  However, more reliable sources state they haven't used that technique for over fifteen years. 

Susan Reimer, a reporter for the Baltimore Sun, noted that the archives of the Sun first mentioned the Black Eyed Susan taking the place of the rose blanket for the Maryland Preakness race in the late 1930s. "In 1939 the Sun described what it said was a blanket of black-eyed Susans gracing the neck of Preakness winner Challedon. Racing writer Jesse Linthicum said the change gave the race 'a real Maryland flavor'." 

As far as the origin of the daisies with the centers painted black, Reimer reveals the beginning and the end of the mystery. The Black-Eyed Susan, a wild flower too delicate to hold up to the technique of being woven into a blanket and remaining fresh and hardy for a couple of days, doesn't even bloom until late June. "It was Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Price Day, writing in The Sun in 1946, who revealed that florist and devoted horse lover George Cook had been painting the center of yellow daisies with shoe black for years. He'd made every blanket from 1928 to 1953, and he died just days before the 1954 race." 

The choice of the Black-Eyed Susan is in honor of it's position as the official flower. The state legislature of Maryland officially endorsed the Black Eyed Susan as the Maryland state flower in 1918. There are thirteen petals, as there were thirteen original colonies which included Maryland, and the black and yellow beautifully represent the colors in the Maryland flag. Admittedly, other than its untimely debut and fragile nature, it is a worthy choice for the official Preakness flower!

Several times through out the year I'll grad a sheet of paper, fold it in half vertically, title it "Same" and "Different under the day's date, and begin to list everything that was the same in my life at this time last year, and everything that is different. 

This is fraction of the list but it can give you an idea. It's helpful to see the progress over the year. I often complete tasks and projects and don't really take the time to celebrate the achievements. You may also be accomplishing more than you realize.  

As I review my lists, I'm able to see areas that have improved and others that could use more attention.  The first time I did this it was the result of journaling about sameness. Everything was the same as it had been for years. Same house, same job, same road to work, same activities, same foods, same  . . . . oh, it makes me glaze over to think of it. But it was up to me to change it! That's when I began Collecting Firsts and adding more spice to my life!

Easy and delicious! 

Mycala has been raving about Baby Artichokes (they aren't actually baby - just a different variety of the globe artichokes, which I also adore). The larger variety are a lot more work because they have a hairy choke that you need to scoop out before serving. The "baby" has no "choke" so it is very easy to prepare! 

I actually purchased them because of the gorgeous colors. They were simply begging me to take them home and get out the watercolors, so I decided I may as well do "another paint first, eat later" meal.

The outer leaves peel off easily, then cut off the stem, trim the top about a third of the way down, and halve or quarter. Drizzle with lemon juice, top with shredded parmesan cheese, home made bread crumbs, smoked paprika and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven. And if you have fresh parsley growing in your garden or window box top with a few fresh leaves before serving. A few sliced tomatoes and dinner is served!

This one is from the archives but worth repeating! It's been a long bitter winter in Maryland, and the birds are finally beginning to share their songs again. This morning I saw a robin and her baby scratching for earth worms when Zippy and I took our morning walk. A cardinal perched in a gingko tree looked as beautiful as he sounded against the fan shaped leaves. I'm still looking for my first Baltimore Oriole now that I'm living in Baltimore. (I'm a dedicated baseball fan so I see the non-feathered specimens almost daily!) 

Birds add vibrant color to our world. But do you know that at one time their feathers lacked the beautiful variations we see today?

An African American legend explains that at the beginning of time a torrential rain fell on the earth.  When it ended, the world was gifted with a glorious rainbow.  No one had ever seen such brilliant colors!

The birds were the first to see it and the flew swiftly to get closer, joyfully flying in and out of the brilliant, iridescent arch!  As they passed through the colors, their feathers were painted the gorgeous colors of the rainbow!

The cardinal fell in love with the red and spent most of his time flying in and out of the crimson stripe!  The goldfinches were charmed with the yellow, staying predominantly in that area!  Blue birds favored the blue, weaving in and out of the glorious blues.

Other birds, such as the kestral, flew through several different colors.  This caused stripes and spots of colors to form on his beautiful feathers!  The swift and exuberant hummingbird flew merrily in and out of every color, causing him to have his own iridescent rainbow, delightfully visible when the sun catches his feathers.  

Imagine! Two of our most delightful treasures, color and birds, working in harmony to create beauty that we see every day if we just stop to notice! 

 When we think of 'feeding' ourselves, our first thought is "when do we eat!", but there is so much more to feed us than food. This afternoon was a delicious reminder of all things sensuous. 

Mycala, my oldest daughter, treated me to a 1 1/2 hour massage for Mother's Day. The experience was self indulgent and not something I would do for myself. Maybe I need to rethink that! 

Even before the masseuse began the session, my senses were stimulated. A very delicate fragrance of lavender permeated the air.  An instrumental background selection was the perfect choice. I melted into the softness of the sheets on the massage table, cocooned under the weightless blanket. 

All of this, followed by ninety minutes of skilled attention to knead and relax muscle tissue transported me to a meditative state. I stopped thinking about what was next. I became reminded that I can shift to be in the moment in an instant, simply make the choice to pause and be aware of the gifts of this moment, right now. 

There is a Zen saying, "Don't hurry. Ever." In today's world we can feel rushed, pushed and pulled, and don't often allow ourselves that gift.  When we slow down and experience the present moment, we can become aware of so many pleasures that will soothe our souls. We can enhance our experiences through fragrances, music, textures, thoughts and soothing sights. How can you make your home or office more spa-like? Flowers, scented candles, a favorite hand lotion, soothing music, inspirational quotes, a favorite painting, and soft throws can bring our focus to beauty.

My Mother's Day gift will live with me beyond the delightful experience. It will remind me to proactively integrate more delightful experiences into my life. Thank you Mycala!

Yesterday we finalized our classes for spring. Nancy guided us through our last session of 'A Few More Players . . . ",  a series that highlighted fascinating politicians, writers and artists. This week's feature was Modigliani, a talented and tortured artist whose heartbreaking story began with difficulties at birth, and continued on with the suicide of his nine month  pregnant love following his death. 

"Modi" suffered from tuberculosis, which has been sited by some as the reason he began drinking absinthe. Nancy asked me if I had ever tried it, and  i shared my experience with wormwood, the plant responsible for the toxic drink. In herbals, it is listed as a poison and was banned in the United States at one time.

Wormwood and I did battle when I began feeling nauseous every time I weeded my silver garden. The other artemisias - southern wood, silver king, silver mound - were all pleasant, but being near wormwood, artemisia absinthium, was literally making me ill. So I dug it up and threw it out. It came back. Over and over and over again, I tried to erradicate it, and it returned.

Maybe I should note that labeling anything and dismissing it is rare for me. I've written a couple of booklets on plants that are considered weeds. 

This was more dire. It wasn't simply annoying, it was noxious. Evil. 

Wormwood's tenacity made it clear that I would have to live with it. I tried to pacify myself with its right to grow in my garden by remembering that it was, after all, a Biblical herb. 

Years later I was reading a notation on wormwood from Adelma Simmon's Herb Gardening in Five Seasons. She referenced Harold N. Moldenke's Plants of the Bible, stating that wormwood was not a native of the Holy Land, and the plant was synonymous for bitterness. "All the Bible translators continue to use the word wormwood in the Revelations reference {8:10-11}, but Goodspeed renders the passage far more lucid. "Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and there fell from the sky a great blazing star like a torch and it fell upon one third of the streams of water. The star is called Absinthus, that is wormwood, and numbers of people died of the waters for they had turned bitter."
The reference validated my innate intuition that absinthe is better left alone! As far as the plant, wormwood, others may not find it as obnoxious as I do. If I ever have another silver garden, Artemisia absinthium will not be invited.

Ending this season of classes is a bittersweet experience. Each semester seems to be better than the last. I have a much better understanding of modern art, all things Baltimore, astronomy, Nancy's A Few More Players . . . and a greater appreciation for ballet and opera. And last, but not least, I'll miss the joy of singing in the chorus. Having the experience of continuing to learn with and from such knowledgable guides has been a blessing.