Orchids for Everyday

You are looking at a Dtps. Leopard Prince Star orchid, which is not blooming in a conservatory, but in my humble kitchen.

I received this lovely flower from my husband as a gift and it is a wonder. I have taken several photos of the flowers and as each bud opens fully, I am recording that too.

I used to be afraid to purchase orchids because I thought they were too fragile for my gardening skills, so the only time we saw them was in nosegays. But things have changed. I saw rows of orchids on sale at our local grocery store last week (see below). The price was reasonable, and they are so gorgeous that it's a great way to brighten up the gloom of winter. There's nothing to be afraid of, just enjoy.

Taking Care of the Winter Soul

When I arrived at the local park to walk last week, two of these ladies pictured above were talking to a third. By the time I finished my walk, they had talked to two other different women -- a 40 + minute chat!

Guess the days of talking over the fence to neighbors and friends are over and have been replaced by small get-togethers in other places. To that I say, Hooray!

They picked a beautiful day to be out in their shiny new walking shoes, and even the cool winds that always blow through the park did not deter them from catching up with each other.

In the background you can see an elf light display, part of the huge holdiay light show the park puts on every year. These days the county workers are tearing it down and packing it away till next fall when the process begins again.

If you have the opportunity, I hope you will walk outside today, taking advantage of whatever outdoor light January has to offer. And if you run into an old friend or neighbor, stop for a chat. Both experiences are good for the winter soul.

Volunteering in the New Year

Hello, all. It's January 3, 2012 and the New Year is humming along. We have had snow for the last two days so I guess winter, which was late arriving, is here to stay.

As the New Year arrives, most of us spend some time thinking about resolutions and to-do lists that can make our lives better. One suggestion I have written about recently was to post a resolution at a website dedicated to having people commit to doing more volunteer work on any scale that suits them.

Resolution12 suggests we write our resolution down for all to see and that may help us to get it done.

Like you I have been thinking about doing more volunteer work. Right before Christmas my husband and son and I were happy to be asked to help with the local Toys for Tots program. As you know the annual program is sponsored by the United States Marine Corps and provides toys to children who otherwise might not receive anything under the tree.

We worked several jobs at the chilly warehouse during our volunteer hours that Saturday, not really feeling the cold because of all of the warm hearts we worked alongside. One job in particular required taking a slip of paper with the genders and ages of a family's children marked off and "shop" for toys for those children/ We then placed the toys in a bag to hand to a Marine who handed the bag to a family member.

Mothers, fathers, friends and small children did the shopping and truly, there were no complaints from any one of any age while doing the fast-paced work.

Performing that volunteer work made me feel that there is so much more to be done and that we Baby Boomers often have some extra time to do those jobs.

I hope you will find time this year to volunteer and offer the world your talents and love. It's waiting.

Traveling? Read this first!

Susan Foster is all about traveling. For the past 30 years she has been the consummate traveler, learning as she went and always passing on her knowledge to others to make the friendly skies even friendlier.

As a gift for the holidays, Susan has written an updated, state-of-the-art, article on how you can avoid holiday travel mishaps and be as prepared as a Boy Scout on your way.

Visit my website, http://www.boomthis.com/,  to read Susan's article.

Trimmed for the Holidays

It's nice to see small towns dressed for the holiday season. This particular gazebo is in Chagrin Falls, OH, a quaint little town near Cleveland.

We had a chance to visit this town last month, remembering when we had been there years ago to shop. My husband and father-in-law dropped us ladies off at a parking lot in town and then they went to a Cleveland Indians game. They drove back to pick us up after the game. All of this done without cell phones! Imagine!

Hope your town is decked out this year. A nice change from the dreary skies we have been experiencing.

November Beer Garden Outdoors

This photo wasn't taken in one of your Warm-in-The-Winter states, No sir, this was a scene in Harmony, PA, a small town north of Pittsburgh. Taken on Saturday, a bright, beautiful day, it shows that people can still enjoy the outdoors here even in November, to my mind the bleakest of months.

Of course it has been raining pretty much ever since but hey, we take what we can get.

Enjoy!

Fall is Here

Now that Halloween has passed, there is no denying it: Fall is here. For some reason I am not as happy about fall and winter coming this year. Usually I don't mind as I am one of those odd people who actually likes winter, at least some of the time.

But this year, I keep wanting to hold onto the brighter colors of fall, the sunny days and the warmer temperatures. I can't do that, I know, but I still try.

Yesterday I walked at the county park, and with the November sunlight, it felt like I had been transported to another place. It was beautiful, but different from what I have seen there in the winter, spring, summer and early fall. There was an abundance of clear and bright light shining on the landscape and bare trees.

I didn't see much wildlife yesterday, but I was walking a little later in the day than usual. There were a lot of people walking, running and biking, and often we had to move out of each other's way. There were also several high school students running along the path, training for cross country meets I suppose.