Serenity in the Garden

Its Halloween!...and you plan to carve the Jack O'Lantern TONIGHT...triangle eyes, triangle nose.....yawn..... What you need is some inspiration! You can find it at the Van Cortlandt Manor located in  my little village of Croton-on-Hudson because we have what must be the world's largest display of carved Jack O'Lanterns...it is called the  Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze . Why do we have such a thing?  Well, Croton is in 'Sleepy Hollow Country' and Sleepy Hollow is the home of the Headless Horseman. It is right down the road from us.  (And he rides through the countryside every Halloween)....thus, we are a natural for Jack O'Lanterns..... That is my opinion as to the reason why we hold it although the website  Things You Should Do  says this: "Blaze’s creative director, Michael Natiello, said the true inspiration for Blaze is the landscape of Van Cortlandt Manor itself.  The event is really a land art instal...

Norwegian reindeer moss  is a perfect covering at the base of plants, in dried arrangements, set around stones, and any other idea you may have. It is really a lichen - a combination of a fungus and an algae. It is sold as a  preserved material.  You can buy it in boxes or bags. It comes in a wide variety of colors which makes it a must have, especially in autumn... Here are some colors (among many): There are so many things you can do with this living material....Make items from it like shown below: The artist  Olafur Eliasson  made an entire wall from reindeer moss and has exhibited it in museums around the world... This installation is appropriately titled  Moss Wall .  It is a wall covered from floor to ceiling in reindeer moss, a study in living texture. (It resembles what I have done on a hidden wall in my house which was to put a carpet on a wall... I call it  Carpet Wall .(not) ...

Its almost Halloween...and you plan to carve the old Jack O'Lantern again...triangle eyes, triangle nose.....yawn..... What you need is some inspiration! You can find it at the Van Cortlandt Manor located in  my little village of Croton-on-Hudson because we have what must be the world's largest display of carved Jack O'Lanterns...it is called the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze . Why do we have such a thing? Well, Croton is in 'Sleepy Hollow Country' and Sleepy Hollow is the home of the Headless Horseman. It is right down the road from us.  (And he rides through the countryside every Halloween)....thus, we are a natural for Jack O'Lanterns..... That is my opinion as to the reason why we hold it although the website Things You Should Do says this: "Blaze’s creative director, Michael Natiello, said the true inspiration for Blaze is the landscape of Van Cortlandt Manor itself. The event is really a land art installation inf...

I just took my morning walk and enjoyed the light green leaves unfurling on the trees .... The trees come alive here in the first weeks of May where I live. This is why May Day and the Maypole celebration are so appealing to me. The tradition of Dancing around the Maypole   is a true Springtime ritual and has its roots in ancient history. The ancient Romans honored their god, Attis, on March 22  by wrapping a sacred pine tree in linen and violets. They then carried it in a procession to the hilltop temple of Cybele, and, after solemn observance, celebrated merrily and placed bits of wool on the tree.  Sale Elementary School and their Maypole When the Romans occupied the British Isles. they brought this Springtime festival with them. According to E. O. James' description, the Attis ceremony was recreated by the youths in old Europe who cut down a tree, lopped off the branches leavin...

No matter what religious tradition you follow - this will give you a warm feeling....Happy Thanksgiving!