in grammy (nainai) heaven

Hi, friends--

No I haven't fallen off the edge of the earth.  

Just having a fun time with my grandson and his parents.

Here are a few shots of our summer fun so far....

Trying out all the settings.

Discovering the prism in grammy's  nainai's window.

The big green ball is a favorite each year.

After our picnic supper at Reid State Park

City boy learns biking, without training wheels!

Tubing down the Saco River.  (very lazy river)

Hoping you are having a fun summer, too!

reflecting

Q.  If you really focus on the water, does it make you cooler??

A.  Couldn't hurt, anyway....

high summer at my house

If any of you is visiting Boston this summer,

don't miss the Chihuly glass exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts.

Breathtaking large blown-glass pieces

exhibited beautifully in a setting of light and wonder.

Here in Maine, I have just welcomed our Hong Kong family

who will be staying with us for three weeks.

Since this is the reward I get for 'allowing' (ha!)

them to live so far away the rest of the year,

and since my grandson 

is a source of constant wonder to me,

I will probably be posting on a more random basis

for awhile.

If you don't see me here, or at your blog comment page,

don't think I've forgotten you.

I'm just soaking up the joy for awhile!

Happy High Summer to all of you!!

a poem for today

(hellebore with seed pods opened)

Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical,

and self-centered;

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you

of selfish, ulterior motives;

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some

false friends and some true enemies;

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,

people may cheat you;

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone

could destroy overnight;

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,

they may be jealous;

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,

people will often forget tomorrow;

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,

and it may never be enough;

Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,

it is between you and God;

It was never between you and them anyway.

                                        by Kent M. Keith

From Do It Anyway: The Handbook for Finding Personal Meaning and Deep Happiness in a Crazy World.

According to the author, Mother Teresa was so moved by these commandments that she hung them on a wall in her orphanage in Calcutta.

coastal maine botanical gardens

20 years ago it was only an idea.

An idea deeply stuck in the hearts of a group of

dedicated and fearless folks who 

envisioned a Maine botanical garden

which celebrated indigenous plants

and the beauty of cultivated and wild flora alike.

15 years ago, these intrepid people staked their own homes

on the purchase of 128 acres of mixed growth woods,

granite outcroppings and frontage on a tidal river.

It is now the largest botanical garden in New England,

and one of only a few in the country

that fronts on a body of water.

I remember walking the land early on in this project.

As we traversed what was mostly

a wooded trail, I had a difficult time imagining

what was so clearly imagined by the Garden's founders.

And here it is in 2011, a beautiful and educational 

refuge that offers the opportunity for

interaction with nature,

a feast for the five senses,  

deep meditation, and peace in this busy world.

If you are coming to Maine, you might want

to look here to learn more about this destination.

Located in Boothbay, Maine, it is

easily accessible to folks traveling a coastal route,

and well-worth the detour from Rt. 1.

I'm a kind of 'close-up' photographer.

I'll leave it up to one of you to come and

take shots of the sweep and flow of this wonderful property.

Til then, some tiny moments

from a magical place.

Thanks for stopping by.

I hope you had a lovely summer weekend.

fiasco!

It is a mixed blessing, this amazing

gelato place in my part of the world.

The gelato and sorbetto can't be beat.

My plans for a svelte self can be beat every day.

It calls to me.

Rumor has it that one of the Town Fathers

discouraged this business plan when it was in its

beginning stages.

"I can imagine you'd do ok in the summer with the tourists,

but how can a business succeed that sells mostly ice cream

to the locals in the dead of winter?"

So much for listening to the experts.

Josh and Bruno are doing very well, thank you.

All year round.

(In the thick of winter, they offer money off

for each degree below freezing.

Cold weather doesn't stop many local folks,

the stuff is THAT good.)

Plus, they are great contributors to the community

in which they do business, and they have 

 the best service, always with bright conversation, and a smile.

The photos don't do it justice.  Every flavor is made

in the kitchen, from local ingredients, always fresh.

Gelato has a milk (not cream) base,

and sorbetto is fruit based--no dairy.

Selected sorbetto flavors today--not inclusive:

Lemon mint.  Orange spice. Papaya. Strawberry Balsamic.

Also Chocolate, for the dairy-avoidant chocolate fiends.

Yum.

Gelato flavors today, also not inclusive:

German chocolate cake gelato.  Honey graham gelato. Espresso Chip gelato.

Hazelnut gelato (made with Italian hazelnuts!)

Toasted coconut gelato.  Butterscotch pecan gelato.

Not to mention Chinese five spice gelato (don't knock it, it's delicious!)

Maple bacon gelato.  Pink and Black Peppercorn gelato.

You can have a small taste of anything you ask for.

The only flavor I wasn't partial to was the garlic gelato

they served up one day in the dead of January.

We are coming into the season of abundant fruits and vegetables.

No telling what will be on hand tomorrow!

One of the secrets of gelato is the tiny, tiny spoon.

You can work on a small cup for a long time,

and still have more to savor.

At the same time, you can watch the world go by--

either outside or in.

If you are coming to coastal Maine,

and are in the vicinity of their flagship store in Brunswick, 

or you are eating out in a fine restaurant,

or shopping in Hannaford's in the state,

keep your eye out for a treat from Gelato Fiasco, Brunswick.

Your taste buds will thank you, 

even if your waist doesn't!

Bet you can't eat just one!

;o)

ps.  nobody asked me to do this post.  And I'm not even getting a free

cup for it.  Just loving the product, and wanting to share the news!