Spring is nature’s way of saying,
"Let’s party!"
~Robin Williams
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| Hollywood Cemetery |
It had been a craptastic day at work and with two weeks left in the academic semester, I’m pretty sure my workload is not going to lighten up. That’s alright though because I arrived home to discover that the seeds I had planted just last weekend had already sprouted! That was much sooner than I expected. This picture is from Thursday. There are even more sprouts now and they’re larger. Go gothic plants go! I attended the literary salon and I’ll write more about that soon.  |
| first Columbine bloom of the season |
Yesterday was a bit of a continuation of the literary salon’s theme, “Garden of Inspiration – Ekphrasis and the Language of Flowers,” which had me volunteering at the Poe Museum for their Enchanted Garden clean-up day. I pruned trees for about three hours in one of Richmond's most beautiful gardens. I felt as though I should be writing a copay to someone for such a therapeutic event so I renewed (oops) my membership to the museum that expired a month ago and added a donation.
After that, I raced off to Woodland Cemetery for my very first Cemeterians Meet-Up group.
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| Book club picnic/ birthday party outfit |
Then today was book club and simultaneously the fourth birthday was the RVA Horror Book Club. It was a beautiful day to be in Hollywood Cemetery, where the very first book club meeting was held.
We hung with Richmond’s resident vampire, W. W. Pool as we picnicked and discussed Paul Tremblay’s A Head Full of Ghosts: A Novel (2015). I have to note that it is one of my favorite horror novels and as soon as I finished reading it for our book club, I started from the very beginning and read it a second time so that I could pick up on all of the references.
So this is basically a summary, not an analysis, of my weekend which is what I tell my students never to do; but, like them, I’m writing this at the last minute and I desperately need to get ready for bed. *yawn*
Sounds like a great weekend! It's been a while since I hung out in the cemetery.
ReplyDeleteYou should schedule some time to do so ;D
DeleteBlossom, blossom everywhere...it's strange to think we are in opposite sides of the globe and yet our plants appear to be in sync. My columbines are just coming into flower and there is blossom everywhere. I'm planning a front garden day today and have some purple viola to plant and some landscaping to do as it's all a bit of a mess.
ReplyDeleteLOVE the belt btw. You look great :)
Thank you! I love that belt too, and always mention how I feel like I'm Eurydice being dragged back into Hades. It's also nice to rest my hand on the hand-buckle :D
DeleteAnd, it is a strange little world we live in. I think the frost is finally behind us and we can plant some elephant ears. After many frost warnings, only my tomato plant and one row of bleeding hearts appear to have been stunted by the cold temperatures.
That sounds like a lovely weekend! I asked my husband to assist me (I have some medical issues) with creating a small gothic garden retreat in an area partially enclosed with quince bushes from my childhood home and a huge peony that we inherited with the property. In the center stands a weathered stone bunny, watching over the resting place of my childrens' pet rabbits. I've started some black hollyhock and pansy seeds and planted black mondo grass. I will put in black and white iris and bunny tail grass and move some beautiful dark foliage I have in my current garden (but can't remember what it is-the blooms are yellow cups.) It's a very peaceful corner.
ReplyDeleteLynne, the fact that you have some bushes from your childhood home made me GWEE! I'm going to ask my dad to dig up something to give to me! What an amazing symbol of home. I love it.
DeleteSpeaking of weathered stone bunnies, when I get on a computer (as opposed to this little mobile), I need to upload the picture from the cemetery of the weathered stone bunny. It was a cradle grave for a child and while I couldn't tell the bunny was part of the grave originally (because I tend not to go poking at things) it has clearly been there for ages. How uncanny that you happen to mention that! Best of luck with your garden. It sounds amazing!
I hope your work load is not too exhausting, even if the semester is about to end! :) A Head Full Of Ghosts: A Novel sounds interesting so I instantly added it to my constantly expanding reading list. :D Graveyard meet up and all other lovely events you attend sound amazing, I am almost envious..! ^__^ I must gather a book picnic myself, when the summer arrives here in Finland.
ReplyDeleteThanks! When does summer arrive in Finland? :)
DeleteDoesn't that sound extraordinarily delicious: THERE'S TWO MORE WEEKS LEFT OF THE SEMESTER!!! SQUEE! Our last day is May 2 and I'm stoked! My archival research plans are planned -- and confirmed -- and summer trips have been made. Speaking of which, do you want to meet up in DC at some point? Let's plan this before next semester.
ReplyDeleteI wish we had an active cemetery group in NYC. Sure, Green-lawn does it's tours and stuff, but no group to chat with. Ah well. You look incredibly happy, dear friend ... and incredibly beautiful. I miss you.
You could start your own Meet Up group. That's what I did after being jealous of ones in other states ;)
DeleteThat hat is all kinds of marvelous!!! What an awesome book club + party ensemble.
ReplyDeleteBig hugs & joyful Friday wishes,
♥ Jessica
Thanks, Jessica. The hat was a not-an-Easter-hat purchase :D
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