Flowers – Page 4 – Cynthia Reyes

A Good Home, Flowers, Gardening, Life in canada, Poem, Poetry, Seasons Change, Winter's End

A Winter’s Tail

March 13, 2015March 24, 2015 Cynthia Reyes

The birds are back with songs of Spring

Their tunes incite imagining

That Winter’s end will soon arrive

And living things shall haste to thrive

Via vitalxrecognition.wordpress.com/ — Image Thanks to: vitalxrecognition.wordpress.com/

A Winter’s Tail, how bittersweet!

Today it’s sun, tomorrow sleet

And wind to stop us in our tracks

And cold to freeze Spring-hungry backs

One day we feel a wave of hope

Warmed by our thoughts that we can cope

And then come gales of Winter still

And blizzards coat the windowsill

Ho, Winter! Do your level best

Your time is near to take a rest

For Lady Spring prepares to rule

She’ll thaw your ice and warm your cool

She’ll rout you, kick your icy tail

She’ll make you wish you’d stopped at hail

Who’s mighty now, oh Freezer Guy

Who rules the roost? Oh my, oh my!

Spring wakes the earth; the gardens flower

She turns grass green and makes you cower

She strips away your winter clothes

And sprinkles sunshine up your nose

She brings new life to garden trail

She gives new strength to plants so frail

To stand up ‘gainst your mighty storm

And so defy your freezing form

Ho! Winter’s Tail, I kid you not

Pick up your snow and off you trot

Break down your ice and melt away

See you around, when skies are grey

See you next time, oh Frigid One

But not too soon, for Spring’s begun

And three great seasons I shall see

Before you’re back to torment me.

Thanks to Hamlin Grange for all original photos.

Dedicated to my friends Lisa E. and Marion W: Spring is near.

A Good Home, Blessings, Flowers, Garden, Peonies

Flowers for Jean

February 26, 2015February 28, 2015 Cynthia Reyes

“How typical of Jean,” I thought when she sent me cheery photos (including the one above) of spring flowers in Vancouver. “To do something nice for me when it’s her birth-week.”

Jean does this kind of thing.

But it’s Jean’s birthday, so these flowers are dedicated to her.

If asked to name something that comes to mind when we think of Jean, her friends would probably say:

Family.

Faith.

Friendship.

Good Food.

Flowers.

(We might also add Athletics, Books and Music but those words don’t begin with an ‘F’, so they don’t make the cut here.)

These flowers are in honour of a special birthday.

Jean loves flowers. She’s actually studied gardening. Recently, she created a whole new garden from scratch.

Peonies are among her favorites.

So are Bleeding Hearts. These below are grandchildren of a plant she gave me years ago.

Above photos by Hamlin Grange — 4 Photos above by Hamlin Grange

A few of Jean’s gardener friends have contributed flowers and garden scenes to this birthday greeting.

Ornamental grasses from Linda’s garden:

And a lovely white peony:

Jan sends this yellow beauty and the pink lady’s slippers by the lakeside:

And from Val’s garden come these peonies and scene of the lush countryside northwest of Toronto:

Thank you, Jean.

For your friendship.

And for being you.

A blessed birthday and birth-week to you.

A Good Home, Afternoon Tea, Amaryllis in Bloom, Flowers, Re-blooming Amaryllis Bulbs

FLOWERS FOR MARILYN M.

January 31, 2015February 7, 2015 Cynthia Reyes

For Marilyn Mirabelli, tea sommelier and blogger extraordinaire, these Amaryllis flowers:

My way of saying: welcome back!

Marilyn injured her foot last fall, and has steadily been working at her recovery.

Marilyn — you may recall — is the Canadian grande dame of tea and I was delighted that she read my book. Her tea company, Simply Splendid Victorian Afternoon Teas even created an apple cake in my honour.

Then, last summer, I fretted about an upcoming interview on national radio to everyone who would listen to my wimpy whining.

Marilyn knew that the interview would likely stir up very painful memories. She kindly offered to be nearby. And she created an afternoon tea party for the CBC Radio team and me after the interview. It was the perfect thing to do.

Marilyn: we have missed your posts about tea and tea lovers, as well as your comments on this blog.

These flowers are to say: we wish you a full return to both afternoon tea and blogging — soon.

p.s. The Amaryllis bulbs may re-bloom next winter, if I let the leaves grow after blooming, through the summer months. I stop watering in late August, let the leaves dry, then store the bulbs in a cool dark place for 3 months. Doesn’t always work, mind you, but these enormous flowers are great in the pot or a vase, and are an inexpensive jolt of colour in winter.

A Good Home, Blogging Considerately, Flowers, Tips for Blogging

Great Tips for Bloggers

January 28, 2015January 29, 2015 Cynthia Reyes

Rule #1: Most people like pictures. Hence the “floral arrangements” in this post. (Smile)

My last post was the most retweeted ever! Lots of interest. So today I’m sharing some tips which have worked for me, thanks to Lauren, my social media expert:

Be real. Life isn’t perfect and nor are you. Being real makes your blog interesting. My book is hilarious in parts and I wanted my blog to be similarly uplifting and funny. But my injuries affect every part of my life — including my blogging schedule. I finally revealed a few of those difficulties — and my blog network supported me.
Tell, don’t sell. Many of the bloggers I follow make products for sale – their books or paintings; farm products; furniture or vintage items. Some have a shop built into their site. But they know that blogging isn’t primarily a marketplace: it’s about engaging with others and sharing stories and ideas.
Keep your posts short. Break up a longer post with images — or make it a short series. Most of my posts are only 200- 500 words because I know that many people read a lot of blogs each week.
Set aside time to read other blogs. I set aside time early morning and late evening/night to read and reply. I’m slow, but I do it. That’s why following/having thousands of followers is not my goal. I couldn’t keep up!
Write a few posts now for later. I’m a wreck some days and stuck in bed. So I force myself to laugh by writing funny stories. My failures at baking, cooking, decorating a room or arranging flowers suddenly seem hilarious when described. Then, on my worst days, I post them — and smile at your great reactions.
Blogging is a two-way street. It’s not just a matter of ‘publishing’ your posts. Read other people’s stories, take an interest, respond. They’ll do the same. How true! I sometimes use my blog to highlight fabulous bloggers and other people; in turn, their supporters visit my blog, leaving great comments. Fascinating though I am (ha ha), my blog is not always about me.
Follow up. When I disappear for a while, some bloggers check in. I appreciate this thoughtfulness and now do the same for others.
Get help. I knew how to write, but didn’t understand social media. Among other things, an expert can make sure your blog is attractive, engaging and automatically distributed on many different platforms.