tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post3201367993751931321..comments2024-03-29T04:08:44.616-04:00Comments on 66 Square Feet (Plus): How it really isMariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13632520557553405790noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-61386776348970054662018-09-23T18:24:58.136-04:002018-09-23T18:24:58.136-04:00Dear Marie. How does it work that so many traumati...Dear Marie. How does it work that so many traumatic things happen all at once: a parent getting older, death by home invasion, illness, moving...? I'm not surprised that you are feeling sad & depressed. Please know that you are not alone & that your post & your blog is such an inspiration to so many to keep going. Most of us are just to ashamed to admit that we are drowning. <br /><br />Your magic is not lost. Well done on your book & for doing what you are doing. I also love the idea of a plant adoption party (so clever!). <br /><br />I do believe in seasons & I trust & pray that your next season will be full of blessings - including an amazing place to stay. xxxyolandihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17270380277559549381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-1243136109156220092018-09-02T19:45:59.272-04:002018-09-02T19:45:59.272-04:00Marie, I’m catching up on blogs this hot Labor Day...Marie, I’m catching up on blogs this hot Labor Day weekend. You always bring a poetic perspective to whatever you are writing, whether serious or joyous. It is part of how you cope and we see our own humanity in it. I hope the move is going well!Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11906061513603856940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-10354834705641816182018-09-01T16:50:55.098-04:002018-09-01T16:50:55.098-04:00
Thank you so much, Klaus. You have followed along...<br />Thank you so much, Klaus. You have followed along on a lot of adventures! My blog has changed, I know, especially as I have less time, and also as I tend to be less personal, in some ways. There is no explaining the family situation publicly although it is sometimes very tempting. <br /><br />Remind me where you live, now? I hope the edgewarthia blooms next year. They seemed to do quite well locally, this pre-spring.Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13632520557553405790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-77660232008791343292018-09-01T16:46:21.557-04:002018-09-01T16:46:21.557-04:00Thank you for the recommendations!Thank you for the recommendations!Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13632520557553405790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-49050083639928406522018-09-01T13:17:47.055-04:002018-09-01T13:17:47.055-04:00Wow. You are in the heart of the forge, having suc...Wow. You are in the heart of the forge, having such a challenging year. Hold on to your joy in your new book. May I recommend, as escape hatches, the 2005 Kate Bush album Aerial, for it's birdsong and stunning aural landscapes, and the book A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, for its alchemical, well-written, escapism for grownups. kaylnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-60665983860610906272018-08-19T19:22:00.883-04:002018-08-19T19:22:00.883-04:00I usually check your blog once a week, and I real...I usually check your blog once a week, and I really appreciate this glimpse of how you are dealing with senescing parents and vexing siblings. In a way, I wish you delved into this a bit more, though I realize it is sensitive and difficult. As for the neurologist: it’s amazing how unprofessional and insensitive doctors can be. May you find the strength, resolve, and inner peace to get through trying times.<br /><br />I’ve followed your blog for almost a decade having found it in a fit of homesickness for Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill after having moved away exactly 10 years ago this month. After I bought your first book, I actually went back and read the blog from the beginning. I still marvel at some of the memorable posts from relabeled chicken being sold past it’s original sell by date and getting the local butcher to make South African sausage to front gardens that caught your eye, the lovely harbor views and sunsets, and of course Estorbo and his kikoi. Because of a comment of yours, I started buying tuna packed in olive oil again, and I treat myself annually to an order of herbal soaps from the South African farm you mentioned.<br /><br />Over time, the tone of your blog did change a bit. I had wondered if impinging issues (you had mentioned once your father was ailing) had taken a toll, not to mention Brooklyn and NYC changing so rapidly with rapacious landlords and pell mell redevelopment. You have made all of your homes seem luminous and magical (not at all Insta-fake and glossy). Wherever you land, I feel sure the new home and garden - even if only a terrace or roof top - will be incredible. Hopefully you will be able to have a new four legged companion as well. <br /><br />By the way, ages ago I asked you a few times about the fate of an edgeworthia you included in a client planting. Last summer I finally gave in and added one to my own foundation planting. It survived the last winter but lost its buds. Maybe next year will be better! KlausKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03684794595138846845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-42994217701595180232018-08-18T15:28:59.373-04:002018-08-18T15:28:59.373-04:00Very good words. Very good words. Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13632520557553405790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-87822633685964357562018-08-18T15:28:09.418-04:002018-08-18T15:28:09.418-04:00Thank you, Diane - I still miss your writing.Thank you, Diane - I still miss your writing.Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13632520557553405790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-16826683525707065132018-08-18T15:27:39.213-04:002018-08-18T15:27:39.213-04:00Dankie...Dankie...Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13632520557553405790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-34380205712860686732018-08-18T15:24:09.434-04:002018-08-18T15:24:09.434-04:00I like the term "be encouraged..." Thank...I like the term "be encouraged..." Thank you.Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13632520557553405790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-63350076589429604672018-08-18T15:22:09.352-04:002018-08-18T15:22:09.352-04:00I understand what you are saying and experiencing,...I understand what you are saying and experiencing, so well. And about walling off. And luck! So much is determined by rather random events. Wishing you good things and some peace, too. Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13632520557553405790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-26201776216718818462018-08-18T15:20:11.986-04:002018-08-18T15:20:11.986-04:00Ha, yes, not much languid floating, actually. It&#...Ha, yes, not much languid floating, actually. It's the beauty in moments that gets me to the next moment. Thank you.Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13632520557553405790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-21610687801581446822018-08-18T15:19:07.228-04:002018-08-18T15:19:07.228-04:00I am sorry, Joanne. Handyman sounds like a good gu...I am sorry, Joanne. Handyman sounds like a good guy. (The noise is not everyday, it comes in spurts, but the malice that sometimes accompanies it is disturbing.)Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13632520557553405790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-14706133266357284292018-08-18T15:16:40.953-04:002018-08-18T15:16:40.953-04:00Thank you xxThank you xxMariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13632520557553405790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-21522588289788053912018-08-16T20:29:41.313-04:002018-08-16T20:29:41.313-04:00I'm a little late to this conversation and for...I'm a little late to this conversation and for that I apologize. I'm also sorry for what is going on in your personal life but stay strong. You will get through. The only bit of wisdom I offer is the fact that you and most of the people that read this blog are gardeners. That gift supports us in our perseverance that tomorrow will be better or at least bearable, no matter how many plants die or get eaten or are trampled or frozen in the winter or cooked in the summer. We cry, fuss, get angry and get on with it. Being an amateur gardener has seen me through death, fear, heartache, dementia and sometimes joy. My garden has seen my tears. It doesn't matter. I going to get up tomorrow morning and do it again. Whatever it is. And you will, too. tainchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03333833652548644032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-13992343585250042372018-08-16T16:34:04.170-04:002018-08-16T16:34:04.170-04:00There appears to be a species of doctors who can n...There appears to be a species of doctors who can not and will know understand how to talk to women ... either about their family members and/or about answering questions directed to them from the woman about her health. <br /><br />Especially when that woman is not a fool and is asking pointed questions, expecting to get real answers. <br /><br />One would think the environment has changed for the better, but some old white men never will learn.<br /><br />msdworkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16919343377615220513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-49512238521276819282018-08-15T21:34:25.733-04:002018-08-15T21:34:25.733-04:00You write from your heart and it show as does your...You write from your heart and it show as does your love of gardening. I'm sorry you're dealing with family problems. The worst traits in people come out when someone is dying especially if money or property is involved. It has taken me a long time, but I finally came to a point where I realized it didn't really matter in the scheme of things. If my stepmother wanted to use her estate as a club that was her problem not mine.<br /><br />My husband has survived two stokes (due to Afib) and can walk and talk. We have each other, our cats, friends, a roof over our heads and a garden to plant (never as beautiful as yours). I hope you and the Frenchman weather the storm and find a place that soothes your souls. Bon chance!Kathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03433116418603812108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-68687759276811293972018-08-15T17:20:44.854-04:002018-08-15T17:20:44.854-04:00Life does "happen" and moves along. It&#...Life does "happen" and moves along. It's unfortunately not stagnant and does not remain still on the best moments in life. I wish it did. Sorry for the unprofessional behavior shown by your father's neurologist. There are "good" and not so good health care providers. In life we age if we are lucky enough to reach this point, sometimes in ways we would not wish. Be encouraged and continue to enjoy those things that bring you joy and help such as reading, gardening, your husband, and other things. I appreciate anyone who chooses to share reality and truth in their blogging and that life is a process of often unknown outcomes.Patricia Burrellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09001236302904075580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-69657850650649031222018-08-15T13:56:29.419-04:002018-08-15T13:56:29.419-04:00Just sending you both my good wishes.
Having ill-...Just sending you both my good wishes. <br />Having ill-prepared in-denial parents (mine pretended nothing could happen to them till they were at least hundred) across the continent and an ocean has been brutal to my heart, and to all of our well being. I am a split person. Life here is lovely, home, garden, husband, cat, job. But any thoughts on what I should or could do to help fix things over there lead right into confusion, fear, despair and sleeplessness. I have to wall that off, otherwise can’t function; this feels unhealthy too. Specially since we have to wall off huge chunks of political events and discourse too.<br />Wishing you (and us all) also continued love, courage, patience, good health and a big dose of luck.<br />-Natasha<br />(So glad to hear about Vince flying. One of his flying stories was maybe the only other time I commented on your blogs, even though our lives parallel in many ways. Much love to you both.)<br />Nathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16973777420055010423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-48011191215264135742018-08-15T12:58:01.798-04:002018-08-15T12:58:01.798-04:00Thank you so much for your candor. It’s easy to re...Thank you so much for your candor. It’s easy to read your blog and assume you float languidly along, noticing beautiful things and eating divine food with the even more divine Frenchman. But of course the reality is so much more complicated. Best of luck in this difficult season of life and for a brighter (or at least quieter) future. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11486006791701989026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-73010192585029337962018-08-15T00:10:59.199-04:002018-08-15T00:10:59.199-04:00When my father was dying many years ago--the worst...When my father was dying many years ago--the worst of it was my brother and his greed. I got more warmth, help and understanding from the handyman who was helping me empty the house. I am ever thankful for that man--he never said a word about me wearing pajamas for four days in a row and not combing my hair. I can't imagine how you suffer each day with the noise.Joanne Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01623855664379207620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-61561856737969839962018-08-14T22:51:06.815-04:002018-08-14T22:51:06.815-04:00So sorry you are having to go through this. Like m...So sorry you are having to go through this. Like many others, I have read your blog for years and always it has made me happy. And like the others, wish I could wave a wand and make it disappear, or help somehow. Can only offer sincere best wishes for you in this difficult time. Stay strong. Rafe's Hotelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06898852529318083316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-25714600227651831752018-08-14T22:16:16.919-04:002018-08-14T22:16:16.919-04:00Cheeto in Chief. I know... And of course things ch...Cheeto in Chief. I know... And of course things change as people age and seldom in good way, at least physically. So you are right. But we can be good to one another. And I think it floors me when people choose to behave badly. Thank you very much for the good wishes.<br />Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13632520557553405790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-47472529206269607122018-08-14T22:13:48.008-04:002018-08-14T22:13:48.008-04:00Thank you, Sally. I think it is the mother's r...Thank you, Sally. I think it is the mother's right and duty to say that, of course. But it is not something I even remotely believe. It is frequently not alright, in the end. But hugs matter more than anything xoxMariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13632520557553405790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603107829473043654.post-81493585402838414112018-08-14T22:12:22.089-04:002018-08-14T22:12:22.089-04:00Jennifer - I adore the movie, too. The first time ...Jennifer - I adore the movie, too. The first time I saw it I just sat there afterwards, bawling. The book of course contains all of the movie, but there is another dimension that the film did not address at all - a Sikh character, who is wonderful.Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13632520557553405790noreply@blogger.com