Saturday, November 23rd, 2024
Friday, June 17th, 2022
My friend Diane in Arizona had an important birthday coming up and so we decided to celebrate with a visit to the Chihuly in the Desert exhibition and a ride on the old train to the breathtaking Grand Canyon. Both were overwhelming experiences.
Chihuly in the Desert is an exhibition at the Desert Botanical Garden near Phoenix, Arizona. The exhibition combines native desert plants with art works by the artist Dale Patrick Chihuly. Dale Chihuly – Wikipedia
We got there just before the sun set and were able to see the great variety of desert plants and the sculptures by daylight. After sunset, the art works lit up and created a magical atmosphere. Here are a few pictures.
After sunset, the sculptures lit up and illuminated the desert plants.
When you drive through the desert in summer when it’s hot and dusty, you can barely imagine that there is anything else but flat, dried-out landscape. In Spring, however, after some rainfall (unfortunately rare these days of climate change), the desert can burst with color from a blanket of wildflowers. Even in the hot summer months, you can enjoy many desert plants, above all a great variety of cacti.
Walking through the desert garden after sunset, admiring the illuminated plants and works of glass art, we realized how magical the desert can be.
Stay tuned for more exciting adventures on our train ride from Williams, Arizona, to the Great Canyon.
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Saturday, April 18th, 2020
Sally Cronin writes a wonderful blog with inspiring posts. Check it out. Have a great weekend and stay safe!
https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2020/04/18/smorgasbord-blog-magazine-weekly-round-up-april-12th-18th-relationships-abba-guacamole-pasta-guests-poetry-and-funnies/comment-page-1/#comment-270115
Monday, April 13th, 2020
I am a guest on Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord Blog Magazine. Hop on over and enjoy!
https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2020/04/13/smorgasbord-posts-from-your-archives-family-and-friends-how-a-novel-is-born-love-of-a-stonemason-by-christa-polkinhorn/
Tuesday, April 7th, 2020
For some laughter:
https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2020/04/07/smorgasbord-laughter-lines-comedian-in-residence-d-g-kaye-and-some-new-material-from-sally-12/
Saturday, April 4th, 2020
Dear Friends,
These are trying times indeed; our lives are in turmoil. Remember though this too will pass. Not sure when, but there will be an end to it. In the meantime, why not have some fun with the new Mask Fashion? I finally have the opportunity to wear my many scarves! You all know of course that wearing a mask, in particular a home-made one, is only an added precaution to physical distancing, washing hands, staying home etc. etc.
Here are a few samples of my creative attempt. And yes, you can laugh!
While I hunker down at home, I try to be creative in other ways as well. I’m learning to play the guitar, even take singing lessons (via Zoom), and of course write. Writing has been a slow process, but I do have a skeleton of a manuscript for a new novel with the working title Letter from a Cave. But more about that in my next post.
Just taking this opportunity to wish you well and hopefully bring a smile to your face. Stay safe, stay home, stay calm, and stay healthy.
Wednesday, March 25th, 2020
Tuesday, January 14th, 2020
It was December 26 and still no snow in the lowlands of Switzerland. So I ventured into the mountains. Friends of mine have an apartment in Arosa, a well-know mountain resort, and invited me to stay with them for a few days between Christmas and New Years. So I was able to escape the gray, wet cold and enjoy snow and sun. What a wonderful experience it was!
Below are my friend Bente, her daughter, Christina, and Amy, Christina’s dog, And there is snow, finally!
Bente and Christa
Christina and Amy
After a day of sledding, we relax at home in the cozy apartment.
And more snow and sunshine.
And here a few “Stimmungsbilder” (atmospheric pictures) of a winter evening in the mountains.
After a few days of delightful weather and great company, it’s back down to the foggy gray. But my nephew and our new family member, Owen, an Irish Setter puppy, made the return worthwhile!
Monday, January 6th, 2020
https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2020/01/04/smorgasbord-blog-magazine-weekly-round-up-29th-december-to-4th-january-2020/
Sunday, December 15th, 2019
Whoever said Facebook friends are not real friends? I’ve met a bunch of wonderful people on Facebook. A few of them are writers, originally from Scotland and England, who live in Switzerland–Linda Huber, Alison Baillie, Louise Mangos, Cass Grafton. When I come here for a visit, we get together, go for walks through the city of Zurich, talk shop (our writing and publishing), enjoy good food, drink mulled wine (Glühwein) in winter and Prosecco all year round. And, most of all, have a lot of fun!
Here we are in front of the Christmas tree, decorated with the beautiful Swarovski crystals, in the Hauptbahnhof (the main train station) in Zurich.
A walk along the Limmat-River
Below: Lunch and Prosecco in the venerable Commihalle in Zurich
A little Christmas shopping
Below is one of the old buildings of the city I love so much.
Wishing you all Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, wherever you are and however you celebrate this season.
