Hampstead Heath, London

“Two roads diverged in the woods and I, I took the one less travelled by…”

Earlier in the week I spent the day at Hampstead Heath, one of London’s largest greenspaces. I smiled over this actual fork in the road as the memory of Robert Frost’s poem flooded back.

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Such a perfect metaphor for the chain of events that’s brought me to London at this particular point in time. 

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We all remember reciting and analyzing “The Road Not Taken” and hearing our English teachers’ cautionary tales of consequences from good vs. bad choices. I always thought the poem meant “mistakes will ruin your life”..maybe even land you behind bars.

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Walking through the Heath, I saw the poem from a different perspective. Actually, it hit me like a ton of bricks when I passed this fantastic property on its outskirts:

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Had my life gone smoothly–good marriage instead of bad, years not lost to drugs, and a house not lost to foreclosure–I might never have discovered the strength and resilence I see in myself today.  I doubt I’d be on this wonderful solo adventure.

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Until next time..
🙂 🙂 🙂

Weekly Photo Challenge: Blur (European Orchid Conference)

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: blur.

Yesterday I attended the European Orchid Conference. What an incredible blur of form and color!

image The conference is hosted from April 9-12 at the RHS Horticultural Halls. The main exhibit area featured displays from around the world. Vendor booths and a second set of exhibits were set up across the street.

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Here are the best photos of the zillion I took! 🙂

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wpid-wp-1428663543804.jpeg image image Until next time…

🙂 🙂 🙂

Wordless Wednesday: Victoria & Albert Museum

London’s Victoria & Albert Museum is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. I particularly enjoyed this sculpture:

rodiThe Prodigal Son, Auguste Rodin

Rodin used a variation of this figure in his marble Fugit Amor. Both works were created between 1885-87.

The V&A is well worth a visit: even the building is an architectural delight!
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Until next time..
🙂 🙂 🙂

Weekly Photo Challenge: Ephemeral

I’ve been in London since March 21st…brrrr! Compared to Vero Beach this great city is COLD!! 😄

Last Thursday I met Claire of Promenade Plantings for a tour of the Chelsea Physic Garden, an apothecary that features herbal and medicinal plants from around the world.  Of course everything was labelled…except the one I’ve chosen for this week’s challenge! Claire thought it might be an Angelica and we both thought it was quite ephemeral.  If anyone can identify it let me know?

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A word about today’s post: this is my first attempt at creating content via the WordPress android app.  Quite difficult to ascertain what the published result will be! Keeping fingers crossed!

Until next time…
😄😄😄

Wordless Wednesday: Beautiful Chiswick, UK

Chiswick stole my heart: leafy, classy, pretty and genteel. Everything I imagined it would be!

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AroundKew

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and my favourite place to unwind at the end of the day…the wonderful local, “The Tabard!”

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Such a fun, fun vacation!

Until next time…

🙂 🙂 🙂