Perhaps our celebration of each new year is a collective symbol of hopefulness, the idea that we can change, evolve and improve.

Feeding seagulls and feasting our eyes on pastel sunsets in late December light is soul-nourishing.

Hyde Park never disappoints. On my springtime trip to London, it offered flowers, stillness, and—just outside its gates—a perfectly iconic London moment.

A serene retreat at Little House in the Rockies (away from Houston’s oppressive heat) brings stunning mountain views, R&R, and time for creativity in the kitchen.

Dreary January has us dreaming of summer rest and relaxation in the Colorado mountains, with nature up close and personal.

Peace is the overwhelming mood in the backyard at Glover Gardens today. The flowers are still blooming bright, and birds and butterflies are enjoying the first day of fall alongside us.

Beatnik poem written in response to today’s dVerse poetry challenge, requiring that we use the Villonnet format, which was entirely new to me.

While I love a party that’s all about me (like last year) or a splurge at a foodie-worthy restaurant (like most years), a stay-at-home, restful evening was just the ticket for this year’s birthday.

Our beloved Japanese maple is gone, but remembered, along the lines of the Japanese phrase “mono no aware”, and a lovely poem from another poet inspired this post.

The blooms at Glover Gardens are bursting with colorful chaos, almost singing aloud their joy at opening their faces to the sun, preening in their magnificence. I can’t go outside without stopping to admire each one, and feeling the peace of nature wash over me like waves crashing along the shoreline.

There’s proof that flowers make us happy – it’s in our DNA! Check out some beautiful blooms and get happy yourself.

A gallery of beautiful hibiscus to remember what it’s like when it’s not the dead of winter, and a poem about hibiscus dreams and springtime memes.

An open reflection in prose form on the hopefulness factor of celebrating the new year, illustrated by numerous species of shorebirds with a seemingly collective sense of peace and purpose.

The sky in Bay St. Louis is luminous, intoxicating, and just can’t take a bad photo, so I wrote a haiku to honor it.

Everyone touches the world in their own way. Making my own tiny imprint through this blog, I need to balance the dark with the light, the yin with the yang. This post and poem are gentle and positive.

In winter, leafless trees frame the landscape or cityscape, delicate and lacy while at the same time sturdy and lasting.

It’s a bright, shiny new year. What will we do with it? Instead of resolutions for New Year’s, a focus word (or two).

A fiery sunset beats a fireworks display any day.

Recreation recommendations in Miami from a grad student. Parks, peacocks and foodie-worthy restaurants, oh my!

A family of geese came and went, causing us to worry about predators: gators and eagles and hawks, oh my!