Blessed New Year!

A walk around the garden on the last day of the year.

Close to the house, behind the thuyas is the “peasant garden,” where I grow various berry-producing shrubs, and this is also where I keep my little collection of Phloxes.

In the right corner of the picture is the bench in front of the house with a view on the roses and the large upper bed of perennials.

The same bench seen from the rose garden. The columnar poplars indicate our borders. Behind them comes the forest.

The lower part of the garden, towards the forest.

The row of thuyas you’ve seen on the second picture, now seen from the lower part of the garden.

In the middle: the medlar tree.

The right side of the lower part. The path in the right lower corner takes you back to the “peasant garden.”

In the meantime the sun came ahead from behind the clouds promising snow. The evergreen magnolia you’ve seen on the third picture here is hidden behind the Leyland cypress to the right. The main stair to the lower part descends here, as seen from the Japanese tea garden.

The stairs descend to this twisted hazelnut.

By following this road, you get back to the house. The white brick wall is our fence towards the street.

This is the path to the house. The evergreens are immediately at the house.

Both on gloomy and sunny days: a blessed, happy new year to everybody!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

... There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. ... He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God ...” (Jn 1:1-12)

Blessed Christmas to you!

Frost

Tuesday morning

Molinia 'Transparent'

The grass in the middle is called like this. I think you will understand why.

It is my most beloved one of all the grasses. I have been trying to write about it in all the year, but I have not managed to take a photo of it that would do justice to its beauty.

By now I have accepted that for the time being I am not able to take better pictures. In the reality it is much, much more beautiful.

It grows two meters high. It starts to bloom in June, but it is attractive from the spring until the end of autumn. However, it collapses at the first serious snow.

Originally it is a marsh grass, and although it does not require a constantly wet soil, but it needs regular and thorough watering.

As to the soil, however, it is not picky. At us it loves both light and heavy soil. It develops equally well on the sun and in part shade.

Happy birthday, Anne Marie!

I came to know Anne Marie through the blog. She lives in the USA, Illinois, but her grandparents still had a farm around Budapest – this is why she signs her e-mails to me as “Anushka,” with the Hungarian form of her name. She and her husband run a very sympathetic biofarm. They have five children, Anne Marie teaches them at home. I intended to write about her blog in the next week, but her post of yesterday was so wonderful that I have immediately translated it for the Hungarian version of my blog and also include here its original English text.

35

When I was growing up, and to this day, I think being 37 will be fantastic.

Why?

Well, by that time, I believe that I will be very comfortable with who I am in so many different ways. I always knew I would be married, but never to such a wonderful person. I always knew I would have children, but most certainly not 5 in such a short time. I always knew I would be Catholic, but never knew how important it would be. Only in the past few years have I realized, amongst my busy life on the farm, have I realized my faith is who I am. It defines me. It guides me. It comforts me beyond my comprehension. I know each year… no, each day that every step I take needs to be toward God, not away from Him.

I also understand just recently that my vocation in life is not just one sided, but multi-dimensional. That I need to be a teacher full on sometimes, and a loving wife at others.

That my Catholic faith has led me to understand that giving my self freely to God, I am sacrificing myself to Him. Letting Him guide me in everything that I do… every step I take.

On my 35th Birthday this past November 30th, on the 1st Sunday of Advent, it went like this:

An early morning rise with fresh Hazzlenut coffee and a homemade angel biscuit, warm, with Amish jam and silence.

It was snowing, and the children dressed in anticipation of what my birthday would offer.

We traveled to early morning Mass, and enjoyed Saint Andrew's Feast Day upon the 1st Sunday of Advent. After having some wonderful chit chat with friends, we took the most beautiful drive South to a park where a rustic lodge in the woods serves a homemade breakfast.

As we sat and enjoyed our meal, and looked past the rough sewn logs within the lodge, the snow was falling outside to creat the most wonderful atmosphere.

We took a idle stroll through the blanketed ground and inhaled the clean crisp air. Some of us enjoyed a snowball fight, while I took pictures…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANNE MARIE!