What a Knockout!

August 19, 2013

August 19, 2013 Photo of the day: "What a Knockout!"

I have always wondered why these are called "Knockout Roses." Is it because the center petals seem to be knocked out of it? Is it because they are so hardy that bugs and diseases have hard time knocking them out? In any case, this pale pink beauty really is a knockout, so lovely in the dappled sunlight.

Un Pique-nique

August 18, 2013

August 18, 2013 Photo of the day: "Un pique-nique"

Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro's 3rd Annual

Picnic & Basque Pig Roast

A lovely day...

Live music...

Champagne...

Corn on the cob...

Pauvre cochon...

Quelle belle journée!

I've known Didier for 30 years. My dad invited him to dinner when I was studying French in high school. Didier is from southwest of France, but he has lived in Milwaukee for decades. He is currently the manager of my favorite restaurant, Lake Park Bistro. Each summer, Didier hosts a Basque picnic which is at once casual and elegant. We had a lovely day, reminiscent of Sunday afternoons in France where families enjoy a long, leisurely lunch and appreciate good food and good friends!

Water Lilies

August 17, 2013

August 17, 2013 Photo of the day: "Water Lily"

Today we enjoyed a tour of Okauchee Lake

on our neighbors' pontoon boat.

I was instantly attracted to the lily pads.

I almost felt like I was in Monet's gardens at Giverny!

The slightly blurry focus feels more Impressionistic

(...or perhaps I took the photos

with my iPhone on a moving boat ;)

Chasing Butterflies

August 16, 2013

August 16, 2013 Photo of the day:

"Buckeye Butterfly"

"Happiness is a butterfly which, when pursued,

is always just beyond your grasp,

but which, if you will sit down quietly,

will alight upon you." - Nathaniel Hawthorne

These two common buckeye butterflies were

flitting playfully among the potentilla this afternoon.

Just like when I was little, I moved stealthily,

trying to capture these fascinating creatures;

only now, instead of a net, I use a camera.

Hail Mary

August 15, 2013

August 15, 2013 Photo of the day: "Hail Mary"

Today is the Feast of the Assumption, The Feast of Mary, Maria, Marie. Like so many women, my middle name is Marie. I was named after my maternal grandmother, Marie Adele, and of course, after the Blessed Mother. I didn't actually take this photo today; I took it in April while visiting Cimiez in Nice. I was exploring the gardens and the cemetery where Henri Matisse is buried when it began to rain. I sought shelter in the covered courtyard of the convent where the peace was palpable. Amid the cobblestones and potted plants, I spotted a small, weathered statue of the Blessed Mother. I quickly snapped this photo and remember thinking that this would be a great photo for August 15th, the Feast of Mary, La Fête de la Sainte Marie, and my own fête (name day). Happy Feast Day to my fellow Marian namesakes!