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October 28, 2008

Legend of the seeker?Consumer confidence?


...the seeker is the hero that arises at the time of trouble and suffering...


This is how the trailer of a new movie begins. "The Legend of the Seeker" hits US cinemas on Saturday.


You may see the trailer HERE


When I look at what is going on in US media and what are the hottest topics i.e. 'consumer confidence is lowest since 16 years' I really wonder how do you cope with all that?


What are your ways to deal with it?


My Warmest Hugs to you!

October 27, 2008

Most Loved Old Apple Tree - Without Pesticides


One day I have entered the garden of a friend and saw that apple tree. I stood up, my jaw dropped and looked at it breathless...

That is the most beautiful apple tree I ever saw - the very first words, that slipped out of my mouth were "Owww..... you love it, right? This is the most loved apple tree I saw".

"I truly love it" - my friend said - "It is very old, sometimes I talk to her and cheer her up".

There is no chemicals applied. Abundance of fruits makes family and all friends happy.
Sometimes there are worms in the apples, but that is life - we need to share things we have, right?

It was planted by my friends father and until today it is pruned every year. Under the tree, you can see periwinkle growing, accompanied with yellow tulips in the spring.

I will always think of it as Most Loved Apple Tree.

Organic insect repellent Pure Neem Seed Oil - quart

Thank you Thank you Thank you

Your good vibes reached here, and Atomik is much better!

Even doctor said today, that he is healing very very fast :))

We took off the collar. With the bandage story was different - Atomik himself took care of it, right first night. While having collar on.

Maybe he is not running yet, but his eyes are wide open and curious with the world again :)

Thank you again :)

October 25, 2008

Atomik needs your positive energy


Poor Atomik came home with serious wound on his paw. It didn't seem it will pass by itself, so we took him today do local vet 'Mrs Ewa - The Pet Doctor'.

After checking and little nervous discussion, vet decided, that there is an operation needed in anesthesia.

He was very good cat - not complaining too much during the examination.


Itteh Bitteh Kitteh got that protective collar so, he would not remove the bandage.

Now he is at home, sleeping on my laps while I am writing.

We have next visit scheduled for tomorrow at 9.00 despite that it is Sunday.

I know you are good hearted, so you will send your positive thinking for our beloved cat, even if you will not take time to leave a comment.

Thank you.





October 21, 2008

Golden Autumn

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If you come to Warsaw, you need to visit Lazienki - the old king's park. Designed with great imagination, including palace on the water. I want to show it now, because trees get the most intense colors right now.
Today I will show you just a little piece of it... lets go...

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The oak tree remembers the king and his lovers pottering around...

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It is hight and wide...

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Sunny days like this nourish the soul...

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...gold, gold everywhere...

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... swans got bigger than usual...

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... but pancakes smaller than usuall... however very yummy, especially after looooooooooooooooooooooooooong walk. It was about 4 hours...

Does anybody know where time goes?

October 20, 2008

Ghosting...


I have been tagged for a game of “Ghost It Forward” by Victoria at Teachings of the Horse, that is appearing on my blog usually when I need spiritual uplifting..
Here are the rules of this fun new blog-tivity:
1) Have a Ghostly Image to pass along.
2) Tag three people on your blog, with links to their blogs. Tell about what great folks they are, or offer to send them a Ghostly Treat.
3) Include a link to Ghosting It Forward in your blog.
This is a true story and happened to me many years ago...
My father had been passed away for about a year...
and I always had a very strong regret, that I have not been close enough to him before he died...
and I missed him a lot...
One day I decided to write a letter to him - just to get things out of my thoughts, have a closer look at it and either throw it away or cherish it deep in
my heart.
My days were busy, I was working full time and was a single mom.
My son was 7 years old, so I didn't have much time for myself until he went to bed.
That day he fell asleep before 10 p.m. It was dark outside. I felt like that was the day to do something about it.
I took my notebook, sat at the table, turned off everything....
I started to think... how my dad was in his best days... how he died... and what I would like to tell him... but I couldn't manage to do so when he was among
us...
I took a pen and started to write all. Without following any path or planning the sentences. Whithout thinking whether it is right or wrong... whether I make
any mistakes... it was flowing straight from my heart and spirit to that blank piece of paper in front of me.
It was dark outside and silent in the house...
... then suddendly the CD player got turned on by itself and started to play my favourite album. It was from Seal. The CD was in the player before, because I
listened to it in the weekend.
You have to believe me, CD player got turned on by itself.
For some reasons I was not surprised. While writing, I must have been put myself into such an intense mood that I wasn't scared. Even if the event was so
unexpected.
I looked at what I wrote, I listened to the music and shortly after went to bed. I knew I was not done with writing, but it was already late. I decided to
continue the next evening.
Next day, after my son fell asleep, I took the notebook again, sat at the same table and started to concentrate...... after some time I started to write...
... and again...
CD player got turned on by itself. The same album of Seal started to play...
This time I got scared. I turned it off and went to bed, covering myself fully, including my head...
************************************************************************************
ufff... that felt good to write it! I had goose bumps for some time...
OK... so, I pass this Ghostly meme to Viooltje at Lady Greenthumb's Garden - with her talent to tell stories I am sure we have a nice piece to read , Cielo at House in the Roses - whos spirit is in constant dance and Barbara at Abenteuer Garden - that for some reasons made me believe many times before, that her garden has special inhabitants.

October 19, 2008

Art for Sale - Biggest Auction of Polish Painting Ever

Something special happened previous week. Two biggest Polish art auction houses, competiting with each other in regular conditions, united their efforts in order to organise special closed (available only to VIPs) auction of 85 paintings.

Because paintings are unique, I would like to share some of them with you.

This was the largest collection of Polish paintings, owned privately, that came to the market at the same time.
When I think about art - beauty or creativity comes first to my mind, but there is no art without money. Paintings appeared on the market, because one richest Poles, Ryszard Krauze, decided to get rid of part of his collection. Why? Nobody knows. He is selling his companies, paintings etc. Unofficially there are only speculations - one of them says he decided to move out from Poland due to some 'misunderstandings' with our current political moguls (Kaczynski bros. - one of them is president of Poland). Others say, he 'knows better' the coming economic situation.

Just to give you the idea about the size of wealth we are talking about, based on the list of Forbes published 2008 (Polish edition) the ranking (in Billions of US dollars) of reachest Poles is following:
1. Leszek Czarnecki - 2,6 (world's ranking 446)
2. Michał Sołowow - 1,9 (world's ranking 652)
3. Ryszard Krauze - 1,3 (world's ranking 897)

From financial POV this auction's total sale's value was 'only' 1,5 million US dollars, but from Polish paintings 'change of hands' POV - that was one of the largest events ever.

That's enough of introduction, let's have some FUN! and finally see the paintings. This is a mixture of antique and modern art.


Jacek Malczewski 'Youth' 1916
(I love this one best - I think. What a way to show the power of youth and beauty...)



Alicja Hohermann 'Dancer from a cabaret' 1935


Bruno Schulz (1892-1942) "Enchanted City II"


Eugeniusz Zak "Rambler" 1924


Henryk Hayden "Musicians" 1953


Ignacy Witkiewicz "Meeting with unicorn in Rocky Mountains" 1920



Jakub Cukier "Portrait of a woman"(1900-1969)



Jan Matejko "Portrat of Zdzisław and Bolesława Wlodkow as children" 1862



Jerzy Nowosielski "Nude" 1959



Jerzy Nowosielski "Nude Hydra" 1973


Jerzy Nowosielski "Nude with Red Washbasin" 1975



Jerzy Nowosielski "Girl in Bikini" 1973 (?), 1958 (?)





Jerzy Nowosielski "Weird Phenomenon in the Mountains" 1966




Jerzy Nowosielski "Woman and the City" 1970-1971



Jerzy Nowosielski "Women at the Sea"



Jerzy Nowosielski "Kidnapping of Europe"



Jerzy Nowosielski "Kidnapping of Europe" 1976




Jozef Pankiewicz "Landscape of Cassis" 1928


Jozef Pankiewicz "Landscape from South of France" 1922



Leon Wyczolkowski "Roses" 1903, 1907

Stanislaw Wyspianski "Angels with Wrapper" 1889


Stanislaw Wyspianski "Portrait of Miss Sternbach" 1904


Tadeusz Makowski "Still with glass and apple" 1915

Witold Wojtkiewicz (1879-1909)
Mrozowska and Milewski (Klara and Albin) from Melpomena Portfolio



Wladyslaw Roguski (1890-1940) "Portrait of a woman"

Zdzislaw Beksinski "Figures" 1977



October 12, 2008

Strike the pose!

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Let me introduce you to Zofia - she is one of the squirrels loved by Varsovians - they feed, get excited and follow Zofia and her large family living in the largest park in Warsaw.


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There is a lot squirrels in my neighbourhood, but they are not so brave........

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......running to every visitor......... for something.................

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October 11, 2008

City Gardens - beautiful, small garden in Warsaw welcomes Autumn...

Do you have spare beautiful, antique old door? If yes, you may use it as original entrance to your garden. Give me your hand and let me take you today for a walk at this charming secret garden....

As we enter this place surrounded by NOT beautiful appartment houses... we feel like taking a journey to bucolic, yet elegant, Polish countryside garden. Showy yellow tree foliage belongs to Liriodendron . I must say, that the composition of plants is not very fancy, however somebody who designed it, achieved the feeling of ulimate harmony. On the picture above you see from the left yew, juniperus on the ground, wisteria on woodden pergola, evergreen conifers and at the gate on the left Sorbus aucuparia Pendula (grafted).


Asters (!) in the pots look fresh and surprising. Look at the right upper corner - yellow and red color combination - that is painted by Autumn Fairy... you see more of it further in this post...


After entrance look at the left, you can see here the only patch of grass in entire garden. Have a look on the right - can you see that big smokebush ? It became a small tree already here.


Yucca in the front adds a lot of texture - without yucca, it would be boring corner.


If you look to the right side there is yew, juniperus horizontalis and hydrangeas.
So far I was indifferent to the beauty of small Begonia semperflorens - pink flowers on the left side - but after seeing it here I put it on my shopping list either for next year' spring or still now, to grow it indoor. Do you also like it?



We pass the entrance to the house... and pass by the porch - that narrow space is arranged in such a way, that it seems wider than in reality. Yellow leaves are at their peak now in Poland.


On our way to the back garden we pass asters in the pots...


...and go on... hedera covering the ground, hydrangeas, rhodos. That dramatic branches in front is old lilac - maybe if you keep it like this, you don't see the flowers, but you get the fragrance, shadow in the summer and picturesque dramatic look in the winter.

... oh, look back... wisteria arc, conifers, pine on the yellow background - nice?

... restaurant is waiting for the visitors....


... nature paints amazing pictures... on this wall there is two kind of ivies Parthenocissus turns red now and Wisteria keeps still green.
... look, if you have an old lilac in the garden, don't get rid of it - here is the example - looks wonderful. That old stump must be many, many years old. Maybe 50? or more? In my mom's garden there is lilac 30 years old, but it is nothing comparable in body size...
It is heavily pruned, to be kept smaller.


Summer Pelargonium looks very nice together with pumpkin...


... look - this garden is complete - water garden including big koi fish...

We came to an end of this walk... thank you... I hope you didn't get too much tired...



Have a nice weekend...