Jana & Tom
Category: Illustration
Daughters of Time
Today is the birthday of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1883), and in his honor I post this poem, along with a painting of two apples… my modest selection from the options of bread, kingdom, stars, and sky.
Daughters of Time, the hypocritic Days,
Muffled and dumb like barefoot dervishes,
And marching single in an endless file,
Bring diadems and fagots in their hands.
To each they offer gifts after his will,
Bread, kingdoms, stars, and sky that holds them all.
I, in my pleachèd garden, watched the pomp,
Forgot my morning wishes, hastily
Took a few herbs and apples, and the Day
Turned and departed silent. I, too late,
Under her solemn fillet saw the scorn.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ellen
Jeannie
Rosemary
Bawdy Botany
Today is the birthday of the Prince of Binomial Nomenclature, otherwise known as Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), the Swedish naturalist who attracted crowds to his botanical lectures by openly discussing stamens, pistils, and other shocking intimate details of plant reproduction. For sketches and a mini-bio, please see Prince of Binomial Nomenclature.
Liam
Sole & Jacob
Sondra
Connoisseur
Here is a birthday card created for friend Tom, honoring two of his numerous areas of expertise: wine and ice cream.
Tom
Book Festival
Today’s post is a watercolor from The Survivor Tree, a book by Cheryl Aubin that I illustrated, which was released last year for the ten-year anniversary of September 11th. Cheryl will be presenting her story and we will both be signing books this coming Saturday, May 19th, at the Gaithersburg Book Festival.
Our family is excited that among the other presenters are Andrew Clements, a favorite author of my daughter, and local writer Sara Mansfield Taber, who recently completed a memoir, Born Under an Assumed Name, about growing up as the daughter of a covert CIA agent.
And perhaps we will see some of you there, too!
Monique
Mom
Health Care: Beware!
Click on it twice to see full size
Maura
Lyle
Cherry Blossom Biking
Yesterday morning dawned clear and mild, and our family biked down to Haines Point and the Tidal Basin for a St. Patrick’s Day picnic breakfast (whole grain soda bread, Irish cheddar, and apple wedges) along the water. Although Cherry Blossom Week doesn’t begin officially for a few more days, the cherry blossoms, in all innocence of this fact, were opening their pink and white faces to admiring visitors. As we pedaled along, I tried to recall the words of this verse.
TinhVan
Éirinn Go Brách
The table is dressed in green, as we will be shortly; a pan of soda bread is about to go into the oven; and the Chieftains, John McCormack, and Tommy O’Sullivan CDs will be a-playin’. What day is it?
(Click on it if you wish to see it larger)
Simone
How do I love thee?
Today is the birthday of Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861). For a poem, a mini-bio, and an illustration, please see A Love Story.