I decided today to "take myself to lunch" in my own backyard. Tom, Luke and I worked hard over the weekend to put in new flowers and shrubs. That was my mother's day wish, I wanted two handsome fellows to help me with planting and digging in my yard. This big geranium was my flower request instead of cut flowers. I just love geraniums, they are so vivid and they thrive on neglect-just my type of flower! I planted lettuce, basil and different types of herbs this season. I decided to try all types of peppermints and pineapple mints (for Tom's martini's-called MARTOMMI"S). I have tons of potted plants. You have to pot mints because they will take over your beds if you put them in the ground. Even though I have a large yard I still am so drawn to container gardening. To me it brings everything up close. And that is how I see, in up close snapshots. I remember in art school studying Degas and his "snapshot' paintings of everyday life. I had a complete ah-ha! moment realizing why I loved his work so much. For some reason this is how I see also. I don't view beauty in landscapes, to me it is up close, touchable, tactile. I have never successfully painted a landscape in fact. Funny, oh well-at least I know what I like and I like my own backyard.