One of My Favorite Things To Do

I happily joined my sister-in-law and nephew at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden yesterday afternoon, despite the overcast, windy, almost raining weather. We made our way through the park. They have a beautiful path leading across the park to the Children's Garden entrance. I saw a few new parts of Prospect Park that I hadn't seen before (including a carousel that J said was amazing). The walk was quite enjoyable, P's imagination kept it interesting... after a bit of rock climbing, we were forced to run because of an avalanche. Huge rocks (I think 3 at one point) were chasing after us down the path! His imagination impresses me!

The Children's Garden has a small stream, perfect for standing in (with or without the right boots), scooping water up in, floating bamboo sticks down, jumping across over and over again. This was the area we stuck around in most of the time. What child doesn't love playing in water? Makes me nostalgic for my own childhood water days (of course, it wasn't at a botanical garden... more like the mud hole in the field back behind the barn after a summer rain... Ben would remember those days!)


There's a canal and a water pump. Normally a bucket is hooked there for kids to use to fill the pump so water can run out into the canal and down a path they choose (as the canals are adjustable). The bucket was missing, so one of the mamas brought buckets for the kids to play with. I'm not sure how the kids did it, but they played in that water, despite the cold weather, filling their buckets and running the water through the canals.

Uncle Seth and I are huge fans of our nephew. Yesterday, there was a very jealous Uncle sitting at work while a very happy Aunt played away the afternoon! At one point, I was asked by my nephew if playing with him was my favorite thing to do. Wonder how this Aunt replied?


After sufficiently chilling ourselves and the rain starting to set in, we headed for a quick walk through the Desert and Tropics in the Conservatory.

We stopped to smell Rosemary, and then headed back out in the rain. It was a beautiful soft rain, a rain I can love because I know it's helping turn everything green, bringing the garden back to life.

Yellow on the Trees

Tiny yellow flowers.

Cherry Blossoms

Off to Washington, D.C. after work to stay for the weekend. Seth and I will both be visiting for the first time ever. We chose this weekend so we could attend the Cherry Blossom Festival. The weather is forecasted to be amazing... and there will be an abundance of sights and photo-taking opportunities! AND we will be enjoying wonderful company (Aisha is so sweet! She wrote the longest email of links and information so we could find things we'd be interested in doing and seeing while visiting D.C. and her!)



I cannot wait to see the beautiful Cherry Blossoms of D.C. These are a few from the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, taken last weekend. Speaking of the BBG, I was wonderfully surprised by membership cards today in the mail! Thanks Momma Barb! You are Amazing!! Now, I can go Whenever I want :) And this month is the Cherry Blossom celebration there too (check out here). PLUS, it will give me good grounds to convince Seth to go often too! I really feel that this gift is exactly what I need. I've been missing home, missing the "outdoors" feeling. The BBG will give me a chance to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature! It is also so beautiful, so close to my hope, and something I should be taking advantage of having! Plus, I have guest passes, so the next few people who come visit will enjoy the BBG on me!! (Who's it gonna be????)

And the Friday Fill-In (sorry I missed last week... was too busy)

And...here we go!

1. Angel or not, I'll love you either way.

2. Bring me a sweet treat, you can have me any way you want me.

3. As my mother used to say, you're full of it.

4. I love an ice cold drink after I'm done working out or doing something strenuous.

5. Even in the most crowded of rooms I still miss my friends (who now live in all different places and far from my place).

6. A car ride with me behind the wheel is a day fraught with peril. (Although my brother did call to tell me that he's found someone a bit scarier than me... his girlfriend! But Desi, I don't believe him!!)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a four and a half hour bus ride to Washington, D.C. and dinner and drinks upon arrival, tomorrow my plans include exploring D.C. and the Cherry Blossom Festival and out with Aisha in the evening and Sunday, I want to eat more food than I need at brunch, visit the flea market, and squeeze in as much of D.C. as possible before I have to get on the bus back to NYC!

Lovers Under the Tree

We need a letter that's like 'I & U' together for when we're doing stuff like this, he said & I hugged him & said a lot of people want a letter like that. --StoryPeople