Memories of Mintwood
As a child, I was always a fort builder. When I was 12, my sister Kris and I built our most beloved fort, Mintwood Estate, a crooked little house and elaborate garden, under a camphor tree in our backyard. We didn’t know …
Everyday Magic
Cold Weather and Cat Fun
his weekend was another crazy cold weekend–and our heat wasn’t working in the main house, so Rob and the cats and I had to “camp out” in our Little House, the old detached kitchen that we now use as an office. It was kind of cozy hanging out in such a small place with 11 cats.
St. Augustine: A Few More Tidbits
I want to tell you just a bit more about our last night in St. Augustine, what a jolly madhouse it was in our little beach house. Bunny and I sat around together trying to remind each other of old Christmas memories, things the other …
Pumpkin Muffins and a Camellia Show
On Saturday I was so happy just because I was free. For one precious day I didn’t have to go to work and I could do whatever I wanted. I added a sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) and three Elliott’s blueberries (Vaccinium elliottii) to our big bed around the pond, and Rob limbed up a lot of trees so …
St. Augustine: Day Two
On our second full day in St. Augustine the weather finally started to warm up, and I was so glad. That first night we were there, Sunday night, I had felt so sad when we passed the historic district all lit up with Christmas lights; …
St. Augustine: Day One
The day after Christmas my family (Kris, Phil, Sophie, Jake, Bun, Matt, and Mom) and I took a trip to St. Augustine and stayed in a cute little coral-colored beach house. It was bitter cold when we arrived on Sunday afternoon, and I was worried …
A Kimel Christmas
On Christmas morning I got up really early and planted 12 Shi-Shi Gashira sasanquas under the pindo palms near our pond. I was running around in the sparkling dew, petting Maggie and Babs in between plantings and wishing them a merry Christmas. Greg was sitting …
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve was so exciting–because it was the beginning of everything, the beginning of all the fun, the beginning of all my days off, my sweet, precious vacation. I spent the morning happily cleaning up cat throw up. Kris and I met at Mom’s house …
Mom’s Christmas Date Balls
On Saturday Kris and Sophie had a Christmas crafting party. It was a freezing, gloomy, dark day, so it was so nice to spend it inside Kris’s warm, cozy house, which was all decorated with lush garlands and wreaths and a big sparkly Christmas tree.
