Tomie dePaola was born on September 15, and today, I want to honor him. In addition to being a writer and a painter, I am also a gardener, and recently, I began looking at the healing properties of plants. As research often does, that research led me again to dePaola’s Strega Nona, the Grandma…
Category: Jacki Kellum Memoir
Ode to Early Fall – Celebrating September, a New School Year, and a Time When Life Begins Again
Ode to Early Autumn Sweet white fairy wings, Purple, when the poke plant sings, Dance across the arbor tall, Paint my garden–fall. It’s finally September, and I celebrated the changing of the months by taking a stroll through my garden. I noted that many of my early spring bloomers have shriveled and turned brown. Yet,…
Fall Watch 2024 – Noting Signs of Autumn As They Occur
First Sweet Autumn Clematis Bloom Jacki Kellum Garden – August 11, 2024 A few days ago, I noticed that my 1-year-old Sweet Autumn Clematis was covered in buds, and today, August 11, 2024, I saw its first bloom: To be very honest, I thought that my Sweet Autumn’s seemingly early show was a fluke. It…
Spirituality, Aesthetics, and Nature: Romantic Writers – William Blake on the Imagination as Ideal
“Aesthetics can be a practice or theory that includes many subjects, such as art, beauty, taste, and perception. Spirituality can be described as a journey of letting go of ego and finding love and joy in every moment. Some say that people with a higher level of spiritual development may have more intense aesthetic experiences…
Tuck Everlasting August 1 – A Celebration of Time and Nature — A Celebration of Life
On August 1, I will begin what I plan to make an annual tradition. I’ll begin a deep dive into Natalie Babbitt’s Tuck Everlasting. Tuck Everlasting is a Celebration of Time–Time as it relates to the Seasons and the Seasons of Life–and TIme as it relates to the clock. Most people are deeply aware of…
The Truth about Writing Picture Books When You Are Past Your Prime
Perhaps it’s my bucket list, but I have recently jumped into a flurry of production that I only wish I had jumped into 50 years ago. But at that time, I was marrying the wrong person, trying to be a decent single parent, trying to survive doing anything I thought might earn a dime. I…
And Finally, It Rained!
As soon as I walked outside this morning, I knew that it was going to rain. A couple of tiny, soft , drops of water splashed on my bare arms. The rain was on its way. Yesterday, I went outside and planted some seeds in my garden, but I didn’t do what I normally do…
How to Dry Roses and Other Flowers & Herbs – Preserving Memories from My Past
I have tried several methods for drying roses and other plants, but my overarching preference is to dry flowers naturally No chemicals, No silicone, No microwaver–I just hang my plants upside down in a dark place and wait a few days for them to dry au natural. My grandparents in the early 1900s. Much of…
Creme de Cassis Hollyhocks and The Fairy Rose
This morning, I walked out my front door, and I created a video focusing on my Creme de Cassis Hollyhocks and my Fairy Rose. Creme de Cassis Hollyhock Image Credit: American Meadv The Creme de Cassis Hollyhock is named after a French liquer. “Crème de cassis is a French blackcurrant liqueur that originated in the…
Focus on Creme de Cassis Hollyhock – Hollyhocks Are Classic Cottage Garden Plants
Creme de Cassis Hollyhock Image Credit: American Meadows The Creme de Cassis Hollyhock is named after a French liquer. “Crème de cassis is a French blackcurrant liqueur that originated in the Burgundy region in the 19th century. The original recipe is thought to have been created in Dijon in 1841 by Auguste-Denis Lagoute, and the…