Sunday, October 2, 2011

Presence- the next supermodel~ changing seasons

"Presence is more than just being there.”
~Malcomb S. Forbes
Abby wearing Nikibiki
Meet Abigail Plunk. Accomplished horsewoman, tennis player and now model. My niece. 
At 17, she shares with Taylor Swift and Jenifer Aniston what the popular culture calls the "It" factor. I call it "presence".  Abby rocks everything she wears, but particularly little black dresses.


I need to put away some bottles of Little Black Dress wine to celebrate when she turns 21. James Beard nominee Elliot Essman wrote a wonderful review of the line.

Wherever her path in life takes Abby,  I don't see "our little" miss black dress growing up to live the life of Maxine. Unless she chooses.  


Maxine offers another face to the definition of presence. Crabby people can visit our heroine's fan page on  Facebook.



The tree. The bench. The bird feeder. They add their own kind of presence to the garden. I thought about moving the bench this week- that would be so wrong- the corner of the yard would be naked without it.


In the hollowness of a landscape cloaked in darkness, a single cluster of yellow roses exudes presence  She came in a box from Jackson-Perkins, with no name to call her by.  She represents the people who pass through our lives in dark times. Even if we do not know their names , that does not erase the beauty of their presence when God sent them our way.

The presence of a California poppy captured by Gene Sasse
Wednesday, both cars were scrubbed and polished. Thursday it rained. 8 drops of water on my car, 3 on Gerry's.  It was heaven's early warning system, a clarion call for change of garden duties. Within a week, the weather people are promising a genuine soaking.

Anyone with sunshine and empty dirt, it is time to round up some wildflower seeds, spread them and if the birds don't eat all the offering, when the blooms burst it will feel as if  magic is rising. But we know. Magic is not commanded from thin air. It requires action. 


6 comments:

  1. Yes! Your niece Abigail is DARLING!

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  2. L,

    Abby is a darling! Love the little black dress!!! Fashion has sure come a long way since I modeled a little black dress! LOL In those days we would show how to dress a "basic black dress" up and down. A gal could wear it to the office and out for cocktails in the evening by just changing accessories. Cool!
    Has Abby gone to Japan yet? Good luck to her!

    Hugs, Trisha

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  3. Hey, Sue and Trisha! Yep- I would have died to wear a black dress of any sort and look like Abby does. Anywhere near my face and people don't see turquise eyes- they see dark circles):-

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  4. How fun for your family, enjoying Abigail. She DOES have IT.

    Garden & Be Well, XO T

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  5. Your niece is BEAUTIFUL!!! And I wish her well in wherever her 'career' takes her...!

    Beautuful garden pictures and LOVELY Blooms, too....

    I have some flower pictures up today....!

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  6. Tara- Thank you!

    OOLH- The orchids should send you thank you notes for your artistry with the lens.

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