April Showers Bring May Flowers

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SKYLARK'S ARTICLE OF THE WEEK - APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS

It's been a wet, unpredictable Spring, but things are finally calming down and warming up. This week got off to a beautiful start with temperatures in the 70's. Buon Primavera. That's Italian for Happy Spring!

I took a step outside last Friday evening around 6:00pm. It was a windy day, but by this time, the wind stopped, the clouds parted, and the sun came out. A flock of geese flew overhead. Tranquility came over me. I took a seat on one of the benches on our property and spent the next hour observing nature with my face towards the sun. You don't realize how much is going on until you sit still and listen. The squirrels, birds, geese, and crows created a cacophony of sound. And who knows what's lurking in the trees to join them. One year, I saw a family of racoons poke their heads out of a whole. When you stop and just observe, nature rises to greet you with all its wonder. It's quite a beautiful, natural soundtrack. I stayed out past sunset.

The sound of lawnmowers woke me up early Saturday morning buzzing underneath my bedroom window around 8:00am. I live in an apartment complex that is filled with big trees, an expansive lawn, and flowers. Many of them I've planted over the years. I'm always a bit nervous when the gardeners arrive. I pray they don't disturb my flowerbeds. When I stepped outside a couple of hours later, I could see some of the garden ornaments that I've placed around were lopsided. Some were even taken out of the ground and thrown to the side. I got permission to plant and adorn this once barren patch of dirt that is now a community garden, so I feel I have a right to have it revered. The children come by when they see me in the garden, and I give them a lesson in horticulture, in as much as I know. They love it. The gardeners, not so much. They just want to get the job done. I took a few minutes to put things back in place. It's starting to look like Spring as my Peony are once again poking through the ground. Oh, how happy they make me.

Flowers began changing the way the world looked almost as soon as they appeared on Earth about 130 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period. That's relatively recent in geologic time. If all Earth's history were compressed into an hour, flowering plants would exist for only the last 90 seconds. The ancestors of flowering plants diverged from the common ancestor of all living gymnosperms before the end of the Carboniferous, over 300 million years ago. In the Cretaceous, angiosperms diversified explosively, becoming the dominant group of plants across the planet. Just in case you were interested.

So what causes us to feel happy when we see flowers? It's dopamine. When you see, buy, or receive flowers, dopamine is released and makes you feel better. It also evokes the feeling that something special is on the way. Flowers not only brighten any room but also uplift and brighten our mood. However, studies show that this effect can last for several days beyond just a little happiness. That means it’s much more powerful and has significantly fewer calories than a chocolate bar. Oh, but I do love chocolate, too.

Flowers can drive away worries and sorrows and relieve people from feeling depressed, suffering, or anxious. Increasing energy and well-being can bring a more positive outlook to life. Even the scent of flowers helps relieve anxiety and is an ideal antidote to stress. Surround yourself with flowers whenever you can. 

We live in an era of more and more disconnections, where physical contact is prioritized over iPhones and social media. The feeling of loneliness is increasing among older Americans. The simple act of cutting yourself a bouquet of fresh flowers from your garden or sending some to a friend from your favorite florist can lift both your spirits and reconnect you to each other. Now that's Flower Power!

Peace and Love,

Skylark

At 60 and Beyond, sending flowers to someone is a good way to bring them Peace. Let's do this!

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SKYLARK'S PICK OF THE WEEK - LONG HOUSE RESERVE IN EAST HAMPTON

LongHouse Reserve is a 16-acre integrated environment in East Hampton, New York, created by artist, collector and world-renowned textile designer and weaver Jack Lenor Larsen (1927-2020), serving the community with vast open space, programs in art, nature, and wellness, and providing a sanctuary for Long Island and beyond. The sculpture garden, featuring more than 60 outdoor works, encourages exploration and contemplation for new and repeat visitors alike. As of this year, the garden is fully open to the public for education and enjoyment, with a next chapter of activating Larsen’s home (a modernist structure based on the Shinto Shrine at Ise) and displaying the extensive craft and design collections.

Jack Lenor Larsen designed and built LongHouse as a case study to exemplify a creative approach to contemporary life. He believed visitors experiencing art in living spaces have a unique learning experience.

When he acquired the property in 1975, Larsen began to lay out an entrance drive lined with majestic cryptomerias, established lawns and ornamental borders, and defined major spaces as settings for plant collections and sculpture.

The long, low berms that divide the property recall the boundaries of farm fields that occupied the site until it was abandoned for agricultural use in the 19th century. Much of the deciduous canopy of second growth native trees has been preserved. The gardens present the designed landscape as an art form, demonstrate planting potentials in this climate with a wide variety of natural and cultivated species, and offer a diversity of sites for the sculpture installations.

Finding inspiration in the 7th-century Shinto shrine at Ise, Japan, Larsen decided to build the house on the property in 1986. LongHouse was designed by Larsen in collaboration with architect Charles Forberg and built by Joe Tufariello.

LongHouse Reserve is committed to equity, diversity, anti-racism, and access through its mission, collections, programs, policies, and communications, and to expanding diversity at all levels of the organization. Our staff, trustees, committees, and volunteers share this commitment.

We pledge to reflect the diversity of the community we serve in terms of our education initiatives, programming, and installations, in order to facilitate meaningful interaction and lasting relationships. We pledge to make all feel welcome and instill a sense of belonging.

We recognize that this work is ongoing and will evolve over time.

For more information, visit www.longhouse.org

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SKYLARK'S PRAYER OF THE WEEK 

Dear God,

Please protect the gardens that are all around us so that people, young and old, can enjoy their vibrance and the happiness they bring to all of us. Amen.

SKYLARK'S INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK

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SKYLARK'S QUESTION OF THE WEEK 

What's your favorite flower(s)?

Please let me know by putting your answer in the Reply bubble below next to the heart. I'd love to hear from you. Thanks.

SKYLARK'S SONG OF THE WEEK - APRIL IN PARIS by COUNT BASIE

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ABOUT MY BRAND, SKYLARK LIVE 

My brand, Skylark Live, was born out of my turning 60 and noticing a profound shift in this age. I wanted to talk about it and share what I was experiencing with the hope of helping other women as well. My brand consists of a weekly newsletter and a monthly vlog designed to motivate and inspire women over 60 to thrive in older age through knowledge and self-awareness. I’m also in the process of formulating an idea called The Skylark Sessions that would be in-person discussions on aging. 

Weekly Newsletter - My weekly newsletter, Skylark Live Town News, features articles about human interest, nature, general observations, inspiration, motivation, music, places I've been to, and ideas I want to explore. I represent Bay Shore and towns beyond. There is also a calendar of events. I throw in Italian words, too, because I love the language and all things Italian. Bella Italia! As a paying subscriber, you will receive my newsletter each Wednesday morning in your email. That gives you a head's up. You can also advertise your business or event on my newsletter. Just click this link to subscribe: For updates, subscribe to our free newsletter!

Monthly Vlog - My first Monday-of-the month vlog, 60 and Beyond with Skylark, is a recap of what I've written about in my newsletters throughout the previous month. I then introduce a unique topic for the current month's vlog. My vlog is recorded and posted on my YouTube channel as well as on my Patreon account and my social media sites. Just click my YouTube channel link below to subscribe: (736) Skylark Live - YouTube

HOW TO SUPPORT ME

Patreon - This is where you can support my brand for just $5 a month. This enables me to carve out time to write my newsletters, create my vlogs and to expand my brand. Just click the link below: www.patreon.com/SkylarkLive

Social Media - You can follow me on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn under my brand, Skylark Live.

Thank you for your love and support. Apprezza la giornata. Cherish the day. Saluti! Cheers!