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Miscellanea

Miscellanea

Welcome to the Miscellanea Gallery.  This is where you’ll find images of a wide range of subject matter from the world of The Renaissance Garden Guy.  Here, for example, are photos of beautiful, treasured gifts I’ve received from family members and dear friends, pics of the land where I grow my garden and hang my hat at the end of each day, various images of the beautiful living beings of decidedly non-plant nature which stalk my garden and my land, photos of my friends, and finally, images of yours truly, which come at the request of various readers (why anyone would want to see pics of me is beyond my understanding) and accurately represent the reality of time’s sad arc.  I’ll wrap up this little missive by saying that my life has been filled with many blessings, and, so far, it’s also definitely been one hell of a ride.  I’ll be adding more pics here on a regular basis.  So remember to check in often.  Cheers, and Happy Gardening!

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This little ensemble sat in my mom's living room, in her favorite corner, for decades. Now it resides in my home exactly as she maintained it.
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This handsome little guy and his mate have lived here for years in one of our oaks. They were both in the pond this AM, but only he stuck around for the picture. 02-26-24.
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My mom's polka-dot plant bloomed for the very first time on 10-08-23! I gave this to her as a tiny plant on Mother's Day, 2022. It's now mine, and I proudly love it and tend it.
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This image, and the next one, are dated August 26, 2023.
Unbelievable Speed 2023
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Within less than a day of my piece, "Building a Memory," being published here on The Renaissance Garden Guy, Sophia G., a trusted employee of Dee Dee's at Customs Imports, and a young lady loved by both Dee Dee and me, placed this lovely bouquet on Dee Dee's memorial, photographed it, and notified me via text of this fact, and of her feelings and thoughts of the memorial. Sophia's actions are a testament to not only her love and appreciation of Dee Dee's innate goodness, but to her own wonderful goodness and character. Sophia is a fine young lady, in every sense. This photo was provided by Sophia G.
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These are Dee Dee's geraniums, photographed on August 24, 2023. I purchased them and planted them in a large pot in the garden in her memory, shortly after she passed away. She adored these beautiful little plants.
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The limestone and bronze memorial I designed, wrote, and built for Dee Dee. It rests permanently in the little public park in Downtown New Buffalo, Michigan, almost directly across Whittaker Street from her former store, Customs Imports. This was the little town she loved.
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This ornamental grass was planted by Dee Dee's parents years and years ago. It was a housewarming gift.
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Just one of the many deer that hang out on our land. This one's a young'un.
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This image, and the next two, show the little planter that Dee Dee picked out from our local nursery four days before I lost her. She was thrilled with her selection. We went to the nursery together that day to buy non-spreading bamboo, and instead came home with what I will always think of as "Dee Dee's Planter."
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The Northern Cardinal was both my mother's and Dee Dee's favorite bird. A week or so after holding Dee Dee's funeral service in our garden, I was talking to my sister on the phone about how much my two girls loved cardinals. During the conversation, this beautiful little guy parked himself in our honeysuckle vine and burst into song. I could not make this stuff up. At a moment of supreme sadness, I believe (with all my heart, actually) that my mom and my mate sent this little creature to let me know that they were fine and looking out for me.
I diligently tend to Dee Dee's beloved tropical garden.
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My mom's goldfinch and dragonfly (next photo) always watched over the plants in her garden. Now, they watch over mine.
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Clockwise from top left: my treasured Greek Orthodox folding icon (gift from my mother); an absolutely exquisite antique enameled portrait of Christ in an intricately carved wooden, doored frame (gift from my dear friend, Kevin Richardson); Christmas gift Dee Dee and I gave to my mother two years ago; gorgeous antique English Kennel Encyclopedia, with 1946 handwritten annotation (also a gift from Kevin).
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These are just four of the 70 photographic and illustrated images my dear friend, Rob Murray, curated and compiled for me. These remarkable vintage images capture scenes, landmarks, and events throughout the 1900s in Chicago. This collection is a treasure trove. I'm hoping to include a live discussion with Rob, right here on The Renaissance Garden Guy, about these priceless images and the fabulous history they depict.
Another gift from Rob (along with his cheerful packaging and note): a block of four vintage 1958 U.S. postage stamps featuring a gardening and horticulture theme and imagery. They're fabulous!
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I've featured this beautiful little statue here before. It was a gift from Kevin. It is an incredibly detailed cast concrete statue of a little boy and his dog. This little statue touches my heart so profoundly, and for so many reasons, that I find it impossible to adequately put my feelings about it into words. I'll simply say that I love this little boy, and I love his little pup. And I'm beyond grateful to Kevin for giving them to me.
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The above photo collage, as well as the next one, feature shots of Customs Imports in New Buffalo, Michigan. This is Dee Dee's wondrous retail establishment. Merchandise from some of the world's most exotic locations can be found within - and often just beyond - its storied confines.
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Saint Francis of Assisi has watched over my non-human loved ones for many, many years.
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This beautiful vintage painted iron pup looks a great deal like my dog, Paul. This, along with Freddy (in the next photo), was a gift from my friend, Kevin.
We live in the forest. A multitude of various creatures live with us on our land and in our gardens.
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More of our neighbors.
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Brains and brawn. My good friends from left to right: Zen Poynter, Carlos Mendez, and Eric Nelson. These great buds helped get my ground leveled and graded for a new fence I had installed a couple of years back, and they're there every year to help get the Customs Imports Balinese retail product off the container and onto the showroom floor. And Zen helped me set the ledger board, structural posts, and girders for my arbor.
Zen and me.
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This photo, and the next two, are of yours truly. If I remember correctly, they were taken in 1989. A while back, Dee Dee insisted that I leak these on a few social media platforms. Since then, a number of readers have requested that I put a few of these up right here.
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Me again, in 1989.
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One more of yours truly, from 1989.
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This collage, and the next two, feature current pics of yours truly. Dee Dee thought it would be really funny to show these pictures, along with the ones of me as a kid, to illustrate how truly unkind the years have been to me. Hilarious, right? Plus, some of you have been asking to see them. So, here you go. I hope everybody's happy.
Me again, nowadays. There's no way to put a good spin on this.
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Inept-assclown-in-the-garden alert!!! Me, last spring, and the one before that.
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This miniature bouzouki (a type of lute, popular in Greek music) is also a music box. This was a gift to my mother from her brother, my Uncle Chris, and his wife, my Aunt Marian. They brought it back from a trip to Greece in the early 1970s. The music box plays a song called "Ta Pedia Tou Pirea" ("The Children of Piraeus," in English), which was sung by Melina Mercouri in the 1960 film 'Never on Sunday." This song became my parents' song when they married in 1963. My dad took my mom to see the film on their first date. This little music box, and its lovely melody, now reside with me - in my home, and in my heart.
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A little visitor, on 05-12-23.
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A bumblebee on a salvia, and a honeybee on a grape hyacinth - yay! Photographed 04-28-23.
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There are a few different species of tree frog living in my garden. This little guy was hanging out with a potted hosta when I snapped his pic.
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This is Jim. He's been living in our ponds for a long time. Same with his buddy, Brian, in the next picture. This photo, and the one of Brian, were taken 04-11-23.
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Brian.
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Strange doings this afternoon in the forest. 04-25-23

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