Hello Dear Friends

If you have arrived here, you must be curious about the person who is writing this blog.  So here are a few things you might like to know.   My heart pounds at the sight of beauty.  Truly, I am a passionate lover of beauty.  And, through the years, I have come to understand beauty gives us cause to pause, reflect and stand in awe.  It forces us to slow down and really see.  When we do this, we become a kinder, more peaceful people.  We all hunger for beauty.  Beauty brings us joy, and it is food for our souls.     With all my heart, I believe beauty can change our world.  And, it is the responsibility of every one of us to scatter beauty and its joy.

Additionally, I am a lover of:  Our dear garden, Maison De Jardin (our home), old homes, enchanting gardens and especially the peonies they hold, all things French, books, great literature, music, good wine and good food, antiques, beautiful china, taking tea, gorgeous needlework, the color blue, Labrador retrievers and of course you, my dear readers.  My dinner guest list consists of:  my husband, Alexandra Stoddard, Maya Angelou, Julia Child, Claude Monet, Roger Muhl and Ralph Waldo Emerson.  What a party!

I was raised in Clarksburg, West Virginia.  And, I retired from Virginia Beach City Public Schools as the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent of the Department of Human Resources.  I have written a column, “Creating Beauty,” for the online newspaper, The Clarksburg Post, for the past year.  I am an avid gardener, past president of a local garden club and county garden council and winner of several flower show awards.