Subtitle: a fun get-together with NGS/Engie/NGradStudent.
As those of you who read NGS’/Engie’s blog know already, we met up at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens last Saturday, during their open house. To be clear, we were not intending to go the weekend of the open house, but, well, that’s how it turned out. Despite the crowds – and my hideous social awkwardness – we had a wonderful time, and had some unexpected, fun experiences.
The best surprise? They had the greenhouses open! As in, “here’s where the magic happens”. It turns out that Engie is – not surprisingly – someone who also loves to ask questions and who also will engage with and ask questions of guards and volunteers. I’ve been known to engage security staff and volunteers in places like Hampton Court, in England. There, I thoroughly annoyed and embarrassed my then-spouse by talking with the security guard in one section for about 10 minutes. They know so much! And they spend so much time there, observing others, that they have fascinating stories to tell. (Side note: The Baltimore Museum of Art had a fantastic exhibit about a year ago that was curated by the security guards. I was so bummed I couldn’t go see it…)
We learned a ton from Don, a volunteer in the greenhouse, who told us how they rotate stock in and out of the conservatory exhibit/display every night. As in, grab the plants that look a little worn out, funky, or overgrown, and (ta da!) replace them with ones from the green houses! How cool is that? Don also taught us that banana trees are grasses. And that they are cut back nearly to the ground in the winter. I. Had. No. Idea. (Also, you really do learn something every day…)
But the best part of the greenhouses – particularly the tropical one – was the temperature. It was 80 degrees. And humid. And wonderful. I nearly took off my coat! (I did get to see the Famous Heated Vest of NGS lore. :>).
Engie even convinced me to put my (exceedingly limited) painting skills to work and do a little watercolor on a postcard. It was so immersive and fun – almost meditative. I’m reposting the picture she sent me and adding a caveat, to set the record straight:
OK, see the boring, monochromatic, exceptionally dull postcard on the left? That’s mine.
See the lovely, colorful, and just gorgeous postcard on the right? Painted by someone who knows that color is not something of which we should be afraid? That’s Engie’s.
Clearly, one of us is more creative than the other. I shall leave it up to you to make the final determination.
The best part of the day – other than meeting Engie, of course – was that this forced me to ENGAGE. This helped me live up to that word that I picked a few (long) weeks ago. I got out of my apartment! I did something fun, that did not involve one of the two people with whom I have Done Stuff since I moved here (a very short list: a coworker [one lunch], and my ex-MIL). It was so enjoyable that I’m starting to (gasp) think about other things I could do on the weekend, other than work. This is… not typical behavior for me, my friends.
I shall be back – I promise – to share the Other Word, soon. In the meantime, thank you NGS/Engie, for nudging me out of my comfort zone. 🙂
You can avoid uncertainty, hide within the familiar comfort of the status quo, and keep doing what you did yesterday.
Or you can step into the unknown, confident that you can use your considerable abilities to handle the cosmic curve balls that will inevitably come your way…if you stick to the familiar, you won’t find the unexpected. ~Ozan Varol
You know what the best part of the drawings is? That there are two of them!!! They are both gorgeous in their own right and even better together.
I’m a huge fan of getting out and exploring. When I made my first local trip last year I was like “eh, I’ve got a lake in the park in my town, why am I driving an hour away to see another lake?” but once I got there I was hooked. This weekend it was “wow the restored home of a long-dead-very obscure US President is only two hours away???? I’m there!!!!”
I forgot, too, how much I like exploring the communities around me. I used to do this all the time – when I was a travel nurse ,this is what I did on my days off! So much exploring and seeing the world… I’m trying to get back to that, and having a friend to go along with me makes it even better. I feel like I need to add the caveat that I was not fishing for compliments with my comment about my complete lack of artistic ability. But thank you – yes, having two is so much better than one!
I have loved hearing about your local trips and weekends. I really want to know which “long-dead president’s” home you visited. I have an inkling I know who it might have been but who knows? There are a lot of long-dead white guys who were President. 😉
I’m glad you also had such a good time! I was so amazed by the greenhouses and really thought it was a fun thing to do! Banana trees are grasses! The plants are in the shape of a peacock! And we’ll continue to do fun things on our next adventure!
So. Much. Fun. I cannot wait for our next adventure. I already have ideas for later in the spring. (And now you’re wondering how you’ll get rid of me… :>) Thanks for getting me out of my comfort zone!
It’s so wonderful you got to spend time together!
I want to say that both your cards are beautiful! I think they are equally lovely!
I swear, I wasn’t fishing for compliments! It was so nice to be with another person who was equally curious and eager to explore. And, to be honest, who was willing to push me out of my comfort zone a bit. Here’s hoping my social anxiety calms down a bit now… 🙂
This is so fun! I’m just delighted that two of my favourite bloggers got to meet up in real life. Somehow this feels slightly mind-blowing to me tucked off in a little corner in the middle of nowhere.
I think both of your paintings are gorgeous. What a fun activity.
I’m wondering if it’s the fact that we live near a college town? Maybe there’s something about college town living and blogging? Who knows. I’m just astonished that you have people who know you in real life read and comment on your blog (Joy, I think, based on some of her comments?) This was so much fun and reminded me that connections can form in the most unexpected ways. Not a bad way to kick off 2023…
What a lovely get together!!!! I wish you would not be so hard on your art though! Monochromatic is beautiful too and I think it looks great!
Says the Extremely Talented Rock Painter. 😉 (Seriously, your art is amazing! I was just happy to stay [mostly] in the lines… :>) I am remembering that yes, it can be fun to actually *spend time with people*. Shocking, I know. 🙂
I’m so glad (and so jealous!) that you got to meet up with Engie. What a fun outing! I will admit that I was impressed by BOTH pictures. Good for you getting out there and not working all of the time! You deserve that!
Hey now, you could relocate to IL/WI and then you could hang with us, and with Kim, and who knows who else might come out of the woodwork?! After all, it was above freezing the day we got together (and you could have hung out in the tropical green house.. :>). It was so much fun to be reminded that yes, I can leave my apartment and (gasp) have fun and that (double gasp) it might be good for me. It was all Engie’s doing, for sure. 🙂
I love Engie! I only know her through her blog, but somehow I still feel like I know her well. I wish I could have gone with you guys to the Botanical Gardens (and you would have been pleased that my watercolor would be much, much worse than yours- I have no artistic abilities whatsoever.)
You asked me a question on my post about protein, which I answered in the comments- I use UpNourish chocolate protein powder which I get from Amazon. But it’s funny reading this post because I wrote on a very similar topic yesterday! I talked about doing new things and getting out of a rut. Funny that we both had the same thoughts.
Isn’t it fun to get to know people virtually and just *know* that you would hit it off in real life? The most interesting thing, to me, was that we were kind of past the “oh, this is what I do, and where I live” kind of small talk. We could just jump right in to talking about, say, Hannah. 🙂 Doing new things is really good for me – I just need to be reminded of that every now and then!
And thank you for the info on the protein powder! I know you avoid sugar and you’re vegan, so I thought you might have some good ideas. Thanks for sharing!
This sounds like a wonderful time you had. And even more so that you got to meet in real life. Those encounters are always fun. I tend to be a bit anxious beforehand. It seems you know the person but then. your really don’t. I am meeting a friend for lunch Friday. I have seen ehr once. many years ago at a bloggers conference. Now we are online book club friends but meeting in real life after so many years is a bit exciting.
I am glad you left your comfort zone. What is the next thing your are going to engage?
I hope your lunch with your online friend went well! This meet up with Engie was so much fun – although yes, a bit odd in that we “know” each other in our virtual relationship. I wasn’t able to meet up with her last weekend (it was all on me and I had to back out at the last minute) but am hoping we can get together again soon. (If she gives me another chance!)
I am working on figuring out how I can engage more in fun things… a particularly hard hurdle for me to get over. I am hoping this year – and this word – helps hold me accountable to making some changes in that regard.
This is so wonderful that you and Engie got to meet up! Yay.
It was so much fun! For me, at least. 🙂 The greenhouses were the best (so warm!) and the volunteers were amazing. Fun to actually *get out of my apartment* occasionally…