Category Archives: Nature

Metamorphosis

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Eileen

I was walking near the woods in search of wild strawberries when my eyes lit upon a most unusual moth. Just hatched, its wings were one third the size of its abdomen. I reached down and it grabbed hold of … Continue reading →

Posted in Eileen's Armchair, Nature, Spirituality | 16 Comments

Time for Planting

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Eileen

One of my favorite stories in Being a Rockefeller, Becoming Myself is the chapter called Planting Seeds, about planting fava beans, in which I defend my ignorance in planting them upside-down! The last line of that story is the theme … Continue reading →

Posted in Eileen's Armchair, Nature | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Foraging

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Eileen

With spring comes a season for foraging. The other day my husband, Paul, and I went for a walk and came upon a woodland field full of ramps. In case you are not familiar, ramps are the equivalent of wild … Continue reading →

Posted in Eileen's Armchair, Nature | Tagged , , , | 22 Comments

Rising with the Sap

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Eileen

By the time you read this, the sap will have almost finished rising in the sugar maple trees. New England and Canada are the major producers of this sweet nectar. It takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to make 1 … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Tired of winter?
Keep your hats on!

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Eileen

Last week in Washington, D.C., I met with a highly respected climatologist who’s a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Requesting anonymity, he reported new data suggesting that the polar ice cap is not shrinking, and is predicted to … Continue reading →

Posted in Eileen's Armchair, Nature | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Birthday Musings

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Eileen

What a wonderful thing it is to be born, to live, to savor all that is living alongside. On this special day of my birthday, I give thanks for my parents for having “the sixth.” It was not what she … Continue reading →

Posted in Eileen's Armchair, Nature, Personal Growth | Tagged , , , , | 21 Comments

Seeing the Light

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Eileen

According to the Irish, my name—Eileen—means “light.”  At this darkest time of the year, light is on my mind. I was aching to see the aurora borealis (“Northern Lights”) when Paul and I visited Churchill, Manitoba in early November.  To … Continue reading →

Posted in Eileen's Armchair, Nature | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

I Promised You a Polar Bear!

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Eileen

Last week when I was writing my post called “Abundance,” I promised you I would write about my trip to see polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba. I, along with my husband Paul and our longtime friend Holly (who, by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservation, Eileen's Armchair, Nature | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Even Hummingbirds Pause

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Eileen

Hummingbirds’ wings beat at an astonishing rate of forty to ninety times per second.  They are birds on steroids, darting with precision from one flower to the next to drink nectar.  A friend of ours, who made a nature documentary, … Continue reading →

Posted in Eileen's Armchair, Nature, Personal Growth | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Even Hummingbirds Pause

Finding Quietude

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Eileen

Labor Day will have come and gone by the time this post is up. Red veins of traffic on the GPS of our iPhones will cover the screen, and a neighboring car’s bass woofer will pound in the long list … Continue reading →

Posted in Eileen's Armchair, Nature, Spirituality | Tagged , , | 4 Comments