My Favorite Quotes on Gardening- Can Prolong Your Life!

Earth Day was yesterday. Plant Trees to Save Planet Earth. It is almost time for Gardening as the weather gets warmer.  But Moving to THD I will no longer be able to actually do some gardening. However, this time of the year I can't help but think of my gardens in the Philippines 💚💚as well as In Fair Oaks, California.

  

Here's, a repost of my article on the subject for your reading pleasure.

  

My Favorite Quotes on Gardening-An Update

My First Pineapple Harvest in US-Small but the sweetest pineapple I have ever tasted

One of my hobbies when I am in the Philippines( also here in the US) is to do some gardening, both actual and by mouth. If you do not know the term gardening by mouth, I do not blame you since I coined that phrase. It simply meant that I have a full time gardener that I order and do most of the hard work in the garden. So my mouth is the one that does the gardening and not my whole body which is getting older every year.

At the bottom of the page is the link to an article citing examples of why gardening help people live over a 100 years old.💗💗 

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My Pineapple Plant during Winter in Northern California

I have a flower garden, a vegetable and a fruit orchard at Chateau Du Mer in Boac, Marinduque. My flower garden has more than 50 varieties of orchids, 10 varieties of bougainvillas, 15 varieties of hibiscus and around 25 varieties of euphorbias and cacti.

💚💚https://theintellectualmigrants.blogspot.com/2019/04/pleasant-memories-of-my-gardens-at.html

My fruit tree orchard has more than a dozen of tropical fruit trees. Among my favorite fruit tress are the mangoes, papayas, avocados, lanzones, cashews, star apples, chicos, sugar apples, rambutans, guayabanos, citrus trees and of course coconuts and bananas. 

My Gardening Books Collection-All Gone and Donated

The following are 13 of my favorites quotes on the subject of gardens and gardening not including the head picture above. The number one quote by Monet is my most treasured quote in the list below.

1. “My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece” 
― Claude Monet 

2. “A weed is but an unloved flower.” 
― Ella Wheeler Wilcox 

3. “The master of the garden is the one who waters it, trims the branches, plants the seeds, and pulls the weeds. If you merely stroll through the garden, you are but an acolyte.” 
― Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration 

4. “Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God.” 
― Thomas Jefferson 

5. “No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden.” 
― Thomas Jefferson 

6. “Gardening is akin to writing stories. No experience could have taught me more about grief or flowers, about achieving survival by going, your fingers in the ground, the limit of physical exhaustion.” 
― Eudora Welty 

7. “Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are.” 
― Alfred Austin 

8. “You're not a gardener, are you? So perhaps you don't know that once a garden is established, much of good gardening is about removal rather than planting, honing what you have to produce a pleasing effect, sacrificing the particular for the good of the whole. Gardening is a creative pastime, but the result is always a work in progress; unlike a painting or a piece of music a garden is never fixed in time. ("In The Garden")” 
― Rosalie Parker, The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 21 

9. “All gardening is landscape painting,' said Alexander Pope.” 
― Rebecca Solnit, Wanderlust: A History of Walking 

10. Gardening is the purest of human pleasures. -Francis Bacon 

11. I have never had so many good ideas day after day as when I worked in the garden. -John Erskine 

12. Gardening requires lots of water, most of it in the form of perspiration. -Lou Erickson 

 

Here's the link on how gardening improve your chance to join the Centenarian Club of the World ( People over 100 years old), that is Gardening can prolong your life.

💗💗https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20181210-gardening-could-be-the-hobby-that-helps-you-live-to-100?ocid=fbert&fbclid=IwAR3g9XDDNSFNopWRxUrXliCWzMFfUo-Kf7inMmk1Gcv1WFBy1uUMBRDIgYY&referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F

Lastly, Please read my four favorite garden plaques on the link below:💚

These are the two garden plaques I was able to bring here at THD after my downsizing activities last June.  

💚https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2019/08/our-four-favorite-garden-plaques.html

Heather Farm Park and Happy Earth Day

For those THD Residents who are not familiar with Heather Farm Park, here's some information that you may be interested. I have not been to the Park nor to the Bancroft Gardens recently. Looking forward to visit both Park and Garden in the near future.   

Heather Farm Park is a 102-acre community park in Walnut Creek, California. It contains the Gardens at Heather Farm, a swimming pool, inclusive playground, sports fields, equestrian center, dog park, fishing pond, nature area, lake, and other amenities.

In 1874, on the site of the current park was a health spa, Sulphur Springs Ranch. Race horse breeder John Marchbanks (also written as Marchbank) bought the property in 1921 and named it Heather Farm after his favorite horse, King Heather. An arena on the farm was used in the filming of the 1931 movie Sporting Blood.

In 1965, Walnut Creek voters approved a municipal bond to fund community parks. The city was able to purchase some of the land that had been Heather Farm, and also received five acres of land donated by Phil and Ruth Bancroft (whose garden became the nearby Ruth Bancroft Garden). Heather Farm Park opened in 1970.

Issue #066 -Latest News on Heather Farm Park

Walnut Creek Spotlight April 19, 2024

Good morning, Walnut Creek! Today's ( 4/19/24) Walnut Creek Spotlight is all about the exciting $77 million upgrade approved for Heather Farm Park. This project promises to revolutionize our local recreation with a state-of-the-art aquatic and community center. Funded by Measure O, the construction is set to begin in summer 2025, but the design phase starts this September.

https://youtu.be/muFQ8OO10iw?si=6_ucscKOPH0hQHHA

Here's a bonus article on my Hibiscus Collection in the Gardens of Chateau Du Mer. It is a must view if you love flowers.  

https://marinduquemyislandparadise.blogspot.com/2024/04/my-hibiscus-collections-in-gardens-of.html

Lastly today we also celebrate Earth Day. Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EARTHDAY.ORG (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. The official theme for 2024 is "Planet vs. Plastics." 2025 will be the 55th anniversary of Earth Day.

Three Types of Aging/Passover Holidays

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• The topic of aging gracefully is a popular topic during meal times here at THD. Allow me to post an article on the three types of Aging that I have read recently. The Chemistry of Aging I will discuss in my future blogs. There are 3 types of Aging.  
• 1.Chronologic age is based solely on the passage of time. It is a person's age in years. .. 
• 2. Biologic age refers to changes in the body that commonly occur as people age. ... 
• 3.Psychologic age is based on how people act and feel.

https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/older-people%E2%80%99s-health-issues/the-aging-

body/overview-of-aging

Aging is a gradual, continuous process of natural change that begins in early adulthood. During early middle age, many bodily functions begin to gradually decline.

People do not become old or elderly at any specific age. Traditionally, age 65 has been designated as the beginning of old age. But the reason was based in history, not biology. Many years ago, age 65 was chosen as the age for retirement in Germany, the first nation to establish a retirement program. In 1965 in the United States, age 65 was designated as the eligibility age for Medicare insurance. This age is close to the actual retirement age of most people in economically advanced societies.

When a person becomes old can be answered in different ways:

• Chronologic age is based solely on the passage of time. It is a person’s age in years. Chronologic age has limited significance in terms of health. Nonetheless, the likelihood of developing a health problem increases as people age, and it is health problems, rather than normal aging, that are the primary cause of functional loss during old age. Because chronologic age helps predict many health problems, it has some legal and financial uses.

• Biologic age refers to changes in the body that commonly occur as people age. Because these changes affect some people sooner than others, some people are biologically old at 65, and others not until a decade or more later. However, most noticeable differences in apparent age among people of similar chronologic age are caused by lifestyle, habit, and subtle effects of disease rather than by differences in actual aging.

• Psychologic age is based on how people act and feel. For example, an 80-year-old who works, plans, looks forward to future events, and participates in many activities is considered psychologically younger.

Normal aging

People often wonder whether what they are experiencing as they age is normal or abnormal. Although people age somewhat differently, some changes result from internal processes, that is, from aging itself. Thus, such changes, although undesired, are considered normal and are sometimes called "pure aging." These changes occur in everyone who lives long enough, and that universality is part of the definition of pure aging. The changes are to be expected and are generally unavoidable. For example, as people age, the lens of the eye thickens, stiffens, and becomes less able to focus on close objects, such as reading materials (a disorder called presbyopia). This change occurs in virtually all older people. Thus, presbyopia is considered normal aging. Other terms used to describe these changes are "usual aging" and "senescence."

Did You Know...

Average life expectancy has increased a lot, but maximum life span has increased little if at all.

Exactly what constitutes normal aging is not always clear. Changes that occur with normal aging make people more likely to develop certain disorders. However, people can sometimes take actions to compensate for these changes. For example, older people are more likely to lose teeth. But seeing a dentist regularly, eating fewer sweets, and brushing and flossing regularly may reduce the chances of tooth loss. Thus, tooth loss, although common with aging, is an avoidable part of aging.

Also, functional decline that is part of aging sometimes seems similar to functional decline that is part of a disorder. For example, with advanced age, a mild decline in mental function is nearly universal and is considered normal aging. This decline includes increased difficulty learning new things such as languages, decreased attention span, and increased forgetfulness. In contrast, the decline that occurs in dementia is much more severe. For example, people who are aging normally may misplace things or forget details, but people who have dementia forget entire events. People with dementia also have difficulty doing normal daily tasks (such as driving, cooking, and handling finances) and understanding the environment, including knowing what year it is and where they are. Thus, dementia is considered a disorder, even though it is common later in life. Certain kinds of dementia, such as Alzheimer disease, differ from normal aging in other ways as well. For example, brain tissue (obtained during autopsy) in people with Alzheimer disease looks different from that in older people without the disease. So the distinction between normal aging and dementia is clear.

Healthy (successful) aging

Healthy aging refers to postponement of or reduction in the undesired effects of aging. The goals of healthy aging are maintaining physical and mental health, avoiding disorders, and remaining active and independent. For most people, maintaining general good health requires more effort as they age. Developing certain healthy habits can help, such as 

• Following a nutritious diet

• Avoiding cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol use

• Exercising regularly

• Staying mentally active

The sooner a person develops these habits, the better. However, it is never too late to begin. In this way, people can have some control over what happens to them as they age.

The Beauty of Aging

• “Aging is not 'lost youth' but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” ... 
• “The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.” ... 
• “In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. ... 
• “Count your age by friends, not years. ... 
• “Aging has a wonderful beauty, and we should have respect for that.”
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https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2019/02/are-you-aging-gracefully.html

Meanwhile, enjoy this photo of the most beautiful sunset ever photographed.

I will give you a dollar if you can guess the location of this Photograph~💚

My Personal Wish of a Happy Passover Celebration to All My Jewish Friends here at THD. We have a number of Jewish Residents here at THD that I know personally and also my guess because of their last names.  

In case of you do not know what is Passover:  The holiday starts Monday, April 22 and ends Tuesday, April 30.

• It commemorates the biblical story of the Jewish people's escape from slavery in ancient Egypt. During the first two and last two days of Passover, some observant Jews do not work, according to Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center. Passover observers eat matzo, an unleavened bread, which is a flat crisp bread like a cracker. It's a reminder that there was no time for the dough to rise when the Jews fled Egypt.  The first Passover Seder will be on April 22 after nightfall, and the second Seder will be on April 23 after nightfall.
• People who observe the holiday try to avoid food with grains, known as "chametz," like breads, pastas, pizza and beer.

• .
  THD has prepared A SPECIAL DINNER to celebrate Passover as follows:
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  The holiday, which is about freedom, will be a particularly emotional one for many Jews, because of the ongoing war in Gaza and record antisemitism.
• Lastly here my quote on Old Age: Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you're aboard, there's nothing you can do. You can't stop the plane, you can't stop the storm. you can't stop time. So one might as well accept it calmly and wisely- Golda Meir, 1898-1974, Israeli Prime Minister.

Lunch Excursion to Sam's Chowder House in Half Moon Bay, Yesterday

Yesterday's lunch excursion to Sam's Chowder House in Half-Moon Bay, is one activity that I will always remember during my stay here at THD. It reminded me of my younger years. The weather was perfect, company excellent and the food was delicious as advertised. There were sixteen THD residents who participated in this outing, Thank You Nancy ( our driver) and Karen ( our Chaperon) for your capable services and enthusiasm during the trip.      

I ordered my favorite appetizer- Oyster Rockefeller and my cravings for Fish and Chips satiated. These two dishes  gave me pleasant memories (see detailed explanation below).

The Oyster Rockefeller I ordered was as delicious as my own recipe. It is slightly different, but I will order it again, if I have another chance to visit Sam. Here's a photo of my own Oyster Rockefeller and my recipe.https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2020/07/i-cooked-oyster-rockefeller-yesterday.html

   

My Fish and Chips a year ago, in Fair Oaks, CA via Door Dash. 

Here's a summary of Sam's Ads: ( Scroll Down)

Specialties

Open daily for indoor and outdoor dining and takeout. Fresh daily catch, Sam's famous lobster roll, fish and chips, Maine lobster, farm fresh salads, clam chowder, fried calamari, and other seafood specialties. From the seafood and meats, to the produce and artisanal cheeses, Chef Rossman's mantra is sustainable, fresh, local when possible and always seasonal. Produce in the fields of Half Moon Bay in the morning often finds its way onto the salad plate at Sam's by evening. This passion for fine, fresh ingredients is evident from the house-made dressings, sauces, pastas, and charcuterie, to the house-made desserts. Sam's is committed to the environment and offers sustainably-fished seafood items and hormone-free meats. Even the cooking oil used for the restaurant's famous fish and chips is cholesterol and trans-fat free, making it perfect for recycling. The buildings rooftop is covered with solar panels and the restaurant uses 100% biodegradable and compostable boxes made from sugarcane for to-go packaging.

 Here's my own recipe for Oyster Rockefeller,

https://myfavoritepinoydishes.blogspot.com/search?q=oyster+rockefeller