Longwood Gardens, January

Kenneth and I went away to Lancaster, PA for our four year anniversary. It was our first trip since he proposed (on Christmas of 2012). It was a little bit of heaven in the middle of a cold winter. Before this trip I told Kenneth he needed to do all the planning. I work retail so doing anything besides surviving in the holiday season is impossible. I knew we wanted to take a trip but I knew if we waited for me to make decisions that we would never get anywhere.

 Kenneth found Lancaster, an industrial city in Pennsylvania. Just far enough a drive away to feel like a journey. He found a chocolate factory to tour and he found Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. In January, the gardens weren't really blooming, which was perfect because they were not filled with people. Without flowers everywhere the only thing to admire was the structure and without crowds there is the feeling of solitude and the time to slow down and enjoy.

The structured gardens with the skeleton trees and the stone gazebo by the still lake were absolutely captivating in combination. There was, as Anne says, "such scope for imagination." Walking around with Kenneth, my new engagement ring sparkling safely on my finger inside my purple gloves, was such a wonderful experience. It was wonderful to have the time in such a beautiful garden to dream a little and plan a little and wander without any real need to make decisions.

 Deep into the gardens, there is a tree house. A perfect tree house with a porch and glass windows and a dreamy staircase winding up the center. It is also guarded by dragons, which seems appropriate for a tree house built on the middle of the woods surrounded by Italian water gardens, English rose gardens, and a conservatory filled with orchids. I would have moved into this tree house in a heartbeat, if the option had been presented to me.

 And with this post, I'm back. Maybe. Returning this blog to what I started it to be. An online journal that reminds me of the adventures in life. A diary with pictures. A photo album with stories. Nothing perfect. Just thoughts and snapshots.