BfloGirlGeek/BfloGirlGarden: Khaleesi’s Garden

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

Ok, not really…

circa 2014 - the originals

It was about 10-12 years ago, and it happened in this quaint little suburb of Buffalo.

circa 2015 - the move to bigger and better gardens

My “geek garden,” which has grown into “Khaleesi’s Garden,” started with just a couple of plants: a daylily called Jedi Free Spirit and a dahlia called Dark Angel Star Wars (which just totally reminds me of Mustafar). It became something of a game to look for new plants each year, and eventually it grew beyond Star Wars.

circa 2018 - overlooking Mustafar

Some annuals have changed over the years (where did my Hedwig and Black Widow coleus go, Rosy Dawn?), and many perennials have been added (finally got a Midnight Marvel Hibiscus to grow!), but I always find joy in a new discovery, and sometimes I even grasp at straws (I planted Veronica in the garden because Veronica is the code name for the Hulk-buster armor in Avengers: Age of Ultron!).

2019 garden

Along the way, I picked up a few sculptures – three dragons (hence Khaleesi), a baby dragon (so cute!) and a unicorn/Pegasus combo (which I know doesn’t exist, but Peter’s steed in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” was a unicorn and Valkerie rode a pretty sweet Pegasus in “Endgame,” so I can’t dismantle it now!) – plus a couple of “sun and stars” pieces (odes to Khal Drogo). I also picked up a cute Baby Groot planter that I proceeded to fill with “Mint Marvel” sempervivum.

2019 succulent collection

Every winter, while I’m worrying about the next snowfall and how much sleep I’m going to get, I find the bright side of things when I go searching for next year’s new additions.

2019 garden

all photos: PaulaThompsonFreelance

BfloGirlGeek: The Art of the Brick

Yes, I finally made it…

With a week left, I made it to the Buffalo Museum of Science for “The Art of the Brick,” the amazing Nathan Sawaya Lego exhibit that I have wanted to see for years - and I was not disappointed.

I may have walked around the exhibit three times…

I may have wondered – out loud – how did he come up with these things?!?! (good thing my mom was with me…)

I may be in love with Legos again…(my inner 12 year old is happy about that)

(actually, that happened when I put together this ‘67 Mustang…

…or maybe this Avengers Quinjet…)

Closing for the exhibit at the Buffalo Museum of Science is THIS WEEKEND, and the Museum is pulling an all-nighter, open from Saturday, May 4 at 10 a.m. straight through to Sunday, May 5 at 4 p.m. – find out more about it here.

all photos: Paula Thompson Freelance

Find more photos on my Facebook page

BfloGirlGeek: “The Art of The Brick” comes to Buffalo

Oh, to be a kid again…and play with Legos.

video: YouTube

Yes, I had Barbie dolls, but I also had all the building toys – Legos, Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, Erector sets – because, well, Dad wanted a boy…so he got a tomboy instead. Mom tried her best to “girlify” me, but she eventually accepted my fate in life (thanks Dad!).

My favorites among those toys were Legos.

Legos have become much more than a toy since I played with them; they’re now art, technology – even an investment in some cases. Art meets tech in a new exhibit at the Buffalo Museum of Science, located at 1020 Humboldt Pkwy. in Buffalo: “The Art of The Brick,” by artist Nathan Sawaya, opens Saturday, Feb, 9 and runs through Sunday, May 5.

The exhibit was named one of CNN’s Top Ten “Global Must-See Exhibitions,” and features not only original art by Sawaya, but reimagined versions of masterpieces like Michelangelo's Statue of David, Van Gogh’s Starry Night and DaVinci’s Mona Lisa. There will also be a hands-on activity area within the exhibit entitled “The Science of The Brick.”

Timed tickets for the exhibit (includes museum admission and exhibit fee) are available at www.sciencebuff.org; tickets are $18 for adults (no ages given); $15 for children ages 2+, seniors, students and Military (with ID) (no ages given); and $5 for members.

Since this exhibit runs into May, I’m hoping Mother Nature cooperates and lets me go see this!

BfloGirlGeek: Random Thoughts of Geekery

• Logan trailer – shut the door! And did they have to use Johnny Cash’s version of Hurt, because I could’ve handled it with NIN’s version.
• Arrival trailer – totally looking forward to seeing this movie…and Jeremy Renner… #TeamHawkeye
• Guardians II trailer – “Do you need a hug?” Ha! Ready for another great soundtrack – and Baby Groot.
• Rogue One – I’ve got my t-shirt, now I need a movie…
  
• Doctor Strange – yes, I’ll see it, I’m just not sure what to expect. This isn’t a traditional Marvel movie, and the characters are new to the movie universe, so I’m going in blind.
• Red Vengeance – if you haven’t tried the Marvel Young Adult book out yet, do it! Black Widow: Forever Red was pretty good, and Marvel fans are craving more Black Widow (movie, please?!?!). Black Widow: Red Vengeance is the latest book – I just started reading it – and next week there’s an Iron Man book joining the collection. Don’t get turned off by “Young Adult,” because we’ve all read them – you know, Hunger Games, Divergent and, of course, all the Harry Potter books.
• Ahsoka – I really want to start reading this one too – Ahsoka Tano was one of the coolest chicks in the Expanded Universe, and now she’s part of the new canon. I don’t want to get caught up with too many books at once, though, because I’m also reading Dark Disciple right now with another cool EU chick, Asajj Ventress.

BfloGirlGeek: Nickel City Con announced

credit: freedigitalphotos.net/IceHawk33

I’ve heard all about and seen photos from all these different comic cons around the county, and Buffalo is getting in on the action with a second comic con (the Buffalo Comicon Spring Garage Sale Show is this Saturday, April 3) coming this summer.

The Nickel City Con is taking place Saturday and Sunday, August 13-14 at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center on Franklin St. in downtown Buffalo and is presented by Dave & Adam’s Card World. The line up so far (there are “more coming soon” according to the website) is already pretty impressive: Ric Flair (WOOOOO!), “Sam-Wise” himself Sean Astin, Ray Park – that’s Darth Maul to you, Brett Dalton from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Esme Bianco, who played Ros on Game of Thrones, are just a few of the folks on the list.

I may have to immerse myself in this idea… #letmyinnergeekout!

BfloGirlGeek: I find my lack of excitement disturbing…

I still remember the first time I saw Star Wars: I was at the drive-in with my mom and grandma, and I wasn’t there to see Star Wars (maybe a Herbie movie…?). But I was turned around in the back of the station wagon all night watching these space ships flying around, and while I couldn’t hear what was going on, I was a visually-stimulated 4-year-old at that moment, and that continued on for – yikes! –nearly 40 years now.

credit: imgur

Star Wars was special growing up: three movies in seven years, labeled Episodes IV, V and VI; obviously, I, II and III were inevitable, and – while they left something to be desired at times – they resparked the interest of the old fans and brought about a legion of new fans. Sequels, in the form of movies, weren’t really needed – the Expanded Universe (comics, cartoons, books and more) expanded on the stories quite well, giving fans a look back and a look ahead.

Then came Disney.

20+ years of writing and visualization in the Expanded Universe went out the window at Disney’s command – and there were some great stories in there (I really wanted to see Mara Jade in live action). Then they announced there would be six movies released in about five years, beginning with Episode 7 in December 2015. Six movies in 28 years versus six movies in five years = no longer “special.”

I really want to be excited for this, and part of me is – I want to see what this alternate Star Wars universe looks like compared to the old Expanded Universe. But that’s what it feels like right now – Star Wars meets Sliders (I loved that show): same world, similar characters, alternate universe. I feel like I’m going to see it just to get it over with.

I hope I’m wrong and it’s awesome – reviews have been literally out of this world amazing – but, to use a popular line from the original trilogy, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

BfloGirlGarden: Khaleesi’s Garden wrap-up

This was my fun project for the year, and for years to come as well. From collecting “dragons” to finding the perfect wind spinner to telling the story of the garden to anyone who would listen, I loved my little corner of Sci-Fi/Fantasy in the garden (my kind of geekery!). Since this was the first year for the large garden (it was previously much smaller), I learned a few things, like:

Hedwig gets MUCH BIGGER than Lord Voldemort (remember, the “t” is silent!).

Hedwig (left) and Lord Voldemort (right)

The Red Witch has a BIG ego (she must go to the background next year – sorry, sweetie!).

yes, that is just one coleus plant!

Belarion was engulfed by these Black Dragon coleus.

there is a dragon in there...

Bunnies like the Dragon Blood sedum…1) must buy more, 2) must cover them earlier!

munching bunnies lead to...strawberry basket covers!
(I kinda miss those types of strawberry baskets!)

And a few more photos of the garden in its glory:

 

Apocolypse...sooooo need that movie already!!

 

King Peter's Unicorn protecting his end of the garden

Baby Dragon :)

all photos: paulathompsonfreelance.com