1 We watched the proceedings on large screen TVs.

2 This is the first class car on Amtrak's Acela, which we took from Pennsylvania Station in New York City to Washington DC.

3 I must say that the ride on the Amtrak Acela is very pleasant - the service is good, and it takes about as long as flying to Washington, when one counts time to a from airports, etc.

4 The galley in first class provides some food and drinks of all kinds.

5 The snacks are mainly nuts, but they are fresh and tasty.

6 A view out the windows - we left on the 4 PM train - it was snowy and quite dingy looking.

7 The train makes about six stops - Newark, NJ is the first. TheAcela never goes as fast as the TGV from Paris to Lyons - but every now and then the Acela does pick up some speed.

8 Here I am with another Obama fan, also on her way to Washington. I was asked a lot to pose for photographs and everyone was very, very friendly.

9 Here's my ticket stub.

10 Arriving in Washington, one can arrange to be met by a redcap with an electric cart like this one - I saw that Robert De Niro and family were also on the train heading to the festivities and inauguration, however, I did not have the nerve to ask for a photo!

11 Could this be the first inkling that there were going to be massive crowds? Long lines of portable potties were everywhere.

12 The traffic on Monday night was absolutely horrible - bumper-to-bumper and lots and lots of dead-ends, where the streets had been cordoned off for security reasons.

13 Everywhere were crowds, and cars, and lights, and sirens!

14 A very happy group of Chicagoans - they recognized me in my car and waved and yelled - they were ready to party!

15 The facade of the Washingtonian club

16 Here I am at the Phillips Collection with our hostess for the evening, the famous American chef and writer, Alice Waters (center), and Suzy Tompkins Buell, founder of Esprit and a really staunch supporter of the Democratic party

17 Jane Heller - my banker from Bank of America, Eric Schmidt - Chairman and CEO of Google, and Kathy Sloane - a top real-estate broker.

18 Alice Waters' tables are always long, simple, generous, and inviting. There were a couple hundred guests at this dinner, which benefited several food related institutions in Washington.

19 This is the menu and two of Alice's pamphlets relating to her foundation supporting The Edible Schoolyard.

20 Suzy Buell, Eric Schmidt, and me in our beautiful gallery dining room.

21 Here's the rest of our table including Suzy's husband, and Calvin Trillin, the famous food writer.

22 The handsome Mr. Buell and the very serious Mr. Trillin.

23 another dining room in the gallery that evening

24 This is the check-in at the Hufffington Post party.

25 A giant crowd was expected, and guess what? By 10 PM, most of the giant crowd had arrived! It was the place to see and to be seen, that night.

26 The talented Forrest Whitaker and his beautiful wife, Keisha.

27 Here I am with Forrest - he came on my show last year and was one of my favorite guests.

28 Here's Jane on Tuesday morning as we prepared to brave the cold on inauguration day. We stayed at the Hotel Sofitel - it was so nice and everyone spoke French and was so helpful.

29 I am ready for a breakfast of grapefruit juice, poached egg, whole wheat toast, and very good cappuccino.

30 Jane started making calls and doing business right there at the breakfast table - why not? It wasn't a holiday, just the inauguration of the 44th president of the United States!

31 Outside, it was very tight tight security.

32 There were lots of gates, concrete jersey barriers, and road blocks galore.

33 Everyone had to show their invitations.

34 But there were lots of friendly faces and smiles.

35 There were metal detectors and security checks.

36 Many streets had tents like these that one had to pass through.

37 Our first stop was the Governors' Reception at Bank of America - my bank.

38 The view from the tenth floor was spectacular.

39 That is the Treasury Building with the mall and the Washington Monument in the distance. The street, the parade route, was already lined with guards at 10:30 AM.

40 This is the White House roof top where the cavalcade passed by.

41 This stand was on a roof below us - it's for a sharp-shooter.

42 The bleachers were starting to fill up at 10:30 even though the parade was not scheduled to pass by until 4 PM.

43 A good view of the parade route - the guards were being briefed.

44 After the swearing in and the hopeful, but somber speech by President Obama, the crowds started to disperse from the mall.

45 Here I am surrounded by representatives of the Cherokee nation from Phoenix, Arizona.

46 On the way to the train station, to return to New York Ctiy, we went as close as we could to the Capitol.

47 Thousands of buses had brought millions to the area.

48 Hot soup - good for a cold day.

49 Fox Networks have a very good vantage point of the Capitol and its steps.

50 The rotunda and dome of the capitol - one of America's most beautiful structures.

51 Obama swag - not too many leftovers.

52 more portable potties

53 plenty of happy faces

54 The train station was really, really crowded.

55 The floor looked comfortable.

56 or maybe not

57 the first class lounge

58 The departures were all on time!

59 Itzhak Perlman, the violin virtuoso who played today, was travelling in my train car. He said the 30 degree weather was cold on his fingers.

60 A blur of Caroline Kennedy and her husband, Edwin Schlossberg, in motion finding their seats.

61 Dan Rather was very friendly! He had taken a grandson to the day's festivities.

62 crafters on the train- made me want to get back to my office, pronto!

1

2 After my early morning exercise, Mary Curran was ready to fix my hair and apply my makeup between mouthfuls of my favorite Uncle Sam's cereal and fresh fruit.

3 My office at home is in my kitchen and here I am checking my morning emails. I have a MacBook Air and a Sony Vaio - I know - I can have it all on one computer, but I prefer the two software platforms side by side.

4 Time for my morning indulgence of a deliciously rich cappuccino - I also offer this frothy brew to anyone in the kitchen.

5 Ahh! Such thick foam!

6 The perfect cappuccino! A great way to start the day!

7 Silly Mary!! Got froth?

8 Francesca and Sharkey are always sad when they see me packing up to leave. However, it's only for the day and they are always in good hands.

9 With today's newspapers in hand, it's time to leave for the airport and yikes, my hair is already messy!

10 Over the weekend, I made a list of garden chores. On my way out, I met up with Shaun, my gardener, about what requires his immediate attention.

11 This is Manny, one of my security detail, giving a friendly wave goodbye as we drove out the of gate.

12 This is one of the pilots for the day greeting me as I boarded the plane.

13 The mandatory pre-flight safety briefing - I have heard all of this thousands of times, but I always pay attention.

14 As we took off from Westchester County Airport, the foliage below painted a pretty picture.

15 Looking down the Hudson River - That's the George Washington Bridge with Manhattan on the left and New Jersey on the right.

16 All settled in for the 36 minute flight to Philadelphia.

17 I enjoy the Ken Ken puzzles - they help to sharpen my mind for the busy day ahead.

18 Two vehicles greeted us on the tarmac - Susan Magrino, my publicist, is signaling for everyone to get moving.

19 How sad - I always feel so badly when wildlife is hit on the roadway - This is an unfortunate red fox.

20 The King of Prussia mall is very nice - lots of great shopping.

21 Here I am approaching the Williams - Sonoma. The crowd was lined up and waiting.

22 MSLO employees - William Van Roden - with his mother, Dee - and Ellen Morrissey - They happened to be in the area and decided to come to the book signing. I was so happy to see them in Philadelphia, that I invited them to join us for lunch.

23 This is Meryl - she made this necklace from Home Depot paint chips and a decorative paper punch.

24 Roasted pumpkin soup, found on page 168 of my new Dinner at Home book, was served to the crowd. Everyone loved it.

25 The line for the book signing was really long - it seemed to wrap around the entire mall!

26 More of the line - everyone was so patient and kind.

27 This is Sang Mi and her cute baby, Jeremy.

28 ABC's Nightline was there filming my book signing as part of a TV special.

29 Carl is a big fan of the Martha show and he knows how to wear our T-shirt.

30 Donna and Ashley - notice that they shoot with a Canon G9? Great camera!

31 And look who else came! This is Margy, the mother of Shaun, my gardener.

32 Margy's book - signed by me!

33 These yummy coconut cupcakes were provided by Cupcakes Gourmet. www.cupcakesgourmet.com

34 We sold over 600 books! That means I signed over 600 books!

35 In the back room of the store, the Williams - Sonoma employees left me a message on their blackboard.

36 Kate Tyler, and Susan Magrino, and Nicole Sutlif discussing logisitcs.

37 Mary Beth and her adorable rescue poodle, Irish

38 Very sweet!

39 This is Kelly McDade, who was the winner of last year's USA Today's Cooking with Martha Contest. I was happy to see her again.

40 This little girl was a bit nervous to meet me, but was very happy afterwards.

41 What happened to the baby??

42 Here he is! I suppose that stack of books weighs more than he does.

43 It really never gets old - I love book signings and meeting my fans.

44 In addition to the roasted pumpkin soup, hanger steak with caramelized shallots on page 207, was prepared by The Water Works Restaurant in Philadelphia www.thewaterworksrestaurant.com and offered for tasting.

45 Executive chef Darryl Harmon of The Water Works Restaurant

46 Rambunctious and playful brothers

47 Of course, they were more interested in their Medieval toys than my book.

48 These are Williams Sonoma employees, who were so happy to have me sign their copies.

1 The highlight of my summer trip to the South of France was the helicopter ride to view the lavender fields north-west of Grasse - the perfume capital of the world.

2 Taking off from Antibes - Jean Pigozzi, Kevin Sharkey, and I flew first to Grasse to pick up our host, Michel Mane.

3 The views of the coast were phenomenal - we got bird's eye views of all the great homes on the coast.

4 The rocky Côte d'Azur

5 The azure water

6 The mansions and villas

7 A large establishment

8 Some of the properties are amazingly large for a place like this, where real estate is at a premium.

9 Antibes from the air

10 Many great yachts were anchored in the harbors.

11 This villa has a Jacques Wirtz garden landscape recently installed.

12 You can see just some of the symmetry.

13 This funny looking boat was designed by Philippe Patrick Starck.

14 A very odd design

15 The port of Antibes

16 An amusement park on the outskirts of Nice

17 Marina Baie des Anges is a famous apartment complex in Nice - very 'modern' and huge.

18 A closer view - It looks like ruins of pyramids from the air.

19 The crowded marinas

20 Flying north to Grasse, the landscape becomes more hilly.

21 We landed in Grasse at the Mane distillery for perfumes.

22 The factory in Grasse, where the highly automated fragrance and flavor blending and encapsulating activities occur.

23 So many wonderful scents for the perfumes of the world

24 We took off again to the lavender fields.

25 We saw all kinds of sights, including stone quarries.

26 This is a limestone quarry.

27 Barren mountain tops

28 The mountains started getting higher.

29 And the landscape became more barren.

30 There are small farms nestled in the stony hills and mountains.

31 So beautiful

32 The trip was about an hour, but we covered so much terrain.

33 It would have taken hours to go so far by car.

34 Huge cliffs

35 We flew over forests and fields.

36 Grassy hay fields, wheat fields, and and dairy farms.

37 More rugged landscapes

38 Limestone cliffs and canyons

39 Here is a murky river cutting through this canyon of limestone.

40 So unbelievably gorgeous!

41 The winds were quite brisk at this altitude.

42 You can definitely see the remoteness of the place.

43 The nature is so unique and the landscape so diverse.

44 All of a sudden a great lake of bright turquoise blue materialized.

45 This huge lake is used for irrigation as well as recreation.

46 The pale lavender fields were the first sign we were approaching the lavender center of France.

47 Hundreds of fields and thousands of acres!

48 Every purple block is blooming lavender.

49 Lavender is a fragrant perennial herb used for fragrances.

50 These are plowed fields and harvested lavender plants.

51 The lavender plants are fantastic.

52 Such straight rows

53 Every acre is used so well.

54 The yellow is blooming mustard plants.

55 Every acre has thousands of plants.

56 Mr. Paul - a French lavender grower and Michel Mane - our host

57 This lavender is about to be harvested.

58 Lavender grows in neat mounds.

59 On the ground the plants look very different than from above.

60 Recently harvested lavender stalks

61 Ready to be harvested

62 A closer view

63 This lavender is growing in close proximity to golden wheat.

64 A blur of sunflowers from the car window

1 Here I am with Ted enjoying dinner.

2 Gary Nardilla grilling bison steaks at Ted Turner's ranch - he is great behind the grill!

3 Karen - Ted's chef, me, and Ted discussing logistics

4 We just can't wait for our meal of bison - hamburgers and steaks - very, very good.

5 A table al fresco - overlooking Snowcrest Ranch

6 Wonderful bison steaks and roasted red, yellow, and orange peppers

7 Yummy grilled corn

8 Beautifully grilled squash

9 It really was a very superb hamburger!

10 I'm holding a piece of delicious bread made from Kernzaâ„¢, a new perennial grain that Ted is testing. By planting grains that are perennial, you cut down on plowing and the potential of creating a dust bowl.

11 These are solar heating panels - one of many environmentally sound measures practiced on Ted's properties.

12 There are many, many bird houses on the ranch to encourage more species to return.

13 Even deer are encouraged.

14 As are birds of prey

15 The local cranes are wonderful.

16 We all enjoyed this spectacular sunset over the ranch.

17 The mauve skies were breathtaking.

18 The TV crew ate dinner at the lodge.

1 This is the afternoon group from The Native Plant Center.

2 The tour bus arrived promptly at 1:30.

3 Susie Ercole, my executive assistant, greeted the group and handed out maps of my farm.

4 This is Frank, one of the guards on my security team.

5 Shaun, my gardener, is very comfortable giving garden tours.

6 Strolling through the allée of lindens to the stables

7 My horses always enjoy sharing their space.

8 Betsy, my stable manager, is speaking with Darrin Duling, the director of The Native Plant Center.

9 Meindert pays a friendly hello.

10 Martyn enjoying the attention

11 Well, hello there!

12 After walking through the stables, the group was directed up the carriage road.

13 Shaun is pointing to some very old sugar maple trees.

14 Such as this one

15 Curiously, this pumpkin took the liberty growing in my daffodil border. I can't wait to see the yield.

16 Jacqui Bergonzi is proudly showing her boots.

17 They are faux bois garden boots from the old Martha By Mail catalog, which I miss terribly.

18 In case you're wondering what the peony bed looks at this time of year

19 The tour stopped at my courtyard for refreshments.

20 Laura Acuna, my housekeeper, made her famous herbal iced tea punch. There were also chewy molasses cookies.

21 The courtyard is filled with tropical plants, such as this aloe surrounded by succulents.

22 The spines of the aloe

23 An old hairy man cactus

24 This is a pretty blooming escheveria.

25 A combination of hairy and spiny

26 Vivaldi was sound asleep, on his back, when he was startled by all the commotion.

27 The variegated liriope grass is blooming - a big attraction for bees.

28 The Japanese anemones are so beautiful right now.

29 After refreshments, the group wandered down to the vegetable garden.

30 I am so please with how well my edamame are doing this year.

31 Look at the fuzzy pods. They're quite delicious.

32 These are yard-long beans growing on pyramid forms.

33 They're long, but not quite a yard.

34 My lettuce bed is growing strong.

35 If you look closely, the basil flowers are covered with honey bees - should be delicious honey this year.

36 A healthy crop of celeriac

37 The celeriac bulbs will make delicious soup.

38 My papery tomatillos will make excellent salsa.

39 An Italian style pepper

40 A hot chocolate pepper

41 Next stop - the greenhouse

1 My friend, Sean Puffy Combs 'Diddy'

2 Diddy's jacket was amazing.

3 The man of the hour

4 Sean Puffy Combs's son, Justin

5 Diddy's younger son, Christian

6 Here I am being greeted by the press line.

7 The hand of each attendee was marked with a black light-sensitive stamp.

8 Ballet students from the Dance Division of The Julliard School were poised throughout the party.

9 Oh - to have a ballerina's body

10 Sarah Goldman, daughter of Amy Goldman - garden author - was my guest for the evening.

11 Holla at me!

12 I was happy to meet the rapper, Nelly.

13 Designer Zac Posen, his mother, Susan, and me

14 Here I am with the Reverend Al Sharpton.

15 Comparing shoes with a guest

16 Here I am with Paul Schindler - entertainment lawyer - and his wife, Jane.

17 The plaza was decorated exquisitely - here with real ferns. The security was great.

18 The floral decorations were extraordinary!

19 Clusters of berries mixed in with the arrangements

20 Here I am with Bronson Van Wyck - event planner for this party.

21 Real apples hung from the branches.

22 Cocktails were served in this greenery-filled 'holding pen.'

23 Well-dressed bartenders - Ciroc vodka was a sponsor for the evening.

24 Another sponsor

25 Here I am with entrepreneur, Russell Simmons.

26 Candles and cattleya orchids decorated the room.

27 Here I am with Anthony Anderson - actor - who was a guest on my television show. We made beautiful stone planters together. I'm eating a delicious grape popsicle.

28 Posing with another guest who.......

29 who proudly showed me his bling.

30 Posing with a guest

31 Everyone was texting and taking pictures.

32 Body guards were everywhere.

33 Orchids mixed into the greenery

34 A body guard

35 Chocolate sticks dipped in dragée were a big hit.

36 Tim and Helen Schiffter of LeSportsac

37 These ladies were ready to party!

38 This table was reserved for Diddy.

39 The crystal chandelier is the actual one in the plaza. All the others were brought in for the party.

40 Large black orbs

41 The DJ and emcee announced guests as they arrived.

42 Getting friendly with a horse lamp

43 More ladies

44 And more ladies

45 Incredible flower arrangements

46 Another view

47 Gorgeous hydrangea

48 Great shot of Diddy entering the party

49 Another guest

50 This looks like ice sculpture, however it's glass!

51 Love this jacket worn by Prince Neyamu, an upcoming designer.

52 The ballroom was furnished with giant black velvet couches.

53 The scene

54 The ceiling

55 Posing with the body guards

56 More guests

57 A very tall guest

58 Another shot of the ceiling

59 Fashion designer RIchie Rich on the left

60 Part of the decor

61 Andre Balázs (left) - New York City hotelier - with Frederick Anderson

62 Dar Coaxum "The Prince of Harlem", Designer who had an amazing bow tie - www.bellaartistry.com

63 Closeup of Dards riding boots

64 Diddy's intern from Columbia University

65 My friend, Harvey Weinstein

66 Striking a pose

67 Guests leaving (Ed Burns & Christy Turlington) - Bono is at the front of the line, but I didn't get his photo.

68 Sassy

1 At exactly 7:05 AM Sunday, the farm was still mostly gray, but with pink overtones.

2 The parterre garden outside the kitchen door, had been partially prepared for burlapping - but the task was not complete when the snow came.

3 Everything was coated with snow and ice.

4 The apple espaliers were so beautiful with the white coating and the sky just blushing pink.

5 The unplowed road looked bleak.

6 The white cedar fencing always looks great with a covering of snow.

7 The corn crib

8 The biggest of the old apple trees

9 The little potting she is now surrounded by taxodiums. (bald cypress trees)

10 This is my granite pergola, which supports clematis and wisteria.

11 A newly planted greafted weeping hornbeam

12 The haybarn and the persimmon trees

13 A closeup view of the spruce fencing

14 The stable in first daylight

15 The equipment shed looms very large in the landscape.

16 Ice covered branches

17 The pergola and Rose of Shron hedge

18 The blueberries were completely ice covered.

19 The icy, glistening blueberry rows

20 The pawpaw trees on the right have dropped their fruit.

21 The garden fencing looked so wonderful coated in icy snow.

22 The sycamore grove with the rising sun behind at 7:30ish

23 I was walking through the snow in boots, nightgown, and big down-filled parka.

24 The raspberry patch covered in snow

25 The cold frame

26 The bee hives have been surrounded with a windbreak of hay.

27 The hives are protected from north, south, and west winds. They face the east, which is their egress and access. I did not barricade that.

28 A better view of the hives, wrapped with tar paper

29 The hives are pretty snug amidst the hay.

30 The skies are beginning to brighten.

31 There are lots of filbert trees and quince seedling trees near the hives.

32 More berries

33 The greenhouse head house is surrounded by gardens of gooseberries.

34 The 'Japanese' container garden has been wrapped with straw.

35 The gooseberries have yet to be pruned for next spring's fruiting.

36 An ornamental bench

37 This is the shade pergola, under which I place the sun-intolerant plants in the summer.

38 The gym building

39 This is one of the giant urns, wrapped for the winter, in plastic covered with burlap.

40 The garden gates were so enticing in their icy cover.

41 This is the road to the woodland, through the pin oak allee.

42 The pergola turned a pinkish hue in the early sunrise.

43 The sun began its rising at about 7:50.

44 Things started to brighten considerably as the sun rose.

45 The taxodium really looked good with the icy coating.

46 A lone weeping beech in the croquet lawn

47 This is a magnificently pruned apple in front of the corn crib.

48 The giant boxwoods burdened with icy snow

49 This is my favorite view of the fields.

50 The burlap teepees protect the boxwoods and prevent breakage of their branches under heavy snow.

51 Some of the boxwood were wrapped, others are still uncovered, but the bamboo indicates they will be wrapped.

52 You can see how damaging the snow can be.

53 The stone paths look great as the snow melts from the stones.

54 This huge stone is from a grinding mill.

55 A view towards the vegetable patch

56 The nyssa tree is a haven for the birds.

57 A lone finch sitting, waiting

58 Sharkey waiting at the door for me to return from my icy, snowy, photographic expedition - I was so cold!

59 I turned and could not resist a few more photos.

60 So exquisite

61 How pink everything became!

62 The waning moon was still visible.

63 Another look at the complex bamboo structure, over which the burlap is placed, to protect the box and the teucrium from dessicating harsh winter winds and heavy snows.

64 The summer house looked great a few minutes later as the sunlight started to strike its facade.

65 One of the hornbeam hedges

66 The birdbath - not yet wrapped

67 Another weeping hornbeam

68 A stone ornament wrapped for winter protection

69 This is one of the seargent crab apples in the landscape.

70 Here are the stable chestnuts and the beginning of the boxwood allee.

71 These are the popovers I made for breakfast.