Sunday, July 31, 2011

Lazy Summer Day

The waters look cool and refreshing.....
The truth is, it's just about too hot to be
outside.  I suppose this time of year is
referred to as the "dog days of summer."
-
While at the library yesterday,
I spoke to a nice older lady,
 about the weather.
"Just think, she said....we're just going
into August."  This is true, I thought
to myself, and this heat is  going to make us
all appreciate, even more, our gloriously
wonderful Florida winter.
Enjoy this Lord's day......Dee Dee

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Slow Down.....

A few of my hanging baskets have
fallen by the wayside, unable to
handle the heat extremes. 
Thankfully, the pink Portulaca is thriving.
Perhaps the opening and closing of the
blooms each day, just might play an important
role in survival.
Growing in abundance,
these potted  purple plants survive
as well.  Renewal each spring, they
bloom all summer long. They have an odd
ritual of blooming and shedding each day.

In this quiet place, on this day, all
seemed well with my soul....
 -
Don't let yourself get so busy that
you miss those little but important
extras in life.  The beauty of a day
....the smile of a friend...
the serenity of a quiet moment alone.
For it is often life's smallest pleasures
and gentlest joys that make the
biggest and most lasting difference.
Source....Whispers Of Blessing
-
Have a wonderful weekend.....Dee Dee

Friday, July 29, 2011

An Unusual Visitor

Early morning duties in the garden,
brought me face to face with an
unusual sort of visitor.
hmmm....inspiration
-
"The Garden Moth"
What brings you
to the garden sanctuary
small delicate brown critter?
Your wings resemble velvet
winter attire, yet you
were born in summer's climate.
Perched on the edge
of a watering place
 for the birds,
were you drawn there by
the morning sunlight?
Your tiny black eyes
 stare  into the water,  
collected  in the bath
 from a night rain.
Careful lest you  become
breakfast for a noisy
 Jay that frequents this
place of refuge.
dd'2011.....
-
Blessings for the day.....Dee Dee

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Think On This

The Sistine Madonna by Raphael


Notre Dame Cathedral

SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT~
When a man stood before one of Turner's
unrivalled paintings and said, "I can see nothing
in it," the great artist replied, "Don't you wish you
could?" A tourist upon his return home was asked
what he thought of Notre Dame, and the Sistine
Madonna, and some other of the world's remarkable
productions.  He said he did not see them, and went
on to say that while his wife did the Cathedrals and
his daughter did the art galleries, he did the cafes. 
There are some things that must be spiritually discerned
and appreciated, and if eyes are blind, and heart is dull
and the soul desensitized, no wonder it is difficult to
appreciate the higher  things of  God.~Swift
-
Interesting thought for today.
Blessings.....Dee Dee

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

An Old Friend



I thought I'd died and gone to heaven,
when I  discovered digital photography.
It came to me,  packaged in a fine
Sony MVC FD83 Digital Camera,
several years ago.
The Macro setting on the camera, 
 opened up a whole
new world for me.  I set out to
photograph every flower in our garden,
spending  hours with my camera, and
then hours on the computer looking
at and tweaking some pretty amazing images.
That same year, we had our summer
vacation in the Florida Keys.
 We spent one day in
Key West and I took photos of
everything in my path.
The photo shown here, a favorite, 
 was taken with the
solarize setting on my Sony camera.
The Duval Street sign
with a bicycle leaning against it,
was my subject, but
somehow the whole composition made
a beautiful statement.
"Duval Street Deserted!"
I remember standing  for several
minutes waiting for the
traffic and  people to clear the area.
Just moments after clicking off a few
shots, the area was alive once again.

I still have my Sony camera.
It sits along side several others of like kind.
Technology has moved on and
I've tried to keep up.  The camera
I use these days,  does some pretty
amazing things.  But I suppose
I'll always have a soft spot in my heart  for my
ole Sony.  I pick it up now and then,
....still feels good in my hands.
It's like an old friend that once taught
 me things,  like ..... ragged roses,
and children's faces can become
magical with good lighting.
Have a blessed day.....Dee Dee

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

He's A Little Cowboy

"Cowboy Wyatt"

It was his birthday, and we sent
him a cowboy outfit.
He loved it so much, he asked
to sleep in it.  Not a good
idea, he was encourged with
promise of wearing it again
first thing in the morning.
Still in his dinosaur pj's
he donned his western clothes
and came down the stairs
ready for play.
Cowboy Wyatt, is our
great grandson.
I spent much of the day
with my watercolors and pencils....
thinking of how much joy he
brings to us all.
Enjoying the moments.....Dee Dee
click twice to enlarge

Monday, July 25, 2011

Peaches

Elberta Freestone Peach
Succulent reddish yellow skin....sweet as
can be for just "peel and eat"
or for cooking.
My peach cobbler beginnings.
Notice in background...Jan Karon's
Mitford Cookbook and Reader
Pg. 5 Good pastry recipe.

"Mom, how do you make your peach cobbler?"
Call me old fashioned, and I will agree,
but those words were music to my ears.......
young  daughter wanting my recipe. 
Now, I do know how to make real good
peach cobbler, lest you think I'm boasting, it
has had the approval of many through the years.
Peaches are in season and at your grocer now!
"Are these South Carolina peaches?"
I asked the young man working in
the produce section.
"No, these are from Georgia,
and should taste the same."
"Are they Elberta peaches and
are they sweet?"
He had no answer for me, so I 
explained only one peach 
qualified as the best, to me,  and that was
the sweet  South Carolina Elberta Freestone peach. 
As a rule, when making this
most delicious desert, I make two....
One for the Mister and I, 
 and one to give away.

*Note: 
Heard on Glenn Beck's radio program, just  this morning,
and I could hardly believe he was talking about this subject........
"Cobbler is good for breakfast.
   Along with a little dollop
of vanilla ice cream, you have
"peaches and cream."
According to Glenn, a good healthy breakfast!
-
Enjoy your day.....Dee Dee

Sunday, July 24, 2011

........Ways To Cool Off

Stand with your feet in the water.....better yet, sit down in the ocean water.....
no....lie down in the water!!
Guaranteed to cool you off.

A bench close to  the surf at high tide.....with any luck at all,
an ocean breeze just might carry  a few droplets of water your way.

Find shade offered by tall Sea Grape trees along the water's edge.
Listen to the ocean and watch  the ebb and flow of the tide.
These all work for me and I'm sure all over our country
folks are coming up with some clever ideas of their own.
Stay hydrated everyone!
.....Dee Dee

Saturday, July 23, 2011

.........Art??

"These Tangled Webs We Weave"
-
It all began when I brought out
the stamps and my card making supplies.
Add  into the mix, one  digital camera with a macro setting,
my computer and a few photo programs .....Photoshop....
and Microsoft Picture It! Premium 10.
I had a little fun with the "freehand painting" setting
again using photo program on my computer. 
One thing led to another with this 
 big creative  imagination I have,
and before I knew it....I was really
liking what I was seeing.

A little different for me.....
I'm calling  it 
 "Contemporary Stamp Art"

Have a blessed weekend....Dee Dee
click to enlarge...very cool...

Friday, July 22, 2011

Summer Garden Pink

Pink Hibiscus
Pink Geranium
Pink Desert Rose
Fuchsia Pink Crape Myrtle
My favorite pink shade ....this Crape Myrtle
click all photos to enlarge.....so pretty
-
Just a quiet look around the garden.
Blessings and encourging
thoughts for you and yours today....Dee Dee
-
Prayer.....
Lord, surround our nation
like the mountains surrounding
Jerusalem. Encircle us
with your power and peace.
Deliver us from evil now
and forever. Amen

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Lanai-Porch-Veranda....Relaxing Place To Read


"Summertime and the living is lazy....
.....too hot for fishin' and the beach sand is hot......"
Did someone mention summer reading?

Still an old fashioned book reading kind of girl.
When it's too hot for outdoor summer fun, I
like to curl up with a good ole classic.
Enjoying the moments.....Dee Dee

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

......Hmmm...What Will It Be?

The Mister is hard at work
creating. Back and forth to the
store, trips out to the island,
compiling  quite a
collection of things.
There are fabrics, driftwood,
bamboo, heavy cotton thread,
 hot glue gun....
and a few more mysterious items.
I'm thinking it has something to do with
the ocean, and..... something to do
with our daughter's new Etsy shop.
Becoming  a sweet family affair,
she's called on  everyone 
to use their talents.

I'll feature the "mystery item"
in a post soon, doing a  
little bragging on the very
talented "man-of-the-house."
Enjoying these  fun and special moments.....Dee Dee

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Lazy Daze Of Summer.....

Lifeguard on duty.......
Umbrellas seen through the sea-oats....
White sandy beaches......
-
All along the island beaches we saw tell-tell signs of
fun-in-the-sun Florida style.  Gorgeous turquoise
water, white beach sand , a sea of umbrellas,
bright warm sunshine and folks enjoying all of the above.
We've been complaining about the heat, a lot,  I suppose,
but I'm thinking the good far out weighs the bad,
in these fine lazy daze of summer.
Hope to get out there again tomorrow, pick up
a few pieces of driftwood, and shells.
Have a few projects in mind.....
Enjoy the day and look for the blessings......Dee Dee

Monday, July 18, 2011

Lifespan Of The Hibiscus Flower

Budding....the beginning

Very quickly the bud opens......

In no time,  it has expanded  fully into flower.....

Late afternoon the flower begins to wither.....

Near nightfall......it has shriveled and fallen to the ground......
This beautiful  plant continually blooms....replenishing
itself with new buds and flowers all summer long.
-
Enjoy your day......Dee Dee
click on photos to enlarge 

Sunday, July 17, 2011

"To Us And Good Times!"

Somehow, things we become accustomed to,
are a bit more special when sharing with
sweet family visiting  from out-of-state.
Frenchy's Rockaway Grill, is a favorite
place for us, informal dining,  and a great
just hang out and visit kind of place.....
Requesting outdoor seating, we
made our way through the crowded
 beach restaurant, packed
with folks loudly celebrating 
 "the weekend is finally here!!!" 
Their enthusiasm was contagious, and besides,
we had something to celebrate as well.
Seated at our table outside, on the beach,
we were thankful for the
 umbrella shielding us from the
 hot Florida sun.
In a short time, we wondered at our 
 reasoning for
our outdoor seating request.
"May I get your drink order now?" requested our waiter.
"4 Large waters with lime, please!"
Noticeably, the heat index was rocking on intolerable.
Was it worth our discomfort, to have 
tropical  ambiance created by the
swaying palm fronds, white sandy beaches overlooking
the Gulf of Mexico and the occasional
squawk of the sea gulls? 
"Grouper sounds good....do you want appetizers?"
We dismissed the thoughts of heat discomfort, 
 as we began doing what
it is families do when they haven't been together
for a while.  We talked non-stop, laughed a lot,
took photos.......and dined on some really good food.
"Waiter, more water please!"
"To us, and good times!"
-
Feeling greatly blessed this evening......Dee Dee

Friday, July 15, 2011

Sweet Family Come To Visit

.....and nothing says welcome more than
fresh flowers.  A combination of lovely
Carnations and Gerberi Daisies  working  well
with a mostly white living room.
Odd, the Carnations....it's as though they
have been antiqued in some way.
Have a blessed Friday.....Dee Dee

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Enjoying Summertime.....

Portion of our garden,  after one week of rain.
From a small packet of seeds came
Four O'Clocks!
We now have five different colors......one tiny white
bloom on the very top of the bottom photo.
 The photos were taken at 8:00 pm ....
still daylight, and right before 
twilight time.  The sky had leftover color
from another  beautiful Florida sunset.....bits
of fading pink covered a barely visible
full summer moon.
After night fall,
the Mister and I  walked out into the garden, turned
the pool lights on, and took another
look at that magnificent,
and  incredibly bright  full moon.
Enjoying summertime, in all it's glory.....Dee Dee
click on photos to enlarge

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

From Ancestral Roots......

Long before the pool was placed in our garden,
Crotons grew in abundance in various locations.
They were eventually taken out completely, and
new landscaping plants placed in their stead.
Large white Bird of Paradise grow along side
Robelinni palms, Nandinas and Pink Hibiscus.
 Not so long ago, I discovered these  
"survivors" 
 hidden between the fence and
large tropical plants. It seems that just enough sun is managing
 to seep through, providing all that is necessary for
them to survive and thrive.
Crotons
 have managed
to come back, from deep ancestral roots.
Have a blessed day....Dee Dee
click twice on photos to enlarge

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Bromeliad

I've added a small potted Bromeliad
to our cottage living room.
 I find it amazing  how something
soft in color  and quite  lovely,will
completely transform a room.
Two of the  images shown here,  have
been tweaked a bit with a
photo program.
The Bromeliad seems to be
glowing, thanks to the afternoon sun.
Enjoying the moments.....
Blessings, Dee Dee