They Are A Couple

Ms Dove....

.....is in love with him.

And....Mr Mourning Dove

adores her....

I can tell they are a match

made in

Honeymoon Island heaven.

Have a wonderful week-end.  Dee Dee

click on photos to enlarge

The Lovely Plumeria

All winter long.....

the Plumeria appears as a

"stick figure"

in the garden.

Come spring,  leaves

appear on the sticks.

Slowly but surely a stem

develops buds

and then the "magic" happens.

Photos taken after a rain....

note tiny raindrops still

present on the pure white blooms.

Have a beautiful day!  Dee Dee

Yummy Orange Berries

The  orange berries have

ripened on our neighbor's tree.....

and the  Mockingbirds, mostly, have

staked their claim to ownership.....

I'm not sure about these expressions....

but I'm thinking they wanted me to

"clear off" with the camera,

 and leave them to their

business of eating......yummy orange berries. 

I've become quite the "bird watcher"

this summer, thanks to Cornell University's

Ornithology program....study of birds.

Enjoying the moments......Dee Dee

click on photos to enlarge

Think On This

Hydrqangea....a sweet cottage image....sigh.....

You have to dream things out.

It keeps a kind of an ideal before you.

You see it first in your mind

and then....

you set about to try and make it like

the ideal.

If you want a garden....

Why, I guess

you've got to dream a garden.

~Bess Streeter Aldrich

( A Lantern in Her Hand)

Beautiful thoughts for the day ....Dee Dee

His Favorite Color

Found.......

one small orange VW car,

lying on my

 living room white sofa.

I'm quite sure who it belongs to.

He's four years old, and has

the prettiest hazel eyes you've

every seen in your life.

His favorite color is orange.

Have a beautiful day! Dee Dee

Color Resemblance In Nature

My favorite colored Coleus

and you can see why....

lovely to see in early morning sunlight....

I can see that the Creator

liked these colors together

so much........

that He splashed them on one

of  His many Lilies.....

I'm completely impressed

and totally in awe.  He does

amazingly good work!

Have a beautiful week, everyone.....Dee Dee

"He's Done Enough"

Over a great cup of coffee,

I welcomed the morning with

good thoughts

while listening to

the Family Christian Radio.

I liked what I heard and

I've  pondered the

thoughts off and on all day long,

of  God's blessings and faithfulness.....

"He's done enough,

even if He

does nothing else for me."

This could be said by each and

everyone of us.

Have a blessed Lord's day......Dee Dee

Bronte's Agnes Grey

On a coastal highway,

stands a beach cottage.

 I fell in love with the pale blue

color of it's clapboards,

the live oak trees and

palms that cozy up beside  it.

I thought of

Bronte's writing......

"And then, the unspeakable

purity...and freshness of the air!

There was just enough

heat to enhance the value

of the breeze."

~Anne Bronte, "Agnes Grey"

Have a sweet ole' summer day everyone.....Dee Dee

"This Book Is A Gem"

I spent the morning and much

of the afternoon  tidying up the

cottage. Linen changes, laundry

and dusting, food preparation......

all necessary chores

were completed by noon.

With rain in the forecast, my

efforts for rainy-day relaxation

included some serious reading,

in my treasured book.... found

in our  library bookstore.

While searching the bookshelves,

Heaven in the title and

South Carolina caught my

attention. Having lived in

South Carolina for a number of

years, I too consider it a

"little bit of heaven."

"Heaven Is A Beautiful Place"

A Memoir of

The South Carolina Coast

by Genevieve C. Peterkin

In this intimate and moving

and sorrowful and funny account

of the century just past, we have a

remarkable window on the way the

world used to work; with love and

tenacity and grit and patience and,

again and always again, love.

"The book is a gem."(review)

l3  rave reviews on Amazon....all 5 stars.

Written in conversation with

William P. Baldwin

"........this book is "about striving

to serve the common good and

about loving people and losing

the people you love."

This is a book about surviving, and

enduring, and finding the joy at

the center of creation, finding that,

indeed, heaven is a beautiful place.

Can't wait to get started!

Sweet blessings for all.....Dee Dee

"You Have No Idea"

When I hear all the grumbling

today, I just shake my head and

think to myself.....

"You have no idea"

how fortunate you are,

to have never

worked as a "secretary"

typed on an old manual

"Underwood" typewriter,

using carbon paper for

the three copies needed.

"You have no idea"

how fortunate you are that

you've never

made a typing error and

had to use

correction tape

on all three typed copies.

So when you feel like

complaining about how

bad things are these days.....

just remember

manual typewriters,

carbon paper and correction tape....

and you'll

 feel much much better.

Have a blessed day.....  Dee Dee

Think On This

"Teach Them To Sew"

"I wish I could help you with your

needle work. I have two hands and

a new thimble that lead a very easy life."

~Jane Austen, in letter to her sister.

                                                       Cassatt

Thankfully,

sewing is not a lost art,

as I see it.

The fabric stores are filled with

women of all ages.

The"take-a-number" line at the

cutting counter is always

exceptionally long.

It is there, I see

shopping carts filled with

bolts of fabrics.

This is

a good thing, considering

the days we're living in,

for more reason, than one.

Teach them to sew and

they will have a sense of

accomplishment 

in creating

good things for themselves,

their family

 and their home.

Imagine it, and you can make it! Dee Dee

Thinking These Simple Pleasures

I suppose a womanly thing

when it comes to white

cotton lace.....

White cotton lace can be

sometimes more than a simple pleasure.......

when placed together

with a darling handmade

bracelet ..... momento

from the birth of my first

granddaughter......

I'm up to my "knees and elbows"

with yarns and baby fabrics.....

more "sweetness" on the way.

Have a beautiful day!....Dee Dee

Peaches......A Summertime Tradition

Grown in the good ole'  USA....

That's what I look for on the tiny

stick-on labels found on fruit.

Some of the peaches seen here,

 are from California and some

are from east coast.  Seems the

South Carolina and Georgia

peaches are smaller this year,

yet still sweet and delicious. 

 We are anxiously awaiting the

best of the crop....

and my favorite,

South Carolina's state fruit

the Freestone peach.

These pretty peaches made a

mighty fine "peach cobbler"

enjoyed with a nice scoop of

vanilla bean ice cream.

Another favorite summertime

tradition.

Have a blessed Lord's day, everyone.  Dee Dee

A Natural Sea Grape Arbor

 Another photo from the north

beach of Honeymoon island.....here are

lovely Sea Grapes growing on a

plant that is struggling to stay alive,

having grown dangerously close to

to the water's edge.

I cannot believe there is a

more lovelier place to walk and

ponder all that is life's

happenings.

Think on this.....

Above all else, know this;

Be prepared at all times for the

gifts of God and be ready always

for new ones.  For God is a

thousand times more ready to give

than we are to receive.~Eckhart

Sweet blessing for you all.....Dee Dee

Looking Up

While taking photos of

the garden this morning...

I pointed the camera

up toward the sky.

One of our Crape Myrtles

has grown to amazing

heights. The palm fronds

blending with the Myrtles,

made for a

nice composition in this

photo.

My view from our porch....

both the Crape Myrtle and the

White Bird of Paradise have

grown by leaps and bounds.

All that good rain, I'm thinking.

Have a beautiful day, everyone.  Dee Dee

The "Island" Today....

Hanging out at the north beach

today, was a good thing in

every way.

Look closely out in the

Gulf waters and you will

 see the fin of a shark.....

.....beneath the bend in the

Sea Grape branch.

 The beach has been

experiencing corrosion

for quite a while now,

so I am very careful where

I walk.....here are beach

grasses, rocks and shells,

all lying together. 

 I think beautiful.....

and I actually like what nature's

done to this portion of the island.

The waves have always

been coming and

going and what will be

will be....

Here is

a "beach lizard"

that slithered  down a

dead tree limb,

and struck a pose.

Just as I took the photo

it puffed ....giving me

his best look.

My favorite thing to do on

the island....

"Cruise For Birds"

......and we know a few places

they hang out in the late

afternoon.

The rain has created shallow

pools of water in the willows

and there we found this fine

ole'  Egret socializing with

some of the

island's  Sea Gulls.

I stood watching for a while

as the Gulls came in groups,

splashed in the waters and

flew away. The Egret seemed

to enjoy their shinanigans.

I did too.....

Have a beautiful day, everyone......Dee Dee

click on photos to enlarge

Morning

Morning.....in the garden

.....sitting at the bistro table

with favorite magazine and

a great cup of

Eight O'clock coffee.

Still, after all these years

I'm drinking the same coffee

my grandmother introduced

me to, as a child. 

Then, it came half and

half....half coffee and

half milk and sugar.

It was saucer cooled, sipped

and delicious!

Sitting outside.....

I found it hard to concentrate

on my magazine, with all

the bird commotion.

There was  a soft breeze

blowing,

but not enough to encourage

clanging of the

wind chimes.

Glorious June, when the

garden is flourishing,

and everything

is blooming.  We've  been

fortunate in having

plenty of  rain lately....key

ingredient needed for

healthy plants and flowers.

-

Our lives would be diminished

without a garden in which to work.

~Mary Lu Sinclair

Have a beautiful day! Dee Dee

A Lavender Myrtle Showing Off......

Just look at all the "Myrtle" buds.....

It happens each June

and I covet each and

every day we have gorgeous

lavender Crape Myrtle

blooms in our garden.

Prettiest things I've ever seen.

I took this shot leaning

over and peeking through

the Philodendron leaves....

Is it just me, or do you

find these colors the ultimate

in femininity?  The blooms are

so delicate and lacey.....I'm

thinking a few stems of these,

placed in a crystal vase,

might be real pretty

for  the cottage.

-

Think on this...

We complicate our lives when we

borrow trouble from the future....

We miss the precious gift of peace

that God has given us right here, right

now, in this tiny present moment

that touches eternity. Be like the

wildflowers....simply soaking up

today's sunshine. ~Ellyn Sanna

Have a beautiful day!.....Dee Dee

click on photos to enlarge

Mighty Pretty

I'm lovin' so many shades

of pink.....and their's

so much going on in this portion

of the garden.  Quite clearly seen

is the tall Crape Myrtle in the center

of the photo....a wonderfully  full Nandina

on the left, and to the right a rather apparent

Cordyline plant. Behind the Myrtle

grows a large Philadendron ....a large

leaf is seen at the bottom left of the

pink spiky Cordyline.

Look closely at the  top of the Cordyline

plant, and you'll see Banana Palm fronds.

That's the way things grow in Florida's

tropical climate,  with just a few days

of rain, sunshine and humidity.

I continue to be amazed and pleased

with our small productive garden.

Have a beautiful day, everyone! Dee Dee

click on photo to enlarge

God's Special Offer

I walked in the garden just

moments after the rain

subsided and the sun

shined through the clouds

and onto the flowers....

I loved what you see here....

The birdbath filled with

water and petals from a

basket of Periwinkles

spread on the ground....so pretty.

A few days of rain, and

our garden is thriving.

My Geraniums all have

 shot out new stems,

 promising more

beautiful blooms....

the Snow bushes are

so beautiful...the pink color

becoming more apparent

as they produce new leaves.

Looks like we set this Mandevilla

out at the perfect time.  All those

nutrients in the rain will cause it

to grow much faster.  I want it

to cover a good area of the fence

by summer's end.

So...think of this.......

This bright new day, complete

with 24 hours of opportunities,

choices and attitudes comes with

a perfectly matched set of l,440

minutes.  This unique gift, this

one day, cannot be exchanged,

replaced, or refunded.  Handle with

care.  Make the most of it. There is

only one per customer!

~Whispers of Blessing

Have a beautiful Lord's Day! Dee Dee

Coleus

When we left for vacation, recently,

I left my potted flowers at our

daughters home.  She volunteered

to water and care for them, and I

thankfully allowed her to do so. I

asked  if she minded my leaving the

Coleus I was rooting, in her kitchen

window. Her response had been

an eager and happy yes!  They've

remained there every since, her claiming

ownership. I will help her pot them soon.

Maybe in an old "Grandmother's tradition.

My Grandmother would be

pleased......with both of us.

I've written before of  her

kitchen windows, lined

with exceptionally beautiful Coleus. 

 She "pinched and rooted" them

in canning jars of water.

When heavily rooted, she

planted them in bright and shiny

 tin cans. The cans had once held

 Hunt's finest sweet  peaches.

Grandmother would tear the label off

the cans, punch

a couple of drainage holes, place a few

pebbles on the bottom and fill the

new "tin pots"

with plain ole' garden soil.

She must have given them a pinch of

fertilizer now and then, for

 Grandmothers Coleus's

could have easily been

county fair blue ribbon winners.

They were greatly

admired by all, and

the talk of our large family.

Count The Good Things

When we start to count flowers

we cease to count weeds;

When we start to count blessings,

we cease to count needs;

When we start to count laughter,

we cease to count tears;

When we start to count memories;

we cease to count years.~unknown

Have a beautiful day......Dee Dee