Easter

A crown of thorns lay on His head as His

sentence was carried out. 

 His hands and

feet were pierced with nails.

"Father forgive them."

"It is finished," 

he sighed in His anguish and pain.

Death could not hold our Savior.

He arose from the grave!

Jesus is Lord and King!

.....love and praise to Him we bring!

Grateful Easter reflections....Dee Dee

Good Friday Reflections

Most of the world doesn't even understand

the tremendous sacrifice that was made for

them on that Easter so long ago.......

Behold the Lamb of God!

He, who loved us enough to die

in our stead, so that we might be

reconciled to the Father.

Thankful reflections this holy day.  Dee Dee

Healing Powers Of Chocolate

Chocolate is always a good idea,

but it was especially good today.  The 

"man of the house" needing a 

bit of cheering up...... I thought

of his "sweet tooth" and love 

for chocolate.

I had stopped at the drug store

to pick up prescriptions, and of

course the Easter candy aisle 

was doing a booming business. 

I knew the chocolate/pretzel bunny

would have more healing powers

than any of the prescribed medicines.

 I held it behind

my back, and leaned over to kiss

his fevered forehead. "I brought you

something."  Nothing could have 

made my heart any happier than 

 the smile on his weary face.

The chocolate had healing power

for him.....and for me too.

Have a blessed day.  Dee Dee

If Your Happy And You Know It.....

Don't you just wish that everyone

you come in contact with today,

had a heart so filled with joy......

....that it showed all over their face?

"If your happy and you know it,

let it show"......

God love you..... Dee Dee

Talking To God

Been doing a lot of talking to God

lately.  Concern for a loved one,

will test our faith. I've always known that the

only way to have "peace that passes

all understanding" is to "let go and let God."

I'm thinking the  words to an old

hymn .....as though they were put there 

in my mind, by a kind and loving 

spiritual messenger. 

"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.

Because He lives, all fear is gone.

Because I know....He holds the future

And life is worth the living just because

He lives."

Trusting Him through it all....Dee Dee

Beatrix

I bought this beautiful journal

a couple of years ago.....it has

a place of honor on my bookshelf,

all year long.  On occasion I take

it out to browse over the genius

of Beatrix Potter.

Early spring, right around Easter....

the journal finds a place, 

in full view for everyone that

might stop by our cottage.

A life long Beatrix Potter fan.....

I find myself peeking into the 

Lake District world, where Ms Potter

found all the characters for her books

with the same delight but with

a grandmother's perspective.

 .....yes, the characters still come

to life, in my imagination.

Do yourself a favor and look

for Beatrix Potter A Journal, 

and spend a bit of time going through it

alone.  Then....best of all, find a child

to share each page with.

Have a blessed Easter week, everyone!  Dee Dee

Spring Thoughts

Nothing could be finer than hanging the laundry in warm

March winds.....especially lovely wind coming from

across the Gulf Of Mexico.

Oh glorious spring, how we all welcome you.

  I for one feel my spirit rejuvenated ......It is 

Easter time,  and the flowers are blooming....

....and what child is not looking for

bunny burrows in the garden. 

 My grandchildren

 have found a bunny family 

beneath the hedges,

 in their garden. 

They scatter about small carrots,

hoping to entice them to come

above ground.

Early morning brings 

 brown bunnies scampering

about dew covered grasses.....

I wonder if they look for

the "White Rabbit".....

from Alice In Wonderland?

Perhaps....... I remember doing so

as a child, did you?

Have a blessed spring day, everyone.  Dee Dee

Think On This

As you look around at God's 

blessings in your life, close your

eyes and look inward as well.  God

has also provided you with an

abundance of grace and peace.

Grace that allows you to be who

you genuinely are and the peace of

knowing that who you are is just

fine with Him.

~Whispers Of Blessing

Have a beautiful day!  Dee Dee

Tiny Roses

Visit my blog on any given day,

and most likely you will see

flowers.   

A quiet afternoon at the cottage......

and I find

sweetness wading stem deep in a 

crystal bowl of cool water.

I'm glad you stopped by......Dee Dee

Guest Room Ready

When expecting guest, I

go into my decor mode, making

all the necessary arrangements

for their comfort.....such is the 

case today.

You can guess by the looks

of things, my more feminine

side has made the selections....

It's unusual, the bedside lamp....

and I love the soft light it creates

in the room.

I've had the bedding a while...

they're made with a lovely cotton

by Laura Ashley. Each time I bring

them out, I realize again that 

I am still fond of  the colors and pattern.

The linens I've selected are dotted 

blue and white.

Finished....

Day by day we're given not what

we want but what we need. 

Sometimes it is a feast and sometimes

swept crumbs, but by faith we believe

it is enough.~B Taylor

Have a sweet ole' day!  Dee Dee

Nandina

They're back!  The Nandina

plants are blooming and just in

time for the Easter season.

The garden is 

 waking up a little bit

at a time.

I've taken photos of the

tiny budding clusters.....

and today I captured one of the

first blooms.....

We planted lots of Nandina 

 in our garden, nine years ago......  

and were pleasantly surprised 

when the mature plants began

producing large flowering clusters

in the spring.

In daily life we must see that it is 

not happiness that makes us grateful,

but gratefulness that makes us happy.

Have a sweet ole' day, everyone.  Dee Dee

Click on images to enlarge

I've Been Thinking

It's "lemon bread"......and I thought it

a wonderful idea to share my afternoon tea,

and a few thoughts with everyone. 

We are such strange beings, 

women for a better clarification,

having all sorts of traditions and customs. 

I'm thinking of how our husbands

either adore us, or simply tolerate 

our more feminine ways. 

 They are rather good sports

when we ladies use candles, lace,

 pink and flowered dishes. 

Indeed they must wonder at how

many times we watch Pride and Prejudice

or read through a Jane Austen novel, 

again and again.

But, they manage quite nicely, or so it seems.

"More tea, and lemon bread darling?"

Have a sweet ole' day!  Dee Dee

More Yellow In The Garden

I've been visiting flower nurseries

this week, looking for climbing roses.

Thus far, I've been disappointed

in what I see and my search continues.

However, in my travels, I found a 

beautiful yellow Hibiscus plant.

It looks real nice in a large terracotta

 pot on wheels and I like that I can

easily transport it to other areas

of the garden.

We're still having cooler weather,

perfect for gardening.  All planting must

be completed before the summer heat

sneaks up on us.

I love how the yellow blends with 

the greens and yellows already 

in the garden......

Hibiscus will bloom all summer long.....

I have several other Hibiscus 

scattered about the garden....

 pink, red and tangerine colors....

Yellow is my spring choice

of color. Have you noticed?

I hope to fertilize all the flowering plants

and treat with a systemic to ward off pest,

on the weekend.  Hibiscus are loved by

a variety of critters.....aphids are more

common than others in my garden.

I'm glad you stopped by!

Sweet blessings for all....Dee Dee

A Cold Spring Snap

Nothing is finer than a shabby

white picket fence draped in

glorious fuchsia colored Bougainvillea.....

And, nothing is finer than walking

by that fence with a camera in my hand.

The skies were overcast with the 

promise of rain on this day and the wind had 

more than a chill about it. We were having

a cold spring snap!

I minded little the weather conditions,

thinking this place is my bit of heaven,

and how could anything else possibly

stimulate my senses in such a way

all at the same time.

The wind, blowing in random gusts

created white foamy caps on the choppy 

Gulf of Mexico waters.

 I noticed a familiar salt water fragrance and

in the trees overhead I heard palm fronds

whipping and slapping one another, as if

having some great dispute.

Spring awaiting summer.......

Have a beautiful spring day, everyone.  Dee Dee

"Ahooey" "Gawsh"

The aroma of my Eight O'Clock coffee,

familiar and delicious, worked it's magic

this morning.  My first waking thoughts of the

day, were prompted by the character,

Walt Disney's "Goofy" ....on my coffee mug.

Flashback!

There was no mistaking Goofy's

unforgettable laugh.

My generation grew up on all that was

good, wholesome and magical about

Disney.  A favorite of mine, was

 this lovable guy ....Goofy had a sweet ole' heart 

and a determination to try dancing, swimming

and all kinds of sports. Not so good at any,

he laughed in spite of himself and so did we.

"Gawsh"....."Ahooey"....Dee Dee

Bird Watching Again

Bird watching again, Florida style.

I like to catch the blooms when

they first open......on the 

White Bird of Paradise.

The bees were busy gathering 

the sweet nectar and paid no

attention to me and my camera.

Nature never ceases to amaze me.....

So pretty are the colors ....

greens white yellows.....

and a brilliant blue color right

in the middle of the blossom.

Lovin' spring....how 'bout you?  Dee Dee

Click on images to enlarge

White Orchid

I pushed my cart around the 

 nursery, looking for

something special.  I saw

plenty of bedding plants....

and potted flowers. 

The section displaying Orchids

impressed me the most.  Partial

to the white, I inspected them 

all.  Had they any buds left

unopened and were there any

new stems poking from beneath

the soil.

I selected a small 

white Orchid with a good deal

of promised longevity.

Water twice a week lightly,

the directions said....

The Orchid needs filtered light

and I had just the right location

for it.  Hmmm....or perhaps

closer to the window.

Ah yes....new visual interest

added to a comfortable sitting area.

Have a sweet ole' day, everyone.  Dee Dee

Nature's Spring Magic

It's happening! The transformation

that is spring.

The Nandina plants, also know

as "heavenly bamboo"  are

producing bright red leaves,

matching the great hanging clusters of

red berries typical of the plant.

It is rather a curiosity to me

that the Nandina's

"changing of the leaves"

should happen in the spring.......

but, I am content with all the changes

in my garden.

Just as the red Camellia blooms

are no more, alas we have the

glorious red leaves of the Nandina

to gaze upon.

Have a blessed Lord's day everyone!  Dee Dee

click on images to enlarge

Planting Day

 Donned with my well-worn 

gardening gloves, I was ready

to get into the dirt!

The pot, already

prepared with potting soil and

peat moss, the planting would be 

easy today.

  The morning was made-to-order

for working in the garden. 

There was a coolness

to the air and just the right amount

of warming from the sun.

The happy faces of the Pansies

were staring up at me,

and I smiled right back at them.....

"You are welcomed here, little flowers."

Down to every detail, all went 

as expected.   The plants and colors

I had selected looked absolutely

perfect together.

The yellow and green Croton,

blending nicely

with the other tropical plants

in the garden, seemed to be

showing off.....just a little.

I could understand why it might......

Every little effort given to the garden,

somehow makes such a difference. 

One single pot of newly planted flowers,

got all of our attention today.

Blessings..... Dee Dee

click on images to enlarge