The Last To Bloom

I look forward to seeing the Crape Myrtle we

planted in the front yard bloom.  It's smaller than

the other trees, but the color is gorgeous.

This is what God the Lord says.....He who created the heavens

and stretched them out.....I will take hold of your hand. 

~Holy Bible....ISAIAH 42:5-6

Have a beautiful Lord's day!  Dee Dee

Because It Rains Daily

We've been blessed with daily rains, for most

of the summer.  Early spring, we threw out grass

seed, planted new shrubs and re-potted all of our

clay pots with new and interesting plants.  We hung

Mandevilla baskets....and fertilized existing shrubs.

Then, we set back and watched the miraculous 

showing of nature....proud of "the fruits of our labor."

As we grow in our capacities to discover the joys

that God has placed in our lives, life becomes a 

glorious experience of discovering His endless wonders.

~Whispers Of Blessing

Have a sweet ole' day!  Dee Dee

Pink Crape Myrtles

I took the photos early in the day....heavy rains

predicted for later in the afternoon would thin out

the Crape Myrtle clusters.  They are at their peak

in our garden this week, and couldn't be more beautiful.

I've  noticed many of these beautiful Crape Myrtle trees

all over our community.  It rains every day, or so it

seems, so everyone enjoys an abundance of blooming

trees and flowers.......and they bloom all summer long.

A close up allows one to see all the unusual details.

I love the tiny stamens....the pollen producing reproductive

organs of the flowers. Fascinating....don't you think

 and beautifully made.

Asking the Lord to shower you with

His blessings today!  Dee Dee

Lavender Colored Crape Myrtles

Right on time.....nature is so incredibly amazing,

as evidenced by our blooming lavender 

Crape Myrtle trees. They bloom in June each year.

You can see in this photo,

 our trees are surrounded  by lush tropical plants 

and were it not for the trees

towering above them, 

we would not see these gorgeous

blooms.....  

You can see that I am so pleased with 

their presence in our garden, having splashed them

on the "Blog Header" today.

Each year I do a posting on each Crape Myrtle

in our garden.  We have four different trees to enjoy...each

a different color.

The close up here, allows an even deeper appreciation

for the Crape Myrtle.  The large clusters are just

so beautiful with variegated colors.

I never tire of thanking God, for the sometimes 

simple, and sometimes extraordinary 

pleasures of life.

Have a sweet ole' day, everyone.  Dee Dee

Guest Room Ready

Photos of her great great grandchildren she'll find 

sitting on an armoire......

.....that holds beautiful Irish linen and cotton quilts,

both useful in colder climates.

This beautiful bowl and pitcher she'll  reflect

back on....popular in her generation.

She is worthy of beautiful Roses splashed about on 

her bedding. They are all cotton, by Laura Ashley.

Our guest of honor will have a reading lamp overhead and 

another soft light from a bedside table lamp.

Yes, my Mother arrives tomorrow for a visit.....

and we'll be making lasting sweet memories.

Have a blessed day!  Dee Dee

Seagulls At Sunset

We drove out to the island to watch

 the sun set around 8:00 pm.

 Walking along the beach we,

 of course, people watched. 

  We saw a young couple 

sharing their meal 

with hungry seagulls.

What began with one or two birds, 

soon became a whole family.

They ran out of food quickly to feed them, and still 

the noisy birds lingered overhead, crying out loudly for more.

Eventually they flew away, and the beach was calm,

just in time for a beautiful Florida sunset.

We all brought out our cameras and proceeded to 

record one of natures fantastic shows.

Nothing better than seeing a gorgeous sunset out

over the Gulf of Mexico.

Glad you stopped by...Happy Friday!  Dee Dee

The Continuity Of Life

I've been at her home in early summer, 

when the Peonies are blooming.  

My first born daughter and I

 share a love for gardening and flowers. 

She called in the morning with

good birthday wishes. I could

find my bouquet of flowers in an 

email attachment she had said.

From her garden, and picked

by her slender and delicate hands, 

the Peonies were especially meaningful

to me.

I read her sweet message and 

sat staring 

at the image on my computer.

 I visualized my standing

at her kitchen sink, looking at 

the Peonies from her garden,

now beautifully displayed.

 I could see through the window,

 bright sunshine and trees casting

 shadows over her vast lawn.

I've walked there on soft

 green grasses, many times.

I thought of the

 continuity of life that is there.

It is where my children, 

my grandchildren and their children play,

 leaving foot prints 

over those of mine,

 unseen now,

yet forever present. 

Have a sweet ole' June day, everyone!  Dee Dee

Amazing Roses

I have to get out early of a morning to water our garden......

mid morning and the temp is already in the 90s, and with the humidity, 

it is almost unbearable.  I water all the baskets, pots, newly 

planted shrubs and especially our, new to the garden, multi-colored Roses.  

Everyone reacts the same when they see our new Rose....

the blooms grow in clusters and produce with an abundance

of new growth.   The Mister and I couldn't be more pleased. 

One stem fills a vase with some pretty remarkable beauty.

Can you imagine that? I'm glad you stopped by....

Have a sweet ole' summer day, everyone!  Dee Dee

Cottage Summer Images

Books to read.....

New picture frame with favorite colors ........

On bedside table with photo of the Mister......

I love it when a plan comes together......

New yellow throw and pillow 

 bringing  summer sunshine colors inside.

Have a sweet ole' day!  Dee Dee

Midst The Sea Grapes

There's not too many places we can walk on 

Honeymoon Island, that brings us to an

oasis like grouping of palm trees and sea grapes.

This area is one of my favorites.....so little is left

due to erosion.  I keep my camera clicking off as

many photos as possible for memory sake.

There's a small clearing midst the palms and

sea grapes.....perfect spot to put our chairs

and have no need for an umbrella.  The only

sounds heard, are from the Gulf waves crashing to

 the shore and the calls of the seagulls.

This time of year the grapes are in abundance.

Not sure if there edible....perhaps the birds eat them.

In these photos you can see the palm trees are

still living, but seem to be struggling.  I hope they survive.

All That Is

All that is good, all that is true,

all that is beautiful, all that is

beneficent, be it great or small,

be it perfect or fragmentary,

natural as well as supernatural,

moral as well as material, comes

from God.  ~ John Newman

Have a wonderful day!  Dee Dee

Pink Crape Myrtle Clusters

If you've followed my Blog through the years,

you might expect this time of year to see my

favorite and very beautiful pink Crape Myrtle's.

I'm never disappointed, for they produce great

gorgeous clusters......

The yellow shrubs are at their peak at the

same time.....and the combination is amazing.

The "pinks" are always the first Crape Myrtle plants

to bloom each year......we have three other trees

full of buds now, that will produce flowers any day.

I'm so glad you stopped by .....have a blessed Lord's day!  Dee Dee

Cardinal Fledglings

They were so adorable.....

Once again we had young fledglings in our garden.

This time Cardinals.  We had seen the parents with

twigs in their mouths mid spring, obviously in the

nest building process.  How sweet to see their babies

in our garden, eating flowers from a palm pod.

The female was smaller than the male....

her coloring beautiful soft browns and subdued reds

dotted about her body.

The male was spectacular....his wings will grow

much longer eventually.  You can see the flower

in his beak in this photo.

Couldn't help making a collage of these wonderful,

feathered, God created wonders.....

Enjoying these simple pleasures of life!  Dee Dee

click on images to enlarge

Let The Sun Shine In......

This one small plant has inspired me to use

yellow in the living room, all summer long.

It's like bringing the sunshine inside.....

I love how the tiny blooms blend with the colors and

patterns in the pillows.

I made the pillows two summers ago......so

glad I stored them away to use  another day.

Into all our lives, in many simple, familiar, homely ways,

God infuses this element of joy from the surprises of life,

which unexpectedly brighten our days, and fill our eyes with light.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It's been such a busy and productive week.  A good feeling to

accomplish things we've been putting off.

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

Lilies And Baby Roses

Three tiny Rose petals dropped to the table......

and one variegated fuchsia colored Rose bud caught the

eye of my camera.....

.......and another.....

Small lilies and Rose buds reflecting on a 

mirrored base, made a lovely composition.......

Ever notice how a simple vase of flowers

changes your mood?

They made me smile....sigh.  Dee Dee

Summer Is Here With A Gusto!

Summer is here on the Gulf coast of Florida, and with a gusto!  

Most mornings are gorgeous, and we awaken to blue skies and bright sunshine.  

About mid day the temps climb into the high eighties....

perfect for swimming in the pool or

splashing in the Gulf of Mexico's warm waters. Either place, it is

lovely and relaxing.

Late afternoon the dark clouds gather and we are blessed

with refreshing summer rains.....that have caused our grasses

to grow and our flowers to bloom.

These are indeed days that the Lord hath made; let us rejoice

and be glad in it!  Psalm ll8

My gratitude continues to grow......Dee Dee

click on images to enlarge

Coleus Love The Rain

My grandmother would be so proud of me.

She loved Coleus plants and I, adoring her,

wanted to walk in her footsteps.  She was

a gardener.  

Both her vegetable and flower gardens

thrived....a green thumb?  I think not.

  It was all

the hard work in caring for them that caused them

to grow and produce.

  Grandmother would wonder today

at how my Coleus are growing to such 

extraordinary size,

and I would tell her that I planted them in good 

Miracle Gro soil and watered them daily. 

 That is,

until the rainy season came to Florida and then

nature took care of them.

She would also wonder and be amazed that I could

send photos of my 

beautiful Coleus, via the Internet.....

for the whole world to see.

The Crape Myrtles are blooming now, as well and the blending

of colors are really quite remarkable.

Enjoying these very warm days of summer...how bout' you?  Dee Dee

click on photos to enlarge

Our Stroll On the Beach

It was 7:30 pm when we walked on the beach.

With camera in hand, I was looking for photo ops.

We encountered plenty of seagulls and this one

stood still long enough for me to capture a rather

nice image.  Love his reflection in the surf.

Found .....one interesting photo composition.....

Captured image of one lone umbrella of colors

blending nicely with the Gulf waters......

Sigh......a Florida sun setting.  A few more 

minutes left for fishing.

I will take special notice of the good things when they come.

I will fix my mind on what is pure and lovely and upright.....

Have a sweet ole' week, everyone......Dee Dee