Blueberries

I find them irresistible!

Pancakes with fresh blueberries....

 a favorite here at the cottage.

Always a special breakfast occasion,

they  are served on white porcelain plates,

 lathered with butter,

then drizzled with warmed

organic maple syrup.

Now this is a topic for discussion.

Have you noticed the flavor of

syrup has changed?

It's not in your imagination.

Read the labels and you will

find "high fructose corn syrup"

on the label, instead of sugar.

That is the culprit.

You can find good syrup still,

but it will cost more.  I for one

would rather have a little bit of good,

than a whole lot of bad.

Our pancakes this morning for

breakfast tasted  just like the

good ole days.

-

Enjoying the sweet moments.....Dee Dee

A Place Of Refuge

Images of Honeymoon Island Florida.....my place of refuge. 

We've had lots of rain lately,

dreadfully hot with heat index  l05 degrees.

Did you ever know a time when
the conversation was

not for politeness,  but  truly about
 the weather conditions?

Folks all over the country are literally
 "rolling with the punches"

 with above average temperatures,
earthquakes and even

a hurricane or two.
 Nature is coming at us fast and furious!

We all have our own ways of coping,
 and  mine is to make

the best of things, staying  mostly inside.
 Tomorrow I'm off to a local park
for a photo shoot.  Camera and water
bottle in hand, the occasion will be hurried.
The heat and I do not do well.....I suffer.
-

Sweet Blessings.....Dee Dee
click twice on collage to enlarge

From Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook

"Will you have dinner with me on Friday evening?"

She looked into his eyes and smiled. "I would love to have dinner with you on

Friday evening."

How do you like your peanut butter-and-banana sandwiches?"

"With the bananas cut in thick slices and smashed into the peanut butter."

"Smooth or crunchy?"

"Crunchy."

"White or dark?"

"White."

"With or without crusts?"

"With!"

With such knowledge now his forever,

he felt invincible.

~A Light In The Window, Chapter Four

.......Jan Karon

-

Lovin' this cookbook's bits and pieces

of  Ms Karon's writings......Dee Dee

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 blessed Lord's day......Dee Dee

Fall Cards And Crafts

I know what your thinking....Fall cards and crafts?

Already?

The weather still says summer but before long

 cooler weather will be here.

I for one wish to celebrate when that happens.

Friends and family will receive well wishes

from me in form of cards and something...

for the occasion.... hand made by me.

The fabric I'll be using is recycled from

an old pair of slacks.  Good sturdy khaki

colored......so perfect.  I learned this

little bit of wisdom from a home-school

blog.  This lady visits thrift shops and

buys quality fabrics, and remakes

clothing for herself and her children.

Now, I'm not so clever as that, but I

have found crafty fabrics

 in my own closet using older

out-of-style clothing.

All is ready for my craft.....bits of felt, Velcro,

and squares of khaki fabric.

Cutouts and card stock....ready.

This is going to be fun.....however,

the real fun is seeing happy children faces

and knowing I've brought a little pleasure

to those I love.

My efforts will be shown on another post soon.

Have a blessed weekend......Dee Dee

From A Lovely Garden

ZINNIAS

Although mid summer here in Florida,

this gardener has been faithful in

caring for these lovely flowers.....

She has transformed a small area into

a garden paradise........

Just goes to show you, makes no difference

 the space.   Preparation of  the soil,

proper use of plant food and water

and  there you have it.....a beautiful flower garden.

My good fortune, was to meet  the gardener one day.

I asked  permission to take photos. 

Not surprising, she was a lovely person and most

eager to oblige me.

-

Thoughts this evening......

Saying prayers for those in the path of that hurricane.

"Lord, please turn the storm out to sea and keep

the folks along the coast safe and out of harms way." Amen....

Blessings on you all.......Dee Dee

Cherish

Cherish your visions; cherish

your ideals; cherish the music

that stirs in your heart, the beauty

that forms in your mind, and the

loveliness that drapes your purest

thoughts, for out of them will

grow all delightful conditions,

all heavenly environment.

~James Allen

-

Having good thoughts today,

hoping you are too......Dee Dee

Discovery.....C F Payne

I'm lovin' C F Payne's artwork, in the form of

"Jigsaw Interlocking Puzzles"

-

Midnight Snack

The Mister has a new way to beat the doldrums.

With the temps in the high 90s,

 and it raining here each day,  he is

limited to outdoor activity.

Idleness, for sure,  is not to his liking.

 He has found solution in

solving puzzles by C F Payne.

"Midnight Snack"

 his first puzzle effort,

 is coming along nicely.

For him, jigsaw puzzles with 500 pieces,   

are  the right size challenge and can

be completed in a reasonable amount of time.

Although the Mister's project,

 I'm finding

irresistible urges to

join him at  the puzzle table.

-

Mr. Payne, an award winning artist

has captured the spirit of modern America

using humor in his puzzle illustrations.

These are next on the list.

Morning Walk

-

Choices

-

Have I stirred your curiosity?

Have a blessed day....Dee Dee

Bananas

It is a wonder still to me, that 

bananas hang in bunches from Banana Palm trees

here in Florida. This tree was part of the

landscaping where my friend Bonnie lives.

As seen  by the angle of the photos,

the tree was very tall.   A good  ladder and a strong

individual would be needed  to harvest this fruit.

Hmmm....thinking about banana pudding,

banana sandwiches, bananas dipped in chocolate.

-

"......and I say to myself, what a wonderful world."

Sweet blessings for all.....Dee Dee

Sheltered Beneath The Robellini Palm

Sweet and delicate pale pink Periwinkle,

potted and placed beneath a Robellini Palm,

 found safe haven from the hot Florida sun all summer long.

Filtered light and lots of glorious rain

 enabled me to sit back and

enjoy,  with no effort on my behalf.

One of my favorite colors, the roots of this

plant are buried deep in the pot.  Late spring they poke

out of the soil and bloom all summer long.

The palm fronds of the Robellini are just the right distance

away, offering filtered sunshine and rain.

We've been blessed this summer.  Thus far, no hurricanes...just

good old thunder and  lightening rain storms.  We had one late

yesterday afternoon.  The temps were in the mid 90s, the

winds began to blow, and the clouds rolled in. What seemed

like a squall,  happened for a few short minutes and

the temperature dropped down to 76 degrees.

Afterwards, the skies cleared  and a beautiful rainbow appeared in the east. 

I took it as a sign that God was giving us temporary relief

from the dreaded heat, and a sweet promise of soon to come cooler weather.

I sure hope so.....

Have a beautiful week.....Dee Dee

click twice on photos to enlarge

Nature and Discovery.....

We were at one of Florida's beautiful

natural lakes yesterday, and while I was

taking  photos of very photogenic wild ducks,

the Mister was discovering some pretty interesting things.

Attached to the small pier, just above the lake water's edge,

he found tiny pink eggs.

"Hmmm, wonder who these belong to....."

Close by on the ground, and  near the eggs we saw this rather

large shell.  After doing some  research,

I found the eggs and the shell  belonged to

 the Florida Apple Snail. 

It seems the snail lays her eggs just above

the water line, in order for the tiny snails to

easily access the water once they are born.

Fascinating, don't you think?  Lots of things

in nature worth taking a closer look at.

Enjoying the moments, especially.....Dee Dee

Click twice on eggs to enlarge...

Ferns and Plants Love Rain....

Small potted plant, bought in it's entirety

at first of summer. All the plants were

freshly planted and small then.

Sweet rain has made them thrive.

I noticed the fern this morning.

Looked like it had a smile

on it's face.

Placed by the front door earlier

this summer, all the plants have been

getting lots and lots of rain....

glorious nutrient filled rain.

Now and then I've had

to supplement with spigot water,

but mostly they've relied on

Mother Nature.

The fern  has doubled in size.

Notice behind the fern

the Hawaiian pink and purple Ty plants,

and bits of Crotons showing.

Lovin' the greens and color together.

Click twice on photos to enlarge......so pretty.

Have a blessed week-end.....Dee Dee

So Much Rain......

Well, now, if you walk up and down with your umbrella,

saying "Tut-tut, it looks like rain,' I shall do what I can by

singing a little Cloud Song, such as a cloud might sing....Go!"

"How sweet to be a Cloud

Floating in the Blue!

Every little cloud

Always sings aloud.

How sweet to be a Cloud

Floating in the Blue!

It makes him very proud

To be a little Cloud."

~Winnie-the Pooh

-

Lovin' all the rain we've had lately.

-

Tra-la-la, tra-la-la,

Tra-la-la, tra-la-la

Rum-tum-tum-tiddle-um.

-

Happy Friday......Dee Dee

A Soon Seasonal Change

Have we all tired of summer?

Never mind the pool waters.

They have been warmed by the

sun's rays and offer little refreshment.

I listen for the bird songs of a morning,

and they are different by some means.

I remember the Cardinals courtship,

a nesting mother's scolding and warnings.

An empty nest now,

I will look for them in the spring.

A late summer bloom of a sunflower

points toward a soon seasonal change.

The four o'clocks

in the garden,  are going to seed,

small black balls are scattered on

the walk in the courtyard.

Watering and trimming, I coax them,

 gently urging them bloom

 a while longer.

 I too have an awareness 

and an almost eagerness

for  summer's end.

Have a blessed day......Dee Dee

Embroidered With Lace And Ties....

I am definitely into lovely

white cotton linens

for summer bedding, and

our guest room is a nice place

for my favorite and finest.

These pillow cases are so unique,

 trimmed with cotton lace,

adorned with embroidered daisies

and tied at the end with soft satin ribbons.

With the heat index far above what

genteel lady folk enjoy....

the suggested coolness and luxury of cotton

is most proper for her ladyship.

Sharing more sweet summer ideas.....

Have a cool and blessed day.....Dee Dee

Embroidered White Linen

Thought for the day.....

It is impossible to mentally or socially

enslave a Bible-reading people.

~Horace Greeley

so.....hold fast to the Truth,

trusting God is in control.

Hmmm...found: photo of sweet ole

white and embroidered linen ...displayed in

shabby iron basket.

I shall always, I suppose, cling to my liking

of fine white linen and lace.  For a while, I found them

irresistible and accumulated quite a collection.

 I displayed them on

anything and everything (note photo seen here).

  My tables were adorned with fine

white cotton table runners,

my table cloths the finest linen 

..... my bedding having

lovely white cotton, linen and lace.

Ever so gradually,  I've  introduced bits of color

into our cottage decor.....begrudgingly  forcing  change.

Never mind.....they are no further away than the

drawers of the linen armoire. Always stylish

in my mind, they will again be happily displayed.

Have a blessed week.....Dee Dee

.......Cottage Images

I picked this small lamp up

from a Target Store recently.

The shade is what attracted

me to it....click on photo

and get a better look at

words making up the skyline

of New York City.

I thought it a great

conversation piece, and

I had just the right location for

such an unusual lamp......

beneath a more modern

piece of art.

Nothing escapes my camera these

days, and as you can see

I've had a little fun

 with a couple of

photo programs.

Enjoying  your Friday? I hope so.

Blessings....Dee Dee

.........A Shiny Silver Vase

They held

Del Monte Freestone Peaches

and reminded me of my

grandmother's kitchen window.

I soaked the label off and

found beneath

a shiny silver vase,

worthy of a fresh floral

arrangement.....

 a peach colored

Hibiscus, and a few sprigs of

Mexican Sage....

I'm lovin' it 

in the garden... on our bistro table.

Have a blessed day.....Dee Dee

Photo Fun.....

Our daughter was here for a visit

recently, and we spent a little while

at the beach.  Needless to say, I

took plenty of photos.

Tonight, I've been sitting at the

computer, experimenting with

Photoshop. It's the same each time.....

hours of endless photo fun and entertainment.

Have a great day!  Dee Dee

.........Shabby Pink Flamingo

A few years back, I came across this

sweet ole shabby pink Flamingo

at an antique show. Shabby was

happening in those days, and believe

it or not, I paid dearly for it.

With body and legs made of reinforced  rebar

steel, it has stood firm and solid,

 for quite some time. No doubt,  it has

weathered some extreme tropical conditions.

Today, this cherished

Floridian yard ornament is surrounded

by the lovely pink flowers of our

Crape Myrtle tree.

Gotta love it! And, I do.

Have a blessed day.....Dee Dee

Found......Castle In The Sand

Sandcastle

From the beach its sand walls rise,

Its torrents reach up to touch the skies.

A tiny moat dissolves the keep.

Its pavers are strong, though only two inches deep.

Tiny foot prints embedded in the sand,

Where once a child there did stand.

Its grace and beauty a short time will last,

Before the sea washes it into the past.

~Author Unknown

-

I love this place.....you can see why.

Photos taken on Honeymoon Island

on a late summer August afternoon.

Doesn't get much better than this.

Enjoying the moments......Dee Dee

Moonlight On The Pilings.....

Weather and erosion have

left markers On Honeymoon Island.

Where a pier once stood, abandoned

pilings stand in it's stead.

Where others might see  these images

as destructive objects, defacing the scenery,

I see a solemn place of serenity and beauty.

"Moonlight On The Pilings"

Blessings for the week.....Dee Dee

A Napping Sandpiper

I saw the Sandpiper in the distance, standing

in the surf on one leg,

 seemingly taking a nap.  As I

approached, I expected the Piper to drop

the tucked  leg and

take off running up the beach.

Instead, I got "the look"

expression.

This image taken  moments after

continuing my walk up the beach.

I looked back and took a quick photo....

The sound of the ocean

waves, in no time at all had lulled the little guy

right back to sleep.

click on photos twice to enlarge....

-

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

Seen Through The Lens Of My Camera

We drove out to the Island today...mid afternoon.

   It's always good to have a purpose when

walking "willy-nilly" along the water's edge.

I had camera in hand, expecting

 in that place of water, sand

and wild-life....extraordinary photo subject matter.

Good fortune smiled down on me today,

 The lighting was perfect, and the camera

found perfection in a simple composition.

I am happy to share with you,

what I saw through the lens of my camera.

A yellow beach umbrella, seen through

 brown stems of Sea Oats, with

a backdrop of white sand and

pale  green Gulf waters.

Enjoy the day.....Dee Dee

I've Been Reminded Of.......

Garden boxes placed over the green

grass that stays that color all

year long.....

 in the Adirondack mountains.

Most of the year nature hides it

beneath snow. 

The summer planting season

is planned well in advance,

having a short  window for

growing vegetables.

Folks very quickly plant  seeds

 and young plants grown from seeds.

Mid summer, if

all has  gone according to plans,

there will be.....

-

"Season For Gathering"

Apples on the trees,

pumpkins on the vines,

 tomatoes and squash

aplenty.

Potatoes needed diggin'

pole beans needed pickin'......

A time 

for aprons,

washing

blanching, 

scalded glass Ball jars

 canning

to display.

Proud filled jars on top shelves.

Soon time for rag bows

brown bags

 sharing with neighbors.

-

Thank you for the photos T.

Sweet Blessings this day.....Dee Dee