Weekly Observations

This has been such a busy and beautiful week.....

A collage here of my little world and why it is I'm

feeling so thankful and incredibly blessed.

May your footsteps set you upon a

lifetime journey of love. 

 May you

wake each day with

His blessings

and sleep each night in

His keeping.

And may you always

walk in

His tender care.........Dee Dee

Their Own Sweet Traditions

A Sunday afternoon family drive

led them down highways in

south Florida.

  The men were

on a mission to locate wild turkey.

The mom and young daughter,

along for the ride,

were enjoying the scenic

view of spring wildflowers.

 Young son turns

seven years old this week, and

I suppose it's a coming of age

thing, to walk through the swamps

with Dad, armed for the hunt.

And, indeed they did see turkeys,

stopping to mark the area, for return

in the future.

 Young son was very excited

having seen a fine turkey hen..... and

conversation leading  to his  bringing home

the holiday turkey.

The women in the family

happily gathered wildflowers.

Ah.... the continuity

of family and my enjoyment

watching as they set

their own sweet traditions.

Have a beautiful day everyone!  Dee Dee

Someone Was Watching Me

I bought new linens for the guest bedroom

yesterday, and this morning I washed

and hung them outside to dry in the warm

Florida spring sunshine. Yes, they are

pink Peonies and yes I am bringing  spring

flowers inside the cottage in various ways.

......humming to myself, I was so happy

for all the beauty of the garden and

the outdoor morning sounds.....mostly

quiet and peaceful sounds....maybe a

little too quiet.

 I began having

 strange feelings of discomfort,

as though I were not alone at all.

As though I were being watched.

I looked around......

The Mister was running errands, and I

thought for a moment  he had returned.

I shook the feelings of discomfort off

 and continued

on with my morning garden duties of

watering the plants and flowers.

It was then I discovered

who indeed

  had been watching me,

and oh what a relief!

There he was.....

Such a tiny green grasshopper perched on

pretty periwinkle flower......

not watching me, just minding his own business.

Master Po: Do you hear the grasshopper at your feet?

Young Caine: Old man, how is it that you hear these things?

Master Po: Young man, how is it that you do not?

Enjoying sweet moments of life,

and wishing

you very special

blessings for the day......Dee Dee

New To The Garden

CLEOMES

Do you know of them?

 I understand they are native to Africa

 which is more than perfect for my tropical garden.

 Accustomed to dry and

sandy soil, these beautiful annual  flowers should

thrive and bloom all summer long.

I did a little research and found Cleomes

are sometimes called "cat whiskers"....

can you guess why?

 Spent blooms should be removed to encourage

rebloom  on the Cleome plants......

I find this to be true of many

flowering annuals.

 One must wear protective thick

 gardening gloves

when planting, for the Cleome plants  have an

abundance of thorns.  

I am entirely pleased with

these "whiskery ole beauties"  

finding they add an elegant

surprise to our small cottage  garden.

I'm glad you stopped by.

May you walk in His tender care today......Dee Dee

A Walk Down Zinnia Lane

  It's amazing how a few pots

of Zinnias, placed  in the garden,

can change  things so dramatically. 

 I had my shopping cart weaving

in and out of the garden section of

Home Depot, actually looking for that

bowl of flowers I blogged about.  I

was so disappointed when there

were none to be found.

 However, my gardening spirits

 soared when I spotted two large pots of Zinnias.

They were a gorgeous golden yellow and

pure white.....and I was ready for some

new summer garden colors.

I had two large clay pots, readied at home for planting

and knew exactly where the pots would

go in the garden.

With all the planting completed, you guessed

it....I began taking photos. The camera loved 

the shadows in the garden and I got some

real pretty pictures.

I will have to baby these Zinnias once

the hot Florida heat and sun becomes

a daily occurrence. Water each day, for sure.

I have no favorites here, the colors

are both absolutely beautiful!

.....and then I put them all together into

one great big collage, to make a lasting impression.

Please click on photos to enlarge.....

Now, this is what I'm talking about when

I marvel at our Creator.

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

Sweet Motherhood

  With three young

mothers-to-be in our family, I've had

moms and babies  on my mind,

and quite a lot lately.

So far, one baby coming, is a little boy,

and just a few short weeks to discover

what the good Lord

 is sending the others.

My yarn basket is heavily ladened with

new baby yarns and

I have a heaping

basket of baby fabrics to create with.

Both mothers in waiting

.....want girls

this time, so this little illustration of

motherhood is created with them in

mind.  Note: baby has on a pretty

 frilly dress.....we are hoping girl.

Life is magic, the way nature works

seems to be quite magical.~Jonas Salk

Life is always a rich and steady time

when you are waiting for something to

happen or to hatch.~E. B. White,Charlotte's Web

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

On My Mind This Evening....

The room is fairly quite.

The volume on the television is turned down,

and I'm hearing the deep scruffy voices

 of criminals and occasional gunfire.

The Mister's watching

an old crime and espionage movie.

Taking a break from my sketching,

I'm seated across the room,

  looking at a small book lying on

my desk titled Cassatt.....as in Mary Cassatt.

Do you know of her?  I love

her art and have  read she was referred

to as "strange:...and "a foreign impressionist"

upon her arrival in Paris.

Born in Pennsylvania in l844,

she would leave America, 

 move to France and stay there her whole life.

She would however, boast of being an American.

Ms Cassatt eventually

 would show her work with the likes of Monet, Degas,

Renoir, Sisley, Pissarro and Berthe Marisat.

I think it fascinating to read of great artist,

no matter the degree of their greatness

 or not so greatness. I have several books on

my bookshelves about fine artists. 

They are there to inspire me, I suppose.

 Monet and I could have been

fast friends, my knowing his obvious love

of the garden and flowers.

 I find something quite lovely about his paintings. 

On the other hand, Grandma Moses and

I could easily bond.  I identify with her art, my

roots come from places shown in her paintings.

I once saw her paintings on display and

found I could sit for hours imagining

myself walking in her world.

I do find all the great artist, of

yesteryear, shared something in common.

They found their comfort zone, their style,

and no matter what they painted,  one

could easily identify their work. Moses,

Degas, Monet, Rockwell, just to name a few,

all accomplished this.

I'm trying to imagine the years it takes

to become a great identifiable  painter.  How long

to find that groove that is uniquely yours.....?

I  find it quite remarkable the expansion of

art and art forms  these days. The old Masters

would be quite amazed, don't you think?

Imagine Degas or Renoir using Photoshop!

Well,  I've pondered long enough,

and allowed  my thoughts 

 to splash onto the

keyboard keys, and  to be  transported

out into the blogasphere where you are sitting,

reading and wondering at what I'm thinking.

After all's said and done, I for one will be

quite content, to remain forever a student of art,

Now, back to my sketching 101......

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

She's A June Bride

My friend ....

I've been working on this little

illustration/painting

off and on all day long, and I'm finally

satisfied with it.  The image is

somewhat like my friend.  She is blonde,

tall and slender.

And yes.....she has had that far off dreamy

look in her eyes, every since her beloved won

over her heart.

The Mister and I were there from the

beginning....watching something develop

that seemed straight out of a Jane Austen

Romance story.

"I'm in love," and......

yes she was and is.

I'm thinking, she has found her

Mr. Darcy, or so it seems.

"I cannot fix on the hour or the spot, or the

look or the words, which laid the foundation.

It is too long ago.  I was in the middle

before I knew that I had begun."

~Jane Austen-Pride and Prejudice

Be happy, sweet friend.....

Everyone have a fantastic weekend......Dee Dee

Planting Time

You've seen my red Hibiscus

photos all winter long, due to

the mild Florida climate.

I walk out into the garden each morning,

looking for something blooming, and

your seeing what caught my attention today.

 

I'm ready for more flowers!

On my list of things to do this week is

set out bedding plants and buy a

 nice flower bowl for the garden bistro table.

I love a

variety of flowers and in our hot summer climate

only certain plants survive....they must be

drought resistant.

This is another years bowl of

Begonias, Geraniums and Impatiens.

I suppose most of you will be doing

 the same as me. It's planting time just

about everywhere.

Enjoying the nice spring season....Dee Dee

click on photos to enlarge

Spring Fever

Putting aside everything, we went for a drive

just to see nature waking up.

We've all got "spring fever" around here.

I think the whole world has it

and much of the population is here

to enjoy it!

It's just plain hard to drive anywhere

with all the traffic from the tourist in town.

No quiet seclusion at the beaches  this time of year.

But, it's fun and we love seeing the crowds.

We drove down to the marina and along

the water's edge. We kind of know

where to go for

"peace and quiet" and this

is one of our favorite drive abouts.

 Another fellow, this

ole Blue Heron,

 was the only living thing in sight

in this location.

We were driving in an area of beautiful

older Florida homes.

Each home has ownership of the area along

the water, and a private  pier for docking boats.

 When we passed by this setting, I

fought the urge to claim 

"squatter's rights."

I'm thinking this is the perfect

time of year to take a good long look

at God's wonders. They'll take

your breath away.

Have a fabulous day!  Dee Dee

click on photos to enlarge

She's From Russia

Her name is Tatiana, she is our friend,

and she is from Russia.  Someone in

the church said the young Russian girl

would like to sing in the choir, but she

has no transportation to choir practice.

"Where does she live," I asked.

It was the Mister's and my good fortune

that Tatiana lived five minutes from our

home.  For over a year now, she has

been riding back and forth to church

with us.  During that time, we've come

to know and love her.

and, during this time.....

we've learned a lot about her country, Russia.

She speaks fondly of all that is the

Russian people, their art, their music,

their traditions and their history.

She was in the minority while living there,

she called herself Christian.

 I told her

I had seen pictures of beautiful churches

in the larger cities of Russia and

wondered at the church she attended.

"Only one now in the city, the others have

been destroyed when communism took over.

No freedom of religion now."

Tatiana  loves America and says sometimes

she cannot believe she is here.

On our ride to choir practice

this past Sunday, Tatiana and I talked

mostly of the Cantata music we are learning

for Easter Sunday service. She is soprano,

like me and we set together in choir.

 Her English

is broken and sometimes the Mister and

I struggle with understanding her.

We have no trouble however,

understanding her

when she speaks of Jesus and  how God has

blessed her life. She's had some sadness

in her young life, but she is optimistic

about her future.

The "Mentos" seen here....

they are from Tatiana.

"Here, these are for you!"

She often brings us candy made in

her homeland Russia.

  Her love

and kindness for others just pours

out spontaneously. 

 You know, I'm thinking

our meeting was no accident.  Our

precious  friend  Tatiana is a blessing from God.

Have a wonderful day everyone......Dee Dee

"Myrtles" Trimmed Just In Time

 Wayne is the hired

fellow that trims our

tall palms and

 others trees

around the cottage.

For several years,

he's been a  faithful helper,

 and  good friend to the Mister.

As the years pass, Wayne's

taken over more and more 

projects in the garden.

Two weeks ago, he trimmed

the Crape Myrtle trees for

the Mister.....and it looks like

just in time.

New growth can be seen on all

the Myrtle trees.

Before long we'll have

gorgeous fuchsia blooms.

Photos were taken mid day....today...

Just look at that gorgeous Florida blue sky.

"What you see is the clear warm light of April,

and it means that we can begin a whole new

year together, Toad.

Think of It," said Frog.

"We will skip through the meadows and run

through the woods and swim in a river.

In the evenings we will sit right here

on this front porch and count the stars."

Src. ~Frog and Toad Are Friends

It's not quite April, but for sure it's spring ......sigh

Have a blessed day everyone....Dee Dee

Singing For a Sweet Sister In Christ

I received a phone call from

a close friend

yesterday morning. 

 She asked me  to sing

at a funeral. Without hesitation,

I agreed,

telling her I would be honored.

Six years ago, this  young woman was

diagnosed with breast cancer.  She went

through all the proper life saving procedures

......surgery and radiation, eventually

finding herself cancer free. 

Five years later,

she had a new kind of cancer.  She

lost her battle this time and is now

with our Lord and Savior, in Heaven.

The family has  requested

I sing "Amazing Grace" and

the trio I perform with,  will  sing

"How Great Thou Art." 

 At the

end of the service, family will light

a single candle, while I sing

 "This Little Light Of Mine."

Funerals are never easy....tonight

I'm praying for those she's left behind.

Blessings......Dee Dee

Injured Blue Heron

Finally, we took the time to ride

out to the island, and yes I did

a lot of photo taking. I love

Florida's bird life and today

I saw something that broke my heart.

It's unusual to see a beautiful

Blue Heron in this condition.

Obviously fresh wounds, I

could see open sores on  the

poor thing.

Sadly, I saw that  it had blood on it's beak.

A fisherman close by, had pity on the

great bird and threw it a fish......

In this photo, you can see when the fish went down

the throat.....so funny to watch,

for in no time the fish had left the neck

area of the bird, and headed for

a hungry bird stomach.

As I took photos, I noticed some of the

birds feathers were in disarray.  Here, it

was hopping from rocks to a concrete piling.

Obvious to me, flying was difficult.

My photos were taken moments before

sunset.  Note just a bit of sun splashed

on the Heron's head and  an embankment casting

a shadow on the remainder of it's body.

I left the area concerned for this

magnificent creature and  thinking it was in a good

location.  Most tourist fishing in the area

never  keep the fish they catch.  I have a

feeling the bird will be well fed and

restored  back to good health in no time at all.

I hope your having a good weekend.

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

click on photos to enlarge

Why Did The Turtle Cross The Road?

These big guys make their

home on Honeymoon Island, Florida.

I took these photos last year around

this time....early spring.

Why did the turtle cross the road?

Answer: To get to the beach!

.....and a great idea for us today.

Camera's readied.....we are

on our way out to the island,

looking for wildlife.

We're expecting  crowds,

considering record  tourist here

for spring break.  Plenty of  Snow Birds

will be on the beaches  and

home folks taking advantage of this

gorgeous spring weather.

Have a great weekend everyone!  Dee Dee

click on photos to enlarge

Beware Of Chemicals.....Grow Your Own

Nothing is prettier than flowers

from the garden.

Have you noticed  the

Roses we buy these days have

no Rose fragrance? 

As a matter of

fact, they give off a chemical odor,

that worries me somewhat. What

are we breathing?

Most are grown in fields

located somewhere in

South America....have you noticed?

  Breaks my heart .....

If you want a lovely

 Rose fragrance,

plant a few Knockout Roses in

your garden. Insect resistant,

and nature does all the care for growth.

 They will bloom

all summer long, and when you

clip a few, bringing them  inside.....

they last for several days.

Point proven....in photo here.

Even when they wilt and begin to die,

they are still beautiful.

Can you believe Friday is here?

I hope you have a beautiful weekend.....

and maybe find time to plant a Rose.......Dee Dee

The Neighbor's Birds

I drive past these beautiful

Bird of Paradise plants most days,

and marvel that they require no

care what-so-ever to grow and

bloom.....

They just thrive on the nurturing

of nature, I suppose.

I asked the neighbor if she minded my

taking a few photos of her plants,

 and she seemed

 eager to oblige me....

"Take as many as you like......." she said.

And, so I took quite a few.

I'm always amazed at the bold and

bright colors of the Bird of Paradise.....

Mark Twain once said....

"It's better to be a young June-Bug

than an old Bird of Paradise."

Hmmm......wonder what he meant by that?

Remember....Whether we are joyful

of sad, God still remains faithful......Dee Dee

Nesting Time....

I saw the little Mourning Dove

circling the tangerine tree,

with twigs tightly held in her beak.

All the signs were pointing

toward nesting time.

A closer look showed strips of palm bark

and tiny feathers......

.....and the beginnings of a sweet nest.

Mourning Doves mate for life, and

I'm thinking these two "love birds"

sitting high up on an electrical wire,

just might be the owners of the nest

in our "lolly popped"  tangerine tree.

I love spring, don't you?

Have a beautiful day!  Dee Dee

...click on photos to enlarge.