My Deepest Sympathies

My dear friend Lydia

of

'Beauty Will Surely Save the World'

http://www.lydiaohlydiaart.blogspot.com/

lost her dear husband Ken yesterday.

Ken had been ill for quite some time

and Lydia and her children

have been his faithful caregivers.

Please pray for this beautiful family

as they learn to struggle through

the days without their beloved

husband and father Ken.

Visit A Friend Today!

"Friendship is a relationship in

which two people come to

share the same soul."

Aristotle

I Couldn't Help Myself

I had this vintage tin bread box

that I love and it was just screaming

to be used, so

 I planted some flowers in it.

Somtimes you have to think

outside the box,

or in this case,

inside the box !

Spiritual Sunday

"I am careful not to confuse

excellence with perfection.

Excellence I can reach for;

perfection is God's business."

(Michael J. Fox)

A Quick Stroll

around the yard reveals some

 new

things bloomimg.

The white clematis vine is covering

the garden arbor.

The African Daisies are enjoying

the sunshine.

My hanging basket by the back

patio door is at it's

peek already,

and the Angel Leaf Begonias

are taking over the front planter,

but this is what made my heart sing.

One of my favorite rose bushes

is simply bursting with blossoms.

Isn't she a beauty???

Wishcasting Wednesday

It's been quite a while since I have

 participated in Jamie Ridler's

Wishcast Wednesday @

http://jamieridlerstudios.ca/

I have always enjoyed Jamie's Prompts,

they certainly encourage us to

stop and assess our dreams,

but of late I've felt like I was

just too busy to participate.

 There will always be dishes to do,

laundry to attend to

and meals to prepare.

If I don't make time for my dreams

then who will?

I cannot expect God to change

things

if I keep doing things the same

old way.

Today's prompt is

'What do you wish to have?'

I wish to have more time to persue

my art, to spend more time

simply enjoying my home and gardens,

 aside from toiling to maintain them.

I want to be able to allow myself

time to relax and enjoy

the fruits of my labor. I wish to visit

the beach more often.

After

all it is just a mere five minutes away,

yet I rarely take the time to

enjoy it.

While I do enjoy taking care of

my family and my home

I want to have balance...

guilt free time to enjoy my blessings

without thinking I should be

doing something more productive.

"What do you wish to have?"

My Anniversary is Today

(this photo was taken 2 yrs ago)

19 Years ago my sweet husband and I

 exchanged vows and began

our life as a blended family.

It was a simple wedding, 50 guests,

close family and friends.

We did not have a wedding party,

our four sons stood up with us.

Two years later our son Alex

was born, uniting the boys in

brotherhood.

This man is my best friend, my soul mate.

It wasn't always easy, blended families

bring a myriad of challenges,

but having Bill as my partner through

it all, certainly made the last 19 years

the best of my life.

As we near the beginning of our

empty nest years

I cannot imagine anyone else

I'd want to dance the rest

of my days with.

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart!

The Junior Prom

was this weekend, and here is my baby

all dressed up and ready to pick up his date!

 

I realize I'm probably a little

biased but aren't they cute?

I can't believe time has passed so quickly, seems like

I just did this with his older brothers.

Here they are with a group of their friends.

Sorry I've been missing in action for several days,

I had a very busy week and weekend.

Spent days immersed in yard work and trying

to get everything outside ready for the summer.

Everything is all tidy,

the vegetable and herb garden are planted.

The pond is doing well,

the lawn is ready for a game of bocce ball,

the pool is ready for swimmers,

and the deck is ready to host it's first barbeque!

Hope you'll stop by for a visit, I'd love to see you !

Walking on Sunshine...

at least for today!

(my wire basket with impatiens survived yesterday's cold)

The weatherman says some more showers

 are coming tonight but should all clear

out for the weekend.

(I was worried about the poor things)

(thankfully all was okay this morning)

(can you tell I love rusted garden things)

(ignore the hose, see the rusted bench & wire egg basket?)

My husband says I'll put a plant in

anything if I can get it to hold soil.

Is that a bad thing???

It's Dreary and Damp Outside

today, the warm weather of

last week is just a memory.

It is exactly  days like this

that I am glad I chose to plant

white flowers among all my

(white alysum)

other plants.

It is the white blossoms that

(geranium)

pop when the skies are gray

(moonflowers)

or when the sun begins to set.

(bleeding hearts)

I even like to add some white

to my shade gardens for

the very same reasons.

(Morning Glory)

While the white blooms may

not grab your attention

the way a vibrant color does

on a sunny day. You can be

sure that it's the one thing that

stands out

(shasta daisies)

on a day like today!

How's the weather where you are?

A Chill in the Air Today

but the white clematis in my garden

is blooming beautifully.

The purple jackmani clematis

is doing quite well too.

The jacob's ladder has made it's

appearance as well.

(jacob's ladder)

A close up of the jacob's ladder.

I always feel bad for my blooms

when the weather takes

a chilly turn and often go out

in the gardens to talk to them

and reassure them that warmers days

are returning soon.

Am I the only one out there that talks

to her plants???