Sun Drops

Tiny purple Johnny Jump Ups.......

Garden snake.....beside the "Lamb's Ear"

Her little garden in all it's splendor.......*note the Mock Orange in header

I suppose it's in our DNA, beginning with my grandmother, all the girls in my family love flower gardening. So, when visiting my daughter recently, I was not surprised to find her garden thriving with all sorts of beautiful flowers. Her Mock Orange, in full bloom caught my attention immediately and beneath it, a sea of yellow. "What are these gorgeous yellow flowers?" I learned the Sun Drops had been planted the year before in a very small area. When spring arrived, it was apparent they had spread all over the garden, even requiring a bit of thinning. I recognized the Johnny Jump Ups, growing close by. They look like miniature Pansies. No sooner told to keep an eye out for the little snake that made it's home in the garden, than there it was. Looking harmless enough, I snapped it's picture and proceeded to wonder in the garden. Why, I think Betsy has these growing in her garden........Lamb's Ear, I believe..... click on photos

Pink Sister

This beautiful tropical foliage, native to Hawaii has made a tremendous comeback. A definite warm weather plant, this past winter affected Pink Sister, and I watched as it succumbed to the cooler temps. The leaves turned brown and they were in pretty shabby shape. I trimmed them back and removed the damaged leaves, hoping for recovery of some kind. Thankfully, they have been restored and have met with all my expectations and even more. With the summers heat, and daily rains, they have had almost perfect "rain forest" like conditions. Growing to heights of over five feet tall, they are competing quite nicely for attention, with the green Philodendron growing close by in my garden. Blessings....Dee Dee click on photos...

Such Pretty Things, I Wonder What She Was Like

A small room, it has a little cream colored iron bed and a white armoire. With shelves holding my collection of old vintage linen, the spare bedroom in my home was decorated with the more feminine woman in mind. My mother sleeps in this room when she visits. I never use the antique hand made Irish linen bedspread, or the lace trimmed pillow case. Treasures from estate sales, they are simply displayed on the armoire shelves. While tidying up the room today, I found myself looking at all the details that went into creating such pretty things. Someone sure had a lot of patience, and a lot of talent. I wonder what she was like, how was her home decorated, and what was her world like back then? Be blessed today.....Dee Dee

No Effort At All....Or Was It?

The strawberries are from California, the blueberries from New Jersey and the whipped cream by Redi Whip, from Nebraska. Just think of the effort it took, and by so many different people, to bring this delicious fruit to my table. Lets see....the farmer, the pickers, the packers, the shippers, the grocer and finally, the housewife.....uh, that would be me. Seemingly, I've just whipped this little dessert up with practically no effort at all. It staggers the mind, doesn't it?

Be blessed....Dee Dee

Maybe.....

It's been years now, my having no desire to climb into a kayak and row out across the waters. Is it just me, or has anyone else ever felt as though one of those very small and narrow vessals, could just simply tip over and leave them hanging upside down??? I don't know, I've never actually set in a kayak, so maybe I'm wrong about the whole thing. Could I have been wrong all these years? Seeing these bright colored vessals, stacked along the causeway recently, I asked myself that quesion once again. Oh my, such beautiful bright colors. I thought the blue one especially nice. Then and there, I was once more intrigued by the kayak, and found myself thinking very foolish thoughts. They seemed sturdy enough and I noticed people out in the water having a good time. My feelings began changing to envy and I was becoming bold and more curious. I wanted to know what it was like! I heard their laughter and seemingly they were not worried about tipping over.

" I want to experience the thrill of riding in a kayak!!! If they can do it, I can!!

Maybe I will ride in a kayak soon, or maybe I will one day.

Maybe I won't ever do it, that thing could tip over.... you know!!!" Dee Dee

Big Red Roses

Is that thunder I'm hearing? What had once been a bright sunny day, had changed without my hardly noticing it. The rumblings coming from from the west, and rains out over the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, were heading our way and with a gusto. Although welcomed, the rain can sometimes dampen my spirits, but only if I allow it. I can nearly always find remedies that can completely put aside, the old rainy day hum drums. Sometimes, a good book read or a fine old movie will do just fine. However, on this rainy day occasion, I directed my energies in a completely different direction. Why not clean the linen cupboard? Knee deep in assorted linens and things, I asked myself, why is it that all through the years I have had trouble parting with tablecloths? I have stacks of these things and in all designs and colors. As I sorted through them, I wondered at how my taste in home decor had drastically changed and even questioned as to what could I have been thinking???? This would be the day, I could part with them. I could do it, I had the right frame of mind. I would never look back! And so I did, except for the one with the big red roses. This was a perfect way to beat the rainy day gloom....I would bring the garden inside....and so I did. Blessings...Dee Dee

Chocolate Ganache Cake

Ou'i.... es gut!

Tomorrow we have celebration, and for desert Chocolate Ganache Cake. What's that your wondering? What is Ganache? Why, I wondered the same thing, so I did a little research. It came as no surprise to me that something so rich and delicious, had roots in a place famous for it's pastries. Ganache is a French term referring to a smooth mixture of chopped chocolate and heavy cream. The origin, however, most likely is Switzerland where it was used as a base for Truffles. I'm quite certain that the smallest taste of this heavenly concoction would be perfectly fine, and even allowable on my very controlled, no deserts allowed, diet. Blessings...Dee Dee

Handmade By Me....

Handmade heart shaped pin cushion...

Baby Blankets and Burp Cloths.....

A little personal message tag....

Oh my, we have a growing family and that means small babies needing warm blankets come winter. I'm probably known as the "blanket maker" in the family and that's okay, I wear the title proudly. Through the years, I've brought out my crochet needle time after time using sometimes pink yarn and sometimes blue yarn. With a grandson just beginning to sit up and another grandson due in September, I've been using blue yarns and tiny little children's patterned fabrics. In addition to the blankets, I've made some adorable "burp-cloths" using soft white chenille and baby flannel. Oh sure, the stores are full of precious baby things and I've visited some pretty nice high-end shops. But, wise homemaker that I am, I've used these occasions, to note how easy some of these pricey little items would be to make. So, I've been spending some time at the sewing machine. As you can see.... "not only are they sweet as can be, they are all little gifts, handmade by me"......Blessings...Dee Dee

The Island Continued....

Sea Grape...

Rock Garden....

Perfect spot to watch the sunset....

Continuing on from yesterday's post on Honeymoon Island .....The section of the island designated for wildlife, has fewer visitors these days, the heat most likely a factor. The folks we see in the area, appear to be naturalist, appreciating the quiet undisturbed order of things. We passed by an older lady, who slowly and carefully walked in the sand with a cane. Stopping now and then, she would lean over to pick up a shell or something else brought to shore by the ocean's waves. Perhaps she was gathering sand dollars (sea urchins), for they can be found lying on sandy bottoms in shallow water. As shown in the photo, our walk led to most unusual findings...could it be a "rock garden?" I suppose with careful consideration to the tide, the someone, having prepared it, carefully placed it just out of the water's reach. Toward late afternoon, we noticed lots of people coming to the island, there to watch the sunset. Perfect seating for the occasion are the wooden swings, but only for the lucky few. Since the beginning of time, man has been filled with wonderment at the descent of the sun below the horizon, and watching it take place out over the ocean, somehow makes it a bit more spectacular. All in all we enjoyed everything about our time on the island. I left thinking to myself....what a beautiful world we live in. Be blessed today...Dee Dee

*How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it~George Elliston....Thank you Carol

No Feeding The Wildlife

Honeymoon Island State Park located on the Gulf of Mexico is one of my favorite places to visit. A portion of the island, popular for swimming, has lovely white sandy beaches. We prefer the area designated for plants and animals, all functioning together in a natural environment. For as long as we've been coming to this secluded section of the park, we've never been disappointed. Many acres of unspoiled land, are home to all sorts of Florida wildlife. Animals of all varieties are allowed to live in their natural habitat, as though time has stood still. The beaches in that area are strewn with rocks and trees looking out of place with roots open to view. Appearing whitish in color they've been bleached by the scorching hot Florida sun. Trees with random bunches of green leaves lie on the beaches, barely clinging to life, victims of erosion. Although a desolate place, it has an odd attraction that brings us back time and time again. Today I photographed an unusual bird, as it stalked a rattle snake. A fine ole turtle seeming to take no notice of me, allowed my camera close to his face and his timeworn shell. I saw Sandpipers, Pelicans and Seagulls all claiming their portion of the air water and sand. The seagull protested loudly for his share. Walking along the shore, my feet being bathed by the oceans warm waters, I felt in that time, all was right with this fragile ecosystem and all was well with my own world. click on photos to enlarge....

Garden Images

We're having one of those Florida summers you just dream about. Most days we awaken to beautiful clear skies, gorgeous mid-day sunshine and glorious, welcomed by us all, afternoon showers. Tomorrow afternoon, we're off to the beach. Hoping to dodge the raindrops, we'll take along chairs, an umbrella and a cooler of good stuff. I'll bring the camera, most definitely, and somehow try to capture the unusual. Photos shown today were taken from my window. I'll tell you...it's that rain and sunshine thing goin on...makes for a real pretty garden. Be blessed today....Dee Dee.. click on photos

Genius....Rabindranath Tagore

On The Seashore

On the seashore of endless worlds children meet,

The endless sky is motionless overhead

And the restless water is boisterous.

On the seashore of endless worlds

The children meet with shouts and dances.

They build their house with sand,

and they play with empty shells.

With withered leaves they weave

Their boats and smilingly float them

On the vast deep.

Children have their play on the

Seashore of worlds.

They know not how to swim,

They know not how to cast nets.

Pearl-fishers dive for pearls

Merchants sail in their ships,

While children gather pebbles

And scatter them again.

They seek not for hidden treasures,

They know not how to cast nets.

The sea surges up with laughter,

And pale gleams the smile of the sea-beach.

Death-dealing waves sing

Meaningless ballads to the children,

Even like a mother while rocking her baby's cradle.

The sea plays with children,

And pale gleams the smile of the sea-beach.

On the seashore of endless worlds children meet.

Tempest roams in the pathless sky,

Ships are wrecked in the trackless water,

Death is abroad and children play.

On the seashore of endless worlds is the

Great meeting of children.

~Rabindranath Tagore

A towering talent, Tagore, born in 1816, wrote his first poem at the age of six. Asia's first Nobel Prise winner, famed for his poetry, he was a creative genius. He wrote over a thousand poems. A friend to many, he called W. B. Yeats, Albert Einstein and Ghandi his friends. A complex man, I think him worthy of inquiry.

I Don't Worry So Much

While in the garden this morning, I stood in amazement, surveying the heavens and the Master's good work. I could actually visualize in my mind's eye, His hands as He painted the blue in the sky this morning. I watched as the sun performed as He had planned it, accomplishing all sorts of things right along with nature. The shadows fell over the garden, moving ever so slightly, evidence of powerful unseen winds, forcing clouds over the sky. You know, I don't worry so much about things such as whether or not the planet is warming. I suppose it's called faith. The good Lord's been taking care of things for quite some time. As I'm looking up at that beautiful sky, I think He pretty much knows what He's doing. Be blessed today....Dee Dee

Sometimes You Feel Like Dancing

You know, I've long ago concluded that dance is a beautiful thing. I think we all have some natural rhythm that has been placed in our DNA by the Almighty. Dance has been mentioned in the Bible over twenty times, mostly in the Old Testament. It is important for us to know how to properly dance, why we dance, with whom to dance and cautious of where it is we're dancing. Our motive for dance should be pleasing to God. Have you ever watched a small child at play in a room where music can be heard? That is where you can see dancing as a natural movement. Although never having been taught, the child's movements, keeping time with the music, become dance. But, have you ever been alone, feeling happy as can be, and just felt like dancing? Now that's what I'm talking about! It's the kind of dancing when your heart just wants to celebrate! So.....having placed all my thoughts on dance, here for the world to see.....I hope this is your day, my bloggy friends, to "feel like dancing!" Dee Dee

Talking To God.....

~Image by Richard Powers...Presented by Sarah Kaye

Great Images by Car Mobel

I found this great site a while back, and now and then I take a peak to see what's new. I love this style by Car Mobel of Germany.....So cottage like and works for me with coastal decor. I suppose it's Germany's IKEA and I like it very much.....actually, I like it a lot!. Enjoy these lovely images and have a great weekend..... Dee Dee click on images for closer look...