His arms were full of flowers....

for me..... on our wedding anniversary.

-

A lady's imagination is very rapid;

it jumps from admiration to love,

from love to matrimony, in a moment.

~Pride and Prejudice

-

I cannot fix on the hour, 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.

~Pride and Prejudice

-

"If that thy love be honorable,

thy purpose marriage, send

me word tomorrow,

By one that I'll procure to

come to thee,

Where and what time thou wilt

perform the rite;

And all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay

And follow thee my lord

throughout the world."

~Juliet to Romeo

-

Elizabeth Bennet: No No ... You may call me Mrs. Darcy

when you are completely and perfectly, and

incandescently happy."

~Pride and Prejudice

-

Enjoying our special day with my Soul Mate,

.....Dee Dee

It's The Anniversary of Our Elopement!

I know what your thinking and you

would be right.

The photo is of very poor quality,

but after all

our elopement

happened many many years ago.

-

Oh, I can't fool anyone....

That's not us in the photo,

but we really did elope and have

been married long enough to have

nine grandchildren.

-

I was a child bride, you might say,

having just graduated high school.

and the mister had

finished his tour of duty in

the United States Navy.

-

Love was in the air

the summer we met.

It was June

and we married August 31.

-

To celebrate.....

We'll dine at the

Columbia Restaurant

on Sand Key beach.

A tradition for us now,

and there

the ambiance is amazing.....

We'll have candlelight and

sweet reminiscing conversation

of how God has so richly blessed us through the years.

-

"Oh, we ain't got a barrel of money,

maybe were ragged and funny,

but we'll travel along

singing a song

side by side."

-

Always, and forever, lovin' that man of mine....Dee Dee

Contributing To A Healthy Lifestyle.....

Muskmelon....one with orange flesh and rough skin.....

-

"Look for a ripe one, you will

know, for it has a bright

orange color."

Our selection was "perfection"

I thought as I prepared this beautiful melon.

-

Placed beside scrambled cheese eggs

on our breakfast plate, this morning,

I marveled at

the cantaloupe (muskmelon) and it's

pure summer sweetness.

-

More so than ever before,

we're trying to eat

balanced meals here at the cottage.

I've been advised,

that by making it a complete lifestyle focus,

my immune system

will function at it's peak.

A good thing....I believe.

-

I'm finding it takes

very little effort,

I'm feeling much healthier

and the process of food preparation

is indeed

quite enjoyable.

-

Remaining positive in thoughts......Dee Dee

Along The Water's Edge.....

It seems,

we've passed by this

beautiful place,

along the water's edge

for quite a number of years,

and each time,

I wonder about this

Bougainvilla.

It's made claim to a section

along the road, close to the water.

Each time, I notice that it's

still climbing all over a

broken section of an old

white shabbied wooden fence.

It appears to be

managing on it's own, and as seen in

the photos it is flourishing.

.....I wonder.

In any case, I appreciate

it's beauty.

Very soon now,

I will pass by

again,

marveling

at the Bougainvilla's

resillence and

willingness to survive on it's on.

-

Blessings for the week......Dee Dee

click on photos to enlarge

Ms Corrie's Wisdom

"If God has shown us bad times ahead,

it's enough for me that He knows about them.

That's why He sometimes shows us things,

you know-to tell us that this too is in His Hands."

~Corrie Ten Boom (The Hiding Place)

Art?

Art?

Tubes of watercolors and brushes,

begin

an aesthetic endeavor

even becoming themselves

art.

-

Blessings....Dee Dee

Think On This......

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird.

It would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn

to fly while remaining an egg.

We are like eggs at present.

And you cannot go on

indefinitely

being just an

ordinary decent egg.

We must be hatched or

go bad.

~C. S. Lewis
-

Ah....words of wisdom, don't you think?

-

Happy Friday everyone....Dee Dee

She Wore A Fur Muffler

As "my lady" materialized onto paper,

I realized the

story centered around her

warm fur muffler.

-

He wore a badge and had

pledged to keep the peace

but she knew him as the man

who had saved

her valuables from the "bad guys?

-

"Glad to have helped you lady, here are

your jewels and fur, " said Dick Tracy.

She found him irresistible.

His bright yellow hat,

the shape of his

sharp nose

and square jaw,

all made her swoon.

-

As she placed the fur muffler

around her neck, she

thought of how she

had used all her

womanly charms

to capture his heart.

In the end, she

had settled for reading

about him

in the funny papers.

-

Dear friends....

I fear I have been confined to my

home, much to long.

Perhaps my imagination is

running quite wild.

Thank you for humoring me and

allowing my amusing entertainment.

-

Having fun with pencils and watercolors.....Dee Dee

C. S. Lewis

'Something of God....flows

into us from the blue of

the sky, the taste of honey,

the delicious embrace of water

whether cold or hot, and

even from sleep itself.

~C S Lewis

-

Beautiful thoughts from a man

with impeccable insight......Dee Dee

Wish you had been with me.......

It's not every day we see

wild Peacocks up close and personal,

but on accasion we do

and real close to home.

It's interesting how they

came to live close by.

-

Seems a long while back,

an old gentleman

liked

these lovely peafowls, and

very much.

I'm not sure how many he owned,

but when he

left the world, his descendants

wanted nothing to do with

the large birds,

and

released them into the wild.

Home to them now, is a tropical woodland area

near our

neighborhood.

They are such lovely gentle creatures,

and made no attempt to fly away

when I walked up to take photos.

-

Wished you could have been there

with me....Dee Dee

click on photos to enlarge

Books I'm Reading.....

An Amazon Review:

Have you read a book and been so profoundly

affected by it that when you finish it, you just

sit still, be quiet and let it keep working for you?

-

An Editorial Review:

Walter Wangerin's profound fantasy concerns

time when the sun turned around the earth,

and the animals could speak,

when Chauntecleer the Rooster

ruled over a more or less peaceful kingdom.

What the animals did not know was that they

were the Keepers of Wyrm, monster of evil

long imprisoned beneath the earth...and Wyrm,

sub-terra, was breaking free.

-

This book is simultaneously rich in mythology and

history, so familiar to us all.

-

The Sequel: "The Book of Sorrow"
-

More of Wangerin's Books:

The Book of God

Ragman and Other Cries of Faith

Miz Lil and the Chronicles of Grace

-

As you can see, I'm keeping busy exploring

on Amazon.....finding good things to read.

-

Blessings......Dee Dee

Summer's Passage

.....now the crow's call" Summers Passage"

Now the crows call.

It's muffled at first...

the leaves are still on the trees

But they will fall

and the crow's calls

will ring and echo

more and more

Until the world is wasted shades

of brown and grey and then

white.

~author unknown

-

Everyone I know is thinking the same

thing I am ....

"I am so tired of this hot weather and

so looking forward to fall."

I can hardly wait,

although fall here

in Florida is nothing like up north.

Mother Nature

only touches color

here and there on our

Gulf Coast landscape.

Never-the-less,
I will mightily welcome

the cooler weather.

-

Thank you for stopping by......Dee Dee

Mrs. Miniver

A rose is named for Mrs. Miniver
"Onward Christian Solddiers........"

Here lately, our Netflix selections have been

good old movies, like this one....

"Mrs Miniver"

starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon.

-

A middle class English family experiences

life in the first months of World War II, 1939,

Kay Miniver (Greer Garson) wife and mother, is the

anchor that keeps her family together.

Opening scene finds Mrs. Miniver splurging on a

new hat while on her weekly shopping trip to London.

-

This was propaganda film of the time, and the

director was to have said that he produced the film because

he was concerned about Americans as isolationist.

Whether or not this was true

it did greatly encourage the British citizens.

Winston Churchill commented that Mrs Miniver

was "more powerful to the war effort than

six military divisions."

My favorite scene took place in a bombed

out church. The priest was speaking to the

congregation about courage.

They began singing

-

"Onward Christian Soldiers".....

marching off to war....with the cross of Jesus

going on before.....

Mrs Miniver won Best Picture

at the Acadamy Awards in 1942, and

was nominated for twelve other

Academy awards.

The most beautiful and talented

Greer Garson won for "best actress."

-

In scene after scene, this movies makes you laugh,

grow a bit somber and even cry a little.

You won't be disappointed.....Dee Dee

Missing Church and tiny Mums all over the house.....

Mums in the kitchen.....
Mums in the living room.....

Mums in tiny vase......

Still confined mostly to home while

dealing with health issues,
I'm sure missing God's House!

Can I just say how thankful I am for

Pastor Charles Stanley seen on

Christian television.

It is so good to hear him open the Word of God.

This morning, however,

we were privileged

to hear his son, Pastor Andy Stanley,

preach for the first time.

Things are so different for us,

but we focus on all that is good

in our lives, thankful for His blessings

each day.

This morning, the Mister went for

a Sunday newspaper and came back with

a large bouquet of tiny white Mums.....

and, so many.

Now, they are all over the house!

This man is one of God's blessings for me.

-

Then all who take refuge in You will be glad

and forever shout for joy. Protect them that you

may be the joy of those who love Your name.

~Psalm 5:12

-

Happy Lord's Day! Dee Dee

Using bold colors and crazy motifs.....

Pattern pouch in front of book.

Ribbon BlanketSoft Rattle

This little book is a complete treasure.

"Simple Sewing For Baby"

Lotta Jansdotter projects and illustrations.

24 Easy Projects for Newborns to Toddlers

-

How nice it is, that

the patterns come with the book, all

tucked away nicely in a pouch inside

the front cover.

-

The book

belongs to my youngest daughter, mother

of four, ages 9 mos to 7 years.

She loaned me this book today,

knowing I'm fast and busy making

things for grandchildren....two more on the way.

-

She had made so many sweet things, including the soft rattles.

I've watched the baby play with them, seeing

how they fit perfectly in little

chubby baby boy hands.

The ribbons are a curiosity to him

and I love watching as he tries to

get them in his mouth.

He is one hundred % lovable.

-

Same with the Ribbon Blanket.....is this

great or what?

I can't wait to get started!
-

Already, I have my list of things to buy at the fabric shop.

I plan to embrace new brightly patterned fabrics.

Have you noticed

young families are no longer

into pinks and blues for baby?

-

When I post my handmade baby items, be prepared to see

bold colors and crazy motifs.

-

I suppose you could say I am keeping up with baby times.

-

Hugs....Dee Dee

A Girlie Girl.....

A proper young lady

wears

pinks,

purple and

plenty of ruffles.

-

She is never without a hair-bow,

and has them in all colors of the rainbow.

-

Sandals are the preferred summer

footwear, and the toenails must

be painted with fuchsia colored polish

always!

-
Good posture is very important!

Shoulders back ....."nicely done."

The legs should always be slightly crossed.

Hands placed in the lap is especially

lady-like.

-

Her name is

Sydney

and she is one more

girlie-girl

and......

she has a

special place in my

heart.

-

Drawing and painting

the little ones I love, is so much fun.

-

Hugs.....Dee Dee

It's Comin' Back!

This pretty thing grows close to my library.

I took these photos last summer, when the

Hibiscus tree was at it's peak.

Unfortumately,

during the cold winter when the temps

dipped below freezing
the Hibiscus tree was

severely damaged.

Spring came and I noticed the sad little tree.

It was half the size it had once been, but

I could see promise and hope in the

green leaves that covered it's branches.

-

I've watched it grow all summer long,

and I am happy to say it is "comin' back."

-

I'll take the camera with me

on my visit to the library later on today,

and perhap's I'll give it a

"wink and a nod"

to show my appreciation for it's beauty.

-

Enjoying another day in God's great big

beautiful world......Dee Dee

click on photos to enlarge....they are beautiful...

So Good On A Hot Day......

Tried and proven ....

Ice cold watermelon is perfect

on a hot summer day.

The combination of temps in the

mid 90s, swimming in the pool

and watermelon..... made for one

beautiful time with our children.

Thus the inspiration for the

painting.

I think I captured just how sweet

cold and delicious the melon was

to our young grandson.

-

Fill us at daybreak with Your love

that all our days we may sing for joy.

~Psalm 90:14

-

Blessings..... Dee Dee

Remembering the Zinnia....I'm not quite sure.

I love Zinnias!

My first memories of Zinnias are the ones

that grew in my Aunt Sally's yard.

-

Holding thoughts of the Zinnia for a moment,

I wish to say that

my mother's sister, I remember quite fondly, and

with most tender and loving

affection.

Dear Aunt Sally lived in the mountains of

North Carolina, in a lovely

home that set

up high, on a mountain ledge,

overlooking the

French Broad river.

I remember it, as a small cottage,

having a very steep white gravel driveway.

-

I assure you, this is not a long

drawn out story about my aunt,

I only wish to put some background

into my first memories of the

lovely Zinnia.

-

At the beginning of each spring,

Dear Aunt would plant Zinnias on either

side of her very steep gravel driveway.

In the rich fertile damp mountain soil,

they grew to amazing heights, and

as I recall, she

was ever so proud of them.

-

Enter into my memory....

Aunt's dear husband,

Uncle Ellis.

To earn his living, my uncle

drove a very large

laundry truck.

On occasion, after making deliveries,

he returned home

late, and long after dark.

These times, proved to be quite

unfortunate,

for

it seems the truck's only way

up the steep drive, was with a

fast running start.

Invariably

this proved disastrous for

Aunt's

beautiful Zinnias.

-

As I recall these events, as

they happened during my visits,

I'm not so sure that I remember more clearly

the

Zinnias,

or

the loud commotion

raised by dear aunt

toward my very apologetic

Uncle Ellis.

-

In either case,

they've both brought a smile to my heart.....

as I drew and painted

Aunt Sally's

beloved

Zinnias.

-

Blessings.....Dee Dee

click on little painting to enlarge....

A Nice Idea.........

Can you just imagine anything more

beautiful than Fuchsia Roses, in an

all white room?

The occasion you ask?

No formal occasion, just

a nice idea.

-

God loved the flowers and made soil.....

Man loved the flowers and made vases.

~Jacques Deval

-

Good Blessings.....Dee Dee

Embroidery Art....Mother and Child

I've been brainstorming about

all sorts of things I can make

with the theme of "mother and child."

While working on baby quilts,

I've also begun a small pillow

for the expectant mother.

-

Aware of my drawing

skills, this very sweet young lady

will be surprised

to receive

a new form of art from me....

"embroidery art"

I've been inspired by Mary Cassatt,

an American painter and printmaker

who lived in the eighteen hundreds.

-

My work efforts, are coming along nicely....

what you see, are the

beginning stages.

The fabric is a soft cotton

and my threads will be browns and taupe.

I'm pleased actually, with my first

efforts, but like anything else,

the more I do, the better I'll get.

This is a learning process and so much fun!

-

Have a lovely week..... Hugs.....Dee Dee

What's Left of Crystal Beach....beach.

On our ride back from the boat show,

we took a little turn off the main

road. We'd heard of Crystal beach and

knew it was somewhere in the area. So, we

just drove toward the Gulf, fully expecting to find it.

We found the water

alright, but

no longer was there a beach by that name.

It seems

some years back, a hurricane completely destroyed

what was once a very popular attraction.

The community is still named for

the beach, as evidenced by the very small

Crystal Beach post office.

-

Driving along the waters edge, I took one

photo after another. It seems,

we had found just a little bit of paradise.

-

The sun shining on the place of worship, made the white seem

even whiter.

It is called Crystal Beach Community Church, and is

quite beautifully placed not more than

twenty feet from the water's edge.

-

I eventually got out of the car and began walking.

So much to see and so much to photograph.

It was like a living painting.... one dead tree..... a perching place for

an Osprey and a white Egret.

-

It was quiet, but for the lapping of waves against

the shore....

The boats, anchored out in water,

appeared surrounded by sparkling diamonds.

-

I know the folks in the community must surely

miss their beach, but I kinda like

what was left of Crystal Beach's beach.

-

Have a lovely week........Dee Dee

click on photos to enlarge