Tuesday, August 31, 2010

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

Monday, August 30, 2010

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

Sunday, August 29, 2010

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)

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Art?


Art?
Tubes of watercolors and brushes,
begin
an aesthetic endeavor
even becoming themselves
art.
-
Blessings....Dee Dee

Friday, August 27, 2010

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

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

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

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

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

Monday, August 23, 2010

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

Sunday, August 22, 2010

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






Saturday, August 21, 2010

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

Friday, August 20, 2010

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...

Thursday, August 19, 2010

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

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

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....

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

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

Monday, August 16, 2010

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

Sunday, August 15, 2010

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