Plumeria

Beginning of the transformation...small leaves.....

Soon it will have beautiful white blooms....

I've always thought of the Plumeria as the "ugly duckling" in nature. An odd sort of plant void of leaves all winter long, each spring it begins a transformation that is unbelievable. Already, it has begun.....click on photos

She Came From Kentucky

May first....today is her birthday. My grandmother, Ida Macey Compton, born in Kentucky, has been gone from this earth for more than thirty years. Still, I remember this day and celebrate it each year, quietly in my heart. She married young, bore sixteen children, lived through hard times and had a long good life. She knew the Lord and read her Bible each evening. I loved and adored her and to this day, I miss her and still try to emulate her. Often I see or hear things that remind me of her. This week, I've seen Lilacs. They were her favorite flower, and I remember each spring her telling me so. The painting, is my imagining her as a child. Happy Birthday Grandmother....I miss your "Butterfly Kisses."

A garden of Love grew in my Grandmother's heart.~Unknown

Burgers and Pink Asters

Okay, so I was feeling a little guilty about serving hamburgers and fries for dinner. Not any more. I'll bring out some nice stemware, light some candles, and.....one more thing....fresh flowers for the table. Pink Asters should do it. Very nice ambiance, don't you think?....presentation is everything!

"AWWWW................."

click on photo...

Garden Surprises

Our garden has so many interesting tropical plants. We've grown accustomed to the different varieties, and as they seem to meld into the landscape, we sometimes miss unique and beautiful displays of nature. Late one afternoon as the sun was lower in the sky, the reflection on these plants made a beautiful presentation. How could I have not noticed them before? click on each photo....

Make It Happen

Okay, so it's been a few years, but I remember it like yesterday. I learned to drive a car on back country dirt roads, in the hills of Pennsylvania. I was sixteen years old and the car was a 1951 White Ford. I'm not so sure I learned to drive that summer, but I know I managed to keep the car on the road. It had been a spur of the moment thing and I took the wheel without any rehearsals. You know, I've been thinking how life is so much like that. Sometimes an impromptu happening, sometimes planned, but eventually you take hold of life's wheel. You manage quite nicely to stay in the middle of the road for a while, for that's where it feels safe. The crossroads are there and that's when you make it happen.... family, career choices, faith, all contributing factors to your life's path. Life passes by one day at a time until finally, your at another beginning, now back in the middle of the road..."retirement." You'll find yourself there, with a lifetime of experience and a good bit of wisdom, wondering. Again, you make it happen.

Living just by itself...what a dirge that is! Life is a classroom and Boredom's the usher there all the time to spy on you; whatever happens, you've got to look as if you were awfully busy all the time doing something that's terribly exciting...or he'll come along and nibble your brain.

~Louis-Ferdinand Celine~

Hot Weather Treat

This is one of my favorite drinks for a hot summer day. With the weather now in the 90s, it's "smoothie time." So simple to make, very satisfying and the presentation is a winner. Place all the following ingredients in blender.....

Crushed Ice

one small can frozen pink lemonade, plus l/2 of the can filled with water

one tablespoon powdered sugar

Peaches with peelings left on, cut into med size pieces

or you might enjoy Strawberries

Blend until ingredients are smoothie consistency.

Garnish with mint or fruit

Enjoy!

Snow Bushes....Continue To Make A Showing

Unfortunately, we continue to have watering restrictions here in our area. This spring, we have had very little rain, putting a strain on our lawns and our landscaping. Throughout our neighborhood I can see that certain types of grasses have "given up the ghost," while others seem to thrive. Water shortage is a very serious matter and the city has a "water patrol" department to see that the citizenry cooperates by watering one day a week. Having dealt with this problem for quite a few years now, we've learned a lot about "Zero Landscaping." Some of our plants require very little water and seem to thrive in extreme conditions. I've posted our Snow Bushes before, but they are worth taking another look......gorgeous shades of pink, they continue to make a beautiful showing.

Extreme Bedtime Reading

Television and radio are seemingly a deterrent to relaxation at bedtime, at least in my case. I have tried these methods and find my mind stimulated by nearly all types of programing. Listening to radio talk shows, or watching news, whether local or national, is a definite no no. These days, this is most assuredly going to elevate my heart rate, generate conversation, and in no way be conducive to rest. I am the kind of person that needs to relax before sleep and find that reading from a good book each night, seems to help. I have a lamp that attaches to the head of the bed, directing light onto the pages of my book. Propped up against two fluffy pillows, reclined just so, I am in position for extreme bedtime reading. Some nights I read for an hour or so and other times, I read only a short time, before my eyelids become heavy and sleep happens. A little quote by Kathleen Norris could have very well been written by me....Just the knowledge that a good book is awaiting one at the end of a long day makes the day happier.

"May I Be In Thy Presence Lord?"

There comes times when I have nothing more to tell God. If I were to continue to pray in words, I would have to repeat what I have already said. At such times it is wonderful to say to God, "May I be in Thy presence Lord? I have nothing more to say to Thee, but I do love to be in Thy presence."~O Hallesby