Encased within a crystalline structure
Translucent
Worlds untouched – unknown
Holiday Update
As Santas’ are wrapped and placed into their bins and Christmas garland is hung in the storage closet, colors of white and red, hearts and love begin to adorn doors and mantels. Valentine’s Day may be a month away but it’s never too early to celebrate!
When we moved into our home in 2004 the former owners left a treasure trove of shutters! The green shutters on the fireplace mantel were already painted green!
All I need to do is to walk into the woods behind our home to cut down grapevines and create wreaths, hearts and garlands.
As always, thank you for stopping by!
Letting Go of Christmas
Most people count down the days until Christmas, I on the other hand count the number of days I have until the last decoration is placed gently into it’s designated bin. As of today I sit have one tree fully decorated and floral and pine accents adorning the house. From year to year I usually follow a set pattern for decorating relying on photographs of past Christmases to help my memory. This year I chose to mix it up. I tried to create vignettes that would gracefully flow into a winter theme. I found the most challenging aspect of this holiday season was NOT buying into the year-end treasure trove of holiday decorating sales. I’m still visualizing the white pine bough garland that I could have bought for $6.00 a bough to change next year’s theme. But alas, storage eventually becomes a challenge!
THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY!
As Winter Approaches…
A crackling fire, the scent of wood smoke in the air
Frosted grass crunching under the weight of each step
Longer nights – shorter days – neutral shades
Memories of flying rainbows brighten the darker recesses of my mind
A Peek into Rural Eastern PA
Our world is an amazingly beautiful place
Mountains cloaked in clouds, blue-green waters kissing white sand.
I see beauty in everything outside my backdoor, I wonder if you see it too …
Musings on a Daffodil
When living in a northern latitude country the anticipation of the coming spring can be overwhelming. Waiting for ephemerals to break through once frozen soil can hardly be contained. When I moved here there were no gardens adjacent to the hardwood forest. I would look out the windows and see only shades of brown. Slowly green growth would emerge from honeysuckle and spicebushes. I knew I needed more. Daffodils had been planted the front garden by the former owners. I decided to dig them out, separate the bulbs and move them to various places throughout the property. As gardens grew and daffodil clumps doubled in size, each subsequent season the clumps were dug up, bulbs separated and transplanted into gardens adjacent to the hardwood forest. I was also given a clump of daffodils from neighbor who had removed them from her parents grave site. Another clump came from a friend who rented a property where daffodils were growing in the nearby woods. I share this because all the daffodils you see in the photos are the “children” of all who grew here or were given to me. None were bought. They were all planted with love and tended to with gentleness and gratitude for what they give back to me each spring.
“Children” of the daffodils from a friend
Daffodils and the bumblebee
Daffodils in lower gardens
Daffodils by the stream
Reasons to Smile – A walk through a garden
The snow that blanketed the earth is but a fleeting memory and flowers abound
Pinks – indigo – yellow
Shades of primary colors
Hellebore flower
Daffodil after the rain
Reseeded hellebores
Glory of the Snow
I am not alone as I walk, with each step I take care not to trip over another visitor to the gardens
The Eastern Garter snake I almost stepped on
Eastern Garter snake
We all rejoice in the warm southern breezes that reach our northeastern homes
Female cardinal
Purple finch
