Flower Families

Newborn

Young lady

Husband and Wife

Mom, Dad and the kids

Extended Family

Family Reunion

~ :-) Have a Happy Day :-) ~

Thank you for your part in making my birthday a Happy Day.

 

Making A Wish

Adding another candle to the cake today.

Woo Hoo !!

;-)

~ Preparing for Picnic Time ~

It won't be long now until Picnic Time will be in full swing.  That fun time when meals become a bit more casual and relaxed.  I think there's nothing like a cute picnic basket to set the tone for a tasty meal served picnic-style.  With that thought in mind I headed to the attic to take stock of my picnic basket situation.

Oh my, these old ratty things will never do.  Somehow I don't think they will set the tone I am after for a lovely picnic like this:

Hmmm ...  I guess I have no other choice.  As much as I really don't want to ...

Spray paint to the rescue :-).  I feel so much better now.  Let the picnics begin!!

While I'm waiting for that first picnic of the season, these blue and yellow whitewashed picnic baskets are the perfect place to display a vintage tea towel and . . .

 a couple of yellow tulips in a vintage little creamer.

Thank you for bearing with me as my fun with spray paint continues.  The novelty is bound to wear off soon, isn't it???

Enjoying The Spring Show

This was the kind of weekend that I find it almost impossible to stay inside for very long.  The weather continues to be delightful and it seems that each day there is something new blooming.

Something new saying "hey, get out here and take a look at me, because before long I will be done putting on my show until next Spring."

This weekend I spent lots of time enjoying the Spring show.  The dogwoods were in center stage.

The pansies are still performing well, but it won't be long until it will be time for their final curtain call.

New to the stage this season are these pots going up the steps on each side of the front porch.  You may remember when I planted them here. 

I pause at this point in the show to pay tribute to the pink tulip.  Planted during a time of grief, it has become the star of the show as it teaches that life will go on and can still hold beauty. 

In the background we have the up and coming stars of the show ~ the azaleas.  And, after the show it's time for a refreshment.  In this case a cup of tea in the garden.  The adorable tea cup and tea pot were made by Donna from Mourning Dove Cottage.

~I hope you are enjoying the show in your area too.

Thoughts From The Kitchen

Spending a few hours in the kitchen this morning gave me a lot of time to think.

The reason I was in the kitchen so long lies within this bag:

It is our Easter tradition to serve Honeybaked ham.  As much as I love the ham, I also love the ham bone.  In the past I have used it to make split pea soup, but this year I am trying White Bean and Ham Soup.

I've got all the ingredients in the pot and now it has to simmer for an hour.  These are some of the things I am thinking about as my soup simmers away.

I am thinking that sometimes the weather is so perfect you don't want the day to ever end.  Today is one of those days here.  After several days of above normal temperatures and a thick layer of yellow pollen covering every outdoor surface, we got a good cleansing rain last night.  Not only is the pollen gone, but the air is fresh, cooler and no humidity.  Glorious.

That I probably should put my Easter decorations away now that Easter is past.  But, I don't think I'm going to because I am still enjoying their Spring cheerfulness. 

That lawn mower lines  on the grass are just as delightful as vacuum lines on the carpet.

That it is a perfect day for eating lunch on the patio.  Wish you could join me.

That when the house is a bit too quiet because the kids have grown up and moved out, a little doggy truly can become your best friend.

That it's time to finish up what's left of the butter lamb.  It would probably be good on some nice crusty bread.  Better add bread to the grocery list as it would be nice to have with the soup tonight.  Once the soup is done I have a few errands to run and a stop at the grocery store is one of them.

That I really do love thrift shopping.  This bunny, egg cup and wooden tray were all from thrift shops.  The tray received a new look thanks to some yellow spray paint.  Which leads me to something else I've been thinking about.  That would be you, my dear blogging friends.  Prior to meeting all of you I don't think I'd ever used spray paint and now I am having so much fun pressing that button and changing the looks of things around my house.  The inspiration, creativity and kindness I receive from visiting you is such a wonderful gift.  In turn, your visits to my little blog home are something I will always treasure.

Time for me to take my thinking cap off and tend to the soup.  I wish each and every one of you a beautiful day.

I've had this little garden bench for a few years now.  It's been fun to plant different things in it.  One year I tossed in a packet of wildflower seeds, another time it was herbs.

As you can see, it is now in need of a paint job.  So, like any good blogger, I got out the spray paint and went to work.

I was getting tired of the boring beige color and decided to try green this time.  I filled it with some bright pink impatiens and think it will look nice when they fill in. 

A little reminder to keep them watered can't hurt.  Our temperatures have been in the upper 80s and it doesn't take long for them to dry out.

I thought it was nice of my Kwanzan Cherry tree to bloom now.  My backyard is looking very pink right now.

Spring and Spray Paint ~ a winning combination.

For The Beauty of the Earth

 As the days lengthen and the temperatures rise, the earth seems to come alive again.  Each day brings new things in the garden.  The bulbs planted last fall reward us with beautiful blooms, trees that look lifeless all winter suddenly come alive with color.

Each morning begins with song ~ beautiful melodies sung to us by the songbirds.

Every time I step outside I am in awe of the beauty unfolding all around me and I am reminded of a hymn.  As I wander through the garden the words to this hymn are playing in my head.

For the Beauty of the Earth

For the beauty of the earth,

For the beauty of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the beauty of each hour

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flower,

Sun and moon and stars of light,

Lord of all, to thee we raise,

This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the joy of human love,

Brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth, and friends above,

Pleasures pure and undefiled,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our grateful hymn of praise.

For each perfect gift of thine,

to our race so freely given,

Graces human and divine,

Flowers of earth and buds of heaven,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our grateful hymn of praise.

For thy Church which evermore

Lifteth holy hands above,

Offering up on every shore

Her pure sacrifice of love,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our grateful hymn of praise.

Ever since I can remember this hymn has been one of my favorites.   In searching for the words, I learned that the lyrics were written in 1864 by Folliot S. Pierpoint.  The following information was taken from this website.

Folliot Sandford Pierpoint was taking a walk one late Spring day, in the lovely area surrounding his home in Bath, England. Overwhelmed with the beauty he saw, he sat down and wrote "For the Beauty of the Earth." Not only does Pierpoint thank God for His beautiful creation, but also for family, friends and other gifts God has bestowed upon us.

His list of blessings includes the natural beauty of earth and skies, the amazing creation called the "human being" and the gift of time. But some of his warmest words are used to thank God for the joy that family and friends—living and departed—have given, and continue to give to our lives.

~ Mom & I - Easter 2009 ~

As I prepare to celebrate Easter with my family, I remember the family members who will not be at our table this year and these particular words from a hymn written so many years ago hold particular significance:

For the joy of human love,

Brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth, and friends above

May you find joy in the beauty of Springtime.