Flowers in my Garden

Flowers are forever Beginning and Beginning again.

This spring some cropped up beautifully and others seem to still be slumbering...
here is a peek.

A flower need not be RARE to be beautiful.

Imaginary Blooms to brighten a wall. 

No water required!

How is your garden growing?  I hope a surprise shows up, something unexpected and charming!

Peace in the World

May, for a few moments

there be Peace around the World.

Let us all remember what we have in common 

rather than what divides us.

Let there be: 

equal status

acceptance

inclusion

understanding

cooperation

heart softening

just for a few moments.

For the Children of the World.

May our children's children hold a world with out conflict

in their hands.

A heart full of gratitude to our men and women who serve  our country in countless ways. 

May their families be cared for and appreciated for their stress and sacrifice.

What a beautiful weekend to fly the American flag.

Strolling through My Photos

For two days I have been "strolling" through 10,000 photos.    Please don't faint!!! (It is true. I had a total i Photo melt down and some "blessed-brilliant" tech rescued my images from oblivion.)

As my eyes blurred and my head became soggy with  the passing of countless images,

I had a light bulb moment

.

I need FUN TIME... a trip to Ashley's, Rambling and Photos Scavenger Hunt

Rainbows: seems like a happy way to begin!!!

Are you smiling? Remember those yard wide plastic hoops and the challenge they presented?

Now how about something FLUFFY??

The Easter Bunny tried the "chimney trick" this year. Not a fleck of soot on a single little critter!!

Letters:  

Breakfast anyone. One of those tucked away, Southern Cooking hide outs.

Metal: 

Haven't a clue what this was used for...but the rust, red and green are to "covet."

Trees: this is a big topic! But didn't take me long to find a favorite.

Dried, dehydrated fronds next to a cascade of water, frothing free and wild.

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This is a lot more fun than re-categorizing thousands of mixed up photos.  

Paradise Under the Sea

I wish I were a Mermaid.

I would be more than thrilled to be able to deep water dive like my

son-by-marriage, Daniel Brown. He sees and experiences a world I will never know. I love to hear his tales of "life under the ocean's surface."

(However he has yet to encounter a really-true Mermaid.)

For a few moments I invite you to FLOAT in a world of the purest of imagination, color and design.

All photos taken through glass aquariums at the Children's Discovery Museum.  

Postcards from Paradise

Please feel free to use as a screensaver.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Our four week family reunion has come to an end.

We took the last family to the airport at 6:00am this morning.

What a grand time we all have had. 

A few nights ago we culled through all of our photos that we have accumulated, easily 2,000.

So today's Scavenger Hunt Sunday, surely will reflect what we have done these past weeks.

Besides if I work on this post, I can  delay the inevitable house cleaning!!!!

Ashley Sisk's list today includes: yellow, something that makes me smile, ancient or antique, splash and in the sun.

Yellow:

Yellow simply makes my heart sing. I am rather fudging on the rules; but a real gigantic, bouquet of flowers was the subject of this painting. I no longer have the photograph.

To Smile:

Two little monkeys, monkeying around. If they had slipped they would have landed in the water behind the marble bench.  Little girl monkey is holding beautiful YELLOW snapdragons.....it was either see their faces up close or the flowers!!!  

Antique:

Downtown Charlotte has a wonderfully inspiring historic district. Many of the homes are refurbished and painted joyful colors.  Brings back so many memories (and the work) of living in a historic home!!

Splash:

This magnificent pineapple (sign of hospitality) fountain is in Charleston. Water bursts from every tiny opening.  Children love to run around in the mote. They get quite the drenching. 

In the Sun:

Chasing Alligators!  We came across families of alligators: ten foot to three.

I asked my son-by-marriage, Daniel Brown, to take the alligator photos. 

He captured some fantastic pics....while I stood guard at a respectful distance!

That is all today for our Scavenger Hunt.

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As I went to post on Ramblings and Photos, Ashley had placed a lovely photograph of her dear grandmother who has passed away this week. It is a beautiful visual memory of both of them. Which is the beauty and joy of photography.
My condolences and best wishes as they spend these days in memory of their grandmother.  

Postcards from Paradise

These past weeks of absence from my blog have been spent in many places, falling in love all over again with our adult children and grandchildren.
For our family to see one another takes an act of Congress. Our families live in and out of the country. Last time together was three years ago.
My camera's media card was filled and emptied endless times. Each frame holding a "memory-second" in our time together.
I count it a blessing to LOVE to take photos. Whether they are stellar or blurry, they are a place in time.


They are my Postcards from Paradise.
as hosted by Rebecca at recuerda mi corazon

There are always "loads" of SWEETS in Paradise!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Golly another long absence....but one plum full of family and travel time, all bound together with photographs. It has been a very good few weeks. 


To get back in the swing of things, I thought I would start with Ashley Sisk's, Scavenger Hunt Sunday.   When I first read her "challenge" words I silently thought, "not sure."  I should have had a bit more confidence. I just had to mentally step "outside" the box a bit to illustrate today's five words.


Simple:

Visiting Chicago, we stopped at an Ace Hardware Store where we used to do a great deal of shopping.

Lined up outside like rows of rainbow colored icy-pops were plastic chairs. 

Simple chair. Simple line. Simple color.

Grain:

Golden bursts of grain.

Transportation:

In the last month we have moved about on:

airplanes, cars, wagons and carriages. But most reliable of all are feet!   

Bubbles:

Charleston, SC has an amazing fountain for children and adults alike to splash and dance about....more like a roller coaster with nozzle strength spray.....this was fun!

Stitch:

There was a time when my Bernina sewing machine and I were inseparable. Those years are now long gone. But I still fancy extraordinary stitchery like these costumes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.  

Gosh feels great to be back......hope you enjoy these simple photos from simple moments.

Heart to Heart: have you ever wanted to relax in a lavender colored chair, or run in a sky high spray of water?