Hello Again

After many months of postings on Facebook, busy with e-mail and my smartphone, I have finally realized that I have neglected my blog.

Where do I begin?? Well, it is the middle of winter, and we have had constant snow for weeks. It has been a beautiful sight, and there have been many photo opportunities, as long as one doesn't mind being out in 10-20 degree temperatures, and can stand up on the ice and snow. We have thoroughly enjoyed feeding and watching the birds. There have been an abundance of finches, juncos, cardinals and bluejays. The bluebirds are using our birdbath as a source of water, and are so pretty perched around the edge.

Fluffy about has us trained to open the door and let him indoors and then back outside when he wants. He is very picky and only wants to come and go when it is "his" idea. He is such a good little cat, and has us wrapped around his furry little paw.

I am looking forward to the flower gardens of Spring and hours in the outdoors and warm sunshine. I am ready to get out the seed catalogues and plan what I want to see growing.

I have begun the daunting task of organizing photos from years past. I hardly know where to begin, or the correct method, but I have begun. It will be wonderful when it is finished, and they are in order to be enjoyed.

Today I just completed another painting, which has been in progress for a few weeks. Now I am considering what will be my next picture to paint. I don't think it will be another snow picture, as I have about had my fill of the winter scene. I am always drawn to houses, trees, and flowers. Perhaps, a beach....I will think on that. It certainly sounds delightful on a January night in the Midwest. I would love to feel the warm sand, watch the shorebirds, pelicans, and gulls while watching the waves roll in. Summer, summer, I know you are on your way.

I am hoping to return to my blog more frequently now. It's nice to be back.

May ~~Sunshine and Showers

With our lawn mower in the repair shop, we found yet another reason to "take a break" at Barnes and Noble. After dropping the mower off, we went by and got our grandson, Gabe, and took him with us to Carbondale.
Here we are checking out some magazines and the computer.

Gabe is Adam's son, and he is a 15 year old high school freshman.

Yesterday we got to visit with our daughter-in-law who was in the area for 4 days, from Oregon. We met her at Effingham at El Rancherito, for a delicious meal and some great conversation, catching up on the 4 years she and Adam and family have lived out west. She was missing her 3 little ones, and had been real busy while here cleaning out a storage shed, and visiting with family and friends in southern Illinois. Sarah said she thought she didn't like the Oregon weather, with temps in the 50-60's and rain everyday, but while here she still had rain, and the temperatures up in upper 70's felt hot to her. She found her body had adjusted to the climate on the Oregon coast.
Today I have been refreshing my hummingbirds feeders, and they have been buzzing around like crazy. It is so nice to watch all the birds at our feeders. I planned on some yard work, but we just had another pop-up rain shower, so I am waiting for the sunshine and hopefully will get something accomplished soon. Enjoying my journey during this beautiful springtime.

April--Springtime--My Favorite Season

Leon working VERY hard! For over 3 hours! Won't those tomatoes be yummy?!

This is one photo of the azaleas at Callaway Gardens. Oh so beautiful!



Since Winter has passed and I have "sprung into spring" there has been little time for posting on my blog. It has been a busy time with the yard needing much attention and my yearning for the splash of color that flowers add to the green background and blue sky. We also made a trip to Georgia to visit family and check out Callaway Gardens while the azaleas were in bloom. It was a very nice time and I have taken many pictures, yet not had much time for photo editing, and posting. I have begonias and impatiens in their shady places, my bright pink geraniums in the pots at the front steps, and for a change planted some snapdragons in a couple flower boxes with the dusty miller and sedum.






Leon worked for several hours on Thursday using our rototiller to break up the soil for planting a small garden. Now that the rains have come, it will need to be gone over again before planting, but hopefully the next time will be easier. Our soil is also known as clay!! So it is a challenge to grow beautiful plants, but we enjoy the opportunity to give it a try, and will be thrilled with our harvest. Tomato plants are in their containers awaiting their place in the real earth, as well as cucumbers, radishes, carrots, beets, corn, squash, sage, and maybe a pumpkin or gourd, who knows. If we plant them, they will grow!!!






I attempted to upload photos on here, but Blogger isn't cooperating, so this may be a photo less posting. I will give it one more try and hope for the best.

I have been pretty tired by the end of the day, yet the next morning I look forward to getting back out there amongst the flowers and birds and getting even more dirt under my fingernails. Yes, I do wear garden gloves, but some things just require them coming off and then before I know it I am really "into my yard work".

I hope to return to this blog before such a long intermission, but I do have very important flowers to tend to, and many leaves to remove, and lawn to mow. Oh I just love Spring!!! Great exercise, if one can move after 10-12 hours of stretching, crawling, bending and walking, nothing like those lackadaisical hours of winter, where I spent in the pages of my books, watching the snow out the window pane.

Happy Journeys through the fields of flowers. Hope to see you soon.

Cold and Snowy Greetings!

Here I am returning from my walk to the mailbox.

Leon snapped this from our front door. It was soooo cold outside.

Just before the snow arrived, yet the temperatures had dropped, our pond was so beautiful on this winter's evening, as the designs formed on the ice. God's own painting, done in ice on a canvas of water. What a lovely masterpiece. A one-of-a-kind, never to be duplicated, nor recreated.

One another of our recent winter's days, I caught the sun's rays dancing across our icy pond, just about 30 minutes before sunset. It was bitter cold that day. I don't think the thermometer ever made it to 10. It's not easy to tell that by the stillness in the photo.

The winds were howling, the snow was blowing and the temperatures were in the single digits, as our "snowsock" added some patriotic color to our back yard. The lovely sights were our reward for enduring the bitter winter 2010 has brought us.

One more picture of the snow on the limbs of our ash tree that overhangs the pond. No birds in those houses this winter, but they serve as a reminder that spring will hopefully bring some new tenants. We do have multitudes of birds at our feeders, though, and they really are enjoying the feast of seed and suet, as well as water, when all other sources are frozen.

Two weeks of January are already behind us, and Spring is just around the corner! We have had a heat wave today--in the 40's and our snow is watering the earth. Winter offers a different landscape from all other seasons, and our trees and plants are hopefully being rejuvenated during their resting season. I too am blessed by this time of indoors activities, and the opportunity to plan and daydream about the upcoming days of family, friends, flowers, and green grass and leaves on trees. For now, just enjoy the beautiful sights of "winter", as our journey takes us into this new year.

Welcome 2010-Winter awaiting Spring

Winter, a time of beauty,

though bitter cold and blowing winds,

Disagree with our fragile skin.

Look closely, as you pass by the countryside, and all around scenes call out to become a photograph.

This sweet lighthouse is on Lake Springfield, and I took this picture from our car window as we drove to my sister's house for Christmas. I always look for this lighthouse, and try to snap a picture, if a big truck doesn't get between me view. The wind blowing the snow added to the background being muted and set the winter mood.

One can almost feel the falling snow, while joining the little female cardinal on a branch in our yard. Winter is certainly making itself known this year. It is a brisk 7 degrees, and going up to the teens by afternoon. I am daydreaming of Spring.

Our cat, Fluffy, spends most of his time napping on his blanket on the end of our couch. He is very spoiled, and super smart, for a cat!!! He looked at me as I was typing and wanted to be included in this blog posting, so here is his picture!

Now this picture of me was not taken today, as it is way toooo cold for me to be sitting outside, but I am doing some reading, and relaxing during this cold spell. The current read is "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. It was recommended by Leon's daughter, and so far is a very good book. The perfect way to spend a winter's day.

Soon and very soon you will find me checking for the daffodils to be popping up in the flower garden. These were last spring. The stand for the gazing ball is a pipe from Leon's Mom's yard in Radcliff. It makes the ideal holder and holds sentimental value.

Stay warm! Get out those Henry Fields catalogues and plan for Spring gardens, and check out a good book on these winter's days. Wishing you all a Blessed 2010!

Snowflakes in December

Snow covers our winter garden and adorns it for Christmas.

I love to see the evergreens with snow glistening on the boughs. As I walked to the mailbox today, I was thrilled as the snow gently fell and clung to the northwest sides of the trees. 'Tis the season to be jolly, fa, la,la, la, la, ..la,la, la, la! The stillness whispers of the sacredness of the season.

Back to the warm cozy house, and time to turn on the oven and make some snowflakes of my own. Cookies, of course!!

Once I got going on cutting out cookies, I wanted to make some Christmas trees too. The following are some of my edible treats. It took me a while to get the dough mixed, then chilled, then cut out and baked, and finally iced. I had forgotten what fun it was to make sugar cookies. And I was ready to sit for a while after finishing the treats.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and both in our home and outside. Here is a picture I painted a few months back of Santa. May your Christmas be Merry and Bright~. God bless you one and all.

Autumn in Southern Illinois

Illumination of Blackberry leaves creates a rainbow through the woodland.

A lovely walk down the leaf strewn path was like a parade on each side with the colors of the remaining foliage glistening in the evening sun.

It has been a difficult 6 weeks waiting for our camera to be repaired. I did take some photos with our Olympus and these are the pictures that depict the last few weeks in southern Illinois. As always, I can't resist taking pictures of hay bales. Although I am more of a fan of the older, smaller rectangular bales, still the large round ones are beautiful too.

Farmers are still struggling to harvest their crops, as witnessed by the corn below. I love to see the corn and the textures of the stalks, tassels, silks and blades. Childhood memories of being raised on the farm, and watching the harvest flood my mind as I examine and recall the intricate beauty of God's creation.

As you can see, we have an abundance of leaves, which is great for our compost pile. And the effort it takes to get them there is great for our exercise routine! Gets us moving and off the couch. I am to report that we do have many of them blown around the trees, raked, and moved to their designated places.

Here you can see Leon doing some of our leaf-management. No that's not smoke, it is dust! There was sooo much dust in the leaves, which is strange with all the rain we have had, but guess it is partly leaf-mold. Anyway, when we work in them, we have found that a mask is good for filtering the air.

After all this hard work, we needed a break, so we went to Carlyle Lake and checked on the wildlife. Saw this beautiful great blue heron fishing on the western shoreline. He was very cooperative, and beautiful. I surely wished I had my other camera!

The west access at Carlyle had very high water, and there were lots of gulls enjoying the misty, gray afternoon. They were waiting for a hand-out and using the handrail for a perch. It was such a wet, foggy day that it reminded me of New England.

When all the dust has settled, and all the rain has cleared, look up!!! This is the vision of bright hope and beauty, as the limb-sculptures frame the magnificent blue sky and the motion of the drifting white clouds forms a motion-picture, unmatched by any theater screen. It is a reminder to keep looking up--keep the faith, count our blessings and Give Thanks!!