thoughtful thursday...

just living

is not enough.

one must have

sunshine,

freedom,

and a little flower.

~~~

hans christian anderson
~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you a little flower...

peggy

birds and butterflies...

do you see

what i see?

~~~

can you see

the tree swallow's

little head sticking

out of the birdhouse gourd?

~~~

i'm excited!

~~~

i'll have a family

of tree sparrows

to watch this summer!

it'll be fun to watch

the baby birds grow

and learn to fly!

~~~

altho their home

isn't very pretty yet,

soon there will be

bright fushia morning glories

climbing up

this lite pole

to greet them!

~~~

these little butterflies
are everywhere!
~~~
i am loving watching them
flutter by...
~~~
the iris are starting to bloom!
~~~
this goldy yellow one
is as bright
as sunshine!
~~~
birds, butterflies, and flowers...
who could ask for more?
~~~~~
~~~
~
enjoy the beauty of your day!
peggy

mail path...

this is the path

thru the trees

to our mailbox.

~~~

dame's rocket is blooming

along the winding path.

~~~

it's pretty purple flower

sits high

on 3 foot stems

and shares it's lovely lilac-like fragrance.

~~~dame's rocket

grows wild

in semi-shaded areas

and blooms

for several weeks.

~~~

this is mable the maple!
~~~
i got mable from
the flower whisperer,
mrs. roberts.
~~~
mable has joined
the dame's rocket,
growing along
the mail path,
filling my world
with
green goodness!
~~~~~
~~~
~
wishing you goodness along your path...
peggy

ferns...

ferns...

i love ferns!

~~~

i love how they unfurl

as they come out of the ground

and then extend

to their full height.

~~~

i love their color.

~~~

green...

just green.

~~~

i love the fronds.

~~~

i love that ferns

are so graceful

and blow so beautifully

in the wind.

~~~

i love that ferns are so

old-fashioned

and that old houses

always have ferns around them.

~~~

i also love to see

ferns on porches.

~~~

ferns have been around forever

and i love that about them.

~~~

beauty,

grace,

and longevity.

~~~

ferns have it all...

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you beauty, grace, and longevity...

peggy

bee dreams...

ever since i read this book,

the secret life of bees

by sue monk kidd,

i've wanted to have bees!

~~~

this book isn't about bees.

the women in this book raise bees

and that's where the bee references comes from.

the book,

simply stated,

is the story

of a young girl

finding a family.

~~~

read this book!

~~~

and then read it again!

~~~

i did!

~~~

the movie was out

a couple years ago

and it was great,

but the book,

is better.

~~~

at least for me,

the book is

always, always better!

always!

~~~

it is sooo good!

~~~

a good summer book...

~~~

and now i love bees!

~~~

amy gave me this honey pot.

it's old and has bees on it.

what's not to love?
~~~

these are some of the hives

i drive by frequently.

aren't they so pretty and colorful?
~~~

i'm pretty sure we need a couple

of these beauties

in our back yard!

my husband isn't as sure...

~~~

i love 'em!

~~~
"honeybees depend not only
on physical contact with the colony,
but also require
its social companionship and support.
isolate a honeybee
from her sisters and she will soon die."
~~~
the queen must die: and other affairs of bees and men
~~~
taken from
the secret life of bees
~~~
see,
bees are just like us...
we need our sisters
(gramas, aunts, moms, sisters, girlfriends)
just like bees need their sisters!
~~~
maybe that's why i love em!
~~~~~
~~~
~
wishing you a day with sisters...
peggy

family fun...

biiiiiiig family fun!

~~~

these canadian geese families

were out for a swim,

this morning.

~~~

a beautiful, breezy, sunny, spring day

for a swim

with family...

and friends!

~~~

how fun is that?

~~~

there's nothing better

than having fun

with family

and friends!

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you a day of fun

with family and friends!

peggy

overflow...

these past few days

have been blissful for me.

my senses overflow!

~~~

there is so much

to see,

to hear,

to smell,

to touch,

to taste!

~~~

the sun is shining

and the lilacs are opening!

the fragrance is

almost intoxicating.

~~~

the violets are so sweet!

~~~

i am seeing them everywhere!

i love their bright vivid blue faces

and heart-shaped leaves.

~~~

the season for iced tea is here!

~~~

the sun tea is brewing

on the front porch steps.

i can't wait to get it iced

and poured into my favorite glass!

~~~

and as i'm potting flowers

outside my back door

this morning...

i am seeing the pinks

of the flowers,

i am listening

to the goldfinch singing,

i can feel the wind cooling me,

and i can smell

the whole wheat bread baking!

~~~

life is soo good!

~~~

soo many good things

to see,

to hear,

to smell

to touch,

to taste!

~~~

my senses are filled

and my cup overflows...

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you a sensual day!

peggy

my old friend is back...

it began to clear last nite

and today...

~~~

today we have

sunshine!

~~~

bright

beautiful

sunshine!

~~~

everyone is happy!

~~~

a chorus fills the air

with all the birds

singing their cheery songs!

~~~

and the flowers are smiling!

~~~

their faces are

bright and beautiful,

reflecting sweet sunshine

for all to see!

~~~

and me?
~~~
i couldn't be happier...
~~~
my old friend
is back!
~~~
it is soo good
to have the sunsine back
to brighten, warm,
and cheer my day!
~~~~~~
~~~
~
wishing you a day of sunshine and cheer!
peggy

thoughtful thursday...

i want

first of all...

to be at peace with myself.

i want a singleness of eye,

a purity of intention,

a central core to my life...

~~~

i want, in fact~

to borrow from the language

of the saints~

to live "in grace"

as much of the time

as possible.

~~~

anne morrow lindbergh

~~~

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you grace today and every day...

peggy

the signs are here...

it's another wet and windy day here,

feeling a little wintery.

~~~

i know it's spring!

it just doesn't feel like spring!

~~~

i know it's spring

because the lilacs

are ready to bloom...

~~~

and the dame's rocket

won't be far behind.

~~~

the grass
is green, green, green
and the clover is flourishing!
~~~
pairs of canadian geese
are back...
~~~

and the baby robins

are hatching.

~~~

the signs are all here!

it is spring!

~~~

now, if it would only

feel like spring!

~~~~~

~~~

~

hoping that it feels like spring where you live!

peggy

tasty tuesday...

rhubarb!

~~~

don't you just looove rhubarb?

i do!

~~~

there's always

a new rhubarb recipe

i want to try!

~~~

rhubarb coffee cake with

caramel sauce

~~~

(this recipe had me

at caramel sauce!)

~~~

1/2 c shortening

1 1/2 c sugar

1 egg

2 c flour

1 t baking soda

1 c buttermilk

1 1/2 finely chopped rhubarb

~~~

topping

~~~

1/2 c brown sugar

1/4 c flour

1 t cinnamon

3 T cold butter

~~~

caramel sauce

~~~

1/2 c butter

1 c brown sugar

1/2 c whipping cream

~~~

in a large bowl,

cream the shortening and sugar.

add the egg and beat well.

combine the flour and baking soda

and add to the creamed mixture

alternately with the buttermilk.

fold in the rhubarb.

place in a greased 9x13 pan.

~~~

for the topping, combine the

brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.

cut in the butter until crumbly and

sprinkle over the batter.

~~~

bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

~~~

for the sauce,

melt the butter in a

small saucepan.

stir in the brown sugar and cream.

bring to a boil,

reduce the heat and

simmer for 3-4 minutes.
~~~

get your coffee ready

(it's coffee cake!)

and

have a biiiig piece

with looooots of caramel sauce!

~~~

you'll be glad you did!

~~~

yum, yum, yum!

~~~ my family loved it!

yours will too!

~~~~~

~~~

~

make it a rhubarb day!

peggy

make it on monday...

my mom gave me

a bag of little clothespins,

knowing i find a use

for them!

~~~

i decided to use them

as bag clips around the kitchen.

~~~

i love detail

so i had to decorate them somehow!

this is what i came up with!

~~~

aren't they fun?

~~~

and easy too!

~~~

i just glued

a piece of

tiny red ric rac

on each side

of the clothespin.

when the glue dried,

i added another coat

over the top of the ric rac!

~~~

that's it!

~~~

i looove red,

and my kitchen is red,

so i had to choose red ric rac,

didn't i?

~~~

an easy peasy
lemon squeezy project
to add some fun
to your kitchen!
~~~
try it!
you'll like it!
~~~~~
~~~
~
make it today!
peggy

happy mother's day...

a very happy day

to all you of you

moms!

~~~

we're all moms

in one way or another...

~~~

so

celebrate you,

and celebrate your mom!

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you love on mother's day!

peggy

catching the rain...

it's a wet rainy day

here today!

~~~

my rain barrel is collecting

as much rain as it can hold.

i'll have the water

when i need it.

~~~

there is water being

collected and held

in other smaller,

more delicate places...

~~~

this sedum is holding the rain,

catching all the little drops

in it's thick, gray-green,

succulent leaves.

~~~

this autumn joy sedum

is also catching the rain,

holding it gently

in it's spongy leaves.

~~~

we'll all have

water when we need it.

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you all that you need!

peggy