Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

It's the time of year when we're reminded to give thanks.

Instead of waiting until next year to be reminded,

Let's make every day one of thanksgiving;

After all, each day is a unique gift.

So, give a hug for no reason;

Say I love you, just because;

Share a smile with a stranger;

Take the time to count your blessings;

Don't take anything or anyone for granted;

And end each day with no regrets.

Thank you, my friends and family,

For sharing, caring, laughing and crying with me.

I'm truly blessed to have each and every one of you in my life

And I am thankful you have allowed me

To be a part of yours.

May you and yours have a safe and memorable Thanksgiving.

Author Unknown

May all of you have a happy, love filled Thanksgiving day whatever you do.
I'm going to start doing some cooking/baking today,
more tomorrow and the bird on Thanksgiving.
So, this is my last post until after.

FlowerLady

Sunday's Blooms

It is another beautiful Sunday morning.
I went out with the camera to take
pictures of what was blooming,
and here they are.

***

This is Pink Pet

Morning glories

Same mgs. but enlarged picture.

Mm. Laurette Messimy

Louis Phillipe

Flame Vine

Ducher

Crepuscule

Cottage Rose

Cassia ~ not sure which one

Bougainvillea

Another Bougainvillea next two photos

This bougainvillea is white with pink and green shading.

This is Cat's Whiskers

This one is for fun. Her name is Tork.
I was trying to take a picture of some flowers
and she got right in my face,
as you can see. : -)

******

Everything that slows us down and forces patience,
everything that sets us back
into the slow circles of nature,
is a help.
Gardening is an instrument of grace.
May Sarton

Crépuscule

Crépuscule is one of my favorite roses. I got this as a cutting from a fellow gardener. I need to make cuttings myself, so that I can have more of this wonderful rose.

I got the following information about her from Help Me Find, a great source for information.

Crépuscule

ARS:
Apricot or apricot blend Noisette.

Registration name: Crépuscule

Origin:
Bred in France (1904) by Francis Dubreuil.

Class:
Noisette, Tea Noisette.

Bloom:
Apricot or apricot blend, ages to deep yellow. Strong, sweet fragrance.
Semi-double to double, in small clusters bloom form.
Blooms in flushes throughout the season.

Habit:
Climbing, well-branched growth habit.

Height of 6' to 12' (185 to 365 cm). Width of 5' to 10' . (150 to 305 cm).

Growing:
USDA zone 6b through 10a . Requires full sun for best color.


******


FlowerLady

******

The gardens that make us happiest flourish
because we have taken the time to make sure
they feed our souls and fill a special place in our lives.

Sometimes you have to think about
what you really want from your garden ...
once the beds are laid out and the rose bushes planted.
Lindley Karstens

Washing Dishes Mindfully

Good morning everyone. It is chilly here once again, but it will warm up and be beautiful once again as the day progresses.

******

A few years back I read 'Simple Abundance ~ A Daybook of Comfort and Joy' by Sarah Ban Breathnach and she mentioned Thich Nhat Hanh. He wrote about the spiritual way to wash dishes in his book 'The Miracle of Mindfulness: A Manual on Meditation. I was inspired by Sarah's book and went on to check out books by Thich Nhat Hanh. I was touched by his writings and his gentle way of living and seeing life.

Below are a couple of excerpts from his books.

******

To my mind, the idea that doing dishes is unpleasant can occur only when you aren't doing them. Once you are standing in front of the sink with your sleeves rolled up and your hands in the warm water, it is really quite pleasant. I enjoy taking my time with each dish, being fully aware of the dish, the water, and each movement of my hands. I know that if I hurry in order to eat dessert sooner, the time of washing dishes will be unpleasant and not worth living. That would be a pity, for each minute, each second of life is a miracle. The dishes themselves and the fact that I am here washing them are miracles!

If I am incapable of washing dishes joyfully, if I want to finish them quickly so I can go and have dessert, I will be equally incapable of enjoying my dessert. With the fork in my hand, I will be thinking about what to do next, and the texture and flavor of the dessert, together with the pleasure of eating it, will be lost. I will always be dragged into the future, never able to live in the present moment.

Each thought, each action in the sunlight of awareness becomes sacred. In this light, no boundary exists between the sacred and the profane. I must confess it takes me a bit longer to do the dishes, but I live fully in every moment, and I am happy. Washing the dishes is at the same time a means and an end--that is, not only do we do the dishes in order to have clean dishes, we also do the dishes just to do the dishes, to live fully in each moment while washing them.

The above was taken from
Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life

***

While washing dishes, wash each piece relaxingly,

as though each bowl is an object of contemplation.
Consider each plate as sacred.
Follow your breath to prevent your mind from straying.
Do not try to hurry to get the job over with.
Consider washing the dishes the most important thing in life.
Washing the dishes is meditation.
If you cannot wash the dishes in mindfulness,
neither can you meditate while sitting in silence.

Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist master, describes these mindfulness exercises as being conscious of each breath, each movement, and every thought and feeling, everything that has any relation to ourselves. This is exactly opposite to how almost all of us live our day-to-day lives. We remain distracted caught up in memories of the past, or dreaming or worrying about the future. We are never present in the moment, in the Here and Now, which is the only place where we can experience life, where we can truly live.

It feels so good to have the dishes all done.
The area looks nice and happier.

Yesterday morning while washing dishes
I saw a hummingbird,
then a little finch.
Butterflies weren't around yet
as it was too chilly for them to be out and about,
but they are usually out in numbers
and there are several different kinds.

May we each learn how to truly live
in each moment we are blessed with every day.

FlowerLady

Spiced Pumpkin Tiramisu Recipe

Here it is almost Thanksgiving once again, and my mind has started thinking about recipes for that 'looked forward to' dinner. For dessert, I think I'm going to fix Spiced Pumpkin Tiramisu. It's been a few years since I made it and it popped into my mind while thinking about what to fix this year. If you have never had it, you are in for a real treat. It is a relatively easy recipe and you will just love the result of your labors.

The recipe calls for Fra' Angelico but this year I'm going to use some Southern Comfort that we have, as we are out of Fra'Angelico. DH and I liked SoCo when we were younger, now it is a bit sweet and strange to us, so after looking it up on line yesterday to see if it would go with pumpkin, I will use it in this recipe. You just drizzle a little on the ladyfingers so it ought to be alright.

Here is the recipe. If you try it, I don't think you will be disappointed.

FlowerLady


SPICED PUMPKIN TIRAMISU

1 package Italian Ladyfingers (Soft, not hard cookies)
1/8 cup Frangelico liqueur
8 oz. Mascarpone (or cream cheese)
1/2 cup canned Pumpkin Puree
1 tsp. ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground Ginger
1/4 tsp. ground Mace
1-1/2 cups Confectioner's Sugar
1 tsp. Orange Extract
2-1/2 cups Heavy Cream, whipped and chilled, divided

Arrange ladyfingers on the bottom of a 9-inch square pan. Pour the Frangelico liqueur over the soft sweet ladyfingers. (You may substitute the same volume of Orange Juice for a non-alcoholic preparation.)

In a mixing bowl, blend together the mascapone with the pumpkin puree. Add the cinnamon, ginger, mace, confectioner's sugar and orange extract.

Fold in 1-1/2 cups of the whipped cream. Pour the mixture over lady fingers.

Gently spread remaining whipped cream on top of pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle the top with a dash or two of additional cinnamon, if desired.

Cover and refrigerate at least two hours before serving, or overnight.
Slice to serve.

It's a Beautiful Morning

This morning we woke up to chilly, breezy weather
and it feels great.
Yesterday it was near 90.

I am thankful for this new day.
The following song popped into my head.

Have a great day.

FlowerLady

******

It's a beautiful mornin', Ahhh,
I think I'll go outside a while,
An jus' smile.
Just take in some clean fresh air, boy!
Ain't no sense in stayin' inside
If the weather's fine an' you got the time.
It's your chance to wake up and plan another brand new day.

Either way,
It's a beautiful mornin', Ahhh,
Each bird keeps singin' his own song.
So long!
I've got to be on my way, now.
Ain't no fun just hangin' around,
I've got to cover ground, you couldn't keep me down.

It just ain't no good if the sun shines
When you're still inside,
Shouldn't hide, still inside, shouldn't hide,
Ahhhh..Oh! (shouldn't hide) Ah, ah, Oh.....


There will be children with robins and flowers;
Sunshine caresses each new waking hour.
Seems to me that the people keep seeing
More and more each day, gotta say, lead the way,
It's okay, wednesday, thursday, it's okay,
(Ahhh) monday, wednesday, friday, weekday, Ah, Ah, Ohhh.

The Young Rascals



******

Do not be discouraged

Discouragement can come in many ways.
It can strike us at any time, over any thing.

Whether it be gardening, cooking, woodworking, our jobs, our hobbies,
the way things are going in the world.

Discouragement tries to kill the joy and peace
that can fill our lives otherwise.

Each day is new, a gift.
Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not here yet, today is what we have.
Will we seek the good, asking for strength and guidance,
or look for all the wrongs and live in worry?

The choice is ours.
There is much to learn through each day's experiences, good or bad.

There is beauty and blessings in each day,
that can lift our hearts and souls to higher ground.

I will close this little post with a thought from
Gertrude Jeykll.

Sincerely ~ FlowerLady

******

"Let no one be discouraged

by the thought of how much there is to learn.

Each new step becomes a little surer,

and each new grasp a little firmer."


******

A Well Watered Garden

The wonderful little book, A Well Watered Garden ~ by Harriet Crosby, was given to me by a dear friend and I thank her for it. It has been a blessing in my life. I believe that God is with me at all times, but I feel Him more when I'm in my gardens or out anywhere in His great creation.


From this book and from reading online I have read that gardens can be a place of healing. Tending our gardens is a way to seek healing from God, to transform pain into a thing of beauty and hope. Caring for a living garden in the midst of pain and sorrow brings a slow, deep, and lasting healing. Our gardens are not another project to be finished on time.


Our gardens are a special place where we 'slow down', reflect on our life and listen as God speaks to us.


Our gardens are a place of refreshment and rejuvenation. There are many ways to make our gardens a place to unwind, relax, and take in the beauty that surrounds us and the many blessings that come our way, big or small.


Wind chimes ~ Some tones have a healing effect; calming our minds, relieving stress, awakening our spirits, and improving our concentration level. They are symbolic of harmony and peace, serenity and tranquility.


A place to sit and a table are nice in our gardens. We can rest from our labors and take refreshment from a cool or hot beverage whatever the time of year may be.


A water feature of some sort in our gardens brings a feeling of peace and the sound covers unwelcome noises that may be in our space. Water has relaxing properties.


*** Science has yet to discover exactly how moving water decreases life's craziness, but the growing numbers of believers, like Brown, are beginning to see the light and the peace that these features can offer. The secret might have more to do with intuition and less with real science. Water can connect us to our humanity and allows us to let go of life's annoyances, if only for a moment. "There's something very relaxing about water. Even if you have a still pond without movement, there is just that feeling of serenity," says Linda Wiggen Kraft, owner of Gardens for the Soul in St. Louis. "Water is often an element that is associated with emotions. I think it does help us get in touch with our emotions, especially those which comfort us." ***


For more on this see the link below. Healing Gardens


Bird baths and feeders add delight to our gardens as the joyous sound of birds and seeing their antics add to the therapeutic qualities of our garden spaces.


Planting flowers and herbs for butterflies adds another dimension to our gardens. These wonderful 'flying flowers' haven't a care in the world.


I want to rest in the loving care of my Creator. I want to stop, listen, see, feel and take in the scents of this life that is all around. I want to feel His loving presence surrounding me.

***

The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion;

slow to anger, and of great mercy.

The LORD is good to all:

and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Sincerely ~ FlowerLady

Thank you to all Veterans and their families.

I want to say a heart felt thank you to my DH
and to all Veterans,
for doing your part in protecting our country from the evils of the world.

It is never an easy thing to leave all that is familiar and dear,
to head out into the unknown,
fighting for the freedoms that we enjoy in this country.

I want to say thank you also to the families you leave behind.
To your wives and or husbands,
that must take charge of your family,
keeping things together, being both mother and father.
To the other family members, mothers, fathers, etc. who must let their loved one go.

God bless you all and God bless our country.

FlowerLady

People Get Ready

People get ready
Theres a train a-coming
You don't need no baggage
You just get on board
All you need is faith
To hear the diesels humming
Don't need no ticket
You just thank the Lord.

People get ready
For the train to jordan
Picking up passengers
From coast to coast
Faith is the key
Open the doors and board them
Theres room for all
Among the loved the most

There ain't no room
For the hopeless sinner
Who would hurt all mankind just
To save his own
Have pity on those
Whose chances are thinner
Cause theres no hiding place
From the kingdoms throne

So people get ready
For the train a-comin
You don't need no baggage
You just get on board !
All you need is faith
To hear the diesels humming
Don't need no ticket
You just thank, you just thank the Lord.

(Curtis Mayfield, 1964)

Purple datura bloom

These are spectacular.

As the old saying goes,
a pictures is worth a thousand words.

FlowerLady

Yellow datura bloom

Below are a pictures of a yellow double datura bloom.

This is just gorgeous and the seeds were given to me
by a fellow blogger and gardener. Thank you Nell.
I really enjoy growing plants from seed.

FlowerLady

Beautiful datura bloom

Good morning everyone.
It looks like it's going to be a gorgeous day here,
so I hope to get out to play in my gardens.

Today's posting is about a lovely plant.
It is highly poisonous if ingested though,
so please don't do that.

I have grown three different ones, white, yellow and double purple.
Each one is beautiful, they are all scented.
It is fun to watch them unfurl, but it does take a little time.
The seed pods look like something from a science fiction movie.

Here are some websites with some very interesting information.

Emily Compost

Doug Green's

A Native American Symbol

***

Below are a sequence of pictures that I took.
These are all of the same blossom, just taken
at different times of the day/evening.

FlowerLady

You Are the Artist

There are infinite horizons
where you learn to become the mapmaker
while here in your time on earth.

You are the artist
with all the hues of the rainbow at your fingertips.

Dip in,
begin your canvas
and soar to wondrous heights & depths
to enter the relationship of quiet healing and awakening.

Reunite with wisdoms
that nurture,
nourish and feed your soul and spirit.

Author Unknown

Gratitude

Can you see the holiness in those things you take for granted

a paved road or a washing machine?

If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation,

you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude,

a feeling that nurtures the soul.

Rabbi Harold Kushner