Showing posts with label sunset. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sunset. Show all posts

Monday, December 17, 2012

Dracena frangrans, sunset, inspiration

Good morning Folks ~ I hope that today will be a day filled with hope and love for all of you, no matter where you are. We have a fresh week ahead of us, a new chapter with pages in our books to be written.

It is hard to believe that Christmas is so close already. I know a lot of you are enjoying all of the preparations and that is so much fun. The expectancy, baking, decorating, gifts, and family gatherings.

It is so warm down here that it doesn’t feel like Christmas at all. I did have a wonderful little get-away to a lovely wonderland of Christmas this morning via blogland and Jeri of Hopalong Hollow Gazette. Do go visit her, you will be inspired. I was by one of her photos, so did some tweaking under my tree.

The little boy baby DH picked up at a flea market many, many years ago when we had our antique shop. It was ‘supposed’ to be for sale, but ended up staying in my little collection. I’m not sure where the little bear came from but he’s a cutie. The hand made primitive doll I bought at a local flea market many, many years ago for $2.

12-17-christmas-tree

The little boy’s head is split from ear to ear, which you can’t see in the photo. I really need to make him some sort of hat. He has one hand missing and the other is being held on with string.

12-17-christmas-tree2

 

12-17-christmas-tree3

The above photos made me want to take a photo of some of my favorite teddy bears.

Here’s a photo of the TB’s sitting on the back of our little sofa.

From left to right they are:

Gift from DH many, many years ago. It’s a well-loved antique. He paid $1. Smile

The little sweetie with flowered hat is one I got in a teddy bear swap. It is a Boyd’s.

Another well-worn bear was DH’s second teddy. His first one fell apart.

The little black one was crocheted by me many years ago.

The next two are flea market or yard sale finds.

The one on the far right is one my DH bought me in Switzerland while we were on vacation there while we lived in Spain during his 4 year hitch in the US Navy. Maybe in 1972. These make me feel happy.

12-17-teddies

The other evening I went out for a little mood change and while out there I was overwhelmed by a scent. I had a feeling as to where it was coming from, looked and sure enough. The Dracena Fragrans. The scent of this was always too much for DH. A little of it goes a long way, but unfortunately there is hardly ever a little of it. It was almost too much for me this time. I came in for the camera and here are the photos. We have two clusters of these growing. One up front and one behind my shed by the enclosed clothesline garden area. These bloom at night.

12-16 dracena-fragrans3

12-16 dracena-fragrans

12-16 dracena-fragrans2

Here is the sunset as seen through the bedroom window last night. Excuse the power lines, but that is part of my view too.

12-16-sunset

Below is an excerpt I found this morning when searching quotes about sunsets.

The Meaning of the Sunset

by Charles E. Jefferson (1860-1937)

“Stand near to a sunset and what do you see? Examine It through the microscope of science and what have you? Vibrations, dust, aqueous vapour, air-currents. That is, all It seems as though these things might have been swept together by the wind, as though it all might be due to a fortuitous concourse of atoms, as though bits of matter might have fallen into a meaningless hodgepodge.

But wait! Stand back! Farther back! Now look at it! A picture! Outlines such as no artist ever sketched; cathedrals, minarets, spires, ancient castles, majestic palaces, towers, domes, more majestic than those of which any architect ever dreamed. And colours oh, what colours! Delicate tints, exquisite hues, artistic shadings, bewitching gradations, combinations of lights and shadows such as never entered into the heart of man to conceive.

Ah, this is none other than the work of God the work of the Infinite Artist

If Moses took off his sandals in the presence of a burning bush, well may we bow our heads and hearts in the presence of a sky all aflame with God!

**********

Wishing you all love, peace and joy filled holidays. Let God speak to you through His creation. Listen for His still small voice.

Love ~ FlowerLady

Click the link to read more about my life now on The Continuing Journey.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Sunset, Royal Tropicana, Oatmeal Cake

Good morning everyone. Hope you all have a great weekend. It's hard to believe it's Friday already.

We've had some thunderstorms the past two afternoons giving us some much needed rain, and lowering the humidity a tad. Yesterday morning DH and I were both outside moving a few things, and our clothes became wet in no time from the heavy humidity. It was awful.

This morning I've got a loaf of Italian herb bread going in the bread machine, it smells good already. I'll be heading off to work later, and I'll see how it is there, as this is our off season, and we have road construction going on there, plus a down economy.


These clouds sure got my attention. It was after a thunderstorm and the sun was setting. Just beautiful.




Here is the Royal Poinciana with dark sky behind. I really love that contrast. This tree is only in bloom for a short while, so I am enjoying the show while it lasts.



Now here is a picture of a new recipe I tried yesterday afternoon, and oh my, this was absolutely scrumptious. I cut the cake in half to have a layered cake. The cake recipe was from here. I'm not sure where I found the frosting recipe.





OATMEAL CAKE WITH COCONUT FROSTING

1 1/2 c. boiling water
1 c. quick oatmeal
1 stick butter
2 eggs
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1 1/3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt

CAKE: Pour boiling water over oatmeal and butter, cover for 20 minutes. Add sugars, eggs and beat. Sift dry ingredients and add. Pour into 13 x 9 inch baking dish (greased and floured). Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

GOLDEN COCONUT FROSTING

1/2 c. butter
1 1/3 c. coconut
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c. milk
2 c. sifted confectioners' sugar

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet. Add coconut and stir until golden brown. Remove about half the coconut; set aside.

Melt remaining butter in skillet with coconut. Add brown sugar. Cook and stir over low heat 2 minutes or until blended. Then add milk, bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cool.

Gradually add confectioners' sugar until it's about the right consistency to spread, beating well after each addition. Spread on cake. Sprinkle with remaining coconut. Makes 2 cups frosting, or enough to cover tops and sides of two 8-inch layers, one 9-inch square, or 24 cupcakes.

P.S. I used some coconut milk I had left-over from when I made coconut bread the other day, in place of regular milk.

**********************

It is the sweet, simple things of life

which are the real ones after all.

Laura Ingalls Wilder



Zone 10 ~ s.e. FL