Joy in little things

Good evening Friends ~ I hope you all survived seeing in the New Year. I was in bed around 9, lots of fireworks woke me up around midnight. I am thankful for this new year and thank God for this first day of it.

Yesterday I washed a load of laundry and while hanging the laundry out to dry, I noticed a bit of ‘shell rock’ in what looked like to me, the shape of a heart. I bent down and picked it up and yes, it was a heart shape. I slipped it into my pocket and continued hanging out the laundry.

I forgot about the rock until I felt it in my pocket later. I took it out and put it on the lamp base of lamp I just moved from my ‘creative space’ to the living room. This morning I decided to take a picture of it because it was a gift to me from my heavenly Father, and I was just so happy with it. He knows my love of hearts, He also knows my dear husband would bring them to me when he found them. Well, as I was taking the picture, I noticed something that I could hardly believe. I raced, all of 6 feet from the living room to my creative space, sat in my chair, pulled up my art program, downloaded the photo and my own personal heart/seat of emotions, just became overflowing with love and thanksgiving.

There in this shell rock heart is a stylized ‘M’, (at least that’s how it jumps out at me),

which is the first initial of my dear husband’s first name.

I find this little ‘heart gem’ on the last day of 2016,

and see my dear husband’s initial in it on the first day of 2017.

God showed His great love for me in this small piece of fossilized earth, part of His creation that is ancient. To others it wouldn’t even look like a heart, just a rock on the ground. If you start looking for hearts, if you are into them, you will find some. It’s a great way to start a ‘free’ collection from the creator of the universe, be it rocks, leaves, pieces of wood, etc.

***

This morning one of my lady church family friends gave me the little devotional by Sarah Young, “Jesus Always”. In today’s reading was this:

“Search for signs of My loving Presence as you journey along the path of Life. Look for the little pleasures I have strewn alongside your pathway – sometimes in surprising places – and thank Me for each one. Your thankfulness will keep you close to Me and help you find Joy in your journey.”

Wow, I certainly felt this was meant just for me today.

***

I was given the book “Jesus Calling” on Valentine’s Day 2013, 2 months after my dear husband left this planet to be with God, by a sweet friend. For my birthday in March of 2015, I was given the book “Jesus Today” by another sweet friend. Today I was blessed with this latest book by Sarah Young, “Jesus Always” by a new sweet friend. These books are written based on scripture, but written as if Jesus Himself is talking to you. Scripture references are included at the bottom of each day’s reading. I recommend any and all of these to those searching for a closer relationship with our God, the Great Creator and Savior of the world, Jesus.

What a wonderful way to start this new year for me. May you all feel God’s love surrounding you and drawing you to Him.

Have a fantastic 1st week of this new year. Be thankful. All won’t be a bed of roses, we weren’t promised that, but we are promised that God will be with us through every step of our journey in this life.

Love, hugs & prayers to all of you ~ FlowerLady

One Year Ends, A New One Begins

Good New Year’s Eve day ~ I hope you’ve all had a relaxing, reflective week between Christmas and New Year’s day tomorrow. This year has zipped right along. I am looking forward to seeing what adventures God will bring my way in 2017. He saw me through this past year’s ups and downs, He has been my strength when I was weak. He gave me things to make me smile, some to laugh right out loud, and there were things that also made me sad and shed more healing tears. I am thankful to Him for taking care of me each and every day, for lessons learned and lessons yet to learn.

Christmas day started off with me driving the turnpike to a half-way point between my dear BIL & SIL, where my BIL picked me up. I left my van in the toll booth’s parking area, and we headed north to where they live, about another 30 minutes away. I left home around 6:20, got home just about 12 hours later.  Traffic wasn’t too bad on the way up, but on the way back it was a little heavier.

It was a good day.  Family, love, laughter, a nice Christmas service, and good food. I only got  a little teary after dinner when we all sat around singing old hymns, and when we sang ‘When We All Get to Heaven’, that did it.  It was a lovely day though, and I didn’t have to drive in the ‘dark’ for very long. I was glad to arrive safely back home to my sweet little haven. I don’t like driving busy roads at high speeds, but I made it to and from, so that was my Christmas adventure.

Tuesday my back started cramping between shoulder blades, an area where I get ‘tight’. Well, by Tuesday night it was really bad and I decided to take some of my Christmas $ and see my massage therapist Carmen. I texted her, and she had an opening at 9 Wed. morning. She is wonderful and she worked on me for almost two hours.  She said I was really TIGHT there and in a couple of other areas as well. I could hardly get up off the table after she was finished, and was ready to fall asleep. Lucky for me she’s less that 5-10 minutes away. I came home, had a little lunch, drank water, napped, drank more water and just lazed around. I’ve basically been lazy ever since. No heavy work, or ‘tight’ work.

It’s been a stressful month and a half and with working on beaded things, I really just wound right up. I will show some of what I beaded, will show two other pieces later.

I did do a little more beading yesterday evening on another heart that will end up in my Etsy shop when I re-open it. I’m crocheting the edging now. I’ve set up an old wooden TV tray to work on instead of trying to use my keyboard area. This is much nicer and I can look right out into the front patio.

Yesterday morning I started working on rearranging my beading/creative/embroidery area. I was inspired by one of my blogging friends, Nancy of ‘A Joyful Cottage’. She had just done some work in her creative space and showed before and after pics. Here is the start of my reorganizing.

Before

After ~ I brought in two glass blocks from outside, cleaned them up, and put a 35 1/2 inch glass shelf that I had stashed in the bedroom, on top. I took out the artistic lamp and brought in another desk type, which makes the space feel and look larger.  This whole little room is only 6’x8’.

The colorful ends in photo below, are the caps to my alcohol ink pens for coloring silk ribbon for my ribbon embroidery. They are now sitting over the bin drawer of silk ribbon.

It was nice coming out here this morning to a different look. I look forward to doing more in here as it is cluttered with yarns, felt, fabric, etc. that needs to be put away.

Last night as I was sitting here at my computer I looked to my left and oh my, the sky was absolutely beautiful. I grabbed my camera, took the first photo from my chair, then headed outdoors.

I loved how the sun was hitting the pine trees.

Look at those swirls of color under the puffs. WOW!

The sunset colors hitting the front outside wall of my creative sapce was amazing. It made the color more plumy. The black metal hearts are going to be a painting project soon. I can hardly wait. They were my first curbside find after my dear husband left this planet. I was thrilled because they are ‘hearts’.

Some rose blooms to end this post.

This is Barnhouse, taken yesterday,

and the open bloom today. This has such a lovely scent.

Below is ‘Miss Atwood’, she is just gorgeous and has a wonderful scent too.

This is a baby plant that I got this past spring from Rose Petals Nursery. I had two blooms, one a bud and the other open, yesterday.

I just love how these petals curl over, and the colors are beautiful.

Ok, that’s it from Plum Cottage for 2016.

Happy 2017

to all,

FlowerLady

Tomorrow is Christmas

 

Plum Cottage blooms

Hi Friends ~ I do hope you all are taking some time to relax during this hectic holiday season. I don’t go out unless I absolutely have to. Tuesday I absolutely had to, as I had an appt. to have my second tooth pulled in a week. What a relief it is to not have my jaws throbbing from pain anymore!!

I feel like my daily nap, but I am waiting on a lawn care person to come by and give me an estimate on a couple of jobs. I did work outside for a couple of hours this morning and it felt so good to be out there ‘doing’. I’ll tell you, besides missing my husband for who he is and being the love of my life,  I sure miss his ability to do so many things around here. He saved us LOTS of $$ through the years because of his many talents. I was his ‘helper’ and always loved working with him. Now, I have to find help where I can, some free, some paid for. I do as much as I can and am inspired by other ladies (around my age), who take care of themselves, homes, businesses. All of you who still have your husbands by your sides, please tell them how much you appreciate all that they do for you, how much they mean to you, tell them you love them, encourage them, forgive them.

Thought I’d share some flowers that are in bloom down here. They make me feel happy, content and thankful. May they brighten your cold, wintery days.

First off, three lavender beauties. The first two, I don’t know the names of. I’ve been told, but don’t remember. The third is called, ‘Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow’.

Two blooms of Confederate Rose. This plant produces ‘volunteers’.

Blooms below are from my ‘Daisy Tree’, Montanoa atriplicifolia (Yucatan Daisy). I bought it as a baby in 2014, and right now it is pretty spraggly, so I need to prune it. It is supposed to bloom all year. Things have just gotten way out of hand, but now that I’m feeling better and the weather is cooler, I hope to get caught up in the gardens.

This was called GrayLeaf by the person I bought it from. I found out that it is, Melochia tomentosa. The leaves are a silvery green, very pretty and delicate and the flowers tiny.

This is the ‘Tropical Hydrangea’ with ‘Spicy Jatropha’ in the upper left, and a purple weed flower bottom right.

‘Vanda’ orchids, given to me over 25 years ago.

An unknown rose.

The following pictures are of the rose called ‘Carnation’.

First three photos taken on the 14th. The last two this morning, the 15th.

‘Louis Philippe’, or the Florida Cracker Rose.

‘Bermuda’s Kathleen’

‘Cemetery’ Rose

‘Crepuscule’ rose

The first three pics are of coral ‘Drift’ roses, fresh then faded out as they age.

‘Picnic’ miniature roses.

This is an unknown.

Made for my dentist. I just got the whim to make this for her, in between having two teeth pulled. She’s 2 1/4 inches tall, by 2 1/2 inches wide.

And, to end this post, look what I spied under the Christmas tree.

I woke her up. It was her first time sleeping in this basket in this new place. I was wondering when/if she would sleep here. The basket was given to us by my husband’s family, filled with goodies, for our 25th wedding anniversary, which makes this basket 22 years old now.

That’s it for now. I need to do Christmas baking in the next few days and finish up a couple of gifts.

Happy Christmas holidays to all of you ~ FlowerLady