Orchid Show Adventure

Hi Folks,   My goodness, this month is zipping right along. We are having some chilly weather down here in zone 10 s.e. FL. It started Monday with light rain and has drizzled off and on through earlier this morning. More 'liquid sunshine' is to happen around 11-12 today then no rain is predicted for the next 9 days. Low temps in the 40's for the next two nights. Highs have been around 60. Some areas could see frost this weekend.

Sunday a new sweet young friend, Sarah, and I went to an orchid show in Miami, her treat. It was a respite from every day life and stresses for me. We took the turnpike, traffic was not bad because it was Sunday morning, coming back was a little busier. I don't travel very far from home, so this was truly an adventure, about an hour's drive.  It was a sunshiny day, lots of clouds, and warm, around 80. On the way I saw the iconic Hard Rock guitar hotel. Amazing.

There was a very long line and slow moving traffic when we got near the expo center, but we talked and laughed about people cutting in line, truly amazing how they feel no shame in doing that. We were directed to a very nice spot, close to entry of show. A blessing for our patience?  ;-)

I only got two pictures of the people and booths set up. There was just too much going on, LOTS of people around all of the orchid sellers booths. Thousands of beautiful orchids in every shape, size, color imaginable. Exciting and wonderful!! It was the last day of the show so buyers were filling carts and their arms were filled with bags of beauty. My focus was on taking pictures of orchids along with lots of others with their phones or wonderful SLR cameras. I'm an amateur photographer with my phone.
 

Now here come the orchids. I just took the ones that were part of the main display for the competition. Didn't take any of orchids at the booths. It was almost overwhelming.

I will probably do this in three parts so as not to overload everyone, and run myself ragged doing the editing and uploading. 

I don't know any of the names or types of orchids. Some have tags. I didn't do so well on taking pics of some of them. Sorry.

 

 

 

 

 

That is all for now, there are about 40 more pictures. ;-)

I am so thankful to God, Yahweh, Jehovah, Jesus our Great Creator, 

who created all of these beautiful orchids. 

For inspiring man to hybridize adding more beauty into this world.

~~~~~~

In the Bible we read:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.

The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good."
Genesis 1:11-12
~~~~~~
Then we have these words by Francis Bacon:

"GOD ALMIGHTY first planted a garden. 

And indeed it is the purest of human pleasures. 

It is the greatest refreshment to the spirits of man..."

~~~~~~

His words set creation in motion and His beautiful creation speaks to our hearts.

God's words refresh our souls, 

and draw us close to Him 

when we open our hearts to Him. 

In these troubling times where negativity reigns in the media, 

for our health and well-being,

we need to be out enjoying the beauty all around us. 

There is beauty everywhere we only need to stop and look. 

Even in starkness, there is beauty.

~~~~~~

Enjoy the rest of your week 

and

thanks for visiting.

FlowerLady

 

 

 

 
 

 

First day of 2025

Greetings from Plum Cottage this first day of January 2025. I hope you all had safe holidays and pray that 2025 will be a blessed year for you.

The fireworks were not as bad as I expected last night and really only lasted about 30-45 minutes before all was quiet once again. In years past, fireworks have lasted till around 2 am. I did see some wonderful sparkly colors happening out my scullery window and they made up for all of the noise.

The header photo is of the garlic vine covering my wash house. There is also Hamelia patens, bougainvillea, Alamo vine, and a couple other vines I can't think of the names of at the moment. The garlic vine blooms several times a year and it is not the flowers that smell of garlic, but the leaves when you brush up against or crush them. I've had this vine for many, many years. I love it. Except it does grow pretty fast.

Here are a couple of pictures taken in August 2023 when it all got a hair cut.

Here's the way it looks now from inside the secret garden.

 

This is taken from the driveway.

Here is a closeup of these beautiful flowers.

 

Here is a link from Hot Tropicals with info about this vine. I live in zone 10a s.e. FL.    Garlic Vine

 Well, that's it for this first day of 2025. I saw a hummingbird today, lots of butterflies flitting about, and I received an invitation from a new young friend, to go to an orchid festival on the 19th, which I am looking forward to. Being able to see clearly all of the wonderful colors will be absolutely wonderful. I am excited.

 During the holidays I watched a wonderful movie 'A Cinderella Christmas Ball'. I want to watch it again, it was really good. I will close this post with a line from the movie.

"Every day is a gift from God

wrapped in new paper."

Let's be thankful and enjoy each new day that we are blessed with.

Have a blessed 2025.

FlowerLady

 

Merry Christmas from Plum Cottage

Good morning Folks,

Here it is the 23rd of December already. We've had some lovely chilly weather down here in s.e. FL, lowest so far for me has been 51 with real feel temp of 42. Woke up to this look on scullery window that let me know it was cold outside. I don't see this often so it was a treat.

I've not done much decorating so far this year, dealing with cataract surgeries. Got a late start so will leave it Christmasy looking until the new year.

Here's my tiny tree in my little office/creative space. Lovely 'Angel Face' roses from my overgrown gardens are scenting the space with their wonderful scent.

Below picture is taken from my chair. A little tree filled with special ornaments. The angel hanging on the mirror was made by my late MIL.

 

 Now I'll share some of the 'ornies' with you.

 

My late MIL hand painted this little porcelain ballerina

 adding her tulle skirt and beads in her hair.

 

 

 

 

My husband's folks gave us ornaments each year, this lion couple was the last one.

 

My husband gave me the hand painted blown out egg. 

I crocheted the red heart and printed out the love birds.

 

Snow couple made by a friend in an ornie swap. 

The red and white heart was made by a sweet young friend 

the year God called my dear husband home.

 

 

My late MIL made the little mail box that has a moveable flag and the door also opens.

When she gave it to us, it had two chocolate kisses in it.

 

 

A widow friend gave me the ornament to the left in the photo. 

She had also received this ornament when she became a widow.

 

Today is Christmas Eve.

 

Below is the nativity set up. I got a late start this year in decorating, with the 2 cataract surgeries. 

I started this morning.

The first picture is of the creche that my husband made after we got home from Spain, where we had lived for three years while he did his tour of duty for the US Navy. He made it for the little 'mud' nativity figures we'd gotten in the little square in middle of the town that we lived in. I love setting this up every year.

The mud figures were bought in 1970 or 1971 I think. So they are over 50 years old now. We came home summer of 1973.

 

Here the creche is empty waiting to be filled with Light and Joy.

 

 

 

The little 'mud' figures are Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, a donkey, a cow, and three wisemen.

 

The hanging angel in blue was my husband's from when he was a boy.

 

The silver s&p shakers hold bits of myrrh in one and bits of frankincense in the other.

 

The Roman soldiers are hand painted lead miniature figures.

 

If you look close you can see a bible with a cross on it at the feet of baby Jesus.

 

The old angel at the back is ancient, I picked him up at a local flea mkt many years ago.

 

 

This tinier tree is also in my office/creative space.

 

That's it for this year's decorating. It is always a joy to decorate for Christmas.

I am thankful for Christmas and what it stands for.

🎄🎄🎄

We can read the following in the Bible:

In Isaiah 7:14

 "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, 

and shall bring forth a son, 

and they shall call his name Emmanuel, 

which being interpreted is, God with us."

Matthew 1:23
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; 

Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 

 John 1:1-4
In the beginning was the Word, 

and the Word was with God, 

and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; 

and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In him was life; 

and the life was the light of men.

 

 John 1:14 

And the Word was made flesh, 

and dwelt among us, 

(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) 

full of grace and truth.

 

 You can read the whole account of the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:1-20

 

🎄🎄🎄

 

Below is a video that popped up on my you tube feed.

It is a beautiful & wonderful explanation of God becoming man, taking on flesh, as Jesus.

Jesus said in John 14:9

"He who has seen me has seen the Father.

In John 10:30 He said:

 ^"I and my Father are one."

 

Colossians 2:9 says: 

For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

 

God came in the flesh to save us from our sins and give us life eternal.

He loves us deeply. 

He has loved us since before we were born. 

I pray that anyone who visits here and reads the scripture verses on this wonderful event, 

and watches this video 

will be drawn into a relationship with Jesus.

 

Acts 17:28

For in Him we live and move and have our being

He has promised to never leave or forsake us.

He is always with us.

 

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

 

From my little Plum Cottage to your homes wherever you are, 

 

🎄 Merry Christmas 🎄

 

FlowerLady

 

 

Colors are bright and beautiful

Greetings friends ~ Here it is almost the middle of December. We are having cooler temps, with rain and continuing cool temps for the next week starting Saturday. Right now the sun is shining in a big blue sky, we have winds @ 15 mph with gusts @ 25. The temp at 1:12 pm is 72 but real feel is 68.

Yesterday I had cataract surgery done on the left eye, on Nov. 20th I had the right eye surgery. This morning I had a follow up on the left eye and all is doing well. Eye pressure normal. It is a little blurry, to be expected, but getting better as the day marches on. The brightness of colors is truly amazing. I didn't really realize just how bad my eyes were. It was a weird three weeks having one eye cloudy and one clear. It really made me appreciate being able to see clearly.

I can hardly wait to get back to needleworking with tiny and bigger beads, threads and ribbon. I looked at photos in my computer of projects done a few years ago and got inspired and excited. I also can hardly wait to start working in gardens again. They are so overgrown it is embarrassing.

I've been blessed in this eye experience! With a great, kind surgeon, nurses and staff, with my friend Kathryn's help taking me to every appt. And just recently I was blessed a friend paying for the laser end of my surgery bill. God is so awesome in how He cares about our lives and He has been with me through this whole thing. I've been blessed with love, prayers and encouragement. Now I'm on the other side of surgeries. Thank you Jesus.

It is the Christmas season and I look forward to decorating my little cottage, with my heart full of gratitude and my eyes being able to see true, wonderful colors again.

I pray that you all have a lovely Christmas season. It's all about love, real joy and peace, not just about gifts.

Love, hugs and prayers,

FlowerLady