Roses of June

Today is my birthday.  I am spending it by myself--and so have chosen to enjoy the beautiful roses in my garden.  I love their scent, variety and the way they look.  Roses always have a happy face.

God bless you, sweet Friends.  My heart and prayers are with you today--you know who you are.

Spring has Sprung!

Today would have been our 35th anniversary.  I miss my Beloved SO much. 

However, today I choose to see what is beautiful.  Spring is here--heralded by this delightful pink weed.  I am of a mind that some flowers which are considered weeds are the most beautiful.

Have a lovely day, sweet Friends.  God is good--for Spring has Sprung!

Sky Reflection

I snapped this photo through the mesh of my window.  It is of the windshield of my car.  I love the way this turned out...

It looks rather mysterious, don't you think? 

Icy Shamrocks

I have always loved clover.  This curl of leaves is bedecked with ice crystals, smiling and sparkling in the morning sun.  Some call this sweet little plant a shamrock--a name from our Irish heritage.  The shamrock is firmly established as the most instantly recognizable emblem of Ireland. It is said to bring good luck, and is usually included in the bouquet of an Irish bride. St. Patrick was said to use the three leaves as a way to explain God.

I adore these lovely little leaves--they grow in my yard and the bees feast on their blossoms throughout Spring and Summer.

I am a friend of the bees and always endeavor to plant flowers they love.

Happy St. Patrick's Day--I know this is a bit early, as that holiday is celebrated on March 17th, still--with Spring's arrival, with its joyous sunshine and bursting of everything green--I am celebrating a little early!

Blessings and joy to you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is a Queen Anne's Lace heart.  When summer is done, the flowers dry and curl into little nests.  This one was embellished by winter's touch.  I took this picture last year.  December and January have been unseasonably warm here in the valley--the warmest on record.

The tiny daffodils are flowering and my Rhodies are trying to bloom.  I kept telling them it was too soon--but with the springlike weather--they weren't listening.

And I was right!  This coming week arctic air is dipping into the valley and we might even see some snow.  My Grandfather called unseasonably early warm weather a "False Spring."  I love his take on the weather.  He would call an ice storm a "Silver thaw."  So much more descriptive than just an "ice storm!"  I miss him--he was my best friend growing up.

Today is bittersweet.  This is my third Valentine's Day without my Beloved husband.  This year has been the hardest in some ways.  My heart and mind are finally realizing he won't be coming back and I am truly alone.

However, instead of moping around, I have decided to celebrate friendship.  I have some of the most amazing, beautiful, wonderful friends in the world.  What a blessing they are!

May God bring unexpected joy and beauty into YOUR lives, this day, dear ones.  You know who you are, and you are ever in my prayers.

Happy New Year!

One never knows what the future holds.  Every moment is a gift of immeasurable worth.  Life has been full of changes these past three years.

At times I am melancholy, but there is also great joy.  I intend upon living every moment to the maximum.  I don't want to waste the gift of time.

Happy New Year dear Friends.  God is good.

Christmas Snow Angel

I took this beautiful photo last year when it snowed in January.  This year the weather folks say we might actually have a white Christmas.  I have not seen a White Christmas in my entire life.  To have one this year would be miraculous indeed, since there are only two White Christmas events recorded for the Southern Willamette Valley of Oregon.

One can always hope and dream.  Christmas is the stuff of dreams.  :D

Merry Christmas sweet Friends!

Sky Stretch -SkyWatch Friday

I am often inspired by the sight of trees in winter stretching toward the sky.  The sky this day was so beautiful--and the two together--sky and tree were stunning.

Have a lovely weekend and keep looking up this Skywatch Friday.

My Love

Just about now, three years ago, the EMTs were arriving to pull my husband from his chair to begin their work of trying to save his life.

A little earlier I had called 911.  With help from the operator, I had fought hard, giving him CPR.  I had done everything I could to keep my Beloved breathing.  I can still remember how his lips felt under mine as I gave him my life's breath.  After the EMTs arrived, I called our children and they soon appeared.

Right about now, Alan would be in the ambulance on his way to the hospital.  We would be following close behind...

At the hospital, I knelt on the floor next to him as they worked to save his life.  Strangely I felt his presence above the bed and looked up to smile at him.  I kept whispering for him to keep fighting.  And he did.  He tried so hard to come back.

I remember standing to the side with our children.  We were all stunned, clinging to one another.  They worked on him a long time.  I still remember the feeling of disbelief when the doctor gently took me aside to say, "It doesn't look good."  I didn't know what that meant.

They could not keep him.  He kept going in and out.  There was a strange quiet in my soul.  Then I remember whispering if he needed to go, to not worry about me, that the children and I would be alright.  Then instantaneously, unbelievably he was gone.

I felt his loving spirit there with us, as we said our goodbyes.  Suddenly my friend Theresa was there.  She had been on her way to work when God told her to turn around and come to the hospital.  And then Judy was there.

I didn't realize it, but all those who had been working to save Alan's life stood in a circle around us as we said our last goodbyes.  Tears streamed down some of their faces.  As we got ready to leave, they stood quietly grouped in the hallway. 

With tears in his eyes, the head nurse gave me his card and said, "We see a lot of these--but it is rare that we see a family handle a moment like this with such love, respect and dignity.  If you need anything, please call me."

I don't remember how I got home.  Much of the weeks and months after his death are a blur in my mind.

How so much time has passed since Alan flew away--is a mystery to me.  I am healing little by little.  And I have had to work through a lot of things.

Today I honor the love, integrity, laughter, humor, talent and dear sweetness of my Beloved Husband.  I want to thank him for the greatest adventure of my life.  And for the love he gave to me and our children.  He was a wonderful husband and father. 

I will always miss him.

Sunset's Burning -SkyWatch Friday

The smoke from the fires this summer caused the sky to burn with beautiful color.  It reminds me to pray for those who have lost their homes and even their lives.  

My heart goes out to all those who have lost so much.  

Keep looking up this Skywatch Friday.

Mushroom Fairy Condo -Outdoor Wednesday

I don't know what it is about mushrooms, but I love them.  I have been intrigued with them since I can remember.  In the forests of my childhood we found just about every variety you can think of.  We learned which of these shrooms were poisonous, and which were edible.  These, by the way are NOT edible.

But they are still quite lovely.  I can well imagine this might be used by fairies for a magical mushroom dwelling place.  Of course, I have a GREAT imagination. 

Have a wonderful day and have a lovely Wednesday, all you wonderful people!

Curling Clouds -Skywatch Friday

I never cease to be amazed by the wonderful things I see in the clouds.  I have so many pictures of the sky and I'm always looking up.  These clouds were particularly lovely. I am always in awe when I see the clouds.

"Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, The thundering of His pavilion?"  Job 36:29

Happy Skywatch Friday--it is nice to be back.  Have a lovely weekend dear Friends. 

Sky Angels -Skywatch Friday

I was so blessed to see this beautiful cloud angel bending to earth.  I caught this one over the fence outside my kitchen door.  It was still summer and I could still hear the crickets.

"This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and Rescues them. Oh taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!…"  Psalm 34:6-8

It has been awhile since I have joined in with Skywatch Friday--it is nice to be back.  Have a lovely weekend dear Friends. 

Sunset Beauty

I was driving on I-5 when this beautiful sunset blew through the windshield.  I had to pull over to take a picture of it.  My photo does not do this wonderful moment justice.

Have a lovely weekend, my Friends. 

Ah, Here Comes the Rain

Fall is here--and rain is on its way.  I am grateful for the rain, because it has halted the terrible wildfires in Oregon's Great Columbia Gorge. 

I am, however, not looking forward to the darkening days of winter.  I am already longing for the Spring. 

Have a lovely day--the good thing is Spring always does come. 

Dear Grandma Gladys

Grandma Gladys flew away to heaven two nights ago.  She has been huge part of my life for almost 35 years.  One of the first dates my Beloved and I had was to visit Grandma and her family.  She has been a delightful part of my life ever since.  Grandma's hands have been busy in our lives...and what a blessing she has been.

She was my mentor.  She taught me how to play like a child, how to be a good Mom--her creativity was always an inspiration.  I loved her stories and we often laughed together.

How grateful I am for the time I recently spent with her while her daughter was away.  We ate at McDonalds (her favorite place), giggled together and I tended to her, throughout the day, and as she slept in her big easy chair.

She is in a better place now--out of pain, able to see and jump and walk--I can't even begin to imagine the freedom and joy she has now.  She is with her Beloved Vic and is seeing the face of Jesus.

I know she's having a ball telling my Beloved husband all about what's been going on down here whilst he's been gone there. 

Have a lovely day, dear Friends--and take time to cherish the ones you love.  Life is fragile and every day is a gift. 

Smoky Skies

Yesterday, this is what the sky looked like at mid-morning.  The mid-Willamette valley where I live has been shrouded with soft, thick wreaths of smoke from wildfires in Southern Oregon, Central Oregon and the Columbia River Gorge.  One could hardly see the hills just a few miles from here.

It seems our entire state is fighting wildfires.  I am praying for rain where the wildfires are burning.  It did rain here this morning--and the air is a bit more clear.  I am grateful.

God bless you dear ones.  You are in my prayers.  You know who you are.