Texture Tuesdays #10...

This weeks theme is one of my favourites ~ Gardening ♥

***

In a picture

I want to say

something comforting

~Vincent Van Gogh~

Comfort & Joy

Kim Klassen Texture: Stained Linen

***

One of my favourite pastimes is Garage Sales. In my town, they typically start in May and end around mid Sept and I am up and out the door early each Saturday morning with newspaper in hand, eager to see what the day's search may unfold.

Over the years, I've found lots of bargains (it really is true that one man's junk is another man's treasure), had lots of laughs (wondering why anyone would buy some items to begin with) :-)

and most importantly, made great memories with my daughter (and garage sale partner in crime)!!
I'm always on the look out for anything garden inspired & many of the "chachkies" in the garden were found at garage sales for pennies. Since we use our garden so much during the Summer, it really is an extension of our home, and we've created little "rooms" throughout it and decorate it as such.

Our pergola has an iron candelabra hanging from it, chairs have comfortable cushions, lanterns are filled with candles, decorative plaques and sconces are attached to the house and just like inside, we are surrounded by things that mean something special to us.

One of my favourite things to collect is vintage galvanized watering cans ♥ Depending on their condition, we use them for holding flowers, simply decoration, and yes, even for watering the garden by hand :-)

No matter what term is used to describe them, be it yard sale, street sale, moving sale, tag sale, car port sale etc ... I look forward to them every Spring/Summer.

This weeks free texture "Stained Linen" from Kim is one of my favourites so far ~ Thank you Kim for use of your generous textures ♥

The Garden in May ...

Welcome to

Sparrow's Garden ...

One of my favourite garden signs ~ three little Sparrows.

A garage sale find!
This is how our garden looks at the end of May ~
Splashes of colour are everywhere now ...

Hedges are in bloom & look their prettiest right now ...

The Columbine look amazing in a little hidden spot in the garden.

It's such a nice surprise to find them when I walk by.

Left completely unattended, they seem to thrive...

The Lilac bush is absolutely dripping in clusters!

Marigolds are in iron baskets hanging along the fence ...

Signs we've had for ages, are showing their age making them even more lovely to me :-)

We have our brush and colours ~ paint

Paradise

and in we go

~Nikos Kazantzakis~

Thankful {things I love} Thursday...

Arranging a bowl of flowers

in the morning

can give a sense of quiet

in a crowded day ~

like writing a poem

or saying a prayer

~Anne Morrow Lindbergh~

This is the view outside my kitchen window ...

The Lilac are in full bloom & our 20 year old Lilac bush never disappoints.

The Yellow Finch are frequent visitors to the garden & I am in awe of their beauty.

After a huge thunderstorm last night, the clusters are hanging heavily.

The aroma the moment I open the kitchen door is breathtaking...

I couldn't resist clipping off a few large clusters to bring indoors a few days ago, & the entire house is perfumed with their unmistakable scent...

Aromatic, romantic, beautiful...

I love lilac ♥♥ & even though the blooms are short lived, I am Thankful for them each Spring.

Country Calm ...

I ♥love♥ turtles

and was thrilled to find this little sweetie on a recent "day in the country" :-)
Just taking it nice and slow and enjoying the day!

As were the horses grazing in wide open fields ...

***

Slow down

and enjoy life

It's not only the

Scenery

you miss

by going too fast -

you also miss the

Sense

of

Where

you are going

and

Why

~Eddie Cantor~

Texture Tuesdays #9...

This week's challenge is to use Kim's "Yesteryear" Texture...
"Sailing"
Kim Klassen Texture : Yesteryear
***
Life is like sailing
You can use
any wind
to go
in any
direction
~Robert Brault~

Thankful {things I love} Thursday...

This past weeks rain has brought about lots of changes ~ buds have turned into blooms, the grass desperately needs cutting & we have colour in our garden thanks to the Lilac.
Of course, it's not only the rain that has brought about change ...

My morning walk is different ~

Today ...

I was Thankful for the beauty of the Red Cardinal keeping a watchful eye over his mate who was eating nearby...
I was Thankful for spotting birds I hadn't seen on the walking path before...
I was Thankful this sweet Pine Siskin looked directly at the camera ...
I was Thankful for this little random bench to sit and reflect ...

The word "Happiness"

would lose its meaning

if it were not balanced

by sadness

~Carl Jung~

Thank You ...

I have no other answer make,

but, Thanks and Thanks

~William Shakespeare~

***

Where do I begin to say Thank You so very much for all the kind, and touching comments left here. I showed them to my family, and from all of us, we say Thank You!

A big Thank You to my friend Kit (a fellow Lab Lover) who wrote a beautiful tribute to Ernie ♥♥

If you press me to say why I loved him

I can say no more than because

He was He

and I was I

~Michel de Montaigne~

Openings In Heaven...

Little did we know when you came into our lives a year and a half ago

that our time together would be so short.

But the memories we made

and the love we shared

will last forever ♥♥
Journey on Wonderful You!

Perhaps they are not stars

but rather, openings in Heaven

where the love of our lost ones

pours through

and shines down upon us

to let us know they are happy

~Eskimo Proverb~

Thankful {things I love} Thursday...

Lean On Me

***

The temps have done a big dip, and today is cold and rainy.

In the past, that wouldn't have stopped Ernie and I from taking our long morning walk.

Now, we don't want him getting cold, so waiting for a bit, hoping the rain will stop, and we can drive to one of our favourite spots for a stroll.

While he sleeps, I've been looking through photos I took the other day.

Puddle Ducks shared the bridge with us and were so adorable waddling and quacking back and forth. I snapped lots of photos of them, but it was only today, when I cropped the photo that I realized this sweet exchange between the two of them.

"I'll lean on you

You lean on me

and Together

we'll be

okay"♥♥♥

Walking & Talking ...

Ernie isn't able to do long walks anymore, so we've been driving to our favourite spots first , and then going for a short walk.

Luckily, we walk v...e...r...y slowly these days, as this couple really took their time waddling in front of us quacking away :-)

***

We build too many walls

and not enough bridges

~Isaac Newton~

Texture Tuesdays #7 ...

Kim's latest texture freebie was named "Believe"

I had to use it with two photos taken of Ernie in our garden.

Today is especially sweet as May 10th was the maximum time (2 weeks) our vet felt we had with our sweet boy.

He is, in fact, doing better than he was two weeks ago! Each day is an added bonus with him ♥

Thankfully, the weather is co-operating, and we are able to sit in the garden and enjoy these sweet days of Spring together.

"Spring Sweetness"

Kim Klassen Texture: Believe

***

You Have To Believe

You have to believe in Happiness

or happiness never comes

I know that a bird chirps none the less

when all he finds is crumbs

You have to believe the buds will blow

believe in the grass in days of snow

That's the reason the bird can sing ~ on his darkest day

he believes in Spring

You have to believe in Happiness

It isn't an awkward thing

The Spring never makes the song, I guess,

as much as the song the Spring

Aye, many a heart could find content

if it saw the road it went

The joy ahead, when it had to grieve

for the joy is there

but you have to

Believe

~Douglas Malloch~

♥♥♥ Many Thanks ♥♥♥

for your lovely comments and e-mails xo

I walk with beauty ...

I feel blessed to be surrounded by such beauty ...
On any given day, no matter what the weather, I see it everywhere as Ernie & I walk...

I stop and talk with the squirrels :-)

who are hoping, I'm sure, that I have brought a treat! ...

the ducks swim closer to shore

thinking the same thing :-) ...

buds are appearing everywhere...

the sun and rain have awakened them ...

We are never alone on our walks ...

And there are subtle signs that others have been on the same walking path...

The chipmunks were very happy to find generous amounts of corn scattered on rocks...

I smiled as they filled up their pouches...
***

BEAUTY before me

I walk with

BEAUTY behind me

I walk with

BEAUTY above me

I walk with

BEAUTY below me

I walk with

BEAUTY all around me

I walk with

~Navajo Night Chant~

I write this hesitantly, and with a heavy heart (and many tears) as my boy Ernie is not well.

Our daily walks have become more and more special. We've been walking at a very slow pace of late, and notice everything because of it.

Over the past few weeks, he has suffered two strokes and after a number of tests and x-rays we have been told by our wonderful, kind and compassionate vet that his time with us is limited.

So I will be taking a little break from the computer ~ enjoying this time with my Beautiful Boy ♥
~D~