Easter Monday Blessings ...

Easter

spells out beauty
the rare beauty

of new life

~S.D. Gordon~

♥ Happy Easter ♥

Texture Tuesdays #3...

A rose by any other name ...

Kim Klassen Texture: Layers

***

We do not grow absolutely, chronologically.

We grow sometimes in one dimension

and not in another, unevenly.

We grow partially.

We are relative.

We are mature in one realm, childish in another.

The past, present and future

mingle

and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present.

We are made up

of

layers

cells

constellations.

~Anais Nin~

Each Day...

Finish each day and be done with it.

You have done what you could; some blunders

and absurdities have crept in; forget them

as soon as you can.

Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it

serenely and with too high a spirit

to be encumbered with your old nonsense

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

***

There are signs of Spring popping up everywhere now. The tops of the tulips are through the soil, and the buds on the Lilac are swelling.

The "resident" doves have returned and have been cooing in the garden, we have a pair of cardinals, lots of chickadees, a few red winged blackbirds, a pair of Jays, and of course, lots of little Sparrows ♥

The weather forecast sounds promising ... so this weekend, I hope to pot up some pansies in the window boxes :-)

Thankful {things I love} Thursday...

{Jax wondering where the birds are} :-)

***

Our little budgie Jax turned 6 on Tuesday ♥

He is a tiny bundle of personality & joy! From the moment I walk into the kitchen in the early hours of the morning, he begins to sing & comes to the door of his cage so I can open it and he can step out :-)

His singing continues all day long (especially if I play Nora Jones who he LOVES)!! He also LOVES bath time which requires lots and lots of newspaper to be placed under his tub!

Splish ... Splash... Jax is taking a bath!

And napping in the sunshine is another afternoon fave...

We've always had a budgie.

Some have been blue, others green, some spoke a little, one spoke a LOT, Jax doesn't speak, but makes up for it with song.

Each one with their own little personality & quirky ways.

I Love budgies ♥♥♥ I Love my Jax ♥♥♥

***

I realized that if I had to choose

I would rather have birds

than airplanes

~Charles Lindberg~

The Simplest Camera...

Long before I became a "Nikon Girl" my tried and true camera was a little Minolta.

My 35mm Freedom Memory Maker was the simplest camera, and looking back, took really good pictures considering :-)

I remember going to the camera shop on a regular basis to pick up film (24 exposures) and then taking it in for processing and waiting days (often calling to see if it had been developed!)

... My children were little back then, so I was buying LOTS of rolls of film :-)

This camera has been on elementary school field trips, family vacations, walks to the park, school events, etc...etc... and never let me down. Not just the photos that bring back memories, but the camera itself which now sits on a shelf in my Studio.

No photographer is as good

as the simplest camera

~Edward Steichen~

Look and think

before opening the shutter.

The ♥heart♥ and mind

are the true lens

of the camera

~Yousuf Karsh~

The Here & Now ...

Our morning walk was filled with bright sunshine & birdsong ♥

We still have quite a bit of snow and winter jackets/boots/hats and gloves are still needed.

The Chickadees have become so tame that they fly down beside us on our morning walk.

They are so quick, that this was the only photo I was able to get :-)

The temps are beginning to warm up ...

And the sun is shining brightly...

The ducks and geese were happily sunning themselves... And squirrels happily nibbling on some seed sprinkled on the bridge.

***

Live is available only in the present.

That is why

we should walk

in such a way

that every step

can bring us

to the

here and now

~Thich Nhat Hanh~

Thankful {things I love} Thursday...

"What happened to Spring"?
***
I love Sparrows ... they may seem like ordinary little birds to many people, but they hold a special spot in my heart ♥
Each morning when I open up the curtains it doesn't take long for them to arrive at the feeders keeping me company as I enjoy my tea.
These two happy fellows seemed to be having a conversation yesterday amid our 'surprise' snow storm. I imagine they were saying the same thing as we were "What happened to Spring"? :-)
***
There is no such thing
as a worthless conversation,
provided you know what to listen for.
And questions
are the breath of life
for a conversation.
~James Nathan Miller~