Mary Mary

Mary Mary quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

I'm so excited. Since we moved to town almost 5 years ago, I haven't grown one thing.

Well, last year I got one tomato. One.

This Easter I had my neighbor over for lunch. His mother had passed and he was alone.

A couple of days later he came to till my yard and help my garden spot.

I credit him for much of this.

I can't wait to get busy with the tomatoes. The sqaush put out lovely blooms but no good produce.

They don't like wet feet and I think I got them too wet. I'm just excited to have something growing.

Beautiful blooms made by my Father, He waters & warms them.

I have found great joy.

{{ 94 }}

I marvel at the intricasies of nest building. When my daughter was doing a project in high school we found abandoned nests. Our collection was quite unique. No two are alike...just like us...carefully woven by our Maker. What appears to be junk on the outside is now part of the plan...it's used, not wasted.

{{ 77 }} Blooms & Bark

The texture of bark, the graceful swooping of branches, the perfectly intricate details of each bloom, their fragrance...
God identifies Himself as Creator.
Can you quietly worship as you observe the beauty He placed all around us? Do you stop and enjoy? Think what a gift it is to us...to be surrounded with loveliness. Enjoy and thank HIM.

{{ 69 }} Neighbors

These little guys have been walking around our neighborhood for a couple of years. No one really knows how they got here or who they used to belong to. As one who brought her own flock of chickens to town I do know they are mature enough to be laying eggs somewhere. I wish I knew. I am always happy to hear their clucking or the scratching in the leaves. Brings a silent smile to know they are here and they can cross the busy road safely.

{{ 50 }} Thunderstorms

It's blurry, I know.

It was dusk and the flash caused this effect. 

It was so good to have a thunderstorm...no tornado

just a storm. Earth cleansed.

{{ 44 }} Red

I'm learning to to like Nandina.

When I first came to this house I could have cared less.

One day Mom and I were walking around my yard and she said how much she liked them.

I think I found an appreciation that day. 

One of our past times in the country, when we were neighbors,

was to walk around our flower beds and talk about how our plants

were growing and living...we loved that. I miss it.

Now Moma lives far away and there's no one to walk around my garden with me.

{{ 42 }} Blackbirds

Four and twenty blackbirds.....
Brenda feeds the kitties on the front porch and with this snow looks like someone else was hungry too.
I'm sure the blackbirds are a nuisance to some but I miss them.
Used to love them covering the fields in the country and listening
to their swoosh as they flew away.

{{ 40 }} Snow

The snow was different this time.

You could see the tiny formations of the crystal.

Pardon me for not knowing the correct terms....

We don't get three snows in one year.

{{ 26 }} Cardinal Love

The only way to photograph these little ones is from inside my house. This happy little couple sings outside my dining room window most every morning. I love cardinals. When we moved from the country to town I was so afraid of how much I would miss them. God in his exceeding graciousness has sent them. 

Did you notice the tree? It's a Mock Orange and full of horrible thorns. I wonder how they can hop from 

branch to branch without being poked to pieces....Another "God Thing".

{{ 19 }} Guarding the Gate

My life on Margaret took me to another neighborhood today.

Everything in the camera's lens looks new.

We hedge in our yards, build fences and guard the treasures behind them.

I think about our hearts, our eyes and ears, the mind....are we as careful in not letting them be invaded? 

Do we hedge them in and protect them? Guard them? 

I think what peace we might have if we did a little more guarding.

Philippians 4:7 

⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 4:23 

²³ Above all else, guard your heart,
   for everything you do flows from it.

{{ 12 }} Icicles

I do like when the snow begins to melt and the icicles begin to form.