The Wishing Tree...

The Wishing Tree....

Today is the anniversary of 9/11...  wherever we went today, we saw reminders of the horrific events of September 11th, 2001..., people patriotically waving huge Stars & Stripes flags on freeway overpasses, special programming on many of the t.v showed over and over again the mass destruction, the fear and anguish on the faces of innocent people...,  flags everywhere flew at half mast...

I found it challenging to think about blogging and love today, as again and again I was reminded of what happened 9 years ago, and feelings of dread returned and the sense of helplessness flooded in.

Though the day had started grey, towards afternoon the sun began to shine, and we decided to go to the local park for a walk... Getting fresh air and exercise is always a great way to lift the spirits..., and on this day, it was just what I needed...

Walking into the park we noticed several people standing near a tree who's branches were festooned with brown paper tags fluttering in the breeze...

At the base of the tree we found a bag with an explanation...

Inside the bag were blank cardboard tags, twine and waterproof pens.. the instructions said "a wish tree.... for anyone who has a wish."

The Wish Tree was festooned with hundreds of tags, covered in peoples written wishes...

Our hearts were touched, as we stood and read the wishes of so many anonymous people, who'd put their hearts desire on a piece of card to be shared by the world...

What a beautiful thing for someone to think of sharing with the world..., today I was shown, there is always beauty to be found, if we have eyes to look and a hearts that are open...

If you could make a wish - for anything...., what would it be?

  

Pink Flower Collection...

Ok, so I must confess, I have be remiss in prepping for Pink Saturday this week... so, I'd like to celebrate this week with looking back through the past year and sharing my favorite Pink Flower Pictures...

It seems that the warm days of summer have gone, and in its place the days are cool and grey, spiders are busy making their way inside houses, as if they know its time to seek shelter.., the swallows flit and swoop anxiously as if preparing themselves for their winter journey...

Happy Pink Saturday everyone..., http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Enjoy the last vestiges of summer everyone, and ready yourself for Autumn.

Fun with the new camera...

Well, after prompting from my friend Carol, who left a comment saying she "expected lots of photo's" on yesterday's post ... Here are a few shots taken in the garden after heavy rains last night.. with my exciting new camera...

I must admit I felt a little intimidated by it,  but I found that once I got started this morning,  I had a hard time stopping, I was having so much fun...., but then I remembered.., I had to get myself to work...,,, preferably before noon!

I know I've got a lot to learn, and the camera has a lot of potential.., but I'm already getting a hint of the lovely images that are possible... So here you go Carol... enjoy....

Hydrangea 

Smoke Bush ~ cotinus

Phygelus 

Mexican Gorda

A very large arachnid sniffing the Mums... eek!

The Garden Guardian...

The other day as I wandered through the garden to pick some herbs, I paused to check on the little seedlings of Tuscan Kale and onions I'd planted a month ago..., I was surprised and delighted to see that despite getting very little attention from me (a little watering, and some sluggo sprinkled to keep the slimey plant slurper slugs at bay,) the "little" plants had grown almost a foot tall..., as I stood wondering what  had happened to make these plants flourish, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a little snake curled up warming himself on a nearby rock...  

I imagined this little snake being the guardian of my little vegetables plants.  He looked so content and at peace on the warm rock... his snake spirit scaring any slugs and bugs that might consider dining on the tender young plants... Thankssssssssss little snake....

Below is a Mary Oliver poem ~ enjoy...

Ribbon Snake Asleep In The Sun

~ Mary Oliver

I come upon him and he is 

startled; he glides

to the rock's rim; he wheels, setting in motion

the stripes of his body, yet not going

anywhere.  And though the books say

it can't be done, since his eyes are set

too far apart in the narrow skull, I'm not

lying when I say that he lifts his face and looks

into my eyes and I look back until

we are both staring hard

at each other.  He wants to know 

just where in this bright, blue-faced world

he might be safe.  He wants to go on with the

flow of his life.  Then he straightens

his shining back and drops

from the rocks and rockets through

the tangle of weeds, sliding, as he goes, over

my bare foot.  Then it vanishes

into the shade and the grass, down to

some slubby stream, having

startled me in return.  But this is a

small matter.  What I would speak of, rather,

is the weightless string of his actually soft and 

nervous body; the nameless stars of its eyes.

Special Gift...

Can you believe this???

So, I opened the beautiful wrapped birthday gift from my beloved and look what I found...? A Nikon D5000 digital SLR camera with zoom lens.

For the last year or so I've been using a Canon digital point and shoot camera (which I love.)  But recently I've been thinking,  it might be nice to take photos with more detail, and be able to capture those very quick little birds that flit, flit, flit before I can even open up my camera bag!

So, as you might guess, I am THRILLED to bits...  Of course, I will have to really stretch myself to understand the whole SLR camera business (thank goodness it comes with two - yes TWO videos, as I'm definitely a "visual learner.")    Of course, I've already been playing with it before even reading or looking at the instructions with mixed results... (nothing to do with the camera - everything to do with the novice operator!)

Here's a sampling of photo's taken with this beautiful new camera... 

Tazzie

Dahlia & Chocolate Nicotiana 

Birthday Flowers

Pink Beauties

So much fun..., looking forward to many, many adventures and travels with my new Nikon...sighhhh...

Party Time....

For the past year, in fact ever since my birthday last year when I was very miserable racing with CG in the rain,  I promised myself that for my next birthday I would be home (no racing,)  and I would throw myself a party to celebrate.  I wanted to surround myself with  friends new and old (all women friends,) and have a good time...

............. And that is precisely what I did yesterday.......

....And I had a blast...

Starting in the morning, (after two large cups of stout Earl Grey, breakfast and a hot bath,) I began my day by preparing food - I LOVE to feed people tasty, nutritious dishes - (always Gluten Free,)  I get tremendous satisfaction from it, and that in turn, feeds my soul.

 

My day truly began to shine when my friend Gioia arrived from Oregon to spend the day with me..., as I puttered about the kitchen, Gioia chatted with me and helped prepare salad and veggies..., I got  to have some quality "Girl time" as CG puts it...  

Just as I was drowning the vanilla cake in torrents of creamy rich caramel sauce (ok, so the cake is not so nutritious, but hey..., it was a special day!) the guests began to arrive...  

It was a small group, and we all fit just perfectly into the new space (everyone had a chair!)  Most people didn't know each other,,, but within minutes everyone had someone to talk to and after a while  I just stood back, observed my dear, sweet friends for a few moments and gave thanks...

It was a great day, a great party shared with a fabulous group of pretty wonderful unique and diverse women, the one thing that they all had in common - their amazing, beautiful hearts.  

Henry Ford once said " my best friends are the friends that bring out the best in me." This is my truth when I say being around each of these women I am able to feel good about myself, I can actually say, I even like myself, I feel lovable and seen and heard and acknowledged for all that is good in me. 

Whenever I see them, this is the gift that they share from their beautiful amazing hearts...  I feel rich in friends...  as Emily Dickinson said so long ago " My friends are my estate." - 

Thank you dear ladies, I love you one and all.

And for tomorrow's post???  Here's a clue..., A Very Special Gift From CG who is my biggest supporter in all my endeavours and especially in writing my daily blog....