Love: quotes to reflect on

"The most beautiful sight this earth affords is a man or woman so filled with love that duty is only a name, and its performance the natural outflow and expression of the love which has become the central principle of their life."

Josiah Gilbert Holland, reported in Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), pg 394

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"Love feels no burden, regards not labors, strives toward more than it attains, argues not of impossibility, since it believes that it may and can do all things."

Thomas A Kempis, German monk & mystic, The Imitation of Christ, pt 3, ch 6 (1471)

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"When one has once fully entered the realm of Love, the world--no matter how imperfect--becomes rich and beautiful, it consists solely of opportunities for Love."

Soren Kierkegaard, Works of Love (1847)

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"They do not love that do not show their love."

William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act I, Scene 1

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"Love comforted like sunshine after rain."

William Shakespeare, Venus and Adonis

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"An ounce of love is worth a pound of knowledge."

John Wesley, The Works of Rev John Wesley (1830)

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----and last, but certainly not least, these verses found in the Holy Bible

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“Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Matthew 22:36-40 KJV

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"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever”

I Corinthians 13: 4-8a KJV

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Blessings, Aimee

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Photo: pieris -- reminds me of a bridal bouquet

Sunshine on my Shoulders (or it has to be spring)

My canine baby working on his tan in our springlike weather;

he thinks it is spring.

Our fish think it's spring too;

when I walk by they gather quickly thinking springtime=food.

Sunny skies and sunny yellow forsythia;

a few of the buds have opened fully now brightening up our garden.

And this pretty shrub?

Not part of our garden but proof that springtime is near in the NW.

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Blessings,

Aimee

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Note: "Sunshine on my Shoulders", 1973 by John Denver

A perfect song for this day.

January Journeys

Now that you've seen some views of our January garden, I thought it would be nice to share some scenes from His larger (and sometimes much higher gardens...)

so here are some pictures from our January journeys.

Up high on a road I had never been on before---loved the views (at least from the passenger side of the car I was in).

In a very shaded woodland area--both of us thought these ferns growing in this large tree quite beautiful. It seems like ferns grow in almost any shady area in the PNW (western) -- we have found some under decks, in the shade of buildings and even in a hanging basket! I love the green of our native ferns and mosses.

Another view. I loved this area--the light, the shadows, the ferns,the everything!

And I loved this old barn (got a thing about old barns as many do--especially love the red barns of the Wallowa Valley (no this isn't there) but really anywhere I am). I always look for old barns and sheds; and farm animals and Bambi types (always). None of the latter, unfortunately, on this trip--maybe in February??

Besides mountains and forests, the PNW has a lot of wetlands--in addition to Bambi types I have a weakness for ducks, geese, bald eagles and about every other wild bird that graces the NW. I can hardly wait to get a better camera to share them with family and friends but until then ---here is one I took during a January journey.

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Blessings

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Happy February Field trips to you!

Aimee

Adieu, Aloha, Adios and Farewell

January was good, in many ways, with some spring like weather (TY God!), more remodeling done, some time on the road - and yet I happily bid it goodbye as we move on to February--the month of love, slightly longer daylight hours (good for all fellow SAD sufferers!) and hopefully more sunshine and flowers! But before we leave this month--the dread of some and (maybe) the joy of others--a few more photos taken in my January journeys in the garden..

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And a few more...

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Yes, it was a good January and yes, despite the challenges this winter has brought, this has been a good year thus far and I am thankful for each day of life:)

So goodbye January and thanks for the memories! They were treasures for my anxious heart.

Blessings,

Aimee

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Photos:

Winter fruit (not edible as far as I know)

Mushroom faces

Part of the flagstone path

Ripples and reflections in the upper pond--a common and welcome sight

(and I think I heard a frog the other day)

Pussy willows up HIGH!

Magnolia branches getting some light (Aimee was too)

The underside of one of those BIG mushrooms (pretty but poisonous with all likelihood)

Fern in light--this winter all of them, except one type stayed green and beautiful!

A Walk in His Garden: winter to spring

Necessity is the mother of invention, right? Well since I am still in a holding pattern on getting a new laptop (by my own choice since I still don't feel a 'go ahead' in my heart), I started to play with my hubby's PC and lo and behold if it doesn't have a photo editing program I can use in the meantime...I do miss the matted photo frame look though and I will definitely need to play with all the editing features it offers some more but it will work and I am grateful for it:)

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So here goes a winter to spring 'Walk in His gardens' stroll for your Sunday viewing pleasure.

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Well that was the winter part of the 'walk' and I have a lot more wintry pictures...but since it seems like God has decided that spring should come to the PNW early this year we will move on to the spring pictures :)

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Being outside lately has been pure delight what with the warmer then usual temperatures, some incredibly beautiful clear days, lots of birds singing (and possibly a frog recently too) and - of course - earlier then normal blooming plants! Every time I go outside I feel like singing hymns like 'How Great Thou Art' and 'Fairest Lord Jesus'! I CAN'T help but give thanks for every flower that I see, the pussy willows and the many not-quite-open-yet buds that hold SO much promise for a spectacular spring!

Wishing you all an early spring too!

Blessings,

Aimee

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Photos:

Barberry with pagoda

Moss in water 'globe' (reminded me of the snow globes of my childhood)

Pieris

Spring bulbs emerging --- Yippee!!