Late February Garden

Everywhere I look the garden is showing signs of waking up.

Lenten Blessings, Aimee

Notes on photo: moss, cyclamen (indoors right now), camellia sasanqua, forsythia (forced, but the plant outdoors is starting to show color too), pieries, primroses, tete a tete daffodils, praecox rhododendron, evergreen huckleberry and primrose (in center).

Today we went to a nursery where there was a great buy on primroses. As you can tell I am still not over my craving for the color pink; no, not even close. My poor hubby, I am afraid that soon he might see pink 'blooming' everywhere. As you can also tell, I am not tired of playing with Picasa yet...but I do have quite a bit more on my 'to learn' list:)

What color are you drawn to this month? Have you visited your local nursery yet? I almost, almost, almost bought some herbs, lettuce and more bulbs...but the snow level is dropping and we've already had some hail. Despite the blooming taking place in the garden, I think we're not done with winter yet.

Of Mountains + Valleys

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth...

Lenten Blessings, Aimee

Notes:

Psalms 121: 1-2 KJV -- my favorite Psalm since I was a teenager.

Photos taken in several areas off one of the main highways to the Oregon coast;

love those backroad adventures! Collage created using Picasa.

Recent playlist for Lent:

Casting Crowns, "I Will Praise You in the Storm"

Kari Jobe, "The Revelation Song"

Phillips, Craig + Dean, "You Are God Alone"

Lent Begins: Ash Wednesday

In this life on earth we travel many paths...

The year we lost mom, I traveled this one with my dad and best friend.

This path was new to me then and each curve of the road revealed more of the beauty of creation...

Valley, hills, mountains, woodlands, forests, rivers...it was truly beautiful and I eagerly 'drank' in each new sight!

Shortly after we turned onto this new path that year, I remember stopping at a wide pullout and getting out of the car.

Walking as close to the edge of the cliff as I dared, I saw what looked to be some kind of waterfall...but so much of my sight was obscured by the seasonal growth of weeds, I had a very limited view of its true beauty...

Recently my DH and I returned to that same spot. The ground was wet and muddy; secure footing seemed unsure in the area I had stood before. But then my wise hubby pointed out another place where it was drier and cautiously I walked towards the edge.

I looked out and down, this time through the minimal foliage of wintertime and this is what I saw...

Today Lent begins...another opportunity to focus on the Creator; another chance to let Him remove the 'weeds' in my life (politics, TV, bad choices, wrong priorities, etc) so I might see more clearly what is true and what is not; another chance to more fully realize just how much our Abba Father loves His children...just how much He loves me.

And though I will never fully see or know Him on this side of eternity--just as I could not see the whole waterfall even with a lot of the weeds gone that day; I know God will reveal more of Himself if I set apart time to meet with Him. And so the 'drawing nigh' time begins anew...with a refreshing of the Spirit to follow.

Lenten Blessings, Aimee

Note: Three Rivers Highway, Cosper Creek Falls.

Shrove Tuesday (AKA Pancake Day)

Have a blessed Shrove Tuesday--Lent begins tomorrow!

Aimee

Notes:

Meyer Lemon pancake (from a mix) with imported Sicilian orange marmalade (although this combination was OK, next time I'll use lingonberry or another berry preserve with the pancakes). Also pictured: lemon soy yogurt (interesting taste; first time to try it). Another first-coconut milk yogurt (I will try this again, wonderful after taste, slightly different consistency than milk based yogurt). Soon to try: coconut milk.

Photo edited in picasa (another first---a very, very fun first) :)

There Are Only Two Kinds of People...

I used to think there was just one kind of people.

My type.

People whose time at the coast wasn't complete

till they had seen one (or a hundred) of these babies.

People who would save (or bring) food for them--

or at least hoped someone else would.

People who knew the BEST places to find them

(and considered this knowledge something to share only with their best friends...

and other family, of course). And then after making them affirm, most sincerely, that they would never divulge this information to anyone.

And so the years passed by and I continued in blissful ignorance

until THAT day...

the day I learned there was indeed another type of person...

the kind that didn't like seagulls,

the kind that thought of them as (sob, sob) nuisances...

I am still recovering from the shock of that day.

So what kind of person are you?

Do you like them,

have hundreds of photos of them and

gleefully jump up and down when someone feeds them

(so you can take more photos to add to your collection?

Or do you consider them something akin to the birds

of that famous movie by Alfred Hitchcock?

Blessings, Aimee

In Celebration of Pets

Today I woke up early to get some chores done;

I listened to the TV to see what the weather would be like today...

and found out it would be cold, wet, most winterlike.

~

But then it happened,

for the reporter announced

that today was unlike any other day...

in fact, today was special, very special

because

of

them.

So in honor of

their special day...

always make sure they have a warm bed to sleep in and good food

(even if they take over your bed and beg for treats).

Always make sure that someone kind is watching over them;

because you are their whole world!

Love them when they go the extra mile for you--

because they do it just because it's

for you.

Cuddle them whenever they need that extra touch of reassurance

and

always keep them safe from danger.

Make sure they have toys--

even if they drag them out and you end up stepping on them

(in barefeet in the middle of the night)

And even if you know,

that unlike kids who grow up,

you'll always be the one to pick those toys and bones up.

But most of all,

LOVE your pet--no matter what kind it is--everyday,

not just today!

Have an awesome LOVE YOUR PET DAY...

and give your little or big one an extra treat and hug today

because they deserve it:)

~

Blessings, Aimee