Decisions, decisions...

My hubby is asleep on our family room sofa,

one load of laundry is hung outside on drying racks under what I hope continues to be dry skies.

several days of dishes are washed, dried and put away,

a John Wayne movie in on TV,

our three pups are stretched out on the carpet

and I am trying to decide what to do next.

 Part of me wishes we had gone to the coast today

(lately I have felt drawn more and more to that gorgeous place of serenity),

part of me wants to make crepes

(these from Cathy at Wives with Knives),

part of me is eager to get started on jam making

(this recipe featured on Grace's One Saylor's Log),

and then there is the part of me who is faced with the fun task of deciding where these 

newly arrived gifts, from one of our friends, should go...

 Yes, just when I had figured out what it was that some of our gardens were missing...

these blessings arrive at our home.

They won't work in our younger son's PNW/Japanese style garden,

but we have several other possibilities... 

there is my dear daughter's miniature rose garden that badly needs something amidst the lavender, mini roses and Lady's Mantle.

Hum, which one for such a special blessing

as the Daughter of my Heart?

(thinking)

And then there is my mom's memorial garden...

it already has a bird bath, but needs something more I think.

Should this cherub go there?

Among the dogwood, kinnikinnick, salal, columbine, roses, bleeding heart and ferns?

Hum...

Of course the wildflower/perennial garden needs some artwork too...

something to place near the salad burnet, poppies, columbine, snapdragons,

 yarrow and more.

Plus I need to decide if I should paint the wood frames

(they are raised beds)

white or another pastel color,

or just leave them as they are.

Any suggestions?

Hoping your weekend finds you making such pleasant decisions.

Blessings,

Aimee

Notes:

Photos 1-2

Miniature rose garden

Photos 3-6

A few examples of our newly arrived garden art.

There is also a little wood planter that looks kind of like a rocking chair

and a little garden girl.

Photos 7-8

Wildflower/perennial garden

(still in process)

Fun Without the Sun

I have waited for this moment with bated breath...
and, at last, the time is here. And all I can say is...
fun, fun, fun! Oh and thank you Helen:)

But fun or not,  I still should be in bed.

Blessings, Aimee

Collage photos:
Yes, ferns really do grow through the tiny spaces between our deck.
Yes, son, our blueberries in 'your' garden are getting closer to THAT time:)
Oh, beautiful Iceland poppy, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
Yes, it is Rose Festival time again. Here is one of my favorite miniature roses...the Magic Carousel. LOVE this one; love all my miniatures.
Deck shadows...deck shadows from another new plant-a lupine. I wonder if it would look nice to paint/stain some plant shadows on my deck. What do you think? Maybe more subtle than these?
Our first, just about ripe strawberry. I wonder how long it will be till my Alpine's are ripe...oh, oh--they may already be. I forgot they are the white kind (mental note to check Alpine strawberries tomorrow).

Collage made at: http://www.picmonkey.com/# 

Friday Flowers + Fruit

Hello Friday!

Oh yes, it's already a new day and

Aimee should have been in bed by this time,

but of course, she isn't.

Nope! She is up and, as usual, playing with photos,

wishing my favorite genealogy (family history) site had the Washington state 1940 census index searchable and mailing my DDIL (dear daughter-in-law) a photo that I know will make her smile!

But, since I really should be in bed...

this will have to be a quick post.

Actually it may be even quicker than I planned because my broadband is

having reception problems again:(

Here are some flowers and fruit photos for your Friday...

 Dianthus--gorgeous, I LOVE pink dianthus.

LOVE these flowers...

 One of our newest wildflower/perennial floral residents...

an Icelandic poppy.

Well suited for life at Aimee's place since everyone knows I LOVE things that remind me of Scandinavia--even if I have no idea where these poppies really originated from

(although that makes me eager to research their origin).

BTW, I should let you know that today was quite windy so the photos are...

well you can see.

Oh and I should disclose that as the hour is early...

there may be grammatical errors because Aimee is, finally, getting tired.

 Some of our culinary lavender.

This is a white variety and it is starting to form those fragrant, lovely, edible-yummy flowers.

Just a mention here---it will soon be July and for those in the PNW that love lavender,

there will be festivals in both Washington and Oregon.

Believe me it is such a blessing to walk in fields of fragrant purple lavender,

cutting and gathering bundles of it to take home.

(I am planning on visiting a lavender farm this year,

even though we have plenty of lavender here on our land.

Love those places!)

Another new addition to our wildflower/perennial beds.

I'm proud to introduce you to another poppy--

specifically a Beauty of Livermere poppy.

Believe me, this photo does not do this plant justice!

Our beautiful Little Princess spirae.

I LOVE this plant...

I am sure you know why. 

And to end this post...

our gooseberries.

Ahhhh!

Gooseberry tarts, gooseberries raw, gooseberries anything:)

Soon, Aimee, soon.

How does your garden grow?

(Extra blogging points for those who know where this saying comes from...

no fair peeking at the link unless you have tried to guess first).

But really, how does your garden grow?

Are you growing veggies this year? Tomatoes? Swiss chard?

Herbs? Basil? Chives?

Flowers? Roses? Wildflowers? Petunias?

 (it is Rose Festival time in Portland right now)

Planning any changes to your garden this year?

OK--time for bed.

Blessings,

Aimee

The WORD on Wednesday: Never Alone

O LORD,

You have examined my heart and know everything about me.

You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my thoughts even when I'm far away.

You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.

You know everything I do.

You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.

You go before me and follow me.

You place Your hand of blessing on my head.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to understand!

 

I can never escape from Your Spirit!

I can never get away from Your presence!

If I go up to heaven, You are there;

If I go down to the grave, You are there.

If I rise the wings of the morning,

if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

even there Your hand will guide me,

and Your strength will support me.

I could ask the darkness to hide me

and the light around me to become night-

but even in the darkness I cannot hide from you.

To You the night shines as bright as day.

Darkness and light are the same to You.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother's womb.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

as I was woven together in the dark of the womb,

You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in Your book,

Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God.

They cannot be numbered!

I can't even count them;

they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up,

You are still with me...

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends You,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Psalm 139: 1-18, 23-24

NLT

Notes:

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Photos:

Downtown Portland Sculpture

Historic PNW Cemetery

Oregon coast.

My youngest granddaughter.

The Sea

Although I am a mountain girl,

there is nothing like the sea.

 The lighthouses you find there...

 The walks with DDD along the sea

(until she begs Papa to pick her up)

 The beautiful surf and the sea that seem to go on forever...

The land that juts into the sea...

 Sitting on the warm sand and watching the world go by...

Yes, I LOVE the ocean, the coast, the beach--

do you?

Blessings,

Aimee

Notes:

A couple complimented us on how well trained our dog was!

 It was hard for us to believe, but the dog that is so hormonal and naughty at home

was a perfect puppy angel at the beach:)

But we know the truth, don't we DDD? 

:)

Photo:

The Oregon coast...a spur of the moment trip decision.

Should I Fly Tonight

When I was younger,

sometimes I would dream about flying above the land.

These were good dreams then;

these are good memories now.

And so are the memories of waking up

with sore 'wings' (arms) from the night's flight.

If I were to fly in my dreams tonight,

I would fly to each of my childrens'

and

grandchildrens'

bedsides.

Then

I would quietly kneel by each of their beds,

say a silent prayer and blessing over them,

and whisper softly in their ears

that I love them,

before flying home again. 

Yep,

that is what I would do...

should I fly in my dreams tonight

(I am really hoping for sore 'wings' tomorrow).

Good night; pleasant dreams...

Blessings,

Aimee

Do your dreams ever take you above the countryside

 like a hot air balloon or a bird in flight?

Has any of your dreams ever come true?

Photo: taken at the Oregon coast.