BIRD WATCHING

Or, maybe I should say people watching.

This fellow would never get any closer so I couldn’t get a better picture of him.

The red Cardinal against a blue sky couldn’t be missed.

While taking this picture, the only bird I could see was the male cardinal, what a surprise to see his mate and friends in the picture.

These were taken at my Mother’s house in Mississippi this past weekend through the breakfast room window. I didn’t have a zoom lens and some were really too far away to get a good shot, but I decided to share anyway.

I love birds!

THE HEART

“The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye

but found by the heart” 

As we approach Valentine’s Day, thoughts turn to matters of the heart

 and hearts are found everywhere.

Some favorite hearts are found in the form of chocolate!

They can also be found in a lovely rose covered salad plate.

Others, in a small gift, that is wrapped in a gauzy pink bag embellished with hearts for a young friend.

 

Or in the craft heart made sitting around the table with loved ones, laughing and sharing into the night as we created our take home keepsakes.

Then, there is the heart made by my sister from a very old quilt, handmade by my mother when I was a child, cut into pieces

 and shared by daughters. We all loved the red ant.

It is a heart treasure.

The shadow of hearts, reflected from a piece of milk glass collected especially to hang in the blue room.

 

And the traditional Valentine for a special person, asking to  *Be Mine*.

David asked that question 42 years ago as of last week,

 and he is still my Valentine!

Some hearts are valuable, others are purely decorative (or decadent),

 but the heart reflected here represents family.

A place where a heart can call home… A place where a heart can be shared…a place where a heart makes memories that last

with those it loves………

"A Great Treasure”

Wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day!

I HEART you all!

SLEEPING ON SNOW

Is there anything like fresh linens on the bed? I love crisp, clean sheets and pillow cases.

(pardon the quality of the photographs, it is cloudy and the light is not good )

I also love anything handmade. I found this single pillowcase at an antique booth. There was only one…. but it was blue….. so what else could I do but bring it home with me?

This is my daughter’s old room. When she moved out, I decided to use this as a guest room and put all the old family pieces here along with a few things I have collected. It’s a little feminine to be sure, but most people find it restful as well. I use a white down comforter found on a Dirt Cheap shopping trip for the winter. I keep thinking about painting, but I still love this color of blue.

Here is my favorite candle and linen spray fragrance.  I don’t know what company makes it, but you can find it at most shops that sell candles.  The linen spray leaves a clean, soft smell that does not overpower or smother me when I climb into bed.  The candle is the softest white and I keep one by my bedside.

Thankfully, we were spared the snow, sleet, ice mix predicted for our area today. We have had a rainy, cold day and the temperature tonight is predicted to be in the teens again. While sleeping on snow doesn’t sound like something I want to do, it is definitely something I love to smell.

What a Difference a Week Makes

A week ago today, the temperature was 75 degrees and I spent a lovely afternoon enjoying the warm sunshine. Here is what I woke to this morning! A chilly 25 degrees to go along with the snow which is actually about 10 degrees warmer that it has been here on the swamp.

It was a day for the birds to be sure. They attacked the feeders with a frenzy. I know they are hard to see through the snow, but they were everywhere.

Isn't this just the coldest looking picture?

I am battling one of those nasty bugs going around and was glad for a "snow day" and glad we didn't have the icy conditions that plagued the southern part of the state. However, we still lost power for about 6 hours due to a pickup taking a power pole down. David warmed up the truck, and we took a drive into the nearest town for a warm cup of coffee. I took these pictures out of the window as we drove.

Thanks to SWEPCO who responded quickly, the power is restored and I am about to take another dose of cold remedy and curl up with an afghan and a book for the rest of the day. Hope you all are warm and safe.