Happy Weekend

My Dad suffered a heart attack yesterday. He's okay, thankfully.
 spending the weekend in hospital though. We popped by for a visit this evening, and I took him a few hydrangea . 
I don't know how much they'll mean to him ,but I'm sure my Mom will like them.:))

                            the studio tour for local artists was on this weekend in 'our town'. 
                               I didn't go this year, but I'd love to again sometime....

I'm not sure if this would pass for a studio....but my daughter couldn't wait to paint this box .
art is in the eye of the beholder, right?



                  Wishing you a blessed and beautiful last September weekend.

Accents and Ambiance

                    Of all the ways to accent a room.....

                            are not the most exquisite....

 the most memorable...

 the most lovely

 the most useful...














the intangible beauty

of light,laughter and love?

Little Of This

just a few random pieces as I wrap up a weekend.....
             

a great line from one of my favorite books to pick up and read a little inspiration....
I had this highlighted previously and it stays with me again....
"Guard me against the arrogance of privilege, against the indulgence of feeling that I don't have enough, and the poverty of spirit that refuses to acknowledge what is daily given to me."Gunilla Norris

                                                           

and I saw this on a picture the other day.....

I wrote it on my chalkboard to reiterate to my kids 

what I have always tried to teach them.....

our horses in the morning mist....

My Hydrangea Love Affair Revisited...

                            

recently someone gave me this hydrangea and as I thought about where to plant it I remembered my hydrangea history.....















you can read more about my journey with hydrangea here...

http://lucy-martin.blogspot.ca/2012/09/hydrangea-my-favourite-flower.html

here it is; another lovely hydrangea from my journey. Isn't the power in a bloom amazing?
                       Blessings to you on this wonderful Wednesday.

The Every Day Essential

Warmth. I find I crave it. Every day of the year, but especially in the fall. ( I know it's NOT fall yet, but yikes it really feels like it now...)
  I look for warmth everywhere and in everything.......

from people's faces, the looks and the expressions they imbue. I seek warmth.

I hang sweaters on chairs,many sweaters, many chairs. I let their warmth fill me, then I dispose of them until the chill finds it's way back. 
I find I embrace tea again, in the warm summer months I don't drink a lot of tea. 
Black coffee always; but tea warms, it nourishes, it feels.

                             
                         

                           

                                            I find cushions and throws and rugs and candles.
                         

I make salsa baby, I LOVE fresh salsa. I LOVE how it smells and I find the whole mess to be rather therapeutic. I love tasting and the verdict from family....
Yum, says my youngest " this is good, bland, but in a good way." Whatever, I am not offended I merely laugh, and think maybe she wanted to use the word bland, and maybe it really is bland, either way I know it will be eaten and I can always spice it up with a little hot sauce when I serve it!!
                                                                 

There is days of clear blue sky. Perfect days to visit a fall fair, like we did recently. Perfect days to bask in warmth of community and festivities.

Warmth blooms here with canas, zinnias and sunflowers. The blooms rejuvenate and invigorate and I love how their beauty is not diminished by the threat of fall's chill, 
rather it is enhanced by nature's elements making them strong and vibrant.

     love each other with a warm love...
              that comes from the heart. 1 peter 1:22.




                                                                                                                                                            (all images heart and hearth)

September Makes Me Sentimental

Children never really leave us, they simply walk away.
Our title never changes, just the duties we relay.
In the age of innocence, we tangibly  can show
Our love and our devotion, and help them as they grow.
But each and every summer they leave us bit by bit,
And as the summer turns to fall the air feels bitter sweet.


 I pray I will not live my life with backward glance,
But ever facing forward, with hope and second chance.
Learning as I trust Him, as His grace is here to stay
In the giving, breathing, smiling, shaking heart tugs
We get stronger every day.        

starting in the bottom left...our oldest Brittany Nicole...she is 20,and engaged!!
(oooops, yes next summer will be the big day!)

next my favorite son:) Alexander Dustin, he is 15.


then we have Jasmine Chloe...she is 13 now!

above her is Katrina Brooke...she's 18.
   
last we have Sommer Jade, she is 10! and a really fun ending to our story.

wow, suddenly I feel old:) actually I feel so blessed to be a mother. It is really the best and most daunting career. It may come with sacrifice but what worth having doesn't carry sacrifice?


Blessings to you tonight...I thought it was time to share a little more of my family with you.

They are the fabric of my heart and I love them dearly.
                                                                                                      Lucy.
     

Dear Child of Mine...

run, child run. take your dreams and run far.
this place is too small for dreams to the stars.

fly, child fly. spread your wings and fly.
may you find your own castle in the sky.

pray, child pray. Don't forget to pray.
To your heavenly Father who lights your way.


Love, child love. for it is the key
to manifold mysteries and your own identity.
but remember dear child these small words from me,
when we love, truly love....
we set it free.

mentally preparing myself this morning in a quiet house, to say good bye to this girl,
for one. whole. year. (she will come home for visits:)
 I am okay. She is excited and I am too but...you know how it is...
I wonder will she be okay?

as i sit here writing I look over and see this...so typical...sigh. I miss you already:)



Have a good day friends. Thank you for stopping by, I will try and share what she will be doing in a later post... for now I must begin my day!

Wishing Away

Recently my husband said to me, " You always say I wish ".....

Now he is a great guy, and he really had no idea that I took his observation personally.
 I tried to explain that  he is my soundboard, and that I am simply being myself with him, 
but it made me realise how often I actually do say I wish                 .(fill in blank)


I also discovered that when I say I wish, I am letting regret steal the joy in a moment;even if the wish is something quite trite and insignificant in the big picture.
example; on a recent camping trip with our family and another (12 people in total) we needed a lot of food.It didn't take us very long to polish off the small basket of pears I had picked. I couldn't help wishing I would have picked a super, large box full of pears from our tree which is absolutely loaded with fruit this year.
Needless to say it was a great joke throughout the week. Whenever we ran a little short on food, we would wish for a pear.

Is wishing all futile though?  I  wonder to myself. Does wishing not provide opportunity to learn and grow. 
Does wishing  keep one from becoming too self sufficient and proud?
                   Can I be thankful while I am wishing?
            I cannot concede this at the moment.
 I need to ponder the why and how of wishing more first.....
                                     

                                       For now, I must say "I wish I was still here".......(there)

                        I wish summer wasn't almost over.
   
                                          I wish children grew up slower,


                              and I wish I could get rid of all these pears......

                   

as I thought about my wishing dilemma I remembered this song,

it sums up my wishes nicely...