Happy Spring

 

Good morning Folks ~ I hope most of you are really starting to see and enjoy spring.

I’ve been playing with my paint samples the last couple of days. I mixed Purple Mauve and Peruvian Violet together and like the combo.

Here’s what I’ve done with the caravan so far. The color down the sides of door are the combo color, which looks lighter in the picture. The door is ‘Plum Swirl’. Trim is the ‘Exotic Orchid’. There will be some aqua or turquoise coming into the scene too.  My friend Ramona told me, after she watched the video in my last post, that she had almost a whole gallon of this paint if I wanted it I could have it. I was thrilled at this bit of news. More color to play with.

I am planning to pressure wash and paint the house, living each day trusting in Jesus, thanking Him for my many blessings. So, if you don’t hear from me in awhile, I’ll be working outside and inside my little cottage. My dear B-I-L Todd, who has helped me with things in the past, is coming on the 28th, God willing, and we will be putting up the faux beadboard paneling in the bedroom. All of our plans, no matter what they may be, are God willing.

This morning after editing photos for this post, I got into my email and there was one from my boss. Inspections happened and the paperwork was signed, so closing is the 1st of May. He has asked if he can rent the shop for another month to sell things out of there, should hear back today.  Bless his heart. Pray for he and Nanci and John as they sell items and empty out their shops.  Pray for Cathy too, the lady who does all kinds of pottery, and painting restoration work out of the back of the shop. Pray for me too.

The tears filled my eyes and spilled over as I read the email. I have been working there 17 years this past month. It was the best job I ever had. I don’t know what is going to happen now. God does though, and I want to keep my mind and heart focused on Him.

I really enjoy creating with my hands, I enjoy being at home. I would love it if someone wanted to buy my creations wholesale so that I can just ‘create’ and not worry about the rest of the stuff. DH and I did a lot of different things to make a living.  It’s what we wanted to do, not just have jobs. Picture framing, antique restoration, art, buying and selling antiques at a flea market then in our own shop, handy man/couple, and my shop-sitting. We had up and down times, we survived, we had fun, we learned, we loved. I thank God for it all.

My life has really changed in the past two years and three months, this is just one more change.

What hasn’t changed is my love of flowers.

Here are some of the orchids in bloom right now. I’m done buying for now that is for sure. Any new plants will be from cuttings and seeds.

This orchid is from my friends Nanci & John.

The next few pictures are all unknowns, but beauties.

These grow wild and are a real joy to have in my cottage gardens.

They are a Vanda, ‘Miss Joachim’. You can see more in the top right hand corner of the picture.  These are probably 10 ft. into the air.

***

When written in Chinese the word "crisis" is composed of two characters

one represents danger

and the other represents opportunity.

John F. Kennedy, address, 12 April 1959

***

There are few things that we can count on in this unpredictable life

but we can count on storms to come.

We can also count on God’s continual and unfailing strength for those storms.

When the hard times come and when bad things happen,

we do not have to wonder where God is.

Instead we can hold on to the promise

that is found in Jeremiah 16:19,

“Lord, you are my strength,

and my protection.

You are a safe place for me to run in times of trouble”

Mary Southerland

***

Music I’ve been listening to this morning.

Relaxing and meditative instrumental piano music.

 

“This is the day which the LORD hath made;

we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psa_118:24

Happy Spring ~ FlowerLady

***

Latest heart, which has been a work in progress, (I’ve several more, there are two more behind this one.) I’m almost done with this one. I’ve got several creations to take photos of and get listed in my Etsy shop, now’s the time to stop procrastinating.

 

 

Vanda Miss Joaquim

Good morning Folks ~ I’ve just had that wonderful first sip of coffee, aaahhh. After reading comments from my last blog post, I did a little Goggle search on my Vanda orchid, and decided to make a post.

I call it ‘wild’ because it just grows out in the yard, climbing skyward as it clings to shrubs or anything in its path, and needs no care.  I don’t even know where I got this, it’s been around here many, many years.

Actually it isn’t wild at all.  From the pictures and descriptions at Tropical Exotica, it looks like Vanda Miss Joaquim “Agnes”. There are several different ones, but this seems to be the closest to what I have.

More info here from Wikipedia. Here is the first bit from Wikipedia ~ Vanda Miss Joaquim (Chinese: 卓锦万黛兰; pinyin: zhuójǐn wàndàilán), a hybrid orchid cultivar, is Singapore's national flower.^[1] Ashkhen Hovakimian(Armenian: Ագնես Ջոաքիմ (Աշխեն Հովակիմյան)), or in English, Agnes Joaquim, found Vanda Miss Joaquim, a natural hybrid, which is also known as the Singapore orchid and the Princess Aloha orchid in a clump of bamboo.

I love the simple beauty and colors of this orchid.

Here are some pics from the ones in my gardens.

It is breezy here this morning, and we’re supposed to have thunderstorms during the next few days.  I’ll be going to work today through Sat. and hope it’s not storming when I have to drive.

Wishing all of you a good weekend whatever you do.

***

Bread feeds the body,

indeed,

but flowers feed also the soul. 

The Koran

More Rain ~ More Blooms

Good morning Folks ~ Hope you all have a great weekend, whatever your plans are. I’m working again today, off tomorrow.

We had some more wonderful rain last evening, a really heavy downpour that made me happy to say the least, and I know the plants loved it.

I’ve no time for picture descriptions.

The last three are project teasers.

Wednesday once again.

Each week seems to be zipping by faster and faster. It's been awfully hot and humid here. Yesterday morning I went out and mowed, trimmed, raked and bagged and had to take breaks. In the shade it wasn't too bad, but still pretty awful. Later I went out in the middle of the day to put the lawnmower away, and the sun was directly overhead and it was stifling, almost suffocating, so I hurried up and got back inside the air-conditioning. It is cloudy, breezy and we've had a shower so far this morning. It looks like we could get more rain, sure hope so.

Coconut milk bread is making in the bread machine. I've got dishes to wash, clean laundry to fold and put away and I need to vacuum and dust. Fun things. Then I hope to work on and finish up the next beaded embroidery piece I've been working on.

Here are some pictures taken the last couple of days.

This is a Black Eastern Swallowtail,
picture taken out the 'scullery' window as it was raining.

Vanda and trumpet flowers against the dark cloudy skies yesterday afternoon.
No rain fell, it went all around us. :-(

Here is Mr. Toad.
I was starting to hand water the things on the front patio when I spied him.

This is cheery little Golden Sun.

It is a glorious privilege to live,
to know, to act, to listen,
to behold, to love.
To look up at the blue summer sky;
to see the sun sink slowly beyond the line of the horizon;
to watch the worlds come twinkling into view,
first one by one,
and the myriads that no man can count,
and lo!
the universe is white with them;
and you and I are here.
Marco Morrow

Zone 10 ~ s.e. FL