The conditions must be perfect for this to happen. The water must be calm, the sky bright, the sun at the perfect angle.
I woke up to this scene this morning. I went out on my path across the deck in my pajamas. I almost fell, but I had to capture this miracle.
Water + Light + Air
Life is better when everything is a miracle!
Flow
Somebody came by during the snow. I did not see them, but they left a trail.
The snow tells who has been here and where they went.
All I have to do is read the snow tales.
My squirrel friend Pearl came by my office as usual.
A bird walked along the railing.
Several of my little friends spent time in the bunny yard because we left the gate open.
The entire back yard was the site of a herd party. Were they frolicking in the moonlight?
Mr. Flower has made several trips to the wood pile.
He also shoveled a path so I could walk to the railing in my house shoes. He is very handy.
Flow and snow
I am grateful for the winter blooms of ‘White by the Gate’, Camellia japonica.
If it were not for the nip in the air I would swear it was spring by looking at it in full bloom.
This steadfast bloomer is striking with its dark green, glossy leaves and pure white, double blooms.
Could it be any more beautiful?
I love this lovely “rose of winter.”
Flower
I had a new idea for my bottle tree.
The bottles would all be green for the holidays, like a glass Christmas tree.
The bottles would be little Buddhas, upside down.
It would be lighted to brighten the night.
I came up short on the number of Lucky Buddha bottles. The tree was incomplete.
We searched for six-packs of Lucky Buddha in every store we visited.
I guess they were stuck on a ship in the Pacific, in one of those shipping containers.
I have been searching for other lost things since Christmas…lost ornaments and a special Wendell-August dish with snowflake designs.
As I searched, I discovered a heavy bag of glass bottles. Yes, they were Lucky Buddhas.
The tree is finally completed for 2022. We need all the luck we can get.
HAPPY 2022. Be gone 2021.
FLOW
It is hard to put a value on my winter flowers. They are not expensive nor exotic. They are, however, treasures to me. I have to work to make it through winter. I must be part plant.
I need the sun. I am an outside dog. I must be under the sky, not under a roof. This winter has been kind so far, but cold will come. Then I will be inside trying to stay alive until spring.
My flowers keep me afloat. They brighten my rooms with their blooms. My colorful, little life rafts hold me up. The Schlumbergeras and amaryllis/hippeastrum save me until spring. For this I am grateful.
FLOW
Our family has been driving past this over-the-top display of lighted figurines each Christmas Eve for years. It is on the way to my parents’ house. We had always looked forward to this eclectric, electric holiday show as part of our Christmas Eve traditions…and then it disappeared.
We were sad that one of our bright spots during the holidays had vanished. We lamented its removal… until several weeks ago. I was driving home from running errands. I stopped at a stop sign and looked left. I could not believe it! There they were! All our beloved characters were in a new location. I immediately texted the good news to my family.
There was the choir in the bleachers.
There were the snowmen.
The Gingerbread Village.
The Dickensonian carolers.
The penguins and the igloo.
Many Santas and snowmen.
Polar bears and brown bears.
The Nativity was separated from the fray in its own display.
All our beloved characters had moved to our county.
Close enough to visit numerous times.
I even braved getting out of my vehicle to photograph the scene.
I hope these folks know how appreciated this yard full of light is to others.
Happy Holidays
Growing up, I had an oak watching over me.
It was small when I was small. We both grew.
Now it reaches for the sky with its beautiful branches.
I walked around my old home place on Christmas Eve.
Feeling grateful for a safe place to grow up.
Happy I had a room under this lovely, sheltering tree.
FLOW
I used to invite my friends over to play with glitter, glue and napkins, too.
We spent hours sitting around a table carefully tapping napkins onto sticky Christmas balls.
Laughter sent scraps and glitter into the air and everywhere.
The floor was a mess afterwards. I smiled as I swept.
There will be more glitter, glue and napkins, too.
But for now, I will hold each ball in my hands and remember my friends.
LOVE FLOW
floweralley 