Forgive Me Flowers

Lessons

Smile

Today has been a very difficult day. But, I tried to smile. I went to church services and felt overwhelmed with my situation and the profound saddness of love lost. A dear friend came to my aid as I had to leave abruptly before the end. 

God given strength will carry me through. But, the journey will be long. Please, pray for me!

Blessings to all of you on this Beautiful Summer Sunday.

My Dog Lily - You Are Special

JUST MY DOG

She is my other eyes that can see above the clouds;

my other ears that hear above the winds.

She is the part of me that can reach out into the sea.

She has told me a thousand times over that I am her reason for being;

by the way she rests against my leg;

by the way she thumps her tail at my smallest smile;

by the way she shows her hurt when I leave without her.

She probably worries when she is not along to care for me.

When I am wrong, she is delighted to forgive.

When I am angry, she clowns to make me smile.

When I am happy, she is joy unbounded.

When I am a fool, she ignores it.

When I succeed, she brags.

Without her, I am only another woman.

With her, I am all-powerful.

She is loyalty itself.

She has taught me the meaning of devotion.

With her, I know a secret comfort and a private peace.

She has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant.

Her head on my knee can heal my human hurts.

Her presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things.

She has promised to wait for me...whenever...wherever--in case I need her.

And I expect I will--as I always have.

She is just my dog.

 

by Gene Hill

    (modifidied by me to feminine gender)

I love you Lily! 

I hope all of you have a Special Day - and hug the ones you love!

The Comfort Of Flowers

Look at what was left at my gate for me at this difficult time by a blogging friend who has moved to this area! Thank you friend for your generous heart. Your kindness brought tears to my eyes. 

And, look how nice it looks with a piece of art I created following my visit to England ten years ago. The "tear" in the art was for the saddness of leaving such a wonderful country and the wonderful people that I came to know during the three months that I lived there. Click to enlarge photos, if you wish.

My current tears of saddness will be replaced with smiles as I countinue on with a very grateful heart for the blessings in my life. 

Friends are blessings!

Wishing you a Fabulous Day filled with smiles.

Time To Get Back In The Garden

Remember this on May 11?  The new lattice was put in place to support the Sweet Autumn Clematis that I love so much in the fall..

And, look at it now!

    

It is hanging over the fence to the other side and needs some "tender loving care" to guide its fragile tendrils onto and across the fence to give a nice backdrop to the flowering White Garden. If I had been home during this rapid growth period, I would have trained it to each side of the lattice. But, maybe next year I can do that after the flowering season and the trim back in the very early springtime.

The garden is looking very shabby due to my almost three week absence. I am confident that I will be able to get it back into tidy order by slowly working on it as my physical body permits. I certainly know that it will be good for my spirit and well being. I really love my garden!

And, look at the Tipsy Pots. They are overflowing with their glorious color and smiling faces.

I am feeling quite a bit better today. I have had the opportunity to talk with some good friends and feel their love. Finally, I will be leaving the house today and picking up my mail from the post office and shopping for some nutritious food at the grocery store. I am looking forward to returning to some normalcy in my life.

I am considering returning to my Charity Knitting Group at church tomorrow which I have not had time to be active in since the first of the year when I started a "new relationship".  That activity will put me "face to face" with many people who rejoiced with me and him in what seemed like a beautiful new chapter in my life. I wish him well and God's blessings.

I hope you have a Wonderful Day and celebrate this wonderful summer-time.

  

Why I Started A Blog

While I was away on the trip to Germany, my blog had its One Year Anniversary on June 5.  A few months earlier than June 5 of last year, I started  enjoying the new experience of following blogs that interested me, specifically about homemaking and all aspects associated with a home oriented life style, like cooking, baking, creating from thrifting, sewing, crafting, knitting, crocheting, interior design, gardening, entertaining and so on. Then one day I was reading a blog that had posted photos and experiences about the little mountain town that I live in. And, I thought, yes, I can do that, too.  So, I set out to teach myself how to have my own blog. It was a very tedious task since I personally do not know anyone that has a blog. So, my new adventure involved many long hours on the computer with Blogger and Googling many questions.

The main driving force behind the tenaciousness that it took was the strong desire to blog for one year and then make a book of my blog entries for my only grandchild - a seventeen year old granddaughter, who is now a High School graduate, eighteen years of age and on her way to college. I have never had the joy of being around or seeing my granddaughter very much during her life and I thought the blog EVERYDAYDELIGHT would some day give her a picture of who her grandma really was. So, I have tried to make an entry on the blog as many days as I could throughout the year. 

I have blogged 239 days during the first year. I say first, because I have found myself enjoying the blogging experience and I will probably continue to blog.

It has been so much fun following other blogs, leaving comments and receiving emails and comments. I have even  acquired a non-English speaking friend in Czech Republic who does not have a blog but reads mine and exchanges photos and experiences through email and postal service. She amazes me with her ability to read and write English. I have come to learn that many European people are similar in that way. Reportedly, they do not have the opportunity to practice their verbal English skills.

It has saddened me that I was not able to visit her during my trip. I was so close-by but circumstances which were out of my control prevented me from traveling a short distance by train to see her. Since my return, she has sent the nicest email with the following photo expressing her desire to have met me and the opportunity to have coffee together along with some of her homemade cake. How sweet is that?

At this difficult time in my life, I truly appreciate such kindness.

Wishing you a Fabulous day and many blessings to appreciate. It does not take much to find the blessings in life. We just have to open our eyes!

Soft Yummy New Yarn

 

Who goes away and doesn't look for some new yarn to bring home?  Not me. Sure I could order it on the Internet or buy in a local shop. But, it is so much more fun to bring it home from a foreign country. I have four balls of four different colors to make scarfs with each one having a different stitch pattern. I started the orange one on the plane with the drop stitch that I had in my head from making so many in the ribbon yarn that I currently have been obsessed with. I bought very little while away other than gifts for some friends. The yarn came from the large department store Karstadt in Munich, Germany.

Look at these pretty necklaces which I bought for friends at the same store.  I hope they like them!

I am still feeling "beyond tired" and don't know how long it will take for me to feel healthy again. But, day by day, I know their will be improvement. Remember, I live with "my glass half full". 

My precious dog, Lily is home with me now and she means the world to me. I am hoping to give her a bath and make her all pretty again with her beautiful clean red/brown and white colored hair. She had a great time while I was away. Thank you friend! It was great comfort to know she was with a very loving friend that would actually love to keep her forever!  But, she is mine! I love her so much and really appreciate her unconditional love. And, she asks so little of me!

Wishing all of you a very Pleasant day and a Happy First Day of Summer.

Home Again - Home Again - Jiggity Jig

Nine hotels - Eighteen days - Three countries (Germany, Switzerland and Austria).

Traveling is NOT for "the faint of heart" even in the best of times.

I am safely at home and you will hear from me when I am rested and able to "find my center"!

I think this journey will be similar to childbirth. I eventually will forget the agony and thereafter I will focus on and remember the beautiful experience of foreign travel and all the education that comes with it.  Maybe the saying "Nothing ventured - nothing gained" is applicable at this time.

Perhaps, at a later time when I regain my sense of humor, I will write about "50 Ways To Know A New Relationship".  You know - kinda like, but not exactly, because I was not a mistress, the song "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" by Paul Simon written in 1975.


On that cheery note. Bye for now. I am going to take another warm jacuzzi bath and nourish my body and soul and give thanks for the ability/strength to leave a very unhealthy and toxic relationship. "Love Isn't Supposed To Hurt."

Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers!

Up - Up - And Away

On a Domestic flight to Texas and then an International flight to Frankfurt, Germany.

I am so very thankful for the first class travel that will enable me to be more comfortable with 160 degree reclining seats to aid my back during the long flights. I am so happy about my travels to Germany and especially as a companion to My Special Man. I feel like I am a little hover-craft with my feet a little off the ground with excitement ! ! ! It truly feels unreal !

Only had a few hours sleep last night, so this photo looks oh, so good to me.

Take care all of you bloggers. I'll be back soon.

Tell Me It Ain't So

It's ANTS !  We have had so much rain this year and I am being challenged by these tiny little creatures that are starting to drive me crazy, really crazy. Do you see how clean my floor is under my refrigerator? I keep it that way. And look at all the naughty little ants.  When this all started it was with the dog food in Lily's food dish. So, I started leaving it for her only a short time and taking it up. Well, the other night I accidentally kicked her dish and the food went flying. I cleaned (again) everything up. Really good, right?  Not so, the next morning-Saturday-the ants were out in full force. I did not realize that some of the food went under the refrigerator. So, I have been in full cleanup mode for days trying to get ahead of those nasty little things. They even went into my pantry. Look out, anything that is black and teeny gets squashed around here, and I mean it !!!!!!

The last few days have been extremely stressful getting everything ready for international travel. And I will not  bore you with all of the things that have been done before departure time.

I will try to blog while I am away. Time will Tell!!!

I hope you had a lovely day.