Traces, Trappings, & Tender Hearts! :)

 This morning bright color filled the sky! :)

 It was vibrant, real, and left an impact on our heart! :)

 Even though it's stay was brief, ...

 It is sweetly memorable. :)

 This describes how we feel about our loved ones visit! :) There was much color, ...

 And vibrancy! :)

 Leaving traces and trappings lingering and warming our hearts! :)

 There was something exceptionally sweet in restful slumber! :)

 The toys that set in wait, for little hands, came alive again! :)

 Buzz wears our son's name on the bottom of his shoe, and is grateful for this next generation who come and breath life into him! :)

 I like to see the position they leave him in! :)

 It's time to re-organize the toys until their next visit! :)

 Don't they all look especially happy? Nothing but smiles! :)

 It helps that the next visits are already planned! :)

As the miles between us lengthen, and again divides, I'm grateful for the traces and trappings left behind, that sooth our tender hearts! :)

Plan B.! :)

 This is the time of year for gardeners to pour over the seed catalogs, study their garden space, and plan for the upcoming growing season! :)
Normally my table is packed full of seed packets, as I take stock of what I have, to see what I need! :)
Since this is the year I plan to do a lot of outside painting, among other tasks, it's necessary for me to cut back on the veggie garden! I just won't have time to do it all! But, ... my passion to grow produce has led me to a lot of thinking, and a plan B! :)
I will leave the black plastic down, to avoid the time consuming need to weed, and will cut slats in it to plant pumpkin and squash! Thus a harvest without all the work! :) I Know! Genius, Right!? :) I can use this year's garden as a seed trial, to determine which varieties are our favorites! :) It will be fun to give the space to the squash, try new varieties, and let them run wild! :)

 I think I'll lift an edge of the plastic and plant a row of yellow potatoes, too! We love German Butterball and ...

 Yukon Gold! :)

 There's an uncovered area I've earmarked for onions! I like to grow Copra for long storage! :)

 We also love Walla Walla for fresh eating, but since there's more in a bundle than we need, and large bundles are expensive, ...

 I'll buy these locally! :)

So this years garden will mostly be a squash crop! :) Yummm! :) Now that I have a plan in place, I can hardly wait for Spring, to begin! :)
Potatoes, alliums, pumpkins and squash, may not sound like much of a veggie garden, but in my mind it's a triumph idea as we'll still have produce, that we love, to look forward to! :)Something's Much better than Nothing! :)
While I'm painting on the house, and outside buildings, the squash can be growing in the garden with minimal care! :) I like this Plan B! :)

I've Become A Bookworm! :)

 This is what happens when one decides to read oneself to sleep at night! :) Before one knows it, the books have added up! :)
Last year, at the end of January, I reported on the four books I had by Carla Kelly! Since then I've doubled the amount of books I have of hers, and am forever keeping my eyes open for more! :)

 I have read a variety of books, including murder mysteries! :)

 I especially like KILPACK! I bought her whole series, read the first five, and have 5 left to read! :) They include some fun recipes, too! :)

 I've read four westerns, and have another waiting to be read! :)

 I even read a couple of the Book Club series, and plan to read more of them! :)

 There were several books of a misc. group, that included some Christmas stories! :)

 Another favorite author of mine is Sarah M. Eden! I've purchased every book of hers I can get my hands on, and am looking forward to the 2nd half of Longing For Home, that's supposed to be released soon! :)

 I love both of Julianne Donaldson's books, and will buy others she writes! :)

 Julie KLASSEN combines mystery with romance, and is another good author! :)

 Dorothy Love did a three book series! :) It was especially fun reading these at the same time our daughter read them, as we enjoyed discussing them over the phone! :)

 I'm grateful for a loving husband who built a wall of book shelves for me, as a birthday present, one year! Today I made room on the shelves for these books I read in 2013! :)

 My shelves are full of all my books from my book club, (mostly garden and how-to books), as well as puzzles! :)

 I have some re-organizing to do, because I already know there will be more books in my future! :)

I'm currently reading a non-fiction of Carla Kelly's, and enjoying learning more about this amazing woman! :)
In a world that's going more and more electronic, some bookstores have gone out of business. This is sad news for someone like me who finds joy in holding books and turning their pages, and enjoying that paper aroma! :) I'm grateful to have my hard covers and paperbacks resting on my bookshelves, to enjoy again and again! Perhaps one day they will be passed down to my posterity! :)
I hadn't considered it before but, I think it's safe to say that I've become a Bookworm! :)

Puzzles, Spring Surprises, & Rose Colored Glasses! :)

 Due to having several Christmas puzzles, I set a goal to complete two of them by the New Year! :)

 I did it! :) I chose these two because they are both new, and I love them! :)

 I left this one out to enjoy, a day or two, before putting it away today! :)

 The last 150 pieces were all the same shape and color, and gave me a challenge! :)

 Even though Winter has just begun, we are enjoying some Spring surprises! :) It was 50 degrees today and my Biggest surprise was seeing a hummingbird at the feeder! I was looking at it thinking that I need to remember to clean and refill it by March, when our hummers return! Then one lights on the feeder, right before my eyes, and I scramble to get a photo! I took this one through the glass with the regular lens, but by the time I got my 300mm zoom lens on, it flew away! I went ahead and cleaned and re-filled the feeder, now, just in case it comes back before Spring! :)

 The crocus are stirring! :)

 I'm tickled to see the clover-like plants, I planted last year, are still alive and anxious to get growing! :)

 I was pleased to find this smiling pig, for one of our bird baths, at a local nursery! With the brown leaves in the water, it looks like it's wallowing in mud! :) With this break in freezing temps', it's time to clean it! :)

 Outside buds are swelling! :)

 It promises to be a colorful Spring! :)

 Inside, the baby lemon bush is alive with blooms and even a lemon! :)

 The aroma is sweetly divine! :)

 The felines are high-tailing it around the yard! They're glad to have a break from the frigid temps'! :)

 With the new year, comes new goals and fresh hope! :) Mother Nature seems to agree! :)

 She's ready for color! :)

 I think she's wearing rose colored glasses again! :)

 With all that's going wrong in the world, today, I believe it's all the more important to look for what is right! :)

 Often what's right in the world, is found in the little things, and in counting one's blessings! :)
I made a promise to myself that regardless of what may be going on in the world, this blog will forever be about Enjoying The Journey! :)
How can we not find enjoyment when Mother Nature is throwing party right before our eyes!? :)

Please join me in another year of looking for, and finding, the good! :) Let us not be hesitant about grinning, letting laughter glide easily from our lips, and accepting Mother Nature's party invitation! :)Keep in mind, she likes to have Fun! Don't forget your party hats and rose colored glasses! :)