Butterflies, Birds, and Bookends

Happy Memorial Day!

As we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, take time to enjoy the beauty that surrounds us.

May God Bless the families and friends of those who gave their lives to protect our country.

A bee takes time to enjoy the nectar of a daisy...

while a butterfly rests upon a golden bouquet.
A bird's nest snuggled amongst the branches of an oak tree,
a protective papa Cardinal keeps watch,
as the mama Cardinal feeds her young.

Red Cardinals...

Blue Jays,

and the white chest of the Red-Headed Woodpecker,

make for a patriotic bird display of nature:).

On this Memorial Day Lizzy and Calvin have found a comfy place to nap...

on opposite ends of the sofa...

creating bookends.

Time to shift to the other direction...

and the bookends are there once again!

Blessings to all this Memorial Day!

Sunday Wisdom

"For we are God's workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Ephesians 2:10, NIV

Spring Performance!

The abundant beauty of spring is making an entrance!

Roses dance in vibrant splashes of fushia,
while Amarillas bloom forth in shades of crimson.

Colorful duet of daylillies.

Even the bees are buzzing a happy tune.

Ruffled daylillies...

and lacey hydrangeas are dressed for the garden stage.

Soft hues of lavender petals...

along with creamy-purple blooms...

make the garden a symphony of color.

Lantana blooms in miniature bouquets of beauty.

Fragrant rose petals scent the spring air.

Canna lillies make a striking pose.

And so the gardens sing forth in bold hues of color, dressed in their finest attire.

What songs are your gardens singing?

Sunday Wisdom

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity,

but a spirit of power,

of love and of self-discipline."

2 Timothy 1:7, NIV

Queen Victoria Royal-Tea!

Although Queen Victoria's birthday is May 24th, we are celebrating today with a tea in her honor!

Since this is a 'royal-tea' event one must have fresh roses in abundance!
Born Alexandrina Victoria on May 24, 1819 she was bound for greatness.
This portrait, by S.P. Denning, shows Princess Victoria at the age of four.
She began her reign on June 20, 1837 at the young age of eighteen.
During her reign she did many great things for the poor, children, animals, family, and country.
Married to her true love, Prince Albert, on February 10, 1840 they lived a blessed life with nine children.
Sadly, on December 14, 1861, Prince Albert died leaving the Queen in mourning for the remainder of her life.
This did not prevent her from serving her people which she did with dignity and grace until her death on January 22, 1901.
In honor of such a great lady I chose the most royal looking of my tea pots.
This one looks like it has a crown.

This tea cup seems like a good match:).

Even the spout of the tea pot is bedecked with gold!

Perhaps you would like some cream with your tea?

Hand painted roses fit for a Queen:).

Even the gold trim of the cup seems regal.

Let's have some tea:).

For more of our blogland tea party to honor Queen Victoria please visit these beautiful blogs:

http://lebeaupaonvictorien.blogspot.com/

http://eastlakevictorian.blogspot.com/

http://homehavenministry.blogspot.com/

http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/

In honor of Her Majesty Queen Victoria and all she did for those in need I will be donating items to the Red Door thrift shop which benefits our local Hospice:).