Smile

 Freshly made lemon bars with Phoenix Mountain Single Tree Oolong.

 First rose spotting of Spring.

 My neighborhood, one of the many alleys tucked here and there.

The Portland Art Museum where a friend took me yesterday.

A couple days ago I received my weekly email from Cheryl Richardson.

She talked about noticing what makes you smile.

"It's a simple gesture, this thing called a smile, 

and yet it's also a powerful communication device that 

sends data back and forth between the body and the soul."

So yesterday when I went for my 2 hour walk I paid attention to what makes me smile.

Flowers always make me smile and seeing the first rose spotting for Spring did just that.

Seeing my neighborhood in all it's beauty and uniqueness makes me smile.

Coming home to a lovely cup of tea and lemon bars makes me smile.

Then a surprise invitation to a special exhibit at the art museum

and spending time with a friend was definitely a smile.

Seeing the children playing in the sunshine made me smile.

Just good old sunshine makes me smile.

Seeing a sign on a store downtown that said,

"Treasures that make you smile."

I almost stopped to see those treasures. 

Smiling is a treasure worth cherishing.

What makes you smile today?

At the Center is LOVE

Do you ever have days where your mind is a jumble.

It is full of color, tears, laughter, and images.

Right now that is what my mind is doing.

It is leaping from one thing to another.

Those are the days where LOVE must reside.

LOVE for myself and others around me.

Where I must treat myself gently.

So today I am going for a walk.

It will calm my soul and just make me smile.

Of course my camera will be my trusty companion.

It will remind me to look, pay attention,

and

notice what I notice.

This photo is a bit of a jumble,

but at the center is LOVE.

Monday's Quotes

If flowers can teach themselves how to bloom

after winter passes, so can you.

~Noor Shirazie (Springtime)

Thanks, Jeanne, for sharing this quote.

Simple Things do Delight

It seems like I haven't had time for so long to just sit in the garden.

This week I finally took some time to just savor each day.

I thoroughly enjoyed a gentle breeze that dried some laundry on the line.

Oh the speckled sunlight came shining through the trees was pure delight.

The smell of lilacs filled the air, but sadly yesterday we lost one of the

large branches in this tree.  Now I have two huge bouquets to enjoy in the house.

The sweet faces on the pansies and violets just make me smile.

A warm cup of a special tea just permeates my body.

Ahhhhh! Standing in the warm morning shower, letting the water flow down over

my body, oh do I like that and such a wonderful way to start the day.

A freshly made bed with pillows tossed about and I am happy.

The silence of the house, a giggle of a young child, and sometimes soft music

playing all about.

These are the things I noticed this week.

What are you noticing that delights your soul?

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Poem in Your Pocket

I meant to Do My Work To-day

I meant to do my work to-day-

But a brown bird sang in the apple-tree,

And a butterfly flitted across the field,

And all the leaves were calling me.

And the wind went sighing over the land,

Tossing the grasses to and fro,

And a rainbow held out its shining hand-

So what could I do but laugh and go?

~Richard Le Gallienne

Today is Poem in Your Pocket Day.

Celebrate with a poem and come and play.

Stepping down the Rabbit Hole

Stepping down the rabbit hole.

Having tea with one mad hare.

It was a topsy, turvy different place.

A place from a different time.

We sipped and laughed

We laughed and cried.

What tea you ask?

Well it was the tea of moonlights and flowers

of pine needles and a few mushrooms tossed in too.

Have a chair that mad hare said,

which one would you like?

Come, come and sit with me.

Shall we sit up high or sit down low?

Should it be a high tea or should it be low?

What difference does it make when we share tea

with Mr. Hare.

Mr. Hare opens his bag, a suitcase he has.
 My eyes do delight for inside I do spy
a tea party fit for Mr. Hare and for me.
So won't you join us on this tea party delight
for you never know when tea time will arrive.
Orange marmalade, a scone, and tea make it complete.
Sing praises and shout, tea time is what ever you make.

Happy teatime, dear friends!
 Today I am linking with http://blog.bernideens.com/
Visit Bernideen for more teatime fun. 

Easter Reminiscent and Spring time Celebration

Easter is always a time for flowers and I couldn't resist tucking them in the egg cups

with a larger bouquet in the center.

The lilacs are just beginning to bloom a deep rose.

The dogwoods are a beautiful pink.

And oh those sweet smiling faces of pansies sitting about.

What would Easter be without the semblance of chocolate bunnies and other animals,

though ours were only for looks as there was no chocolate here.

Tea time brought sugar cookies with violets from the garden,

dates stuffed with the best ever pecans,

carrot cupcakes, and lemon madeleine's too.

Tea served was a high mountain oolong, which paired so well with the sweets.

For those not drinking caffeine there was a love Tulsi tea.

When Easter comes for me it is also a time to celebrate Springtime.

A time to open the cocoon and spread my wings outdoors.

Happy Springtime and Earth Day too, dear friends.

Monday's Quotes

The woman who follows the crowd
will usually go no further than the crowd.
The woman who walks alone is likely to
find herself in places no one has ever
been before.”

- Albert Einstein.

Easter, A Time of Celebration

It's Easter time in the city,

it's Easter time all about.

A time for celebration.

New life, new birth, new growth is here.

So celebrate today,

find an egg or two

For it's Easter time 

Rejoice,

Shout,

and Sing

Hallelujah!

Happy Easter and Happy Weekend, dear friends!

Grey Skies

In my part of the world, Oregon, April is often grey skies and drippy wet.

Today is one of those days.

So out come the flowers and a candle is lit to chase the grey away.

A lovely aged puerh tea is being sipped.

 

This week on another slightly drippy day I took a walk in a friends garden.

She has planned the garden to attract wildlife and we weren't disappointed.

In the quiet of the garden a hummingbird visited us.

It took a drink of delight and then oh to soon was gone.

I just know if I was a hummingbird or butterfly this garden would be my delight.

As it was, it did my heart well to walk with a friend in her garden.

What do you do on a grey sky, drippy day to lift your spirits?

Springtime and Oolong Tea

A sweet friend from Taiwan recently sent me two oolong teas.

What a special treat for springtime.

Thanks so much, Sharon!

It just seems that flowers and a beautiful floral oolong go hand in hand.

Today I am sipping tea from Taiwan and enjoying the dogwood trees

blooming outside my window.

What is in your cup on this springtime day?

Some one came Knocking

From the quote last week, someone yelled and I went running.

Sorry I was gone, but now I am here.

Some one came knocking

At my wee, small door;

Some one came knocking,

I'm sure - sure - sure;

I listened, I opened,

I looked to left and right,

But nought there was a -stirring

In the still dark night;

Only the busy beetle

Tap-tapping in the wall,

Only from the forest

The screech-owl's call,

Only the cricket whistling

While the dewdrops fall,

So I know not who came knocking,

At all, at all, at all.

~Walter de la Mare

From Silver Pennies by Blanche Jennings Thompson (1940)

Monday's Quotes

Angel came down

From heaven yesterday,

Stayed with me just long enough

for afternoon tea.

And she told me a story yesterday;

About the sweet love

Between the moon and the deep blue sea.

~Jimi Hendrix

Have you noticed that moon?

It shines full for you and me.

Sunshiny Morning

Sunshiny mornings always make me sing.

Good morning, sunshine!

You shine just for me.

It shines for you.

Oh, the greeting of the morning sun just makes me smile.

Does your heart just jump for JOY when you are greeted by the sun?

Tea in the garden, what could be better especially sitting in the morning sun.

Vintage breakfast set is Royal Winton, Grimivades, Made in England

"Lynton"

My garden sitting in the sunshine this very morning.

It just makes me smile!

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Cherry Blossom Time

When the sun shines

and the cherry blossoms enchant

I feel the need to sit under the snow

of blossom petals 

and sip tea.

My first tea time outdoors for 2014

was under the blanket of cherry blossoms.

Come join me and celebrate sunshine

and being outdoors.

It is truly a blessing of springtime.

Are you celebrating outdoors?

What delights are you finding?

Through the Eyes of a Child

Through the eyes of a child, a cheetah becomes a "cat",

an elephant says, "arghhhh" and raises his trunk,

a bear says "roarrrrrrrr",

and a monkey goes "e-e-e" and scratches his side.

Through the eyes of a child,

we see life with new eyes and delight.

Do you give yourself opportunity to see with new eyes and delight?

Notice what you notice and be delighted!

Whimsy and Posies

 

Real flowers in a sifter makes me smile.

Fake flowers growing out of a toaster just silly.

I know not particularly inspired, but just a smile is good.

A dear family friend passed away a few days ago.

He loved old toasters and toast.

He also had the most funny sense of humor,

the kind that you just wanted to call friend.

One time he even posed for his Christmas card in a gorilla costume next to his wife,

who was dressed normally.  When I saw that card I knew I wanted to be his friend.

So for today this toaster is for him, a toaster with plastic flowers.

Take time to notice what you notice and see the silly side of life,

the side that makes you smile or laugh.

Monday's Quotes

"My only advice is to stay aware, listen carefully and yell for help if you need it."

~Judy Blume

Mama Said

Mama said there would be days like this

Days with grey skies

Days with rain clouds

Days where water fell to the ground

Days where tears sat just there in the eyes

and

Days shared with a friend

Sharing the stories with sadness and JOY.

Celebrate those days, savor them, and appreciate

the days of rain and tears.

Allow the love to sit there with you and embrace it.

Happy weekend, dear friends!

I Could Have Danced

 Grab the top hat just up there.

Do you see it?

Peak all about.

 Little ones will dance with delight.

 Do you see it yet?

What will you wear?

 Oh this yellow one suits me just fine.

 How about this one to twirl in or tip-toe through the tulips?

My fairy goddess does have a closet to peek in.

She does have something for everyone.

How I love quietly tip-toeing here and there looking for just the right

something for a dance of delight.

Whimsy, dreaming, and dancing are part of the pleasure when

I visit this little shop called Bella Flora.

If you come to Portland one day, just knock on my door

and we can fly away to this land of imagination.