Gardens - Roses and Pansies

 I have been visiting a lot of gardens lately. It is indeed garden season, which is my favorite season. Here is the original rose garden for Portland, Peninsula Park. It is in full bloom now and just gorgeous! The day I was visiting this garden there was a wedding taking place in the gazebo in the background. What a beautiful place for a small, intimate wedding.

It is Rose Festival time in Portland right now. That festival is always centered around rose season and so beautiful.

But sometimes I must just savor what is out my backdoor.

We seem to have a lot of pansies this year.

The birds are certainly enjoying the little bird bath and sunflower seeds.

I was gone over the weekend and the feeder was half empty when we returned.

A Child in a Garden

by Ethel Romig Fuller in Kitchen Sonnets

Once I had just half an hour

To frolic by myself;

Presto! By a lilac bush

I changed into an elf.

I whispered to a ladybird,

"I really am a child!"

But the disbelieving thing

Shrugged it's wings and smiled.

A dusty bumblebee and I

Robbed the honey crocks

Of the Canterbury bells

And the hollyhocks.

And beneath a pansy plant-

A place no grown-up knows-

I pirouetted with an ant

On my elfin toes.

Then down the spice-pink-bordered path

Mother came for me;

The elf became a little girl

Ready for her tea.

This is what I imagine a childhood should be like in the garden.

Happy Spring Garden Days!!!

Sending love,

Marilyn

Focus on the Stars - My Decorations

 Welcome to my front door. What can I say, but I am thoroughly enjoying my little abode in this apartment complex. At the end of this corridor is a dog park/play area to run in.

Step inside.

The family gallery is just inside the door.

The door ahead is the office, which is messy.

I won't be showing you that as it is just computers, desks, and bookshelves.

Turn left into the kitchen and living space.

This is where it is beginning to feel like Christmas.

There are two trees in here, my little silver foil tree sits on a vintage child's chair.

Take a peek outdoors on the patio. I am not sure you can tell, but that clay pot is holding our tomato cage (upside down), wrapped in lights and a bow on top. It's our outdoor Christmas lights that twinkle at night.

Here is the main tree with a family antique quilt underneath. In front is my reading/napping chair, which I found at an estate sale many years ago. It is 100 years old and sooo cozy.

The large cabinet I found at a farm auction in Kansas about 50 years ago. It was built before the Civil War. It is where I store my china and accessories.

Since I don't have a mantle now, the window will have to do for my little village of trees and cottages. The JOY on the cabinet usually stays out all year just because I love the bling.

Here's a closer look at some of the tree decorations.

Here's the butterfly I added this year.

The clothespin ballerinas came from the time my daughter and I took ballet many years ago.
Hope you enjoyed a glimpse into the twinkle and delight in my world this year.

I hope you are surrounded by twinkle and delight this holiday season.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Focus on the Stars

Autumn JOY!

This past Saturday I was out at the NO KINGS rally. There were a few inflatable attendees that just made me smile. The song that has rung through my head since then is God Bless America. I am continuing to sing that each and every day. We are blessed and must hold on to that HOPE. It was a gorgeous blue-sky day, and we were joined by thousands, no millions, around the world to speak up.

Do you love driving in the country at this time of year? I love finding beautiful colors popping up here and there.

And then in my own little place I love having some touches of the season and a bit of silliness to celebrate the season.

This pumpkin scarecrow greets us as we enter the apartment.

Even at teatime the season invades.

Sunflowers are the final touch that makes me just smile.

How many pumpkins did you count?

Do you celebrate the season in your own place?

Does it make you smile?

Sending love,

Marilyn

One final pumpkin. Do you see it in my patio garden?

 

 

 

 

 

Some Days

 As I sit in reflection over my tea this morning, I am enjoying the little bouquet I picked at my house in the garden just yesterday. I am reminiscing on the day just yesterday. Some days are just like this, but it wasn't just an ordinary day. It was time of goodbyes.

Yesterday I walked through the house that I had lived in for 22 years. Where did all that stuff come from? Wow! There is a lot waiting for buyers tomorrow to carry away little and not so little treasures. I feel like I moved a lot, but yet there is so much left behind.

I was their care taker for awhile. Now someone else can enjoy them.

 

 

I saw a cookbook waiting for someone to buy and realized there was only one recipe in the book I enjoyed; so I photographed it to still have.

Estate sales are fascinating me now. The company actually brought in some more stuff just to make it look full; though most of it was our stuff. The pricing fascinated me and I could tell the person doing the sale knew his stuff. My antiques were priced appropriately.

Can you believe it, but after walking through all the stuff in my house I took myself off to the antique mall. It is my peaceful place. It's not where I necessarily buy, but love taking pictures. And who did I run into, but the guy doing our estate sale. I knew he had several booths there, but didn't expect to see him.

I love the displays of live plants at the mall.

Isn't it beautiful?

Then I came back to the house for another walk in the garden and to pick a small bouquet to enjoy on my tea table this morning.

In the bouquet is a camellia bud and daphne buds, plus a bit of rosemary and tea to sweeten the deal. To me it is a lovely bouquet of remembrance and love for the garden. I will miss the garden more than the house.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Focus on the Stars

 

"Light is Knowledge, Light is Life"

I am not sure where I read the above quote, but it is a good one.

Light is focusing on hope, hold onto it with all we have, and don't let go.

Right before we moved I wanted to have lunch at a restaurant near our house. As I stepped out of the car I saw HOPE in the window of this children's shop. And then the book behind the window was "Climb the Mountain". I knew the move would be like struggling up the mountain, but from the top we would see new horizons. I needed to hold on to HOPE for sure. I needed to focus on the little glimmers of light.

 

 

And then as I was parked in a "NO PARKING" spot waiting to pick up the truck to move, I looked up and saw HOPE once again.

We made it to today. As I sip my morning tea and peak out the window I dream of hanging pictures on the walls and making this sweet little apartment HOME. There are glimmers of the finish line, but still more to do. For today I will keep my eyes on the stars.

Sending love,

Marilyn

The Orth House, Jacksonville, Oregon

Sometimes I find places to stay when taking short trips on Expedia. The Orth House was found in just that way. It said it was a historic house in downtown Jacksonville, Oregon. Now Jacksonville is a historic small town with vineyards growing all around it. Note: Jeanie, you would love it there. The Orth House had a tasting room on the main entry floor. They were mostly opened in the afternoons and early evenings. On Saturday evenings they have live music in the patio along with wine tasting. I thought it was a bed and breakfast, but it was more like an Air B&B with only two rooms upstairs that they rent out. Interestingly, we were the only ones staying there all three nights. It was a little bit spooky staying in this big old house all by ourselves. But then we could pretend for awhile that this big old historic house was ours for awhile.

The garden was quite lovely to walk through.

The front porch was perfection for an early morning tea sipping.

The hall upstairs had a beautiful tapestry.

And our room was quite nice, though we were surprised to have a bathtub right in the bedroom. Our old bodies had a hard time climbing in and out of the tub, but it was still fun.

I bet winter time would be quite cozy with a little fire in the stove.

The best part was walking. It was in the middle of town, just one block to a nice coffee shop, one block to great shops and restaurants, two blocks to the restaurant our daughter set up for our anniversary dinner, and four blocks to a concert venue.

We did do a little research and found out Mr. Orth had been the local butcher and then became a civic leader in the years when Jacksonville was being formed and wagon trains were coming west. It almost felt like we were infringing on his private home.

So once we settled in, we were off to a special dinner.

The lemon tart ended the evening on a high note.

 Now I didn't write about Kindness and Joy today, but really Mr. Orth was kind to let us stay in his home without disturbing us. Our daughter was kind in giving us a lovely dinner out.

 

Hope the beginning of your week is starting off spectacularly.

It is very hot here this week and praying it cools down a bit by the weekend.

 

Sending love,

Marilyn