Pinks.. for Saturday!

In the mood!

Pink snowy petals from Japanese Magnolia Tree  ( thanks to hanna in Connecticut!)

One of MY all time faves..by me!!

another lovely rose..

Sweet, fragrant Bouganvilla always puts me in a tropical mood...
...Thinking of far away places like the pink beach sands of Bermuda...!
Hoping this finds you in the pink!
enjoy your weekend!
what ever you do.. 
make sure to stop and smell the roses.. 
er uh , the FLOWERS!
Please join  Beverly and friends for more Pink Saturday!

Wednesday wanderings..

I've been a bit remiss with my postings..
Mondays are always my favorites with Blues and yellows..

followed by Wednesday with fun, outdoorsy stuff. often centered around water..

This week,however, the blues have held me captive..
indoors..
as chilly rainy/snowy mix fell from the sky..
seemed endless..
and my mood plummeted..
trying my best to escape the grasp of blues..

started editing photos..
of my Florida trip..

two whole weeks of sunshiney bliss..
spent with family and dear sweet friends..

 laughing and smiling until my jaws literally ached...
aaaah!

But..
in between these cold April showers...
I did manage to shoot a few luscious flowers...

so please accept my apologies ..
and enjoy my flowers instead!!!
Have a beautiful Wednesday wherever you may be!
please visit these wonderful hostesses for more Wednesday fun!


Outdoor Wednesday
Watery Wednesday
White Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday

Happy Easter..

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Easter..

Happy Earth Day..everyday!

Happy Earth Day 




The year was 1970..
I was newly arrived in California..
for the very first time..
big-eyed, big-haired and aghast!

 Far away from my sugary white sandy beaches..
Welcome to yellowish dusty Pacific beaches..
Gone was the smell of ocean and pine trees..
Hello to concrete, smog and Santa Ana winds..
Marvin Gaye was singing Mercy, Mercy me...
something about Ecology..
what the heck was ecology?

a new term..
Flower Children were dancing in the streets..
the parks..

Hippies were everywhere..

bell bottoms and gas masks?

That was 41 years ago..
seems like just yesterday...
In those years, I've learned much..
a lot of what had nothing to do with hippies or flower children ..
or even Marvin Gaye..
It  all started at home..
using good common sense..
We grew our own food..
we recycled everything..
remember the term "hand me downs"?
that was common practice in our household..
we sewed most of our clothing from grain sacks..
no fancy brand names.
just "made with love from Mom"
we picked,canned and froze vegetables for winters use..
we composted , amended our soil..
and respected our planet..
beginning  at home.
We've come a long way in those 41 years..
More people inhabit our planet..
More people to add to the waste..
More landfills..
what is to happen when there is no longer land to FILL?
yet,because of that day in 1970..
new laws  for protecting our planet have been enacted..
and practiced as we preached..
On this Earth Day and everyday,
I celebrate my God..
who made this planet for me and mine to exist, co-exist..
while doing MY part to protect and preserve it for the next generation..
teaching and guiding as my parents did..
and theirs before them..
all it takes is ONE to start a movement...
and others following ..
WE can make a difference..
YOU and I..
yes...WE can!

Funny how time slips away..

Yes..
One year ago we awoke to horror..
in our own back yard..
Not a terrorist attack like 9/11..
but a tsunami of sorts...
an offshore oil rig exploded..
killing 11 workers..
a flume of oil spewed unstopped into our beautiful Gulf of Mexico..
for months,,
until finally, in mid August the flow was capped..
and stopped..
but for all those months of spewing oil..
lives on shore were being impacted..
fisherman and shrimpers could no longer ply their trades..
no dollars coming in meant non payment of mortgages/bills..
which in turn caused massive foreclosure of homes..
closing of business meant loss of jobs..
and the cycle continues..
after a year, tourists are returning..

that's ME.. a Native..not a tourist!
fishermen are again taking to the fishing grounds..
and we've been told..
the danger is over..
the Gulf coast is open for play and business as usual..
but is it really?
no one knows for sure the damage done by the oil on the floor of the Gulf..
or of the dispersant used to break it up on top of the water..
who can say the marine  life has not been genetically altered/affected by the oil?
many species continue to wash ashore on a regular basis..
many of which are baby or immature..

so many unanswered questions of this ticking time bomb..
in the meantime..
 the anniversary of this tragic event was relegated to the back page of the newspaper!
Guess those people in high places seem to think "Out of Sight..Out of Mind..
but not for those whose lives and livelihoods have been forever changed..
not by a Natural Disaster..
but by HUMAN carelessness...
Please pray for continued recovery of our natural and human resources/assets..
Every little bit helps..


Blue Monday
White Wednesday
Watery Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Outdoors Wednesday

A Quick hello...

Just a quick hello ..
Nope..
haven't fallen off the face of the planet..
altho this week has felt very close to my doing just that..
Blogger would not cooperate with me..
jealousy I suppose...
but other more important things also were going on in my little world..
Hubs had medical issues which had to be resolved..
resolved nicely!!
next myself..
had a bit of minor surgery..
which will be the subject of an upcoming post..
still editing the 2500 vacation pics..whew!!
so.. here I am..
2:00 pm on Friday afternoon..
still in my jammies and robe..
gotta get up and get moving..
first to the pharmacy for meds.. 
then maybe capture a bit of Springtime magic ..
seems she slipped in under the cover of darkness..
and is shyly showing her radiant beauty in blooming flowers and trees!
so my friends..
thanks for the wonderful comments you have been leaving..
guess it goes without saying..
each and every one of you make my day!
warmest mile high hugs..
Loui♥

an awakening..

While attending a funeral yesterday for the Mother of a dear friend,
I found myself thinking and reflecting..
This dear lady lived for 98 years..
LIVED in the true sense of the word..
She married the love of her life..
had an only child..
came to Denver  in 1949..
at that time, she joined her church.
as she had been brought up to do...
became a part of the inner workings of her church..
while following the steps set forth by her God.
Her biological family became a part of her church family..
and vice versa...
Many who spoke of this lady recalled her always being at the church..
for whatever the reason.. 
or season.
she truly lived her life ..
by giving of herself..
selflessly..
tirelessly..
and in the end..
her living of life as set forth in the Bible..
became a tribute for her success..
as a mother, sister , daughter , grandmother..
friend to one and all..
and in the end..
as I paid my respects to this dear lady....
my Lord reached out and touched me..
through the music,
the messages..
he eased my  aching heart..
and replaced it with that which had been missing.. 
the light to guide my path..

Issues..and resolutions?

Dear Blogger friends..
am having terrible issues with blogger..
until these are  resolved..
I apologize for the crazy posts being viewed/
or not viewable..

Hopefully this will whet your appetite for some of the visual treasures I've captured for sharing..

she was so stunning, but the shop owner absolutely forbade my entrance into her shop with the camera..fortunately, she could NOT deter me from snapping this OUTSIDE shot..

albeit a bit hard to discern.. 

the mermaid herself as well as the egret,was made of  bronze, with enameled scales.

Clear, iridescent glass bubbles surrounded her as willow fronds and tiny roses dripped from above.. 

really a beautiful window display..

to be continued...
♥

Wednesday..my colors of Paradise

Destin View from Shalimar Pointe..thanks Margo!

Beautiful  Bottlebrush Shrub in full glory!

looking skyward,seeing Dogwoods,
framed against a brilliant blue...heavenly!

Azaleas and palms..so typically Southern

Huge Live Oaks,dripping with Spanish Moss...

A playful outdoor fountain in Destin Commons shopping center..

Lifeguard surveying the beach,always ready and alert to the conditions..

...very hard to choose a favorite.. 

all represent places near and dear to my heart!
Please Visit these sites for more Wednesday Wonders:


Outdoor Wednesday
Watery Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
White Wednesday
Rednesday

Monday....the colors of my world

My adventures in paradise..
the story begins to unfold...
It was just  a regular day..
for Denver that is..
nothing spectacular..
but perfect flying weather..
and I was headed home to Florida!
for TWO whole GLORIOUS weeks!
the flight was great..
I dozed..and read according to plan..
landed in Florida, 
picked up the rental car..
(a tiny economical,fuel efficient car)
gas prices were between $3.65 and  $3.99,
but the tank held about 8 gallons..
and mileage averaged 33 mpg!)
(Denver gas prices are $3.27-$3.45)
and headed to Di's ..
what a shock for these winterized eyes..
what a variety of shades of green ..
everywhere.. 

grassy roadsides..
softly budding trees..
Mossy oaks...

Dogwoods dripping with Spanish moss...

Azaleas..
shades from white, to pinks, purples and red....
blooming riotously colorfully..
beneath tall longleaf pines..
under spreading liveoaks..

behind picket fences..
hugging porch foundations..

oh my gosh!
Spring really had returned home to the South..again!
and that was simply my first few hours!!
passed the beach..
first the glowing yellow seedpods of the sea oats..
beckoning below the bluest sky..
called to me tempting,
tantalizingly..
yep..you bet I stopped!. 
(came to a screeching halt really!)
wouldn't you for this incredible view?

and of course..
breathed deeply..
filling my lungs to capacity with fresh salt air..
listened to the seabirds..chattering and squawking..
not a soul in sight as  far as I could see!!
the beach was mine!!

off came the sandals..
toes buried in the sand..
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!
wonderful!
warm, squeaky..perfect!!
color me happy faced!!
and still...
miles to go before time to sleep.
all under those beautiful blue Florida skies...

adventures of Loui♥..to be continued.....

But first.. a word from our wonderful sponsors:

Smiling Sally at Blue Monday

Drowsy Monkey for Mellow Yellow Monday

                              

I'm BAAAAAAACK!

returned to Denver late Thursday..
furbabies were delighted !
they still will not let me out of their sight!!
wishing my toes were still buried in that awesome beach sand..
instead..
am buried up to my eyeballs in the editing process..
went so many places..
(several posts to address each separately )
saw so many folks..
(again each will have their own post)
old and new friends..
family..
MY SON!!!!!
ate delicious seafood..
here, there, and everywhere..
timing was perfect..
weather DELIGHTFUL!
not a dab of rain until the day I departed for Colorado..
(angels tears because I was leaving Florida?)
Dogwoods and Azaleas were popping for the Azalea Trail festivities..
picture young beauties attired in antebellum hoop skirts..
each complimenting the other..
when not on the go..
managed to catch up on reading..
and relaxing..
am now home all refreshed..
body, mind and soul..
AMAZING what a little beachy time can do..
truly my brand of medicine..
just wish it could be bottled and sold..
so get comfortable..
relax.. and tune in for more of Loui's adventures in Florida!!
to be continued!.......