Saturday, April 30, 2011

They're Back!

Born in Kruger National Park, these young adults spent several weeks
in acclimation bornas (huge holding areas) to prepare them for 
their 54 hour flight to Houston.

The Houston Zoo's original pair of white rhinos, Bu and Marci
also came from Africa in the early 1970's and were beloved ambassadors
for their species for over 30 years.



Rhino


It is very exciting that rhinos have returned to the zoo and the wonderful
African Forest exhibit. 
The first phase of the African Forest is 6.5 acres and includes
habitats for Chimpanzees, Rhinoceroses, Giraffes, Cheetahs, Kudu, and Ostrich.

Rhino

It is expected that this trio of Rhino,
one male and two females,
will produce rhino calves and add some much needed
genetic diversity to the North American zoo population.

Rhino

Due to their strength and size - second only to the elephant as far as land mammals 
white rhinos don't have many enemies, except for man. 
Without increased protection, all rhinos could disappear in the wild
in the next 20-50 years.

Misty just celebrated 3 years of Camera Critters.
Be sure you visit!

Wishing you WELL and a JOY filled weekend.




Thursday, April 28, 2011

Good Morning!

Gardenia
The first Gardenia bloom of the season in Musashi's Garden.


"Joy comes from simple and natural things, 
mists over meadows,
sunlight on leaves,
the path of the moon over water. 
Even rain and wind and stormy clouds bring joy,
just as knowing animals and flowers and where they live."
~Sigurd F. Olson

This quote, and others I'll be sharing off and on, 
is from the book
HEALING AFTER LOSS
Daily Meditations for Working Through Grief
by Martha Whitmore Hickman.
The book is a gift from a dear friend -- thank you Kim

Wishing you WELL and a JOY filled day.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Southern Living



I'm doing something a little different today for tea post --
thanks to the May issue of Southern Living Magazine.


Sweet and Simple: 
23 New Ways to Enjoy Tea from Pitcher to Platter

The original article is by Mary Allen Perry and
the photographs by Jennifer Davick.



Doesn't this look wonderful?
Sweet tea and icebox tart.
It really looks good to me with the heat and humidity
in our area.


That's just the beginning.
The article has recipes for all sorts of sweet tea:
Mint Julep, Lemon-Blueberry, Ginger and Honey
Spiked Lemonade. Blackberry.

And the recipes for the food!!!
Sweet Tea-Brined Chicken
Sweet Tea Rice (several different ways)
Grilled Shrimp Salad with Sweet Tea Vinaigrette
Sweet Tea Dulce de Leche
Sweet Tea Tiramisu



Governor's Mansion Summer-Peach Tea Punch

It's almost too much for a tea lover to deal with!
Hurry!

There are so many tea parties in the Land of Blog.
These are just a few:


Wishing you WELL and a wonderful cup/glass of Tea!

"The spirit of the tea beverage is one of peace, comfort and refinement."
~Arthur Gray

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Easter Brunch

I'm cheating today.
I didn't have anything ready for Seasonal Sunday .

Source


While I was recycling magazines and catalogs,
I came across the Pottery Barn catalog.
I'm sure I saved it because I loved the cover vignette
of the bunnies.

Source


Last night I even checked to see if anything from 
Pottery Barn's Easter Brunch
was on sale and still available online.

Source

The only thing I found 
was the little bunny place card holder.


Source

All is not lost.
Perhaps there is a visit to the Pottery Barn in town
in the near future!



If not, thank you to Pottery Barn
for the beautiful Easter Brunch ideas!

.

Wishing you WELL and a JOY filled Easter.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Easter Greetings


Easter Greetings
Send I thee,
Glad and
happy may
it be.

Sounds like something Yoda from Star Wars would say!



A friend of mine was telling me about a book she reads to kindergarten classes.
She volunteers and has been volunteering at this school for years 
and has children come up to her in other grades
 and tell her they remember the story she read to them at Easter.

"It wasn't always the Easter Bunny who dyed eggs and wove baskets for the children--it was a round old couple who lived in a snug little house. Their pet white rabbit, however, always watched their preparations closely. One Easter morning, the old couple sleeps in, so the rabbit takes over. In time, the children discover they have the Easter Bunny to thank for their gifts."

The postcard is from the Easter Rabbit Postcard Book 
published by Darling & Company.
The artist is unknown but they did know the date - 1916.

Postcard Friendship Friday is hosted each week by the lovely Beth.

***

OOPS!

I almost forgot all about Earth Day.
Shame on me!



The Nature Conservancy suggests that to celebrate we should:
Eat Smart
Eat Local
Eat Sustainably
Eat Green
Eat Outside With Your Friends!

Wishing you WELL and a JOY filled  Earth Day. 




Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The Bunnies are Here!

The Bunnies are taking a short break as they prepare for Easter
and have come for tea!


Easter Tea



Mr. and Mrs. Bunny in tea pot style are dancing their way to Easter.


Easter Bunny



The small bunny and egg mug was hand made and painted by 
a couple living in New Mexico known as
Rabbit Artworks.
(Daffodils on the background.)

The little bunny salt and pepper shakers make me smile.


Easter Tea



They are a handsome couple!
(Love the carrots on his suspenders.)


Easter Bunny

Happy Easter and Happy Spring!

These are just a few of the wonderful tea parties in the blogging world:


Wishing you WELL and a wonderful cup of TEA!

"Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage."
~Catherine Douzel

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Springtime!

It's Springtime!
Today we started with a cool morning and will have a high near 90.
The humidity starts coming back late today.


Springtime Mosaic



I wanted to do some experimenting with some of the mosaics I have presented before
and add some shots to celebrate Springtime and Easter.


Springtime Mosaic



The Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush are in bloom on the Rice University campus.

Springtime Mosaic

It seems like Spring happens for the first time each year!
Do you remember the blooms being this lovely last year?
Or the sky as blue (on those days without humidity)?
Listen to the birds sing!
New life.
New beginnings.
Courage and strength.

I'd like to thank
Mary at Mosaic Monday
and

for being wonderful hosts.

Wishing you WELL and a JOY filled week!




Friday, April 15, 2011

This and That

I thought I'd try my hand at another This and That post.
But first, it is Friday and that means


Easter Postcard



This time it looks like the anthropomorphic bunnies have finished
preparing the jelly beans for Easter.
The unknown artist had quite an imagination.
A big thank you to Beth for being the hostess for Postcard Friendship Friday.


***





I can procrastinate with the best of them.
Now I can procrastinate the mindful way thanks to an article I found
at the Elephant Journal called 
While I'm procrastinating over what I should really be doing,  I can do things like:
organize my closet, do the laundry, empty the dishwasher, weed the garden,
get a haircut, make a dental appointment.

***


I'm sure many of you know about Meatless Monday.
Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of preventable conditions like
cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.
It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and 
save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.


***

Speaking of recipes:
This one is meatless from Whole Foods.

Source

All Greek Salad

Serves 4

8 cups torn iceberg lettuce
1 cup chopped celery
1 can peas, drained
1 can (15 ounce) artichokes, drained and chopped
1 small cucumber, chopped
1 small onion, minced
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
6 sprigs parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 tablespoons vinegar
4 teaspoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Mix
Eat!

***

Oops!

I almost forgot.
For those of you into mixed media --
Christy Tomlinson has a wonderful video featuring materials from Faber Castell.
It's really worth watching to see her little hope filled girl come to life.

Wishing you WELL and a JOY filled weekend!


Thursday, April 14, 2011

Good Morning!

Rose


"Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion."

  ~Thich Nhat Hanh 

Sunday, April 10, 2011

It's Getting Hot!

In typical south Texas fashion, we are moving quickly to summer.
Ack!
Hot and humid and no rain.
Drought conditions.
I find myself in the garden in the early morning making sure all my babies 
are watered, the fountains cleaned and the water fresh for the birds and squirrels.


Mosaic Musashi's Garden



The trumpet vines are slowing down.


Mosaic Musashi's Garden



The Knockout roses are still knockouts.


Mosaic Musashi's Garden



One of my favorite garden ornaments is the snail.
Too bad all the snails in the garden don't look like this.

Thank you to Mary for being our Mosaic Monday hostess.

Wishing you WELL and a JOY filled week.

Friday, April 8, 2011

This and That


Today is a This and That Day.
One of those spur of the moment thought days.
Get ready for a long post!

But first, it's Friday and that means Postcard Friendship Friday.
April means spring and Easter.
Here's the first card in an Easter Rabbit Postcard Book published by 
Darling & Company in Seattle.





Quite a handsome guy with his egg drum and he looks as if he's been off to war!?!
All of the postcards reproduced in the book are from the first 25 years
of the 20th century, the grand age of postcards.
Unfortunately, the artist of this card is listed as unknown.


***

On Facebook yesterday, I ran across
over at the Elephant Journal.

It was hard to pick a favorite.
Hug Your Pet ranked near the top.
Did you know there is a study that shows animal companions
release a love hormone when played with and cuddled -- and so does the cuddler!

Another one:
Go from inanimate to animate.
For all the daylight hours of a single day, treat everything that you think is
inanimate, animate! 

And one more (you should really go and read the list yourself!):
Be Me-Kind:
Everytime you look in the mirror, make a promise to be kind to yourself.

Oh, and don't forget to wear sunscreen!

***

Isn't mail call wonderful!
This little guy arrived in February ... just when I needed a little lift.
Mandy Saile is the artist and Mandy, please forgive for being so late for 
thanking you on my blog.


"This sweet and whimsical "Tiny Bird"
series by Canadian artist Mandy Saile pays homage to the
natural world that provides her with so much inspiration."

Please drop by and visit Mandy (and the bunnies) at Bijous Whimsy.


***

Finally, are you old enough to remember a song sung by Nat King Cole
"Smile Though Your Heart is Aching"?
For some reason, it was running through my brain last night.
Perhaps because I did a lot of smiling and remembering yesterday.
Here are the lyrics.

Smile though your heart is aching 
Smile even though it's breaking 
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by 
If you smile through your fear and sorrow 
Smile and maybe tomorrow 
You'll see the sun come shining through for you 
Light up your face with gladness 
Hide every trace of sadness 
Although a tear may be ever so near 
That's the time you must keep on trying 
Smile, what's the use of crying? 
You'll find that life is still worthwhile 
If you just smile 

That's the time you must keep on trying 
Smile, what's the use of crying? 
You'll find that life is still worthwhile 
If you just smile

***

Wishing you Well and Joy filled weekend!


Monday, April 4, 2011

Spring Tea

A buddy of mine kidnapped me one day and we went shopping.
We went to lunch, hit Michaels and since Ross was in the same strip shopping 
we decided to drop in.



Easter Tea



I came home with the rabbit and the tea cup.


Flower Tea Cup



The bottom of the cup says:
Fine China
Dishwasher Safe
Made in China.

I love the butterflies and hummingbirds and all the lovely flowers.
The gold edge.



Easter Tea



Perfect to get me into the mood for Spring and Easter.
I love bunnies!


Flower Arrangement

Tea ... is a religion of the art of life.
~Kakuzo Okakura


Tuesday is Tea Day.
These are just a few of the tea parties to visit.


Wishing you well and a wonderful cup of tea!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Breakfast Tacos to Gardens


My day started off at 8 AM with a walk to Reckling Park
 to see a college baseball game.
The visiting team had a plane to catch in the early afternoon
 so the game started early.
Instead of the usual ballpark food: 
hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos, peanuts, sunflower seeds,
we had breakfast tacos, orange juice, coffee and donuts!!!!!





After the ball game there was plenty of time to work in the garden.
I had some ground cover trimming to finish.
With my trusty Canon around my neck, 
I took shots of some of the new blooms in Musashi's Garden.


Mosaic Musashi's Garden



The amaryllis is not quite at full bloom.
The little apricot rose is one of my favorites -- so delicate looking.


Mosaic Musashi's Garden



I potted the ivy geraniums that I found at Costco.
I couldn't resist their color.


Mosaic Musashi's Garden



Gerberas are such happy flowers and this orange is a real knock out.



I'd like to thank
Mary at Mosaic Monday
and

for being wonderful hosts.

Wishing you Well and a JOY filled week.


Friday, April 1, 2011

A Special Goodnight

I've been busy. Lots to do around here and time seems to be getting away from me. I wanted to share this DAILY OM with you. I hope, with time, I'll be able to catch up with all my blogging buddies, blog more and visit more with you. It's a beautiful day here today and I wish you well and a JOY filled weekend!




March 29, 2011
A Special Goodnight
Creating a Nightly Ritual


Behind us lies the previous day and all that has come before; ahead of us, dawn heralds all that is yet to be.


At the end of the day, as the sweet, dark stillness of night beckons us to lay down our bones and rest, we find ourselves at a clear transition point: Behind us lies the previous day and all that has come before; ahead of us, dawn heralds the unfolding of all that is yet to be. While many of us have morning rituals that connect us with our center and help us to set intentions, we may want to explore the magic and power of nighttime ritual as well. It holds for us a beautiful chance for self-appreciation and blessing. Before you go to bed each night, you can send gratitude, compassion, and healing to the being you have been up until this moment. And you can send lightness and love into the future for the one you are in the process of becoming.

Though simple, this action honors the journey you have taken thus far, while opening you to the wonderful possibilities still ahead. When you consciously engage with your own evolution this way, you may find that your sleep gets sweeter, filling your night with a deeper sense of trust and relaxation. As you rest, you can surrender to these peaceful hours, knowing that the road behind you has been seen and acknowledged with respect and kindness, while the path ahead now holds your own benevolence and well wishes.

This bedtime ritual empowers you as the only one who can determine the meaning of your own past and the hopefulness of your future. By setting this special time aside each night, you can begin to orient yourself on your path of growing. It allows you to let the past have its place, to trust that the future is taken care of, and to simply rest yourself in the graceful arms of the present moment.

For more information visit dailyom.com