Let's Party!

"Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'"

~ Robin Williams

My Freesia are blooming.
I have them in pots on the balcony.
I know spring is here when they start to bloom.

I love the yellow ... such a happy color!

I found some more freesia bulbs well after the season last year.
Such a small little bulb to make pretty flowers.
I bought them and added them to the pots.
The pretty red is one of the new ones.

"Spring won't let me stay in this house any longer! 
I must get out and breathe the air deeply again."
~ Gustav Mahler

Freesias are strongly scented. 
They have five to 10 single or double flowers.
Stems are usually 10 to 18 inches long with little or no foliage.
The bell-shaped freesia blooms up to seven days and comes in
white, golden yellow, orange, red, pink, mauve, lavender, purple and bicolors.

I'm joining Sun Lit Sunday

and 

Mosaic Monday.


Wishing YOU well and much joy!

The Earth Laughs in Flowers

The Butterfly Iris are blooming in my garden.
It is very difficult to underwater or overwater this Iris.
Perfect for Houston weather where it is either too dry or too wet!

They look quite pretty dancing in a light breeze under the sunny skies.

"Earth laughs in flowers."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm joining the lovely Karen and Mya for Sun Lit Sunday.

The Leaf Is One With Other Leaves

" This leaf is one with the other leaves:

with the branches, the trunk and the roots of the tree;

with the clouds, the stream, the earth, the sky and the light of the sun.

If one of these elements were absent,

the leaf could not exist."

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

I'm joining the lovely Karen for SunLit Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and much joy! 

SunLit Sunday

It's that time again.
Time to bring a little Sunlight into our lives during the dark days of winter.
I'm joining Karen for the first SunLit Sunday for 2016.

I see Daddy Cardinal more often than I see Mom.
His color is so striking against the green fan palm.
All my bird friends seem to be enjoying the new garden.
No one has fallen into the water garden since their own bird bath was added.

Little Robin and his Robin buddies come by -- not necessarily to eat,
but to take a bath.
Where did I put those tiny towels??!!!!!!
No matter how many pix I took of this little fella,
he was always standing on one leg. 

Happy Sweet '16.

Wishing YOU well and much joy in the new year. 

Thanks, Karen!

The Sun Came Out!

The sun came out this weekend after
four days of rain.
The white camellia was blooming.

I went grocery shopping and found these lovely roses.

I'm hoping I find some daffodils next week!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

A big thank you to Karen for hosting Sun Lit Sunday.

Still Hanging On

This gerbera daisy is still hanging on.
It hasn't gotten the message that it is winter
and it's COLD!

"Flowers are those little colorful beacons of the sun from which we get sunshine when dark, somber skies blanket our thoughts." 

~Dodinsky


Wishing YOU well and much joy.

Thank you to Karen for hosting Sun Lit Sunday.

Sun Lit Sunday

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark;
the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light."
~Plato

A big thank you to Karen for hosting Sun Lit Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Sun Lit Sunday

It's time for Sun Lit Sunday.

My blogging buddy, Karen, hosts Sun Lit Sunday during the winter as

a spot where people could share the "sunny" side of winter. Every season has its own beauty and this one is no exception.

Where I live plants are still green.
It's damp and temps are in the 40s.

Getting cozy, like this pair of doves, helps!

But it is also the time of year when I can open the front door for awhile and the "babies" can get a touch of fresh air while watching the action in the neighborhood!

Thank you to Karen for hosting Sun Lit Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and much joy.

Sunday

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."

~Albert Einstein

Wishing YOU well and much joy.

Sunday

"Light must come from inside.

You cannot ask the darkness to leave.

You must turn on the light."

~Sogyal Rinpoche



Wishing YOU well and much joy.

Sun Lit Sunday

This is the last Sun Lit Sunday for this year.

Thank you Karen for hosting.

I'm going to miss them.

Azaleas blooming at the Houston Zoo:

And at the Japanese Garden:

Last year I missed the azaleas blooming in Hermann Park, the zoo and the garden.

Thanks to our cooler weather, the blooms were running a little late 

and I ran on time! 

What a treat!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Double Delight

On this cloudy morning I'd like to show you 

Double Delight.

From bud:

 

 

to full bloom.

 

This is what she looks like today (before the rain) blooming in Musashi's Garden.

A Double Delight in color and her fragrance is heavenly .. just like a rose should. 

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Thank you to Karen for hosting Sun Lit Sunday and

to Mary for Mosaic Monday.

Hanging In There

I've been watching the Houston marathon on television this morning.

I fixed a cup of tea and looked out the door and saw this:

This little rose has been through high winds and freezing temperatures and still is

hanging in there ... just like the runners in the marathon.

Join us for a little Sun Lit Sunday.

Wishing you well and much joy!

Sun Lit Sunday

I walked into the Village yesterday.

Lovely sunny day and I took my little point and shoot thinking about Sun Lit Sunday.

Didn't find anything on my walk that grabbed my attention.

While waiting for the Seahawk game to start,

I looked into the kitchen and there it was -- the sun hitting the Christmas Cactus.

My Christmas cactus was late blooming this year.

Better late than never.

I love the color.

Hope the sun is shining where you are today.

Won't you join us for Sun Lit Sunday?

Wishing you well and much joy.

Chasing Sun Puddles

Sunlit Sunday is back for its third season.
The link-up was started in 2011 to help add a little sunshine to what can be
a rather grey period from January through March.

Today Teddy and Mina are chasing sun puddles.

Wishing you well and much joy.

Stay warm!

Happy Bodhi Day

Where ever Buddhism has traveled, 

it has picked up customs and bits of culture from each country.

Bodhi Day - the day Gautama achieved enlightenment is celebrated on December 8.

I've done a little incorporating of holidays -- compassion bringing them together.

The Christmas tree is all set up to celebrate Yule, Christmas and other Holy Days.

On December 8 the lights will represent enlightenment.

Multicolored lights representing the many paths that may be taken to enlightenment.
Under the tree, a Buddha as he sat under the Bodhi tree.

I plan on spending the day quietly.
Some meditation.
Curling up with the kitties to stay warm.
A cup of tea -- or two.
A candle glowing.
A wish for peace for all.

Harmony

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Sunlit Sunday: Surprise!

I'm sharing with Sunlit Sunday

 a surprise or two that I found in my garden yesterday.

What a surprise to find daffodils!

I first planted daffodils in Musashi's Garden in 1998 when we first moved in.

It was December and I planted them in a pot.

There were no flower beds, but I was determined to have some Spring color!

Over time the pots were emptied into the garden beds and I forgot all about the bulbs.

That brings us to this year and my surprise.

Mother Nature -- WOW!

**

I was looking out the back door when I saw this little guy flying by.

I grabbed my camera hoping he would stop someplace close.

He did.

I believe this is a little yellow Sulphur butterfly.

He didn't stay long -- zipped right off after I took the shot.

Good thing the glass was sort of clean!

Wishing YOU well, much joy and a very happy St. Patrick's Day!

Wishing you always-

Walls for the wind,

And a roof for the rain,

And tea beside the fire-

Laughter to cheer you,

And those you love near you,

And all that your heart 

might desire!

Happy New Year!

This is what greeted me in my email this morning.

Happy Losar!

A joyous year of the female water snake to you and yours.

In this, the 2140th year on the Tibetan calendar, may all the world, and every one of us in it, come to know peace and walk with kindness so that those born will be welcome, those passing will be at ease, and harmony reins in all our inner and outer realms.

*

A time to reflect, to start again.

There is no better place to celebrate the Lunar New Year than at the Japanese Garden 

in the early morning.

Thank you to the hosts of Sunlit Sunday and Mosaic Monday.

Wishing you well and much joy in the Female Water Snake Year of 2140!