Earth Laughs In Flowers~Thoreau

Just an afternoon stroll through my yard, down by the fish pond...

Pond photos coming soon!!!

For the Love of LILACS

I grew up in a seashore resort in the Northeast where most of the homes were old, three story, and VERY close together. Because of this, backyards were small. Mine, however, was framed in large old lilac bushes. I can remember as a child, sitting under them and basking in the sweet smell. To this day, whenever I encounter that scent, I am transported back to those long-ago days...

Now that I am in the south and my home sits on 25 acres, I once again have lilacs; this time in many different colors and varieties. As I write this, the bouquet on my diningroom table has filled my home with sweetness and memories.

While browsing the Etsy shops of my fellow EtsyProjectEmbrace teamates, I discovered that they, too, love lilacs:

SilverNutmegStudio

French Lilac Earrings


BeiMondi

Lilacs In Spring


botanicalbird

Lilacs and Pearls


sharonclancydesigns

Lilac Mist


decoratethediva

Lilac Bouquet


adornbyanysingley

Lilac Blossom Earrings

Still Walking...

Another day and another walk in the woods. Our colorless winter mountain side has suddenly been transformed into a thing of beauty, thanks primarily to the wonderful redbud trees. I'm not sure why they're called redbud as they're definitely not red, but a glorious shade of lavender pink. They fill the woods around my home; an awesome sight this time of year.













At the exact same moment, or so it seems, the dogwood burst into bloom, offering the perfect contrast. Like the redbud, the flowers appear before the leaves, turning the recently bare branches into a showcase. This is a tree that is every bit as lovely in the fall when the leaves turn red and the berries appear.

Wandering farther up the hill, pushing the matted leaves aside with my foot, I came upon what is probably my very most favorite wildflower, the Jack-in-the-Pulpit. I've never seen one that was not absolutely perfect, and this one was no exception. These are a native perennial herb usually found in moist woods. Here in Tennessee, they bloom in April and last only a week or two.

From time to time, I encounter clumps of tiny white flowers which I have named Fairy Flowers because of their delicate appearance. Their actual name is Wood Anenome and they grow in colonies from a root system that creeps just below the ground.

In the 28 years that I have lived here, I have never tired of exploring the woods around me. Each new season brings new discoveries and makes me feel blessed to live out in the country.

Thanx for walking with me... :)

Walk With Me...

This evening I took a walk up in the woods behind my house where suddenly everything is waking up. A few short days ago, there was nothing on the ground but a mat of dried leaves left over from the fall. Now everywhere I looked there were wildflowers peeking through.

Covering the ground in large areas were tiny white flowers with fern-like leaves. Not sure what they are, but they are very dainty and delicate.

I have always been fascinated by trillium, a perennial herbaceous plant that seems to be very prolific in this part of Tennessee. I found several groups of them as I continued my stroll. The most common one, at least here in my woods, seems to be the one with the dark burgundy bloom. I also found one that has a greenish white bloom.

They are just in their bud stage right now, but hopefully I will be able to get some shots when they are in full bloom. I recently read that there are 39 known species, but these are the only two that I have had the pleasure to see. Makes me happy that I have the moist, shady, woodland areas in which they thrive...


Violets, of course, are quite common this time of year, but I was happily surprised to find three different varieties; pale lavender, purple, and white.














As spring progresses and moves into summer, I look forward to taking and sharing more photos of the lovely wildflowers that grow here on my mountainside.

On Becoming G.G....

Way back, many years ago, I had a child, followed in rapid succession by three more of the same. They were wonderful, it was hectic, but they all grew up. Next came grandchildren, six in all. They, too, were wonderful, and their parents handled the hectic part.

Then, two and a half years ago, wonderful took on a new meaning with the birth of my first great-grandchild. I soon began to understand the use of GREAT as a prefix. Those of you who follow my daughter's blog, the hellhole diaries, know him as t-willie. To me he is just plain Toby.

I was waiting outside the delivery room when he was born and held him in his first hour of life. I've watched him grow from a tiny baby to an active toddler who surprises us every day with his antics. Unlike the grands who grew up living far from me, he is only 15 minutes away, and always accessible. He calls his mother, "mama", his grandmother, "gammie", and me, "G.G.", short for great-grandmother. When he wants to see me smile, he calls me "geej" or "geejer"...

He fills my life with wonder and my heart with love. In the years to come, hopefully there will be many more great-grands, and they, too, will be wonderful, but I'll always remember that it was Toby who taught me the true meaning of GREAT!!

Flutterby

Flutter by and check out these great butterfly creations from my TEAMEPE team mates. All of these shops are part of EtsyProjectEmbrace and donate to the American Cancer Society. Click on the above links to see how you can help.

botanicalbird-garden themed jewelry

beckandcallgirl- fiber arts supplies

blacksheepdesigns-be different

caelum-handmade paper goods

Rough Magic Creations-handmade in Maine

5gardenias-vintage

adornbyamysingley-unique artisan jewelry




Butterfly photos were taken by me in my yard last summer.

The Colors of Nature

I'm not sure why, because I neither knit nor crochet, but I just love all the handspun, hand dyed yarns on Etsy. I often search them out and use them in my Treasuries. While trying to think of an interesting way to post some of my macro flower photos, I thought of how nature is so often the inspiration for colors: