Greetings

May the joys of the season and the love
of family and friends
visit you throughout the coming year!

Wishing everyone a happy healthy and
peaceful New Year!
~hugs naturegirl~

Life Cycles

"Everything in LIFE has its CYCLES..

.. it is essential to celebrate the completion of any
creative cycle and what it means as a
gardener and a creative spirit..
to come back to the beginning..

.. just you, your space, your breath, your soul..
to rejuvenate and renew once again."

from Digging Deep by Fran Sorin

Christmas Wish

What is Christmas?

It is tenderness for the past courage for the present
hope for the future.

It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow
with blessings rich and eternal and
that every path may lead to peace.
Author unknown
~
the season of JOY
~MERRY CHRISTMAS~
Happy Hanukkah. Joyeux Noel.
Frohe Weihnachten!

Todays Flowers - Christmas Wreath

fresh evergreen wreath
I add the bow..

Mother Nature adds the snow!

Mother Nature continues to leave her stormy blanket
covering everything crispy white and freezing cold!
*see her stormy window wreath in my last post.

TODAY'S FLOWERS Christmas theme here
May the JOYS of Christmas brighten your hearts!
~hugs naturegirl~

White Out Snow Storm

Mother Nature's window
I felt it fitting to place a bow on her artwork!

"When gifts are given to me through my camera
I accept them graciously" Minor White

No blue sky today.. I can't see the sky!
we were hit with a white out snow storm..
20 cm. of snow blanketed streets allowing only the
brave with shovels, snow blowers, and ploughs
to hit the streets!

Taking shelter from the storm I snap off
photos from inside my window..
visibility is limited as you can see from the blowing
snow... would you go out in this weather?
Temperature -9C
Friends and neighbors who braved the storm
to get themselves to work.. I applaud you!

I hibernate indoors watching the snow birds
I filled up the feeders 4 times
to keep their energy up .
Tomorrow 80% chance of more snow forcasted!!
Yes I believe we are in for a white Christmas!

No Ordinary Day

"None of us is promised tomorrow..
today in all it's beauty is all we have."

I walked a quiet path today towards the distant shore

the air was crisp and the sun was beginning to set

I passed two geese along the way

Today with it's blue sky and white clouds
was no ordinary winter day!
*NOTE: Photos taken Thursday..today we are having a
WHITE OUT SNOW STORM!!

~
Wishing all Sky Watchers a Merry Christmas!

Silent Snowflakes

Mother Nature came last night to spread
wonderment and peace
with her silent snowflakes

Gift Giving

"Gifts tied with heartstrings"
Unconditional Love. Selflessness. Trust. Faith.
Forgiveness. Wholeness. Second Chances. Comfort.
Joy. Peace. Reassurance. Rejoicing. Generosity.
Compassion. Charity. Wonder. Acceptance. Courage
"Open your hearts to receive such gifts gratefully."
Sarah Ban Breathnach
~
Let us remember that a "gift tied with heartstrings" is
far more precious than anything in the shops.

Thank you to Ms. PEA for the Santa card!

Todays Flowers - Bright Bouquet

The days get shorter the air grows colder and
the snowflakes will fall but I comfort myself with
a bright bouquet of flowers!

Kick those winter blahs away by clicking on
the TODAY'S FLOWERS site..
better yet join in..
a great way to view your flower photo archives

Faces of Paris

sombre sky in Paris

Paris a city of a thousand faces

standing on top of

Montmartre hill I see a sombre face

The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris

A masterpiece erected for the World Fair in 1889!

An interlaced structure made of

15,000 pieces of metal welded together.

Husband and I were in awe of the engineering technology

back in the 1800's as we studied this astonishing tower.
Photos taken while visiting Paris in August

~

*more world skies to see @ SKY WATCH

Quiet Winter Scene

Mother Nature paints a snow white winter scene
within these quiet woods..

the wonder of pure whiteness
on every tree and limb..

a fresh snowfall gently powders
the forest floor..
Winter is a season of quiet beauty

~
*Photos are untouched
Olympus SP-55OUZ 18x optical zoom snow scene setting

Todays Flowers - Pots Inspire

tough little Hens- and- Chicks Sempervivum
form ground-hugging evergreen rosettes
braving the chilling December snow

outdoor space no matter how large or small
reflect your inner self

Sempervivum means "live forever"
hens-and chicks don't really live forever.The rosettes
are basically biennial, dying after blooming and
producing seed. But secondary rosettes replace each
generation as soon as it dies, and it's this constant
renewal by younger rosettes that gives the plants their
"live-forever" characteristics..even after
exposure to bitter cold winters !
~
see postings by a
community of *global bloggers* who share a love of

TODAY'S FLOWERS click here

SkyWatch #8

~ winter blue sky 11 a.m. ~
north of where I reside.. about a 4 hour drive
we were heading home today when I took these photos

~winter storm sky 2 p.m.~
drove through a snow storm just ahead of this location
*Check back for images of the snow storm

* images taken from inside a moving car
using the shoot & select setting which takes fast-moving
subjects in rapid succession.
MORE * Global SKYWATCHERS here

Loving

~Casper and Paisley~
"The fearlessness calm inner peace and joy..
which are given to us by love are so big that all
other things in the world cannot be compared with them
especially for the person who understands
the real blessings of love."
from: A Calendar of Wisdom
by Leo Tolstoy
~~
untouched photo : Paisley as a kitten..
I featured her in previous post and Casper one of
my felines who now has wings.
I miss him during the holiday season ..
he loved all the glitter sparkle and lights

Glow of Light

~Paisley~
a soft glow.. a subtle shift in light can illuminate
our everyday lives