A White Basket Of Flowers

Today we were about to throw out an old basket. I didn't have any specific use for it and it was dirty (no, I didn't want to spend time cleaning it). But then I thought "Oooh...this would make a lovely planter!"

And by late afternoon it was all done. 

Here's the basket, waiting to be worked on.

 I lined it at the bottom with plastic and punched holes in it for drainage

so it won't rot quite as quickly. Then I added a shallow layer of dirt.

On this same afternoon I bought some torenias, 2 each of 3 colors.

I placed them in the basket...

 ...then put in more dirt...

 

 ...spreading it evenly around them.

 Voila! Project done.

 Now for a formal photo session of my new babies...

 Dark purple/blue (is it indigo?)

 White

 Fuchsia

 

 Bird's eye view.

 

Now where should I put it? For now, it will sit beside our

new loveseat which my DH bought for me today, an early

Valentine's Day gift. Perfect!

  

 

                      
                            "He hath made everything beautiful in His time..." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time in the corner of a little yard there lived a little patch of clovers, a very special little patch of clovers. It was special because it was different. Most patches of clovers come with 3-leaf plants and once in awhile you may be "lucky" enough to find a 4-leaf one in the middle of the patch. If you're lucky. And, oh! you might even find a 5-leaf one! 

Well, this patch was indeed lucky. Look! Can you count how many leaves are on each plant? Of course not, how silly I am, we need to take a closer look. So come with me...

Oh! There's one! In fact, I see at least three! Could there be more than that? Can it be that this patch of clover has several 4-leaf plants? Oh, it cannot be true, it just cannot be true! They say that you have only one chance in thousands to find one!

Now the owner of this patch of clover was a man named Johnny. He was quite proud of it and let it grow for several months, never cutting it when he would cut the grass in the rest of the yard. He tended them with tender, loving care, he did.

Every once in awhile he would say "Have you noticed my patch of clover? Come and let me show you!" And so with joy he would point out how many 4-leaf clover plants there were in the patch. Indeed, there were many, it was quite amazing!

But one day he decided that he should cut the little patch of clover. He would be moving away and knew that the new people would want to cut it down-and so he did it himself. But before he did that, he picked out all of the 4-leaf ones and his wife put them in a little vase to keep them as long as possible. And there they lived happily for many days, turning yellow and dying one by one until there was only one left of the 58 that came from the little patch of clover which had brought much joy to the man named Johnny.

"He hath made every thing beautiful in his time..." (Ecclesiastes 3:)

Eternity In Their Heart

I read a book by this title once and recently this phrase, found in some of the translations of Ecclesiastes 3:11, has been coming back to mind. It tells me that God has put into the heart of every human being a hunger for spiritual and eternal things-for Him, His Word, His love, His salvation...those things that only HE can provide.

Recently we have entered into some of the grief of people losing loved ones or going through some other painful life experince. I believe that the main purpose of many of these is so that people will turn their hearts toward Him. HE is the one who puts "eternity in their heart"! However, sometimes He speaks to us with a softer voice...such as when we see the crazy, little, intricate design of an orchid, such as this one that I saw this week. How can one look at it and not think, "Wow, what a Creator to make something like this!"

Why don't we listen when God turns our hearts to Him and speaks to us through these? What a blessing to have these prods from Him! They all cause us to "stop, look and listen" to Him. We need to do that...whether He speaks with a soft or a loud voice.

"He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart..." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)-NASB

"O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." (Psalm 63:1)

 "...and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth." (I Samuel 3:9)

FRIENDS For The Road

To continue my last post about friends...

I first saw this phrase, friends for the road, in a Reader's Digest article a few years ago and it has come to mind many times since then. Indeed, most of our friends are of this quality, from childhood to adulthood. They come into our lives-perhaps for just an hour or maybe for several years. Some leave our side for awhile and later on down the road they may join us again on life's journey. Others leave, never to be seen or heard from again. It's just one of those sad facts of life. Or should I say bittersweet?...for they contributed to our life and we are better for it.

They do that in various ways. Some bring us joy, others teach us lessons, still others just keep us company in times of need. All of them together make our lives complete in one way or another. We need to cultivate these friendships for they make our journey easier and more enjoyable and we do the same for them! 

The beautiful thing is that "one or two" of these may end up becoming friends of the highest level. I will talk about those at a later date.

"A man that hath friends must show himself friendly..." (Proverbs 18:24)

"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor, for if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to help him up." (Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10)

Orchids In The Apple Tree

Do I even need to say anything? The beauty of these little orchids is amazing! But that's what every mother says about each new baby, right? *smile* They began blooming out a few days ago, the first time since I placed the plant in the apple tree over a year ago. I've had the apple tree for about 7 years and it has never produced its own fruit so maybe this is a pretty good substitute until it can figure out how to produce! Everything in life doesn't have to have a "lesson", but if there's one here...I'm not sure what it is. But one photo is just not enough, here are some more. Look at how tightly Miss Orchid clings to Mr. Apple Tree! From the first buds...

...to the last blooms,

my orchids have been

a thing of daily delight.

"He hath made everything beautiful in His time..."

(Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Seen On A Sunny Sunday Afternoon

Not many words needed, just showing some of the sights on my walk yesterday afternoon. I was taking advantage of the glorious weather!...although, by the time you read this, it may not be that way. I love the way the sun was shining through the trees as I walked down the hill... ...and around the park.

This isn't trash on the ground, but the white fluff from the pods of a certain tree. It would be easy to imagine it as being snow on the ground, what with the cold weather we've been going through!

The sun outlining our front yard cedar. I could take a thousand photos of the effects of the sunshine and not get tired of it!

"He has made everything beautiful in His time."-Ecclesiastes 3:11