Beautiful Sunrise, Feeling Blessed

I rise to taste the dawn,

and find that love alone

will shine today.

~Ken Wilber

I love to wake up early and enjoy the taste of dawn. My morning view is always beautiful and I continue to be grateful for it.

This sunrise though! It was breathtakingly beautiful.

And, look closely at the Osprey that was hunting for fish. 

The light filled the sky in such a way that my camera (phone) could not capture it quite as grand and brilliant as it really was in person.

It changed quickly!

So bright and beautiful. Cheers to the day!

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Hello September!

Hello September! I love September!

Please excuse my absence the last two months! I was busy resting, enjoying summer, playing with family and friends and working hard on overcoming a chronic health issue. I have yet to get my illness in remission, but I've made some progress and am excited to get back to work and finding joy in my days. This view of mine helps! I never tire of it, take it for granted, or forget to thank God for allowing me to see it every day! 

Misty Dawn and the Return of the Swallows - I Love Spring!

 Misty Dawn, view from my porch

The early morning view from my porch has been misty, foggy, and gorgeous this week. It's so pretty it almost takes my breath away.

And.... the swallows are back!!! These gorgeous little birds are some of my favorites. It feels like friends coming back home. They fly South for the winter and like clockwork, around the end of March they show up again, chirping and swooping and being beautiful and cheerful. They fly out over the lake and snatch bugs out of the air.

They are already choosing their homes and adding to their nests. I suspect that the same birds return to the same houses and eaves of my porch each year, but I'm not sure. (They do all look alike.) :) Just look at those colors!!! From a distance they appear to be black and white, but up close they have green and blue feathers too. I love them and I LOVE SPRING!!!

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That View! A Beautiful Day on the Lake and Bible Verses on Gratitude

Have I mentioned before that I love where I live? Have I expressed my gratitude for this lovely little spot of heaven on earth? Oh.... yes I have - repeatedly! And I will continue to for as long as I am blessed to live in this humble home on a beautiful little lake near the city that I love.

This is the day that the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

~Psalm 118:24

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no fickleness, neither shadow of turning.

~James 1:17

In every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude.

~Acts 24:3

In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God.

~1 Thessalonians 5:18

Giving thanks always for all things to God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

~Ephesians 15:20

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A Peak at My Valentine's Day Decor

Do you decorate for Valentine's Day? I go all out with Fall and Christmas decorating. And, by the time Christmas is over I am yearning for a bit more simplicity and a lot less clutter. However, I do love to be festive and also to use some of my beloved treasures. For Valentine's Day, I just add a few hints here and there to remind my family and our guests of the month of  LOVE.

A fun and festive wreath in my dining room

A similar garland to brighten up my vintage-window-pot rack.

Hints of red and love and a vintage candy dish.

Red hot candies in my Ball Jar lamp. I love them so much I keep them in there year round.

Hugs and Kisses on the bathroom door. 

Even a little something to brighten the black and white bathroom.

I love this rose-colored decanter and sweet little glasses,  especially since it once belonged to my sweet Great Aunt Elsie. 

This wonderful, tiny, vintage cup belonged to my husband's Grandma. So perfect for Valentine's Day.

It sits on my piano with a red candle vase and a little framed photo of my kids when they were tiny.

Janie is the cutest photo bomber ever!

I stuck the camera behind the curtain. It looks like she might be stalking birds. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

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It's Still Winter!

I took this little video yesterday morning. The ice is melting and breaking up. The entire lake has been frozen for months. Our little bay is the last to still have ice. It is usually this way.

We had a week or so of above freezing temperatures and most of our snow melted. I even took Bear on a few hikes in the woods and we mostly hiked on snow-less ground! He obviously loved it! Just look at that smile.

Then, this weekend we got 5.2 inches of snow. What a strange winter. I love spring so much, but I am making myself have a positive attitude about winter. After all, what could whining and complaining do to help? It is so pretty and it is still winter!

What has your weather been like this year? I know what your answer will be if you live in the South or the North East.

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My Vintage Santa Collection

I am always a little bit sad to say goodbye to these jolly old guys. I love them so! Each has his own special personality, despite being dressed the same as all the others. I have been collecting them, along with vintage elves and pixies too for about 15 years or so. They hang out in my kitchen during the holidays.

A few close-ups of my favorite Vintage Santa's

This is the one that began this jolly obsession, I mean collection... He was my Great Aunt Elsie's and I have memories of him at her house in the 70's. He is a music box.

See you next year, Santa!

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Furry Little Helpers & My Miniature Christmas Tree

It was time to decorate this little miniature tree that I have in my kitchen. It is special to me because when I first got married, my mother-in-law gave it to me and started buying me a tiny ornament each year. When I would visit her in Wisconsin, she would often give me one of hers. She had so many. This tree was fun and perfect for the collector in me! Each ornament has a special meaning. I love that about Christmas...

My cat and dog want to be involved in everything I do! When I brought in each box or bin with Christmas decorations they both acted like it was, well... Christmas!

Janie loves boxes. It is so funny how cats love boxes. I am constantly pinning pictures of cats in boxes on Pinterest. I took the lid off of my box of miniature Christmas tree ornaments and she popped right in! No matter how small a box might be, Janie is sure it will work. No body-image issues there!

Bear was intrigued and kinda sad that Janie could jump right up on the kitchen counter (and stove top) to explore.

So, I brought him a chair for a closer look! He looks so innocent...

Janie was so happy and cozy. She started rolling around.

They were both so cute, but such a distraction!!! Decorating this little tree took me twice as long because I just had to snap all of these cute pictures!

Janie finally settled in and slept just when I was finished and wanted the lid to the box back.

My little next door neighbors, who are now adults with children of their own, made this little heart and the red bird. I love them. Above it is a vintage angel ornament given to me by my mother-in-law, whom I miss very much...

I used to have pet ducks. I loved them so much. I have two of these glass duck ornaments to remind me of them. My daughter drew me the Rudolf ornament when she was about seven or eight. She is 17 now. The little red candles were a gift from my friend Janet, who was the nanny for the neighbor kids. She helped them make the ornaments in the photo above.

Merry Christmas!!!

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