My Favorite Place for Spring Flowers

Every Spring when the first flowers of the year start to bloom, I love to visit my sister, Doris. She has the prettiest yard and even though she has RA, she still works in her garden.  Last week she called to tell me they were blooming. So off to her house for an hours drive, to visit and see the new blooms.  These photo's doesn't do it justice, since I'm not a photographer!

Just a want to be!

So up the steps we go to the back area.

 

See the frog on the fence!

 Here she has raked the leaves with plans to plant more flowers.

 I gave my brother-in-law this swinging frog several years ago for his birthday. He collects frogs, not real ones!

Inside the covered area, there's a swing.

 

  

And this is just part of her back yard. Maybe next time I'll get the other side, since she hasn't finished it, and the front yard.

Hope you have enjoyed the tour.

Have a blessed day!

Sylvia

Legend of The Dogwood and He Lives !

Legend of The Dogwood Tree

Two thousand years ago, few trees in the middle East were big enough to construct anything. However, one tree was valued above the others for its thick trunk and fine, strong wood.

When the Romans came to rule over Jerusalem, their government used this same timber to build the crosses for executing criminals. A group of workers were assigned to gather wood for the crosses. Before long, every Roman official knew the best wood came from these gatherers of execution wood, so those workers became popular.

One day, the wood gatherers received a special request. An officer of the Roman court came and said, "The King of Jews is to be put to death. Deliver an extra-large cross made from your finest wood." So, a fresh tree was cut from the forest of the trees with thick trunks and fine, strong wood. An extra-tall (and extra-heavy) cross was quickly made and delivered.

Three days after the death of Jesus of Nazereth, the chief wood gatherer got alarming news. "All of our finest trees are withering!" the messenger whispered. The wood gatherer hurried to the forest and saw that it was true.

Several years later, the chief wood gatherer heard that, every spring, many people visited the old forest that had once made his job so easy. Despite his advancing years, he set out to discover why. He saw the remains of forest, now like a salty bottoms, with only a few trees still standing tall, bare, lifeless and rotting.

But what was this? As he drew closer, his feeble eyes could make out the people walking among thousands of beautiful, flowering bushes. Seeing one of his own workers there, the old man said, "No one could ever make a cross out of this twisted wood. Our finest tree has gone to the dogs!" He noticed the beautiful white flowers, each blossom looking as if it had been burned from the touch of a miniature cross.

As told to Ben Baston by his grandmother, Louise Brown.

There Is A Legend

At the time of Crucifixion the dogwood had been the size of the oak and other forest trees. So firm and strong was the tree that it was chosen as the timber for the cross. To be used thus for such a cruel purpose greatly distressed the tree, and Jesus nailed upon it, sensed this.
In His gentle pity for all sorrow and suffering Jesus said to the tree:
" Because of your regret and pity for My suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used as a cross. Henceforth it shall be slender and bent and twisted and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross--two long and two short petals. And in the center of the outer edge of each petal there will be nail prints, brown with rust and stained with red, and in the center of the flower will be a crown of thorns, and all who see it will remember."

 Internet Photo

Internet Photo

Have a Blessed and Happy Easter

Sylvia

Spring Beauty on my Daily Walk !

By my front steps, Azalea's !

Dogwoods line the street.

This Dogwood is next to my house.

My next post will be "The Legend of the Dogwood"

I am so happy to see flowers bloom and leaves coming out on the trees.

Azalea's two houses down from mine.

My neighbor pruned their Crape Myrtles this week.   

Got two rockers for my front porch, after cleaning all the pollen off it will be "porch sitting time"!

Have a Blessed Day!

Sylvia 

Linking to : Friday Foto Friends 

I MUST CONFESS

That I have a Sweet Tooth!

I am addicted to caramel and anything chocolate!

And when you put chocolate and caramel together,WOW you just can't refuse it. 

Just look at that yummy chewy caramel!

Sugar Cookies, my oh my!

My daughter and grandson came Sunday afternoon and we made these glazed Sugar Cookies.

Oh yes, they go so good with a chocolate covered caramel!

I got out my Gracie China cup, with the butterflies, it looks so springy!

Well, it's my hubby's fault, he shouldn't bring Candy in the house.....

I will eat it if it's around.

Wouldn't you!

I know I shouldn't but like I said "I am addicted".

Another thing I love, so I treated myself to a bouquet of 'DAISIES' !!

When we went to the grocery store this morning, I saw them sitting there in the flower department, looking at me. Could you refuse to bring that pretty face home!

I should blame it all on Spring Fever!

Now I pray we have had all the cold weather for now and prettier warmer days are here! 

Have A Blessed week!

Sylvia 

joining Stephanie at Roses of Inspirations 

Happy Spring !!

I couldn't wait for Spring and warm weather, flowers and trees buding out.

 This morning it is 37 degrees!  Oh well, thankful anyway!

Have a Blessed Day!

Sylvia

In the Garden

"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up."

Ps.5:3

 

Have a Blessed Weekend!

Sylvia 

Overwhelmed !

 Do you ever get overwhelmed with your  duties you need to do each day.   It may seem as if

no one cares, and everyday it's the same thing over and over. Do you sometime cry out "Lord, I can't do everything".

 Yes, I do get like that at times, but when I stop and remember that I am to "do all things as unto the Lord" !  Colossians 3:23, I am calmed and remember that my goal should be to please my Lord and do it as unto Him,and not others.

 My Bible study this morning, was about this very thing that I seem to face each day.  When you are involved in outside activities, family and  household duties and struggle to find some time for yourself, it can and sometimes is overwhelming.

 It's easy to get down on yourself and have what I call a "pity party".  You feel sorry for yourself and begin to believe that you can't accomplish any thing or do it right.

When you struggle to do all things in your on strength, yes we do get tired and get down on ourselves.

Our Lord doesn't expect us to do "everything", but He does "equip" us to do what He wants us to do and that isn't everything. 

Find some time today to sit quietly, pray and draw near to God.

Have a Blessed day!

Sylvia 


Linking to Breathing in Grace 

Sunday's Prayer

Praying God's Blessings on each of us today.

May His Blessings be felt and bring joy.

Sylvia

Morning Walk In The Light

"And He shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth,"

2 Samuel 23:4

 "....let us walk in the light of the Lord"

Isaiah 2: 5

These are some of the blooms I saw on my morning walk !

Have a Blessed Day!

Sylvia 

Linking with Deb at....Friday Foto Friends

 

Warmer Days are here again!

Yesterday and today has been such a blessing,

getting outside and riding along the country roads, then playing in the dirt!  75 Degrees today! Yay!

We did that yesterday, hubby and I went for a drive. He is doing better, just having to use his oxygen more during the day.

We stopped just outside Pine Mountain, to have lunch at the 

Callaway Gardens Country Kitchen Restaurant.

Across the road is an overlook, just pass the flags is a very very deep drop. 

 

After we had eaten and was ready to leave, I saw this shrub.

 Don't know what it is but it had pretty flowers.

 So good to finally see some blooms.

We drove to the town of Pine Mountain, stopped at this antiques store that I love. Didn't buy anything, just looked.

On the way home my grandson called, he wanted to come  visit.  I put him to work (he really offered to plant my Iris),  My daughter brought me some Iris, when she got interested in gardening, I gave some to her. They multiply so she had plenty.

He planted them along the retaining wall.

I am getting in the mood to work outside and start a flower bed, but I am not able to dig and bend much so it will have to be something that can be planted shallow or Johnathan will come and plant for me.

Aren't grandchildren a blessing, especially when they enjoy helping!  He told me to buy some plants and he will come next week and plant them. Love that young man!

Hope you are enjoying some warm weather!

Be Blessed!

Sylvia