Monday, June 16, 2014

Day Dreaming


I have been catching up with myself, so to speak, 
while on my blogging break. 



Spring cleaning, gardening, making summer plans....

spending time with loved ones, painting and staining, giving dogs baths,
sorting through clothes and dishes. 

And looking ahead to a summer wedding - my youngest son is getting married <3 xo

We will have a new daughter in the family. 

Daughters mean love and joy. 


Everyone seems to be going through transitions lately. 


My Blue Eyes turned 60 - can it really be true?
I am next in line.

We had a lovely dinner in a favorite restaurant
 overlooking Commencement Bay in Tacoma at Sunset, 
with our closest loved ones. 
(Can you see the Tacoma Dome?)


Here he is with my youngest son, Dustin (the future groom).

We celebrated his 36th Father's Day. 

The time has flown by.
Years of love and adventure. 

Building a life and home. 
Raising a family. 
Together. 

Still. 



So busy, all of the time for so many years. 

We are still playing hard - but.
We know our limits. 


We've learned what makes us truly happy. 

The simple things. 


We stop and smell the roses, every chance we get.


We know how fleeting these moments are. 


The roses have been especially beautiful this year. 


Filling the air with their magical scent.


The scent of Angels. 


At the end of long days we stop to visit them. 


It's our time to forget about this busy,
troubled world and connect with nature. 


And each other.

He's my Ramblin' Man, 
frequently on the road.....


Home is sanctuary. 
A place to just 'Be'. 
We have firm roots, 
but always remember to keep a spare set of wings. 

***
'The earth laughs at him who calls a place his own'
-Hindustani-


Yes, the roses have been beautiful this year, 
and so have the bluebells, 


And the mountain Columbine. 

I've wandered around in pure bliss, 
enjoying every blossom, every scent, 


Knowing how briefly they appear. 


Already many are going to seed
 and it is time to tidy up once more. 

I sprinkle wildflower seeds here and there. 


Like fairy dust. 


Dreaming about the future while enjoying the present. 


Where would we be without our dreams? 

Sometimes we have to adjust our dreams; 

back up, and take them down a different path. 


Every path has value if wisdom is gathered along the way.


So in the meantime.....


I've been gathering  roses, enjoying this moment in time,

but always dreaming ......

***
'To create a little flower is the labor of the ages'
-William Blake -


***
Everyone has enough to do in weeding his own garden.
-Flemish Proverb-

'Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade'
-Rudyard Kipling-


My dreams have taken me many places.

Some have not materialized, and not for lack of desire.....

but for circumstance.


As I look back along the path of life,

I see it is all a perfectly divine plan

to bring me to this very moment in time.

Despite and because of the struggles.


Struggles are little gifts in disguise,

showing us that we do have courage, resilience, fortitude,

and hopes for a better future.

***
'There is only one way to happiness, and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.'
- EPICTETUS -

'It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.'
- William James -


Every wonderful little thing starts out as a dream.....

Sometimes we are nudged in a certain direction

by the circumstances of our lives.

***
'Happiness is found in doing, not merely possessing.'
- Napoleon Hill -


But if we look at how we came to follow this path,

we will remember those forks in the road,

and the decisions that led us there.

There lies the treasure of learning that We co-create our own lives.....
***
'Think of all the beauty that's still left in and around you and be happy!'
- Anne Frank -


Along with those we love.

And buckets full of faith, hope, and simple hard work.

***
'The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much."
- William Hazlitt -

'What we learn we learn by doing.'
- ARISTOTLE -


We all have hopes and dreams,

not only for ourselves, but more importantly,

for our loved ones.

'Hope costs nothing.'
- Colette -


Hopes and dreams encircle them and help them along.

Not to imprison them with expectations,

but to lift their spirits with faith when they need it the most.


The world is in need of dreams right now.

Dreams of kindness, compassion, equality, peace, abundance, and lots of love.

'We grow great by dreams.'
-Woodrow Wilson -

'Nothing happens unless at first a dream.'
- Carl Sandburg -



So while I have been gone, I have been dreaming.

But I have missed you, Dear Friends.

I will be catching up with all of you in the next little while,

catching up with all of your dreams.

xoxo

'To make the world a friendly place
One must show it a friendly face.'
- James Whitcomb Riley -

'Every true friend is a glimpse of God.'
- Lucy Larcom -

xoxo





31 comments:

  1. Hola Beatrice querida !! Que guapo su hijo y que linda celebración del día del padre !! Adore su jardín tan florido !! Y ese hermoso andamio para flores
    Besos

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  2. Welcome back, Friend! You were missed! Your words and pictures are, as always, truly lovely.

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  3. All beautiful shots and such profound thinking. i have been on sort of a blogging break too. Sometimes we just need a little time away from t he computer. Hugs to you from Texas, and welcome back!

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  4. Hi Karen, thanks for the garden tour! I love your roses and flowers and I hope you are enjoying your time off from blogging. It sounds like you have been really busy. Take care and thanks for the lovely post!
    Julie

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  5. Oh Karen, what a lovely post. It really tugged at my heart! Your flowers are just beautiful. I love them all, but especially the roses and that picture of the blue (forget-me-nots?) and the yellow ones. Such a pretty combination!
    Happy birthday to your husband. Mine turned 60 in March. Isn't it amazing how fast the time has gone? I still see my guy as a 25 year old:) He'd laugh at that!

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  6. There were lots in that post, many places to sit and daydream when you have the time sometimes life does get very busy.
    Merle.........

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  7. What a beautiful post, so happy you've saved it up to share with us; you have such a way with words. Your garden is gorgeous with everything in bloom. Congratulations to you and your family on your son's engagement.

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  8. such lovely blooms and lush yard! thanks for giving us this peaceful beauty. congratulations on your youngest son's plans. and happy birthday to your hubby, too. :)

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  9. I have missed you Karen! A very happy birthday to your husband and how wonderful that you all will be having another wedding! And your garden....oh my oh my! Your blooms are just the most magnificent pieces of heaven! And your arbor is stunning! What are those white blooms in the first shot?!?! Is that a climbing rose? It is beautiful! And oh so true about life....I feel the pulls everyday and know that I am being guided in the direction I am supposed to travel. It is all very bittersweet isn't it?! Wishing you endless joy in your magical garden dear friend! Nicole xoxoxo

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    1. My Dear Nicole,
      Thank you for being so sweet - I am glad to be back and have missed you and everyone so. I am feeling refreshed and inspired once again. To answer your charming question, the white flowers are Rugosa Roses. Yes, they are climbing and I planted them for my Father. They bloom for Father's Day here!
      Oh, yes, bittersweet. The only word to describe life, sometimes. It is the 'sweet' that we need to remember, always.
      Hugs xo
      Karen

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  10. Oh My Goodness! This is one of the most beautiful and thoughtful posts I have ever read. You have hit the nail right on the head with your words. YOU have your priorities straight and are blessed because of it. Your hubby and son are both handsome men! I hope you love your new DIL like she was your own. I love mine that way and what a blessing she is to my life.

    Your gardens and your little spot in the world are just gorgeous. I would feel right at home there!

    Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving comments. You come through as a No Reply blogger when you leave a comment- otherwise I would tell you Thank You every time. Have a wonderful night- xo Diana

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  11. Good to read your post again and view your lovely photos. Dreams are good and it's even better when they come true, especially the good ones. Welcome back!

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  12. I love the turquoise on your arbor! What a magical space for growing and thinking.

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  13. So glad to see you writing again! You had so many wonderful quotes to ponder. I had no idea you had so many beautiful roses. The pops of color are amazing and I can just imagine how wonderful it smells to walk through your garden. I am glad you and your family are well.

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  14. Dearest Karen,
    Congrats with your son's wedding plans. Always very special and for sure as a family you enjoyed special times around a dinner table at a favorite place.
    The blooms of a garden are the rewards of hard labor and so is sitting around the dinner table with grown up children...
    Enjoy every day.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  15. So glad you are back dear Karen with this wonderful and thoughtful post! I always enjoy the way you write and it's a great pleasure visiting your lush green and colorful garden.
    You have a beautiful family, wish your son the best...
    Sending hugs,
    Olympia

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  16. Hej Beatrice

    Roses and mountains- Wav! So georgeous!!!
    Greetings
    JetteMajken

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  17. WELCOME BACK KAREN!!!! So glad to see you here again. Happy birthday to your husband and congrats to your son!! So so happy that my blogging friend is back :)

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  18. You are so whimsical, my dear Karen :) Your posts always refresh me with the beautiful words and lovely photos.

    Happy Birthday to your husband! My dad is getting close to 60, just 2 more years to go. And how exciting for you son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law. . .what a precious time for all of you!

    It's a joy to visit you and may you have a beautiful week. Hugs and blessings!

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  19. such beautiful pictures! what a lovely place you live in. We've missed you in blogland, but it sounds like you've had a good, refreshing break. so essential to take time to re-group, plan, and dream. Happy birthday to your husband, and congratulations to your son. both handsome men! Love all the beautiful flowers you featured.

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  20. How lovely to see you back in blogland again, and with such a beautiful post full of wonderful colour and good news. Beautiful sentiments throughout. xx

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  21. Welcome back, Karen! A beautiful post to catch us up on what you've been doing. Our only son is being married in August. He's 33. It's nice our boys are settling down isn't it? The red roses are really beautiful and the view from your deck is stunning. Can you believe summer arrives this weekend? Enjoy! Hugs, Pam

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  22. I'm glad you enjoyed your days off (ha ha - I know you were not just daydreaming, you busy bee), but I am happy to see you again. xo

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  23. I've missed you, Karen! I'm happy to see that you're still and forever dreaming. Your yard looks beautiful and here's wishing your Blue Eyes a wonderful birthday. Enjoy the upcoming wedding.

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  24. Oh, many happy occasions to your family♡♡♡ Congratulations on your son's upcoming wedding and becoming 60 means special in Japan. We usually have big gathering and give presents on 60th birthday of family member. I'm one year younger than your husband ;-)
    Thanks for the beautiful post,Karen.

    Sending you lots of Love and Hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*

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  25. It is so lovely to hear from you Karen!! Your roses are beautiful and so of course is everything else in your garden!! Congratulations to your son and future daughter in law, I hope that they have a very long and happy marriage together. Happy Birthday too to your hubby!! No wonder you needed a bloggy break as you have obviously been doing lots and having lots of things going on in your family. Great to have you back!! xx

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  26. Hi Karen, Lovely to see you back with a wonderful inspirational post... Happy 60th Birthday to your dear Husband Congratulations to your son & daughter-in-law for their upcoming wedding day... your photos of the garden & roses are simply Beautiful... Have a happy week ahead... Hugs May x x

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  27. Welcome back Karen! It's good to hear you took the time to catch up with yourself. I think everyone should do that once in a while. Congratulations on your husbands 60th anniversary. So exciting to be having a summer wedding to look forward to.

    I enjoyed the photo's of your beautiful garden and balcony!

    Wishing you a Happy week and thank you for your kind comment on my blog!

    Madelief x

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  28. Dear Karen,

    I just posted a comment, but something went wrong. Congratulations on your husbands sixtieth birthday! So exciting to have a summer wedding to look forward to!

    Beautiful photo's of your garden and balcony!

    Happy week!

    Madelief x

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  29. I am in Awe such beautiful photos and number 1 is such a great shot -- but my favorite today among them all is number 14..
    Birthday wishes of JOY and tons of GOOD times through out the year for your sweetheart and many more come his way ..
    " a dream.....
    Sometimes we are nudged in a certain direction by the circumstances of our lives"
    SO TRUE...
    Hugs

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  30. You put so much work and thought into your posts. The roses are so lovely...the whole garden is abounding in beauty! Such great quotes! I'm glad your youngest son is about to be married. How joyful! Our family is what matters in this world. You seem to have a lovely one, and I am so glad for you. Thanks for your comment on Pinnacle Peak...it is so different here than where you are! You well know that. Summer is always such a hard time for us, breathing-wise. We just hate walking outside the house! But it has it's own beauty. I just look forward to fall. :-) Still, we are here with our kids and that's what matters. It means a lot to us. Have an awesome weekend. God bless!

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Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are important to me and are very much appreciated. xx Karen

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