In...the Garden...of Days...long...ago...

In The Garden...

of Days......Long...ago...

 

As I gazed out the window...

this Morn...

Everything...is White...and Crisp...

Spring...and her...Beauty...seems far...far...away...

Then...I looked..around the room...

and realized...

'Spring'...is at my Fingertips...always...

at a Glance...I am Blessed.... with...Most...Beautiful...Bouquets...

of...Summer....

In...so...many of the Antiques...

It struck me... how...Folks...of Long Ago...

must have also...Craved... Spring...in the Depths...of Winter...

They Showered...Ironstone...Staffordshire... Textiles... Pottery... Metal ware...Wall Paper...

even...the applied...pieces...and hand painted...decoration...to Furniture...

most...everything...that was to be used...on a daily basis...

with...Flora....: )

I do...so Love...Snow...and Winter...

but...it sure feels good....

to find...

Spring...and Summer...at a Glance....

It struck me...

as our Creator.... didn't have to Shower us...with such Beauty...

after all... we can't eat...most of it....

Natures...Beauty...is mostly...just for...our Pleasure...

What a Gift...

I think...The Lord...knows...our...Soul...needs to be fed...

Beauty...

as much...as our Bellies...

need...Nourishment...

The Folks...of Long ago...

Realized this...as well...

Our Utilitarian...pieces...needn't...be Beautiful...

just...Useful...

and get the job...done...

But...What a Gift...

As...with the ones...from Up...Above...

They Keep Giving...

With...Every Season...

if..we take a moment... to Enjoy...them...

I played...

'In The Garden'...today...

for two reasons...

a Reminder...we are Always...in God's...Garden...

and...

It's my Mom's... Favorite...Gospel Song....

and...coming from...someone like me...

Willie...seemed the Perfect...Man...to bring it to us...

{This...may be my Favorite...version....: ) }

Love...to ya...

Barb C.

 

 

Royal Flora
This is the Registry Mark...on...maybe...my Favorite Piece...of Staffordshire...
It's a Massive...Well and Tree Platter....
from the 1840's... or so....
I imagine...I am not the only one...who has Enjoyed...it's...
Promises...

It's...a Beauty...

I had to pull it out...of the Cupboard...this morn...to show you...it's Detail..
{no easy task... I tried to capture an image of it...in the old Cupboard... but... it deserved...as did you...The Full... picture... of the Beautiful...Garden... it has Held...for us...to always...enjoy....}

I think...some of these Flowers...are Hollyhocks...and Roses.... ahhhh...
Sweet...Summer Time...: )

 

My Dear Friend...Jerri...used to scratch her head.... when she'd see...what she referred to...as my...
 'Dead...Flowers'...
inside the cupboards....
I'd laugh....
I always...pick some Flowers...in the Spring...and Summer...
When...they have dried...in their vases... I place them..in the Old Cupboards...
for days...that are Cold...and Short...
I walk...through the Garden...in my mind... when I see them...
Still..holding...a whisper of the Year's...prior...color...
They take me back...to the moment...I picked them...
The Lilacs...the...Peonies...the...
Lily..of the Valley....
The Beautiful...Spring..Day...
that...soon...will be here...once...again....

This is Yelloware...
Very Old...
and Boasting...a Late Summer Harvest...
of...Raspberries...
oh yes...I have some of them...dried in a Jar...as well...from Years ago....
when I visited...
What was to be... my Last...visit... 
The First...Church...I ever attended...
I was 5...
 walked up the little lane...then..up the Hill...alone......
every...Sunday...
{It was a Happy...Time...Very...Happy....I think...I always...knew...and know...to this day...I'm never...alone...: ) }
in Cedar Bluff, Iowa....
{I Loved to hear the Old...Bell...Ring...}
The Roof was falling in...and...the floor...was almost...gone.....unbeknownst...to me... it would be torn down...the next...week...
maybe...that's what moved me...to make the trip....to visit it...
My Soul...was sending me back...to it's...door....
One Last...time...
I spotted... a Wild... Black Raspberry Bush... growing...just a few feet...from the entrance....
and picked a Bunch...with the vines... and dried them....
They...rest...in an old... fruit jar... in the Cupboard....
Now...I visit...that moment...and...the one's...of a little...girl...
often..

 

These are the Roses...I bought...a while back...
on...Mom's 93rd...Birthday...
they are nearly...dry...
Yet...soooo...Beautiful...
They'll find a spot...in one of the Old Cupboards...
a Gentle...reminder...of The Beauty... Summer...Holds...
and...a Day...
Cold...Winter's...Day...
spent...with...my Mom...