The Mask

This morning I was driving to work and as I got to the driveway I saw a funny looking cat...I thought "That cat sure is walking funny". Well, it wasn't a cat, it was a momma raccoon  with two little ones. The momma was trying to cross in front of me but the little ones I think got scared because they dove into the flower bed. I rolled down my window to smile at them and they just peeked at me through the flowers...melt my heart! A funny and sweet surprise to begin the day:) 

(Photos courtesy of: google image) 

Tree (by Justin Rizzo)

I want to be 

unmovable and unshakable 

So let my 

roots go down 

deep Unmovable 

and unshakable 

in You  I, 

I want to be 

like a tree 

Planted by the 

streams of 

living water

This'll be my 

song, God; this

will be my prayer 

Till the end, 

till the end

Daisy, oh Daisy

I love flowers:) There are so many to choose from so I have a hard time saying I have only 1 favorite but in my category of "favorite flowers" are daisies. In the words of Kathleen Kelly from You've Got Mail "I love daisies. They're so friendly. Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?"

"And a breastplate made of daisies, Closely fitting, leaf on leaf, Periwinkles interlaced Drawn for belt about the waist; While the brown bees, humming praises, Shot their arrows round the chief."

~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Over the shoulders and slopes of the dune I saw the white daisies go down to the sea, A host in the sunshine, an army in June, The people God sends us to set our heart free. 

~William Bliss Carman 

There is a flower, a little flower With silver crest and golden eye, That welcomes every changing hour, And weathers every sky. 

~James Montgomery

Do the polka

I find polka dots endearing.  I imagine wearing a little red polka dot dress, going to the park for a little picnic:) 

"We all scream for ice cream"

"Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment 

of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone." 

Jim Fiebig 

I doubt whether the world holds for any one a more soul-stirring surprise than the first adventure with ice cream" 

Heywood C. Broun 

The story behind "Broken"

The song "Broken" by Lifehouse has been one of my favorites since the first time I heard it, and after I learned why Jason Wade wrote this song, it became even more beautiful.
The reason Jason Wade wrote this song was because of his friend who lived in Nashville who was in need of a kidney transplant. Wade flew out to see his friend and when he got there he went to talk to him and the chorus of the song is actually what his friend told him.

The broken clock is a comfort
It helps me sleep tonight
Maybe it can stop tomorrow
From stealing all my time
And I am here still waiting
Though I still have my doubts
I am damaged at best
Like you've already figured out

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain
There is healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I'm holding on
I'm barely holding on to you

The broken locks were a warning
You got inside my head
I tried my best to be guarded
I'm an open book instead
And I still see your reflection
Inside of my eyes
That are looking for purpose
They're still looking for life

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain
Is there healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I'm holding on
I'm barely holding on to you

I'm hanging on another day
Just to see what, you will throw my way
And I'm hanging on, to the words you say
You said that I will, will be okay
The broken light on the freeway
Left me here alone
I may have lost my way now
But I haven't forgotten my way home

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain
There is healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I'm holding on
Barely holding on to you

(Lyrics by: Jason Wade.
Photos courtesy of:

In Her Shoes

"Fashion is in my blood. Growing up, I was always clacking around the house in my mother's shoes."
~Sophia Bush

"I've always looked at shoes as being immensely beautiful things."
~Graham Coxon

“If a woman rebels against high-heeled shoes, she should take care to do it in a very smart hat”
~George Bernard Shaw

(Photos courtesy of: weheartit)

Nesting

My room is tucked right underneath the eve of the roof...and not just my room but also a family of sparrows' rooms. There are four nests the last time I counted. They seem to be busy from sunrise to sunset bringing pieces of sticks, grass and food to their little babies; building a home with all their might. I have lived here for 6 months and I have been learning the ins, outs and especially the joys there are in making where one lives a home.

(Photos courtesy of:
weheartit.com)

The man in the suit

"I learned early on, having known the most handsome, successful, Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Robert Taylor, don't ever spend too much time looking in the mirror."
Robert Stack

"Some mornings you wake up and think, gee I look handsome today. Other days I think, what am I doing in the movies? I wanna go back to Ireland and drive a forklift."
Liam Neeson

I think a man in a suit can look so handsome, especially when it is for a special occasion. That extra effort to get the tie 'just so' or making sure the shoes are polished...all of the effort I can guarantee you will be noticed by a lady somewhere at sometime:)
(Photos courtesy of: weheartit & j.crew.com)

Bread & Butter

I could not stop smiling as the warm smell of baking bread filled my apartment. This recipe for Amish White Bread was a delight making and even more delightful eating! I hope you enjoy:)

Ingredients
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/3 cup white sugar
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups bread flour

Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.
(Recipe courtesy of: allrecipes.com)
(Photos courtesy of: Me)

Singing in the Rain

This past week it rained a lot. I would fall asleep with the sound of rain pitter pattering on the roof and I would wake up to a gray misty sky peeking through my window. When it's raining what does one need? An umbrella:)

Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo...

I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin',
Singin' in the rain

Dancin' in the rain
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
I'm happy again!
I'm singin' and dancin' in the rain!

I'm dancin' and singin'... in the rain

Bella

The movie Bella (which means 'beautiful') was a rare and special movie to me. It was a movie that was still on my mind a week after having watched it and at odd times I will still think of it. What made this movie so special to me? Yes the music, yes the scenes filled with delicious food, and yes that it was a story of heartbreak, redemption and forgiveness; the title of this movie was very fitting...beautiful.