Standing out....

This was taken on one of my many walks as part of my walking challenge.... Will be posting more images and reflections this week.

Change

Going for a walk the other day, partly for my fitness but essentially to catch the last glimpse of autumn as the leaves fall and the seasons go into another change.

Change is good....

I remind myself it was only a few months ago that I was enjoying the warm breeze of the caribbean sea, and feeling the sunshine against my skin, and now we have to wrap up in our warm clothes, gloves scarfs, waking up to dark frosty mornings and cold wet evenings....  We too go through change and need to take stock of what needs to be altered, moved, rescheduled or stopped in our lives.

   As I walk I am amazed at the colours that still remain, the beauty

in the shedding of the leaves from the trees

  that once stood amass with colour, now only the branches remain. 

 The colours of the remaining leaves waiting to be taken along in the next gust of

wind with the ones that have fallen. 

 We are filled with so many talents, abilities and gifts not all of them are meant to

be used at the same time, some are to remain constant, 

but some are just for a season.

There are trees that haven't shed their leaves, but hang on another year graceful

and tall....there are differences in their purpose.

 Having a plan, direction, purpose enables us to make informed decisions,

be spontaneous, letting our light and beauty shine..... 

even in those seemingly grey, cold days!

 

Taking time to reflect, refresh and renew our thoughts....

We look forward to another year of growth, laughter, beauty, creativity, love, joy



Saturday Pick-me-up......Garden inspiration

Its amazing how time flies,  we are nearing the end of the year, ending of seasons, ways of thinking, new chapters beginning, new life.  Congratulations to Laura Stanton, Tanya (neighbour), Kelly Rae Roberts and the many other women that have been blessed with giving birth. 

I was quite amazed and thankful - with it being October how much sun we were still getting, and how much we can take for granted even in the small things, so armed with my camera I took a walk round the garden to delight myself in how much colour and scents I still had in my own back garden.....

Our plum tree, didn't get a very good crop this year, it needs prunning for next year, but the plums are always sweet!

This plant has lovely bright red berries in the winter for the birds.

My Jasmine plant, I was given a cutting around 8 years ago has given plants for the front garden (covering the fence) and many more areas in an around the garden and produces lovely smelling white flowers especially in the evening.

 Rosemary, this sits beside the Jasmine plant and another plant and is fighting for space at the moment, the flowers are dying off and it could do with a prune!

Acers - I love these plants, their red colour and the delicateness of the leaves, had them for two years they were in pots to begin with, finally planted them this year and they are slowly establishing themselves.

Lavender a lovely smelling plant, flowers are great!

This plant is awash with yellow flowers in the summer and grey leaves in the winter...

Orange Blossom - I have allowed this one to grow quite large (7ft high and about 10 ft across), lovely smelling leaves when rubbed and pretty white flowers in the summer

   Unexpected surprises - I think I found some wheat growing!

Pretty Colours to delight the eyes

 Cordyline Australis - I have two of these trees that I planted as small plants and they have grown considerably over the years, they produce a beautiful smelling clusters of flowers (similar to jasmine in scent), The tree is surrounded by orange poppies that grow every year.

I haven't spent the time that I would usually spend in my garden this year, but what I have seen is the results of time spent over the years in preparing the soil, planting, nurturing and pruning unfolding before my eyes.  Plants establishing themselves and needing less attention, and  new ones that I have planted and hoping to get through the winter, and the surprises that sometimes come....

I am thankful to the birds that have blessed me with two new trees, they dropped the seeds into pots that I had left with soil in, when the plants started to grow I decided to see what they would be, and they have turned out to be a Sugar Maple tree and a Silver Birch...blessings or what!  .... This is how the garden looks in winter

I realise in my own artist journey, just as the seasons change and have such a dramatic effect on the landscape, so too is my creative development going through change - I am currently working on a number of e-courses, which have been very inspiring and encouraging and I see this period of my life as gathering information for growth, preparing the good ground to plant the ideas that will take shape.

As we take a walk through our own lives, we remind ourselves the efforts that we have put in for growth, welcoming change by stepping out of our comfort zones, preparing our hearts - weeding out negativity, surround ourselves with good nurturing fertiliser that can direct and inspire and encourage (our friends, family, word of God) receiving unexpected blessings and stepping into the lives that God wants us to lead, that can be a blessing to others...... 

Have a blessed weekend! 

Saturday Pick-me-up......Pictures from Barbados

I'd been meaning to put some more pictures from my holiday in Barbados.  As the weather is getting cold and its raining today, memories of the times by the sea, on the beach is fast drifting into the distance.  So this is my little Saturday 'pick me up'

Church on the Beach.  This area is called Bath and the church we visited that sunday had a lovely idea to take the whole church on a picnic and have the usual service on the beach.  We had a blessed time.

Cropover - Spring Gardens, St Michael.  Carnival celebrations, sunshine, soca, good food, lively participants, interesting costumes and more!  These are the only costumes I could find where people were covered up, the rest were very revealing and you definitely got an eyeful!

A shot of my future back garden (I wish) This is North Point in St Lucy

Ok, this is my future back garden!

 There are some beautiful houses in Barbados

Oh my! a bug - welcoming us to Barbados, just as well it was outside the window, it actually looks bigger than it was.

The flowers had a beautiful scent, and there were some amazing colours

Stepping to my own beat!

Coming back from Spring Gardens with the boys after listening to some great music and sampling some tasty food. 

Ok suitably picked-up. Off to do something creative, while I listen to my son Sekani tell me how much he has really done in his bedroom that he was supposed to be cleaning up from this morning! - teenagers!