Harvest Nest

My Harvest Nest is in the mail.  I am so happy I will have it to display for the arrival of my favorite season ~ Autumn.  This nest was made by Vicki Boster ~ she made 45 of them!!!!  I have one of Vicki's Green Nests and I love it.  A lot of love, time, and work go into the making of these nests and Vicki donates the money she receives to the charity of her choice.  She collects ribbon, yarn, and other items all through the year to incorporate into the making of her nests.  Vicki has a beautiful blog where you can read more about her nesting, her Sacred Yarn Room, and her travels ~ 2 Bags Full...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Dwight !!!!!

 Excellent advice from Observing the Sounds of the World

A Fall Giveaway

Becky, The Blog Mistress of Beyond the Picket Fence, is having a unique GIVEAWAY.  She will be creating a FALL CRATE filled with items to make your first days of Fall an exciting time to decorate and think about the coming season.  I only recently began to follow Becky's blog and I'm happy I did.  She is the Queen of repurposing items ~ she is talented and inspirational.  Go take a look and sign up for her Giveaway while you are there!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Jan !!!

On this birthday, I wish you blue skies, warmth from the sun, happy memories of days gone by, the joy of friendship, and love.  And I want you to know the happiness I feel for having met you.

~~~~

"A friend who is far away is sometimes much nearer than one who is at hand."

~Khalil Gibran

Roadside Wildflowers

When we travel, I always admire the wildflowers that grow beside the roads.  On our most recent trip in July, we stopped along the road and I took a closer look at these small bluish-lavender flowers.  They were delicate, intricate, and beautiful.  How wonderful that these pretty little flowers growing along a stretch of highway, will catch our attention and bring us a momentary glimpse of beauty.  I bet that was part of God's plan when He created wildflowers.

Sweet Quote

I love the simple message of this quote and illustration.  There is a shop in Etsy called GAYANA where you can purchase this and others like it.  Gayana Danilova has saved quotes for many years and illustrates them.  There are many and they are sweet.

Art Swap

Last month I participated in the Art is...YOU (Your Mixed Media Art Retreats) WEIRD WILD WONDERFUL Art Swap ~ a way to unite artists from around the world.  Above are my six little 4" x 6" art pieces that I mailed out.  I am eager to see the swap pieces I'll receive in return from five artists around the world.  The sixth piece from each of us will be photographed, posted online, and then included in two handmade books that will be raffled off for charity.
When I receive my swap art pieces, I will post them for you to see.

Word Verification

A few of you told me that you've been having a problem leaving a comment on my blog, so I decided to turn "word verification" off to see if that might help.  Well, it has only been off for one day and I am already getting spam comments, so back on it goes.  Sorry.  I detest the "prove you're not a robot" phrase and the difficulty in seeing those hidden letters in the box.  But, since we have human beings out there who have nothing better to do with their time than mess with other people's lives, we'll have to deal with "word verification".  Unfortunate? Yes. I am sorry you must deal with this inconvenience.  Please know how very much I appreciate the comments you leave.  You matter to me.

Audrey ♥

Recent Little Bits

I thought I would share a few photos I've taken over the last couple of weeks.

My Lantana is beautiful in spite of the heat.

I'm surprised that mushrooms are growing everywhere in the yard even though we've had little rain this summer.  I thought this one was interesting.

You can always find a heart somewhere in God's garden.

My Butterfly Bush is loaded with beautiful butterflies every day.

This sweet bunny lives in our yard and gets a lot of exercise running from Jake.

More babies in our bluebird house.

Beautiful designs in the evening sky.

Hail from the last storm we had.  I have never seen hail this large.  Thankfully, it didn't last too long and didn't get any larger.  No damage here.

An August Evening Gift of Beauty

Because I was outside last evening, I was able to enjoy the beauty of this sky.  It truly was a gift.  The color changed as fast as I could take pictures, and it was gone much too soon.  I am happy to share the beauty.

Thank You God

I know one thing for sure.  Before Jake came into my life, I never said Thank you, God, for creating DOGS.  I can't thank You enough for the love and joy that Jake brings to my life.  I know in my heart that Patrick is with You and I believe that the two of you sent Jake to us.  So, I THANK YOU with all my heart for Your creation of these loving animals.  Patrick is probably shocked that we love this little dog so much, but I bet he has a big smile on his face.

♥

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Dan !!

I hope you spend some time today with friends, celebrating YOU!!!!

August

August rushes by like desert rainfall,

A flood of frenzied upheaval,

Expected,

But still catching me unprepared.

Like a matchflame

Bursting on the scene,

Heat and haze of crimson sunsets.

Like a dream

Of moon and dark barely recalled,

A moment,

Shadows caught in a blink.

Like a quick kiss;

One wishes for more

But it suddenly turns to leave,

Dragging summer away.

~Elizabeth Maua Taylor

~Photos by Audrey

***

Can August really be here?  Are we ready for the scorching heat of this month as it makes us yearn for the crisp cooler air of September?  The stores are already stocking Fall items in preparation of the 4th quarter of this year.  It will be upon us soon.  I like August.  It is a prelude to my favorite season.  This year, more than ever before, I really look forward to Fall.  My body is weary from the heat of summer.  I know that I'll feel better physically and mentally when the weather turns cooler.  Some outdoor projects have been left untouched this year ~ too hot.  My garage is filled with furniture waiting for me to put paint to it ~ too hot.  As the temperature cools, I will finally be able to tackle that.  I had looked forward to doing some artwork out on the back porch this summer.  That never happened ~ too hot.  I didn't plant as many flowers as I usually do, either.  I'm not feeling too bad about that right now because the flowers are looking a little on the sad side this year ~ too hot.

I think many of us have had it with the heat this year.  Last summer was hot as well, but this year has been bad for a big portion of the country.  Not only has it been uncomfortable, it has caused so much loss in crops and more.  I'm wondering if this is what our future summers will be like.  

August is here, ready or not.  I hope to get some things accomplished this month as I look forward to pumpkins, cider, orange hues, cool crisp air, and all the beauty that comes with Fall.

Audrey