Friday Finds

It's time for Friday Finds with Kim Klassen. I almost didn't post this week, because I find myself a little under the weather and haven't done much photography. It's hard to take pictures with a tissue under your nose! I think it's just an old-fashioned cold, at least I'm hoping it's just a cold! Anyway, I'm stuck inside feeling a little yucky!  I was able to get out few minutes Monday before this mess struck and took pictures of a seedpod I found on my morning walk. That's all I have this week one little seedpod. 

"In photography, the smallest thing

can be a great subject."

~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

Friday Fiinds - To Pretty To Be Inside

Lately I've found myself outside enjoying the warm sunshine. Sixty degree temperatures are not what we usually get in January, so when that happens I try to take advantage of it. My sister and I spent two days outside, doing a little walking, talking, laughing, and taking pictures. The first day we hiked a 3 1/2 mile trail around the base of Pinnacle Mountain. I've been to this state park many times and walked trails, but this was the first time I had someone with me to walk the base trail. Although it's a well marked trail you have to walk carefully over rocks and roots. Sometimes the trail was nothing but rocks and we had to look for the light green trail marking on the trees.

Walking in winter is different than other seasons when the leaves are on the trees and wildflowers are blooming. In winter you see the bare-bone shapes of the trees. You see the squirrel nests and the bird nests that are usually hidden in the leaves.

We ate a late lunch along the banks of the Arkansas River. While we were talking, my sister glanced up and saw a barge coming down the river. This pretty tug is call the Beverely Anne. (yes that's how the name was spelled on the side)

As we were taking pictures of the barge the ducks noticed us. I really think they thought we were going to feed them. Sorry guys! Nothing good for you to eat!

The next day we still wanted to be outside so we chose to tour Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock, the capitol of Arkansas. This cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Numerous notable Arkansans have been laid to rest here.

11 state Governors

14 state Supreme Court Justices

five Confederate Generals

22 Little Rock mayors

notable women, newspaper editors,

military heroes, physicians, and attorneys 

Many people don't understand the appeal of a cemetery. I'm drawn to cemeteries with or without my camera. I'm drawn to the beauty, art, history, and peace that you can fine when you walk through their gates.

A four square-block area was donated to the City of Little Rock in 1842 for this cemetery. Very close to downtown Little Rock, this area is an oasis from the hustle and bustle of city life. The park is filled with many beautiful old trees and bushes. I want to go back in the spring, as there are hundreds of flowers planted and later in the summer the wrought iron fence that surrounds the grounds will be draped with roses. 

Six hours wasn't enough time to see the whole cemetery. We only walked through half of it.  I'm hoping for a pretty day soon that we can go back, finish our tour, and see what we can discover. I'll be posting more pictures from the cemetery in the next couple of posts.

Water

I found some time this week.

I walked through my favorite woods,

To the creek...to think, reflect.

water flowing over rocks and sand

now frozen solid by the cold

sunlight dances on the icy surface

 while bubbles freeze creating shapes below

the sun peeks out bringing warmth

allowing the water to flow again

This Friday I'm linking with Adrienne at My Memory Art.

I've been wanting to try this for a while and decided this would be the week.

Also linking with...

Friday Finds

It's getting closer to Christmas.

How are you doing?

Stressed?

Calm?

It's been a calm Christmas season for me. I cut back on the decorating and the shopping and spent more time focusing on the true meaning of Christmas. I've had more time to enjoy the things I have chosen to do. Today I'm sharing a few things that have delighted me this season. First up, this little cute jar with it's metal holder. Couldn't pass it up when I saw it at the flea market! 

I found my favorite Cordial Cherries! I only buy them at Christmas, so they remain special. I also have a special way of eating them. First I take a small bite being careful not to get the cherry and savor the sweet, creamy fondant and chocolate.  Next, I pop the whole thing in my mouth and enjoy the cherry!!  Yum!! 

I found myself absolutely in awe of this man's photography. This is Arkansas nature photographer, Tim Ernst. Each year in December he presents a slideshow of images that he has included in his latest photography book. This year his book, Arkansas Nightscapes, features only night photography. My mom, dad, sister, and I attended one of his slideshows. The images include the milky way, the moon, stars, comets, shadows, color, and light. They were absolutely breathtaking! In the slide show he also included several time-lapse videos of those night skies. One in particular made the whole room gasp. He had captured a falling star that burst right above a rock formation!  Of course, I had to have his latest book. That's my book he's signing! We had a delightful evening that filled our hearts with gratitude for the beauty that God has given us even in the darkest night!

One more thing that made me happy this week. After the slideshow we stopped by the Saline County Courthouse to see their lights. It makes me so happy that there is still a Nativity scene sitting on the courthouse lawn!

My week has been full of peace and joy!

I hope the same can be said of your's!

Found: Over Four Million Lights

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?

I hear a piano made from bamboo playing.  I hear children laughing.  I hear babies crying.  I hear Christmas carols.  I hear jingle bells.  I hear a train engine chugging and the ringing of it's bell.   I hear the tread of hundreds of feet along the pathways.  I hear excited voices.  I hear waterfalls.

DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?

I see millions of lights on bells,  stars,  elves,  candy canes,  gingerbread men,  snowmen,  snowflakes,  trees,  Santa,  reindeer,  a sleigh,  flowers,  piano,  grapevine balls,  butterflies,  candles,  and a train engine.  I see children running excitedly through the lit pathways.  I see a big full moon.  I see the lights reflecting in the Koi Pond.  I see Christmas everywhere.

DO YOU FEEL WHAT I FEEL?

I feel joy and delight.  I feel awe.  I feel amazement.  I feel Christmas!

Where did I find such beautiful Christmas Lights?

Garvan Woodland Gardens 

Hot Springs, Arkansas

Linking with Kim Klassen's Friday Finds

Finding Christmas

Needing to get out after several days at home over Thanksgiving, I decided to go by my favorite antique/flea market. Now, I know Christmas has been in the stores since before Halloween, but I choose to ignore that. I pretty much refuse to go near the Christmas section of stores until after Thanksgiving. I can't ignore the Christmas music that has been playing for weeks, but that doesn't bother me. I could listen to Christmas music all year long and in fact I have played Christmas songs in the summer before!  Anyway, back to the story. As I walked through the doors I was greeted by a wonderful display of Christmas, old and new. Honestly, I couldn't stop smiling!

There were trees and ornaments and snowmen and Santas. I really liked this rather tall statue of Santa and the children until I looked at his eyes...what eyes? Where are the pupils in his eyes?  With all the details in his beard, why are his eyes blank? The more you look at him, he gets rather spooky!

This aluminum tree brought back many memories. We had one for several years. They were the rage in the late 50's till the early 60's. The tree assembled in about 15 minutes. Then you added the balls and garland; no lights as they might short circuit against the aluminum!  Our tree was illuminated with a rotating color wheel which was placed at the base. No lights!! I could not live with that! My tree has around 200 little lights on in and I carefully wrap and place them along each branch. I love a tree full of multi-colored lights!

 I found this advertisement from the Sears Christmas book in 1963.

"Whether you decorate with blue or red balls . . . or use the tree without ornaments - this exquisite tree is sure to be the talk of your neighborhood. High luster aluminum gives a dazzling brilliance. Shimmery silvery branches are swirled and tapered to a handsome realistic fullness. It's really durable . . . needles are glued and mechanically locked on. Fireproof . . . you can use it year after year."

I can remember thinking we were so modern to have an aluminum tree! My mom still has our old tree and for nostalgic purposes put it up last year!  Makes me feel a little old to realize they're antique and are found in several museums.  Museums? That makes me feel ancient!

Notice the heart-shaped little ornament on the right?  Yes, this is the booth where I found the ornament garland I used in the pictures for my last post. 

This week I found a little Christmas that put a smile on my face and delight in my heart.

I hope you're finding delight in this special season!

Linked with Kim Klassan's 

Friday Finds

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 14, Friday Finds, and Be Still 52

I am grateful for gorgeous sunsets that end beautiful days!

"Clouds come floating into my life,

no longer to carry rain or usher storm,

but to add color to my sunset sky.

~ Rabindranath Tagore (Stray Birds)

Today is also Friday which means Friday Finds hosted by Kim Klassen. This week as I was cleaning out that every growing folder of clipped recipes, I came across this little baking leaflet, New Fashioned Old-Fashioned Recipes sponsored by Arm & Hammer Baking Soda and published in 1953. Reading the forward in the leaflet gives the reason for the "new fashioned" recipes.

"To get extra light and tender, moist and delicious baked goods every time took real skill, grandmother's leavening was provided by Baking Soda and sour milk, with it's variable acidity. This new way calls for Baking Soda and vinegar. The use of this new method is dependable."

Since the Be Still 52 (also hosted by Kim) exercise this week used eggs and butter, I decided this leaflet would be my focus with eggs and butter are in the background. Since the leaflet was published the year I was born, I added my little tin cake pan that was part of a baking set I played with as a child.

Have a lovely weekend!

                                                      

Friday Finds and 30 Days of Gratitude - Day 7

I'm grateful for those individuals that have such a love for gardening and conservation that they create areas of beauty that we can enjoy.

I'm grateful for Verna Cook Garvan and her dream for a wooded peninsula on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I'll try not to bore you, but I want to include a little history and then I'll let you enjoy the beauty of this garden. 

"The site for Garvan Woodland Gardens was purchased in the 1920's after a timber clear-cut in about 1915. Mrs. Garvan loved this beautiful place so much that she never allowed it to be cut again. (Her father operated Wisconsin-Arkansas Lumber Company) In 1956, as a self-taught gardener, she began to develop it as a garden and possible future residence. She was intimately familiar with the land and laid out each path, marking every tree to be removed. Verna also personally chose each new plant and selected it's location. Over the next forty years, Mrs. Garvan planted thousands of specimens which now form an impressive collection. There are hundreds of rare shrubs and trees, some more than 40 years old, including camellias, magnolias, and more than 160 different types of azaleas." (http://www.garvangardens.org)

After the death of Mrs. Garvan the garden has been operated by the University of Arkansas School of Architecture. 

Now I'll just let you walk along with me and enjoy the garden.

(Balloonplant -- Gomphocarpus physocarpus, Asclepias physocarpa -- milkweed)

It was Mrs. Garvan's wish that the gardens be used to provide education, joy, and repose for those who enter. I went to see the pumpkins and mums, but I found so much more; beauty, quietness, peace and left in awe of God's creation.

A Little Morning Dew

"The dew-drop in the breeze of morn.

Trembling and sparkling on the thorn.

Falls to the ground, escapes the eye,

Yet mounts on sunbeams to the sky."

James Montgomery

The morning dew is so insignificant that usually we aren't even aware of it, unless it causes our shoes, to get wet and then we're irritated. I you think about it, dew is amazing. Out of nowhere it appears, almost magical. Sent to give the earth a little refreshment. I went outside in the early morning light and found the dew, sparkling like millions of diamonds. It had settled on the flowers, on the trees, on the grass, and on the fallen leaves.

Seeing the dew made me do a lot of thinking. We all need refreshment each day, just as nature does. One of the best ways to start the day off is to spend a few quiet moments thinking of all the things that we're grateful for. Tomorrow is the first day of November, the season when our thoughts turn to Thanksgiving. It's the perfect time to start the practice of daily gratitude. Won't you join me and find time in your life for gratefulness?

Linked with Kim Klassen's

Friday Finds