Gaining Perspective

Mother Nature has the power
to please,
to comfort,
to calm,
and to nurture one's soul.
                Anthony Douglas Williams

Last week we were in the throes of bitter cold and snow

Today I'm enjoying a walk with geese following me, it's 51 degrees!


Winter is
Coldest season of the year
Gloomy and gray most days
The season that begins in December and ends in March
Snow falling, shoveling snow
Barren 
Dry skin, numb fingers and toes, a drippy nose

Winter offers 
A slow-down
Appreciation of comfort foods
A talk beside the fireplace enjoying a glass of wine
Sledding, building a snowman, ice skating
Christmas and New Years Eve
Gathering with family and friends
Dreaming and planning summer vacations
Reading a book, watching movies
Snow falling
A winter hike
Garden dreams of tomatoes

No winter lasts forever;
no spring skips its turn.
                           Hal Borland

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Visit me on Instagram. dianarn2627 

January, Now What?

It's a new year and possibly a new start... depends on how you look
at this whole resolution thing. It starts the night before, all glitter
and sparkle. We come together to celebrate the end of a year and
at the stroke of midnight, expectations start.....


For last year's words belong to
last year's language
And next year's words await
another voice!
                                              T.S.Elliot

So there are possibilities...
Don't force the year in one moment...
Start slow
Discard the baggage
Gather
Dream
Step into your light

 
I've been absent. I've been spending a lot of time on Instagram.
Doing both the Blog and IG takes a lot of my time. I'm still in a
quandary! I know I'll approach my blog differently and continue
my IG posts. I hope you'll check out my gallery and posts. Let me
know what you think. You don't have to join up to visit. Google 
dianarn2627 instagram

Thanks for stoping by!

Thanksgiving and More

We have come full circle to another Thanksgiving. Another year
added to our lives. Many have had a year of happy, many a year
of heartbreak. Most of us fall somewhere in-between. I like to
think Thanksgiving provides all with opportunities to share a 
meal and spend some quality time with family and friends. There's
a comfort in holiday rituals... while we are making memories,
while we bask in the comfortable cozy of our homes, take the time  
to reflect on what you're thankful for. Simple as that, it's called
gratitude. 

Gratitude can transform common days into
Thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into 
Joy, and change ordinary opportunities into
Blessings.
                       ~William Arthur Ward


I wish for you all,

Let your heart be full of both THANKS and GIVING!!

Thanks for stopping by
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October's Last Call, and Halloween

It's happened quickly, this transition of warm sunny days to 
chilly ones that require a sweater and perhaps socks and stylish
boots. If you are one with nature, this is your moment. No better
time to get outside and enjoy the full blaze of glory the trees are
presenting. All the shades of red, yellow and orange are there.
Brilliant, bold,  jeweled-toned offerings of fall that ignite feelings
of home and cozy. 

I know, I know!! Crunchy leaves underfoot mean clean-up. Yards 
still need attention. Fall and especially this time before first frost
beckons us. Bulbs to plant, hoses to drain, garden tools to clean 
and garden beds to tidy up. You know the routine... work a little
and enjoy a lot of what this month has to offer. Football and
festivals await you. Autumn will also increase your appetite!!!

I can think of no better way to celebrate October than having
fresh-baked cookies. Tap on link below for recipe.
www.cookingthymewithdiana.com/2015/10/candy-corn-swirl-cookies.html

Now I don't want you to think I've forgotten about Halloween.
Oh no. Six days till all the little goblins and ghosts arrive. Can't
wait to see what costume grandson Ethan will wear. 

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Appreciating Morning

Has someone ever asked you if you were a morning person? Do you
dread awakening to another day? You can be a great functioning
adult once your body has shaken off the night, but that's not what 
I'm mean. I'm talking about the appreciation of a new day starting,
the sunrise, the dawn, that very early part of the appearance of a
thing called a day.

There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise 
or hope. 
               ~Bernard Williams

An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
                 ~Henry David Thoreau

No matter how bad things are, you can at least be happy that
you woke up this morning.
             ~D.L. Hughley

Like a morning dream, life becomes more and more bright the
longer we live, and the reason of everything appears more clear.
What has puzzled us before seems less mysterious, and the 
crooked paths look straighter as we approach the end.
                ~Jean Paul

Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before

sunrise.
               ~George Washington Carver

If I can wake up every morning kiss my sweet husband, and have
coffee quietly, then it will be a perfect start to my day. Going on an 
early morning walk makes it even better.
               ~Diana Moore

Thanks for stopping by.....
Visit me on Instagram. Dianarn2627

Gather The Goodness

The humidity of summer like temperatures, and the haziness
brought on by said humidity has left us once again... for good
this time, I hope. We'll drift into Autumn daily simply because
it's October. 

        Life starts all over again 
     when it gets crisp in the fall.
                               ~ F.Scott Fitzgerald

I find much to like about each season. Even winter has its
own appeal. But October and November carry heavy 
trademarks. Cozy, colorful, crisp, golden, and glistening 
with dew conjure up in our minds wonderful vignettes of 
autumn splendor. This harvest-time heavily influences our 
tastes, and menus suddenly include casseroles and stews, 
pies of apples, pumpkin and pecans, and drinks warm
and spicy. 

What's not to like about Fall. October fills our world 
with golden warmth, not a harsh sunlit glare, but
mellow tones that draw us in, sharing nature's process
of decay, yet giving us a show of magnificent beauty. We
participate by cleaning away summer's end and begin
to gather. We light the first fire, set candles out with 
scents of cinnamon, orange, clove and vanilla. We 
put on sweaters and thick scarves and take walks to
watch the leaves fall. If you're a collector like me;
treasures of acorns, walnuts, and leaves will fill a 
wooden bowl. I'll add dried orange and apple slices, 
along with cinnamon sticks and some cloves.

          Autumn comes calling
         Message to start falling
         Leaves send a kiss
         Moments of bliss
                       ~Diana Moore

We are in the season of pumpkins, corn shocks, 
gourds and scarecrows... outside and inside we
decorate. We want to feel cozy, like being wrapped
in a warm blanket. To our homes we'll style with  
fall colors and other elements to add rustic autumn
appeal. 

We've entered into a most glorious time, as one season has
moved into another. As the days get shorter and holidays 
approach, we'll start to reflect and appreciate. Let's enjoy  
the natural moments right here and now... I think it's time 
for a walk. (insert smiles and a hug).

Visit me on Instagram 
dianarn2627

It Really Is Autumn!!

Astronomically, it happens every September.  This year the 
Autumn (fall) equinox is on Friday, September 22 at 4:02 pm 
in the Northern Hemisphere. Basically, the amount of daytime 
and nighttime are closely equal to each other (within minutes) 
and the days will be shorter with less light. Notice too the birds 
and butterflies migrate along the path of the sun which is 
starting to shift southward and is lower in the sky. Temperatures 
begin to drop, and chilly breezes blow.

                   It is the summer's great last heat,
                  It is the fall's first chill: they meet.
                          ~Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt

We are starting to see the changes as the trees and plants are 
slowing down. October will showcase the spectacular and vivid  
leaf changes, but you can spot some of that fall color right now. 
Warm and sunny days with cool nights accelerate the color 
changes. That's where we are, the in-between month, still hot 
and humid, and sometimes cool and rainy. Our gardens have 
peaked, the grass (unless there's a lot of rain), is starting to 
brown, and we're ready for change and autumn's delights. 

We look for color and find that in Chrysanthemums, Asters and 
of course autumn's symbol, the pumpkin. The orange shaped,
generally smooth, ribbed skin member of the squash family, 
which also includes (gourds), are what we carve into jack-o-
lanterns. There are many varieties and colors. Check out your 
garden center for beautiful fall displays.

          
                       Even is something is left undone,
                       everyone must take time to sit and
                       watch the leaves turn.
                                     ~Elizabeth Lawrence
                     
         
This is a great time to be outside to watch and observe. 
It's healthy and fun. Say goodbye to Summer and get 
out and enjoy what nature has to offer.

Thanks for stopping by. I'll be posting every 2-3 weeks instead

of every week for at least the next few months as we enter into 

into the holiday season.  Visit me on Instagram dianarn2627

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