Enough!

What a winter!

white...white...white... it snowed again...

and the possibility of more snow later this week.

I am ready for some green,

like in my little bed of grape hyacinths,

getting ready to bloom in my sun room.

I have a Spring garden on my table

giving me a little sunshine.

Even my African violet is contributing to this tiny flower show.

We need to have more lovely colors

and blossoms..

... and maybe a nap.
Have a warm & cozy weekend!

and the winner is

picked by the online random number generator
out of 104 chances

#8

Chari!!!!!

Please send me your info Chari & those sweet little
birds will fly your way!

Art Work Friday

Dee Dee at D DZINE is hosting Art Work Friday. I have not been a consistent participant
..sorry, Dee Dee. Friday seems to come around pretty fast!

I posted this painting last June. In May, my daughter & I traveled to
Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam to celebrate my long-awaited
retirement from teaching. We visited Monet's garden in Giverny & it started
to rain. Rain! How could it rain when we had waited so long to see this
heavenly garden! Eventually, the rain became a drizzle and we walked
through irises, peonies, roses & poppies. I cherish those wonderful,
if not a little damp, memories!

my goodness!

Such a nice response to my give-away! Thank you to my new followers, faithful followers & to all who left comments & posted on their blogs. The winner will be picked tomorrow night by the random number generator. If you haven't joined the fun, you still have a chance. Those sweet little birds will make someone happy!

a tweet little give-away

It's Mosaic Monday at Mary's & Blue Monday at Sally's.
Thank you both for hosting!

I love when the little birds come to visit our feeders!
It's tricky to get them to pose, though.

These two little silvery birds are posing just right,
don't you agree?

They would look absolutely adorable on your winter windowsill
and I'm sending them to one lucky winner.

• Please leave a comment if you would like a chance.
• Leave a second comment if you're a follower & you'll get a second entry.
• Post my give-away on your blog, then comment back for a third entry.

Winner will be drawn on Friday 2/19.
Good luck and have a wonderful week!

so cozy

snowy day

Our big snow storm left us a winter wonderland.


Today the sky is a gorgeous blue and everything is beautifully frosted.

The bird house is wearing a lovely swirl of snow.

We have a heater in our fountain to keep it running all winter.
The little birds actually stand on the bubbling water.

We keep our feeders well-filled and get many pretty visitors.

This is my favorite feeder so far. It hangs at our kitchen window
and the little birds can climb inside.

All those birds make the cats want to go out.
Buster is hesitant and stays inside....

but Jack is fearless & out he goes. He can only go
as far as the shovel has gone. No birds for you, Jack!

Have a wonderful day, snowy or not!

a February walk through Longwood Gardens

On Monday, we took a lovely stroll through
Longwood Gardens, currently displaying their "Orchid Extravaganza"
through March 31. I'll post some orchid pictures next time.
Today, I wanted to share some of the other beautiful flowers in bloom.

You really forget the cold weather when you step inside the conservatory.
It's so quiet and peaceful...and there are hydrangeas!

Look at that soft sunlight across the grass and flowers.

Cyclamens & cymbidiums curve around the path.

I think this is a striking combination of lilies and begonias.

You can just imagine how fragrant the conservatory is.

I love these masses of hydrangeas.

A fountain of white Phalaenopsis

and banks of orchids against the pool.

Bright sunny daffodils

and vibrant azaleas

...and camillia! I do love the camillia!

This primrose looks ready to be painted, hopefully soon.

How wonderful, on a cold February day, to be
taking in the heavenly scent of sweet peas.

More beautiful liles

and sweet little pansies

and roses almost ready to bloom.

I'll be back again with orchid pictures.

Hope you enjoyed this little stroll through paradise!