Happy Sunday to all my bloggy friends out there. Hope all is well in your little corner of the world. I do know that a couple of my good friends are on the move at the moment, so I wish them well - don't forget to keep calm, because it can be a rather stressful time! - and I hope you will be very happy in your new homes.
Unbelievably, yesterday, we had a touch of Spring - oh, how wonderful it was to walk out the front door and feel the warmth of the sun. The first time this year that I went out without a coat, boots and scarf on! Such a sense of freedom when you don't have to be all bundled up. I realize how silly this is going to sound to all my friends in much warmer climes, who hardly ever have to wrap up warm.
Our lovely Queen is 87 years young today. Happy Birthday Your Majesty! The following photos were taken a couple of days ago. The Queen has always been mad about horses, and one of her horses had just won a race. I think the delight on her face is a joy to behold.
I feel that I ought to mention another lady this morning, who sadly passed away recently, and her funeral took place on Wednesday. I'm talking, of course, about Margaret Thatcher, our very first woman Prime Minister. Love her or loathe her (and views are very polarised in this country), it was such a terrific achievement to get where she did. I feel that some people forget just what a state our country was in when she took over as P.M. At least when she left office, Great Britain meant something again in the eyes of the world.
The following photos were taken in the garden yesterday, when Eli and Ruby were digging for worms!
Well, I hope you have enjoyed my little selection today and I'm sure we will see each other again soon.
I'll finish off with a few sunshine quotes in the hope that we will all have lots of sunshine in our lives in the months ahead.
“Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.”
― Helen Keller
― Helen Keller
“What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.”
― Joseph Addison
― Joseph Addison
“As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful. They are the things that fill our lives with comfort and our hearts with gladness -- just the pure air to breathe and the strength to breath it; just warmth and shelter and home folks; just plain food that gives us strength; the bright sunshine on a cold day; and a cool breeze when the day is warm.”
― Laura Ingalls Wilder, Writings to Young Women from Laura Ingalls Wilder - Volume One: On Wisdom and Virtues
― Laura Ingalls Wilder, Writings to Young Women from Laura Ingalls Wilder - Volume One: On Wisdom and Virtues
“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house.”
― Nathaniel Hawthorne, The American Notebooks
― Nathaniel Hawthorne, The American Notebooks
22 comments:
Hi Dianne,
I love these pictures of Our Queen also. Great tribute to Margaret Thatcher.
God Bless - Nita
happy birthday to the queen and so sad about Margret Thatcher. yay for spring nothing better the warm weather
Add my Happy Birthday to Her Majesty and I do love to see her beautiful smile. Great to see such a tribute to both of those great ladies. Loved all the wonderful pictures and the quotes. You still have the most special blog in blog land and I never tire spending time in your little corner of the world. So overjoyed to know you are finally feeling warmth and able to enjoy the beauty around you without wrapping up totally. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Hugs from across the pond.
The queen is in her glory. Those photos are delightful, all of them. Your yard is so inviting.
Beautiful photos of the Queen, it is my sisters birthday as well [she thinks she is a queen:)]
You are so right so many forget that Margaret Thatcher blazed a path for all of us and whether you care for her politics or not she deserves much respect.
The children are just adorable what a beautiful day!
Have a wonderful and blessed weekend!
Your Queen is delightful! Even across the pond, we can't seem to get enough Royalty news :)
We women of a certain age have a great respect for Margaret Thatcher in that she opened a path for women everywhere. Women in politics was virtually unheard of at that time. The fact that she was in such a powerful position gave us hope and encouragement.
What sweet photos of the grands! Wishing many more warm and sunny days your way my friend!
Hallo, dear Thisisme and happy birthday to the Queen! She looks fit as a fiddle, doesn't she?
I thought of you the day Margaret Thatcher "The Iron Lady" died. Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister back when I was a news producer and her name came up often in my newscasts.
It's so nice to see Allison playing with the kids in your garden and to know that spring is finally springing over your way. The only bundling up I've been doing here for the last three months is to wrap mosquito netting around myself! (LOL)
I particularly appreciated the Laura Ingalls quote you posted today. It's ideal. It speaks to what many in our circle of friends believe. It also reminds me of a very meaningful quote from one of my favorite movies, Easy Rider. Jack, the leader of a remote hippie commune, offers this prayer to his followers:
"We have planted our seeds. We ask that our efforts be worthy to produce simple food for our simple taste. We ask that our efforts be rewarded. And we thank you for the food we eat from other hands - that we may share it with our fellow man and be even more generous when it is from our own. Thank you for a place to make a stand."
That commune scene is said to be central to the movie's nostalgic theme of searching for an unspoiled "still beautiful America" that, even as far back as the late 60s, was never found.
Dear Thisisme, I can't thank you enough for the birthday wishes you posted for Margaret Schneider. I happen to know that she likes you a lot and your enthusiastic remarks filled her with joy and gave her reason to keep on living. Thank you once again, my dear friend, for the generosity of your spirit.
I enjoyed seeing your girls digging for worms. Going fishing? :)
Very good pictures of the queen. She is a few years older than I am and when I was growing up, I always gathered news of her. She was born a day and 1/2 into Taurus, the money sign. No wonder.
Your home area is gorgeous. The Queen is pretty I think think and Thatcher - I really admired her.
Hope you are having a nice weekend.
Love, sandie
The Queen is an amazing woman, and beautiful at 87! My goodness, didn't realize she was already there. And When I visited your gorgeous country many years ago, it wasn't too long after Margaret Thatcher had taken office. Our elderly guide (who was a hoot!) had the bus driver stop our bus (full of teenagers) and told us to run as fast as we could to a certain corner. We ran like mad people, not really sure of who we were going to see, but it was Mrs. Thatcher, walking into a building.
The pictures of your family are lovely, and I am so glad you all have the first traces of spring pushing through~
Happy Birthday to her Majesty! Beautiful photos of the Queen! A a sad goodbye to Margret Thatcher. A full busy week in your country. Love all the photos of fun in the sun. Love coming and seeing your lovey snaps and words of wisdom. Many blessings for a wonderful week ahead.
Beth
What an interesting collection, but must say those with your family made me smile!
I have always liked the Queen and I also liked the Queen Mum hubby doesn't get why I like them.......
Margaret Thatcher was an amazing woman she had her good moments.
Lovely post all the way around. I love the photo of your little prince and princess as much as anything. It is great to know you had a spot of sunshine. Hugs.
Those were great pictures of your queen. I'm amazed that England has had a female prime minister while we're still waiting for our first female president.
I think it's great that the kids were hunting for worms.
I dearly loved this post. It's so much like you...thoughtful and kind and full of nice thoughts. The photos from the garden are darling as always! What fun y'all always have!
Hugs~
A lovely tribute to two very special ladies.
Hello Diane, what a happy post full of smiles. I find it difficult to make knowledgeable, informed judgments about our world leaders, as I would not be up to the task of making decisions that affect so many lives.
The children are growing up in the garden, more beautiful than all the flowers of spring.
Yes, two amazing women, and Britain gets to claim them for her own. I really enjoyed the movie of Meryl Streep playing Margaret Thatcher--a great woman portraying an icon! So happy to hear that spring is making an appearance SOMEWHERE!
Dearest Diane,
OMG, your queen is just a year younger than my father; I understand how your people feel proud of your queen and happy for her health. Margaret Thatcher's death was a big news here in Japan as well, she sure must have been one of the greatest leader!
I'm glad to here that you finally feel the herald of the spring♡♡♡ Your grandchildren look happy outside with their mother and big SMILE for you♬♬♬
Thank you very much for all the selection of wonderful pictures. And I loved to read the quotes as well. Especially from "Helen Keller" and "Laura Ingalls Wilder".
Sending you lots of love and hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*
Another lovely post, and a tribute to strong English ladies. I've always admired the Queen, and the Queen Mother before her. I remember in 1953 (I was only 5 at the time) Mum helped my sister and me make a Royal scrapbook. Of course the newspapers and magazines were full of the coronation of Her Majesty and pictures of her and her young family at that time. I don't know whatever happened to that scrapbook. I'd love to see it again. We're close to our British roots here in Canada.
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