Whisper it quietly ......

Hallo again everyone!  Yes, whisper it very quietly, but we are in the final week of January.  Yay, I’m doing a happy dance here in deepest Devon.  So on Friday, we will be entering the month of February, and already the mornings and evenings are starting to get a tad lighter.  Primroses are in the garden, and lots of bulbs are peeping through already. My winter flowering pansies are still putting on a good show, but we have been pretty fortunate, in that we have only had a couple of frosty mornings so far.  I have a yellow camellia with around 40 buds on it, so I’m really hoping that we don’t suddenly get a hard frost.  Daffodils are now on sale in the shops, which I always think are a real sign of the Spring yet to come.  This photo was taken last year.  It really is like having a little bowl of sunshine in the house.

I realise that there could  well be people reading this, whose Season might be completely the reverse of what we have over here in England.  It’s a funny old world, isn’t it?!  Even here in the UK, the weather can vary tremendously.  I live right down in the South West of England, next to Cornwall, and Devon and Cornwall are amongst the mildest Counties in the Country.  Our flowers are always a few weeks ahead of everyone else.  

Oh! My life has changed somewhat since I last wrote a Blog Post.  I have a little puppy, and he is the cutest little thing.  I have only had him for six days, but he has settled in so well, and is such a good little pup.  This is a completely new experience for me - I was avidly reading a puppy handbook before he arrived, but, really, SO FAR (!), it has been much better than I could have hoped for.  He is a Cavapoo, and a cross between a King Charles Spaniel and a toy poodle, so he will only be a small dog.  But then, I am only a small person, so we will fit together nicely!  I can’t wait until I can take him out to the beach!  At the moment, he can only go in the garden, until he has had all his injections.  Anyway, here he is! 

Who could not love that cute little face?!

Well, I’ll leave you again for now, hoping that all is well in your little corner of the world.  See you again soon!

I love reading, and have done so since I was a little girl.  I’m sure many of you also love settling down with a good book.  Anyway, I came across this quote on Pinterest, and thought it was rather lovely, so decided to share it with you here today ....

Summer Memories Of A Garden In Full Bloom

The month of January is almost over, and I am very relieved about that.  Soon we will enter the month of February, the month of love and romance ~well, a girl can dream, can’t she?!

The days are gradually starting to lengthen, and I am so looking forward to when I can start on my coastal walks once more.  At the moment, the footpaths would be far too muddy.  In fact, with all the rain and storms here in the South West of England, much of our coastline is eroding away, which is quite worrying, especially for those with houses close to the sea.  What happens then, is that the cliffs have to be shored up, sections of coastal paths closed and routed away from the sea.  The shoreline really does take quite a battering during these Winter months.  

For newer Followers of my Blog, I thought I would share some photos of my garden as it looks in the Summer.  Looking out of the window at the moment, it’s hard to imagine it being full of blooms.  But I know that time will come round once again, and even by the end of February, quite a transformation will have taken place, as new life starts appearing. The changing of the Seasons really are a wonder to behold, and I always say a silent prayer at the start of each new Season, that I am still here to appreciate it.  

Just looking at these photos has lifted my spirits, as I sit here enjoying a nice cup of green tea with lemon.  A garden can be hard work, but, my goodness, it’s worth if when everything falls into place. 

If you want to enlarge any photo, you can just double click on it.  I hope you’re all having an enjoyable weekend.  I know that there are a couple of my bloggy friends who are coping with certain things in their lives at the moment, and prayers are with them that all will be well.  Look after yourselves everyone.

Photographs are my own, apart from the two quotes, and these are courtesy of Pinterest.com

There’s a new Feature Post up ~ all about sweating the small stuff.  Just click on the link at the top of the Sidebar on the right hand side. 

January - Time for a little nurturing!

I'm always looking out for new quotes that I haven't seen before, quotes to inspire and encourage, and I came across this one recently. I think it will become one of my new favourites!

 

I like to think that most of us try to nurture others as we pass through life, but sometimes, you know, it's important to also remember to nurture ourselves.   Perhaps January is one of the best months for us to do this, as we await the return of the longer days.

At this time of the year, whenever the sun appears, or it's a bright day, forget the housework and the ironing - go outside, look around and appreciate the beauty of the day. If you're able to go for a walk, so much the better. 

If you're confined to the house on these darker days, play some of your favourite music whilst carrying out your chores and dance around the kitchen! Become that young, carefree girl you once were - the girl that is still inside you somewhere.  Sounds silly?  Try it, and I guarantee you'll end up with a smile on your face 😊. One of the songs that will always do it for me is "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor! 

Write down a list of things that make you happy and then try to do at least one of those things every day.  

My friend in Green Bay brought me a Blessing Bracelet as one of my Christmas presents and I really loved the idea behind it. I truly believe that if you take the time to count your blessings every day, then life does feel so much better. For me, a blessing can be a simple thing, such as finding a parking space in a crowded car park, meeting a friend unexpectedly when you're out and about. How many times do we say, it really is the simple things in life that can make us feel at our happiest. 

 

 

I find that if I take photos when I'm out and about, this makes you take more notice of things around you, and you might notice something special that you might otherwise have missed. Just sayin' ! 😊😉

Well, I seem to be rambling on a bit here, and I'm sure you have more important things to do - such as having a dance round that kitchen!  Go on .. be wild, and don't forget to crank up the volume!  Anyway, I'll finish off by saying .....remember to be kind to YOU.