Sunday, May 24, 2009

"Be still and know that I am God"

As I sat on that seat looking at the sea yesterday, my thoughts just followed their own paths, I wasn`t consciously thinking of anything. No list of things to be done, no thoughts of what to do next, my mind wasn`t busy whirrling round with the hundred and one things it normally is, but instead it was just content to just "be".

Some things came to my mind, from somewhere deep inside me, things I`d not thought of for months, years. Somehow sitting looking at the sea, is one place that I really feel I can relate to the bible verse "Be still and know that I am God". (Psalm 46:10).

Looking at the vastness of the sea, always seems to put any problems I may have into perspective. It is so huge, so immense, yet although it may at times be rough and at others calm, it is always there. And it`s a strong reminder to me that God is like that too, always there.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

A "Holiday"

The sun shone this morning.

It was a day off work.

I needed to go into the next town along the coast to get something I couldn`t get here, so having done that, I decided on the spur of the moment to do something I`d not done before. I walked through the town and onto the sea front there. In all my years of life, living in the same town, I`d never walked along the prom in the neighbouring town!


It was beautiful there, the sun shone making the sea sparkle, it felt warm on my bare arms. As it was quite early in the day for most people, there were very few about, so I could enjoy the scene and the silence, listening to the gentle sound of the waves turning over on the sand. Wandering slowly along, I then climbed about 100 steps to the top of the cliff when I found a welcome seat to sit, get my breath back, and look at the view.

I felt as if I was on holiday, relaxed, and content. Yet, I was only 5 miles from home. I suppose it just shows that we should learn to enjoy and appreciate what`s "on our doorsteps"!

Friday, May 22, 2009

Missing Writing

A comment said to me the other day set me thinking....

.....what was said was "what lovely neat handwriting that is".... it was said by a person signing something that I had written.

Now, I`ve known the person for about eight months, and had corresponded many times over items with him, so, I wondered why he`d made that remark ...... then it dawned on me, it probably was the first time he`d actually seen my handwriting, because most of our corresponding is via email.

That set me pondering - is hand-writing eventually going to die out, as we more and more correspond by electronic means? I do hope not. I still love to get hand-written letters, they seem far more personal.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Come for a stroll

Come for a stroll with me through the beautiful gardens full of azaleas and rhododendrons which I spent a pleasant Sunday afternoon admiring.... and photographing.


Along grassy paths.......

.... round ponds and streams......





I think this one has to be my favourite, for the way it was standing up so straight and tall.


From a distance they just looked like a mass of colour, but stopping to take time to stand and look closely at the blooms, I discovered that they weren`t all a single colour, (if you click on them you`ll see clearer what I mean) there were tints and shades and markings, all going to make each one an individual. ......
.........Guess that`s a bit like people too - when we take time to get to know them

Saturday, May 09, 2009

A Real Treat


I`ve bought myself to a new camera today. Having not spent money on going away for a holiday, I felt I was entitled to treat myself to something.
I`d been thinking about getting one for a few weeks because the shutter button on the one I`d got has come off twice now, fortunately each time I`d found it and been able to put it back on. But I could just imagine losing it when I desperately wanted to take a photo of something.

So of course I had to go and try it out this afternoon - here are a few of the pictures I took with it. I`m pleased with the results of my first photos with it.

Monday, May 04, 2009

The Gardening Bug!

I`ve had the gardening bug today. No, don`t worry, its not catching - or at least I don`t think it is!

Something, and I don`t know what, has rekindled my interest in growing things. Maybe it was those lemon pips which I set on Shrove Tuesday and which are growing nicely into 4 plants which started it off.

Today, starting a weeks holiday from work - but unable to go away, (more on that another day), I spent all the morning out in the garden. I`d had a gardener dig up some old shrubs last week and prepare my raised vegetable patch, so out I went with my seeds - carrots, beetroot, some onion sets, and a few lettuce seeds(for my little bird, I`m not a salad fan!), and spent a pleasurable time setting them into the soil.

Then, I set my runner bean seeds, which I`d had soaking in water since yesterday, into pots ready to grow into plants to set into the ground. But, I found I had too many seeds for the little pots so also set some in some big containers where I`ll leave them to grow. Sort of an experiment in a way to see if I get a better crop from the ground or by growing them in pots. They`re my favourite veg, so I hope to get a good harvest of them.

After getting all the eatables sown, I then set some lavendar seeds into a tray, so hopefully will get some nice plants to then go in the border. If they grow as well as they did when I grew some many years ago I may have some plants to spare if anyone fancies any Norfolk lavendar later in the year. The ones I grew from seed many,many years ago I had as plants in the garden for about 10 or 12 years until they got very woody and so I had them dug up.

I`m still always fascinated by the way in which such a tiny little thing that looks dead can come to life and produce wonderful vegetables or flowers.

Nature is so amazing.

Sunday, May 03, 2009

A Walk in the Sun



Come, enjoy the views and flowers I saw on my walk in the sun today.







Through a local National Trust park where the azaleas and rhododendrons were bursting into flower.















What a variety of different ones there were, in various colours and sizes, all giving such joy to behold.

And various view points giving such vistas across to the sea in the distance made me just stand and stare, enjoying the feel of the warmth of the sun and I took in the sheer beauty of what was before me.

Saturday, May 02, 2009

Start of the season ....

It seems to be the start of the Flower Festival season, and I`ve been to see one today. My friends invited me to theirs for the day and then after lunch we went on to Long Sutton to see this beautiful flower festival. The theme was The Streets of London, and here are a few of my favourite displays....


The Old Curiosity Shop



Lost Property Office
(we had to smile, when we saw the "top secret" document in the briefcase!)



The Gerkin



The Fish Market



Fleet Street.

There were many other beautiful display - maybe I share a few more tomorrow