Lovely Lunaria as a Cut Flower     A corner of our backyard has the popular dried flower, Honesty.  Sometimes it is also referred to as the Money Plant.  It often has a weedy appearance in the garden.  But, this year the color was especially stunning.  You might describe it as a deep magenta purple.  On a whim I decided to cut two stems and bring them inside. A small cut-crystal vintage bud vase was the chosen vessel for this loveliness.  There are lots of side stems on this regal-colored plant.  I cut the side shoots off the main stem and had many pretty … [Read more...]

The party is finally over. We managed to enjoy this blogiversary celebration for nearly two whole weeks!! I am still in amazement at how much fun it was and how wonderfully gracious and generous my bloggy friends have been. This week, for me, has been an extraordinary wrap-up to the celebration.       If you are a regular reader of Joy Day! posts each Sunday, you might have remembered seeing this scripture photo among the  other spring flowers filling the post.  One of you has quite a Pinterest following.   I couldn't believe my eyes this morning when I saw that it was pinned … [Read more...]

  Doesn't this photo make you think garden party? It seems with so many trees in flower and color everywhere the earth is having a celebration. I stumbled across this quote.  Is it not perfect? Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" Robin Williams     Speaking of party! There is a big party being planned for An Extraordinary Day! It all starts on Monday with a guest post from someone who is a VIP in my blogging book and one of the first people that I connected with in the blog world.  It will be an honor to have her here to help celebrate my first year of … [Read more...]

  After being bombarded all week with tragic photos everywhere, I want to give you.... a picture of hope. To give you words of truth. Words of hope.     Beauty. A friend told me about this video.  I don't usually watch videos...I prefer to read.  If you're like me, humor me, please watch the video just because I ask you to.  It's eye-opening.   http://youtu.be/litXW91UauE   Did tear up as you watched the video? If you're like me, maybe you've been running a recording in your head that really isn't true.   Let's change that, my extraordinary … [Read more...]

  I'm loving this daffodils quote: If one daffodil is worth a thousand pleasures, than one is too few. William Wordsworth   Are daffodils popping up all around your neck of the woods? Almost overnight they are everywhere along my walking path. I snapped these photos in the late evening as the sun was low in the sky illuminating this patch in my neighbor's garden. From a distance, I get to enjoy this patch of sunshine from my window.   Lucky me.   ~    ~    ~    ~   ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~   ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~   … [Read more...]

Flowers... Everywhere I go, there are little green stems with swollen heads.  Daffodils waiting to soak in the sunshine and warmer temperatures.   Wistfully wanting to slip out of their green cloaks and turn their little cheerful faces to the sun.  I feel just like them.  Basking in the sun sounds absolutely wonderful today.  No doubt in a few short months we all will be seeking a reprieve from the sun and its heat.  Perspective. As I was dreaming of flowers and warm weather, I 'flipped' through my photos and came across this one I took at Letchworth State Park  some time ago.  This quote seemed to marry … [Read more...]

Easter... Eggs.  Baskets.  Candy.  Flowers.  Blessings. Easter is the most meaningful holiday our family celebrates.  And though we enjoy the traditions of eggs, baskets, candy, flowers, and blessings....for us....it's all about the cross. Friday we remembered the ultimate sacrifice by a Father and His Son....because of their amazing love for each of us.  The best part is that the story doesn't end there...Sunday is a 'comin'!   While we are sandwiched between those two extraordinary days, preparing for the most important celebration of the year... I thought I'd take a moment and share a quick … [Read more...]

Just Me and My Shadow     Just Me and My Shadow Sometimes it's just my shadow and I Running around under this big ole sky... He's just like me from head to toe Where he comes from, I don't know... I love to race this friend of mine But he seems to stay one step behind... It's good to have this friend to share Because I know he'll always be there! ~unknown ~    ~    ~    ~   ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~   ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~   Catch up on all that's Extraordinary... this week at An Extraordinary Day:     Here … [Read more...]

  Spring... You've been teasing us with warm days and buds bursting from the soil with new life.  And then you turn around and shower us with sleet, and snow for days on end, and through clouds of steel give us only glimpses of sunshine.  Some days I think you are positively mean.  And then I realize...it is not Spring...it is still winter...for a few more days.  Winter officially departs and lovely dear Spring rides in March 20, at precisely 7:02 AM EDT.     It fascinates me that on this first day of Spring...day and night are each approximately 12 hours long. Did you know that the … [Read more...]

  Welcome to the weekend! Is the weekend a pause in your week? A time to get oodles of work done? A time to play?  Or just like any other day?   My weekend began in the quiet.   Peering out the window I noticed a sliver of pink over the mountain and an eyelash of a moon in the sky. Later, my husband prepared blueberry-banana pancakes which we smothered in butter and maple syrup.  Amazingly delicious. And then I noticed this pile of silver I had put together yesterday for polishing.     I'm attempting to see my world with new eyes.  The incredible all around me. … [Read more...]

  A pause at the end of the week...     On the way to one of my favorite parks I would drive past this farm with barely a notice of the ancient delivery truck.   As the branches bared their souls and the snow piled up it became noticeable.  Each time I passed by, I would slow down and wonder about the past life of that lonely truck.  One day I parked on the side of the road and trudged through deep snow to get close enough to shoot a few frames of shadow and twig and rust and snow.   Will we grow old and sit abandoned like this assembly of steel?  Or will we somehow manage to keep our … [Read more...]

  Do you find yourself stopping to admire a beautiful sunset? Have you noticed how time seems to stand still for just a moment or two when you do? And your soul is refreshed?   A sunset is such an everyday (possibly ordinary) occurence.  Or is it?         The only difference between an extraordinary life and an ordinary one is the extraordinary pleasures you find in ordinary things. ~ Veronique Vienne This weekend...look for ordinary things in which you can find extraordinary pleasures. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ … [Read more...]

Pinterest.  It's a virtual pin board for ideas discovered on the internet. For some people it's easier than ripping pages out of magazine.  Some people love it.  Some say it's a time suck.  Some use it to steal ideas and take the credit for someone else's creativity.  Others say that it makes them envious or covetous.  And still others use it for business gain.  Whew!  Who knew a virtual pinboard could create so much passion? And here's an interesting fact.  Pinterest is now the third most popular social network in the United States.   The question I have for you is this.  Are you … [Read more...]

A few things made me pause this week.....   Like this quote from Francis Chan.   unknown source Do these words hit you between the eyes, too?   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   Do you ever wonder what kind of legacy you will leave?  New father, Jeff Goins, and guest writer at Chatting at the Sky gives three powerful thoughts on how to begin the journey of leaving a legacy. I loved it when he said this, "...if you want to create more beautiful art, live a better life."  I want to live a better life.  How about you?   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   … [Read more...]