January 7, 2015 Change

            There is little in this life that is guaranteed. Change is one of them. Much has happened in the roughly three months that I was absent from blog land. The world has gone on. It has moved on as it always has. Each of you has had your experiences in life that marks what change is all about whether unnoticed or traumatic. Change is always present.

            It is difficult to tell of the changes that have happened in three short months. There has been a sense of greater bonding in my marriage. There is greater awareness of life and how important it is to cherish every moment. Most of all, there is a sense of the presence of our Lord. Spending an hour or more in reading the word and praying and spending even a few moments of quiet time to listen or just be in His presence several times a day has profound effects on us. These things change us not only inwardly but outwardly as well. I used to take a one day pilgrimage to an overlook on a mountain south of Gettysburg, Pa at least once a year. It was known as Indian lookout point. It was a magical place that had a long beautiful view and a huge rock where you could sit and meditate and just be with the Lord. It is no longer accessible and I miss it. Change is inevitable but it need not be a bad thing. All things are given that we may become stronger and wiser in His ways. Always be glad for what you are living and thank Him for all things.

From my book of poetry and prose: (copyrighted)

       I often see others become envious or even depressed when someone close to them experiences a powerful "revelation" or "touch" from God. It isn't the earth shattering religious experience that keeps us or makes us whole but the realization that every moment we live is an incomprehensible touch from God. Life continues but sudden experiences fade and become diluted with time. Life, on the other hand, renews itself constantly and is a constant, living, flowing revelation.

          

Today I would like to share a card that was sent to me by Kimberly Wiener. Kimberly is a bubbly and very talented card artist. The card she sent was one she posted on her blog. It is very elegant and simple but extraordinary. I apologize for the poor image. It does not due proper justice to this gorgeous card. Her image was much better than this. Thank you Kimberly.

 I have not done much for shout outs of those of you who have chosen to follow my blog and in other ways support me in my humble efforts to share what little talent I have. All of you have much more talent than I and I will pick several of you each post and give you a shout out. Thank you.

First is My dear wife Jill. Her blog is Ribbon Challenged. Without her influence I would not be posting this at all. She is very talented and has shown me much in the way of crafting cards. I could say lots of nice things about this extraordinary lady but you might think that was because I am prejudiced. YOU WOULD BE TOTALLY CORRECT. LOL.

Next is Shirley from Boxes of Dogs. She actually does have boxes of dogs. Read the very top of her blog and you will understand. Her card making talents are not to be missed either. Be sure to scroll down and take in some of her work.

The final for today is Lynn whose moniker is Jimlynn of Creative Crafts by Lynn. Lynn is one of the first to follow my blog and is a sweet heart and a talented card maker. It is obvious she enjoys making her cards and sharing them with us. Be sure to check out more than just the most recent post. You won't be disappointed.

I have been too busy to do more on the painting but I do have some photos to share from our recent visit to Longwood Gardens. Longwood is the estate of Pierre S. du Pont (1870–1954). It is one of the premier botanical gardens in the US and is located Near Kennet Square in southeastern Pennsylvania. It consists of over 1077 acres (1.68 square miles) of woodlands, gardens and meadows. The pictures are mainly of the summer gardens, conservatory and Christmas lights of last year. This will take awhile so grab a cup or glass of your favorite beverage, sit back and enjoy! 

The summer of 2014:

  
 This is a very small sample of the grounds. Next is the Christmas out door display. A large portion of the grounds were closed for a renovation. 

 The tree consists of lighted spheres.

The final area is the conservatory which is always spectacular. Again, this is only touching on the spectacular displays.

 The entrance

 The pink rose is for my DW. She loves pink.

This final picture is in the childrens garden.

That is it for this post. I would apologize for the length of it but if you are reading this you must have liked it. LOL. As Darnell says, life is short. Stop and enjoy the beauty all around you. Until the next post, LOVE THE DETAILS. The cahnge will surprise you.