Sweet & Cute Factor

On June 2, 2018 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Discussion, Photos39 Comments

For the past week, we’ve had some unexpected guests, a mama and daddy finch. They’ve given us the pleasure of watching their home-building process inside our gazebo, and sometime soon, cute little baby chicks will complete their feathered family.

Yesterday’s entertainment came when daddy began playing on my car side mirror. Actually, it appeared that he was fighting for his territory. Little did he know that what he saw was his own reflection, and the third photo, you see a glimpse of his tail only. So, I grabbed my cell, zoomed in, and took these photos before he took flight. If you also look closely enough, you’ll see that I have some cleaning up to do. 🙂

It was fun to watch this little guy, as long as he didn’t hurt himself, which wasn’t the case. When it was time for me to leave and I was nearer with Copper in tow, he took flight without hesitation. I was happy to catch his wings all a flutter, though, before he went on his merry way. I’ll keep you posted with their growing family…

The last photo is the homemade carrot cake I baked for a dinner we went to last night with friends. It was a potluck, and all the food was delicious, not to mention, the company was great. Do you like carrot cake? It’s my ultimate favorite…always…forever and ever…
If only that ‘share’ button was literal; I’d offer you a taste. 🙂

Hope you enjoyed, and Happy Saturday! 🌻❤🌼

All Abloom

On May 29, 2018 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Discussion, Photos, Quotes43 Comments

Dear Friends,

I thought I’d share more color from our yard, but the last one is of
Copper from Saturday for his annual doctor’s appointment. He’s
always so good, and they love him, not to mention, the cute factor he
adds to this collection. 🙂 The first photo are flowers given to me from
a friend when we met for lunch on Friday, a beautiful surprise. Anyway,
I’ve included more wonderful quotes. Can you choose a favorite?

“Just living is not enough…one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”
~ Hans Christian Anderson

“Happiness radiates like the fragrance from a flower and draws all good things
towards you.”
~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

“Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love, and fearlessness.
If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love.”
~ Stevie Wonder

“Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.”
~ Gerard De Nerval

“Love is the flower you’ve got to let grow.”
~ John Lennon

I hope you enjoyed this colorful post and the beautiful quotes, and I
wish you all a wonderful day and week ahead!
~ Lauren ❤🌼🌻🌷🌹😊

The Face of Happiness

On May 23, 2018May 23, 2018 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Discussion, Inspirational, Nature, Quotes47 Comments

sunflowers to be 2018

My last post on the topic of mass shootings was depressing, although
another chance to bring awareness to this frequented tragic issue in our country.
However, I thought it was time for a more hopeful topic. So, this photo shows
sunflowers-to-be! Yes, sunflowers growing from seeds (one of three pots), and
watching them sprout evokes feelings of awe and wonder – awakening
excitement and promise of tomorrow and of new life.

After they grow to around 12″, we’ll transplant them in the ground. We’ve
also planted some seeds around the yard and are enjoying watching those
sprout up, too. We have a garden area in front of the house that might be
a good place for transplanting these – for tall, happy sunflowers greeting
all who stroll by. The trouble is that we have deer wandering around all
the time. So, we’d have to put some kind of wire fence around them. Other-
wise, we’d be providing lunch for the dear deer. 🙂

Anyway, below are some quotes I found online…

“All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.”
~ Chinese Proverb

“The tiny seed knew that in order to grow, it needed to be dropped in dirt,
covered in darkness, and struggle to reach the light.”
~ Anonymous

“The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success.”
~Paramahansa Yogananda

“The earth laughs in flowers.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sunflowers are happy flowers. They exude joy and friendliness, don’t you think? Fingers are crossed and with our love and care, we pray these seeds will grow to their full potential. I’ll keep you posted, and I hope you enjoyed this splash of hope and inspiration. xoxo

sunflowers

(Goal in sight) 🙂

Depth of Consciences

On May 21, 2018May 21, 2018 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Poetry, Tragedies42 Comments

I childishly cover
my ears with
icy hands while
imagining this to be
only a frightening
nightmare, not a
recurring tragedy
becoming the norm
The answer lies
within the depth
of consciences,
but when will we
be enlightened?
Must we continue
to quantify these
senseless losses?
Kind sentiments
are appreciated,
but they haven’t
been enough to
stop the rounds
So, please…

Numbers based on preliminary reports and may change.
Last updated: May 18, 2018 – Source: CNN
We’re only 20 weeks into 2018, and there have already been 22 school shootings where someone was hurt or killed. That averages out to more than 1 shooting a week.

The parameters CNN followed in this count are:

A shooting that involved at least one person being shot (not including the shooter)
A shooting that occurred on school grounds
We included grades K through college/university level
We included gang violence, fights and domestic violence
We included accidental discharge of a firearm as long as the first two parameters are met

(Honoring those lives affected by Friday’s
shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas,
and all mass shootings prior to this tragic event.)
💔

Spring Palette

On May 16, 2018 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Photos, Quotes43 Comments

“Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds.” ~Anonymous

lantana

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”
~ Audrey Hepburn

allysum

“Gardeners know all the dirt!”
~ Anonymous

lantana yellow

“Why try to explain miracles to your kids
when you can just have them plant a garden.”
~ Robert Brault

lantana (2)

“We may think we are nurturing our
garden, but of course, it’s our garden
that is really nurturing us.”
~ Jenny Uglow

Mothers Day

“Come tiptoe through the tulips with me.”
~ Anonymous

These are some flowers from our yard…lantana,
alyssum, and also Mother’s Day tulips, and
great quotes I found. Hope you enjoy, and I
wish you a wonderful day! Lauren 🌼🌻🌷

Five O’clock

On May 11, 2018May 13, 2018 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Poetry25 Comments

The table was always
beautifully adorned
with pretty linen and
mouthwatering aromas

three sets of pigtails
never starved
for love and care

ashtrays were fixtures,
but laps in the pool
would offset inhaling –
years later, those clear-
colored decorations
would disappear

they loved and laughed
into their ninth decade,
but the secret remained
a mystery, until…

with a wink and a smile,
it was said to be
the olive in the martini

The 3-Day Quote Challenge #3

On May 9, 2018May 9, 2018 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Birthdays, Blogging, Discussion, Poetry31 Comments

Welcome to the 3rd and final day of my 3-Day Quote Challenge, which I was happy to have been nominated by Annika at annikaperry.com. Thanks again, Annika! This has been fun, but it’s also lead me to some great new quotes. Please visit Annika’s blog if you haven’t already. She’s a fabulous writer of fiction – an amazing story teller!

To the challenge…The rules are as follows:

Thank the person who nominated you.
Post a quote on 3 consecutive days.
Share why this quote appeals so much to you.
Nominate 3 different bloggers for each day.

I found my quote online, which ties into this very special day, my son’s 23rd birthday…

birthday quote

Our son came into our world on 5/9/95, at 3:38 pm. We had our little girl so were elated to have a son. Before our children were born, though, we chose not to learn the gender. We loved the element of surprise and would simply be thrilled with healthy babies. With these thoughts going in, I experienced the same “high” I felt after giving birth to my daughter – a wonderful feeling unlike no other.

As to my son’s purpose, he’ll be graduating from college next month and is still working on his path in life. Many have been blessed to have realized their purpose, and for others, the search continues. This is perfectly okay because there is no time limit, although remember to enjoy the journey, also!

Regarding birthdays, some choose to skip theirs for fear of aging. This is one aspect of life out of our control, so as I conveyed in my prior post, let’s live life to its fullest and celebrate our special days. Each birthday is another year of life, and getting to blow out candles on a festive birthday cake is not a guarantee. It’s a privilege that many people don’t experience because their lives end sooner than expected.

So, I wish my son a very Happy 23rd Birthday and am so proud of the young man he’s become. I love him and my daughter to the moon and back! And his family is beyond excited to see where his path leads him post graduation.

michael in tokyo 2017
(Photo taken in Tokyo 2017)

I hope you are inspired now to celebrate your special days, to not worry about aging, but instead, to enjoy the possibilities and gifts that each day brings…and if you haven’t figured out your purpose, yet, then keep searching…You may learn something wonderful about yourself along the way…

I’ll leave it up to anyone who would like to take on this quote challenge, instead of nominating individuals. Hope you enjoyed! Lauren ❤

The 3-Day Quote Challenge #2

On May 7, 2018May 7, 2018 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Awards, Blogging, Poetry26 Comments

group photos 3
Welcome to the 2nd day of my 3-Day Quote Challenge, which I’m happy to be nominated by Annika at annikaperry.com. Thanks so much, Annika!

To the challenge…The rules are as follows:

Thank the person who nominated you.
Post a quote on 3 consecutive days.
Share why this quote appeals so much to you.
Nominate 3 different bloggers for each day.

Following the events at our house this past Saturday provided inspiration for my second quote:

“Life isn’t meant to be lived perfectly…but merely to be LIVED. Boldly, wildly, beautifully, uncertainly, imperfectly, magically LIVED.” ~ Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass

This quote is relevant because it ties into our celebration of my father-in-law’s 95th Birthday this past weekend. He is truly a man who has LIVED his life and still does! He’s found love twice in a lifetime, outliving two wives (30-year marriage first then 25-year marriage), has been healthy and active in league bowling and bocce ball. He’s found great satisfaction from delivering meals on wheels, has been a member of SIRS for 30 years, has been an avid walker, and has enjoyed traveling. Not to mention, he’s been active in his church since 1967. He’s also been passionate about classical music and light opera. He loves to socialize and everyone loves him! We finally managed a group photo (above), but only after many guests had already left.

cake time (1)