One year later...

Hi everyone - I can't believe it's been a year since this blog was started (in the car on the way from Arizona to Wisconsin - what a trip!).  We have been up to Wisconsin to the annual conference again and, being an avid stalker of bumble bees, here is what I saw:

The mother of all bees I have seen so far!  I estimated it to be about 1 1/4" long - that's a big ol' bee! 

Then I mosied along to the purple hibiscus and pink roses in the garden:

I didn't realize that when I focused my lens down the throat of the hibiscus how amazing it would be!  It's so easy to walk past, say, "That's pretty," and move on.

Finally, when I arrived back in Florida, this guy swooped past me as I was walking my dog:

He was a beauty!

I will leave you with a sunset from August - this was after a storm and the setting I used (for a sunny day) really made it look like the sky was on fire!

To quote from a worship song we sing, "Awesome is the Lord most high!" (thanks, Chris Tomlin!)

Have a beautiful week!!

Fondly, VG

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—
it is by grace you have been saved."
Ephesians 2:4-5

 



Just a little monsoon...

OK - we (about 30 of us) worked out at 6:15 this morning in a monsoon - literally.  Sheets of rain, wind blowing wildly.  That tells you what we think of our trainer!!!!  I have to put a word in for Bo's Fitness Camps because Bob Crosby is, bar none, the BEST trainer around, and we are fortunate enough to have him right here in Naples!!!


After rockin' the workout in the rain,
Dawn (left side) empties her shoe...

Come and check out the class at Fleischman Park in Naples, FL 5 days a week at 6:15 and 8:30 - you'll see what I mean.  And oh yeah - here's the mindset out there (borrowed from Tough Mudder but it applies):

Woohoo!!!!  Have an awesome day!!!

Cheers, VG

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6

Lovely picture

Hello everyone - I just got an email from a friend and I had to post one of the sayings from it (since I could NOT get the picture to upload properly).  It's about dogs.  Gee, now why would you think I would be interested in that?  :-)  It's just sweet and says a lot in a little space:

Man's Best Friend

"A dog has no use for fancy cars,

big homes, or designer clothes.

A water logged stick will do just fine.

A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor,

clever or dull, smart or dumb.

Give him your heart

and he'll give you his.

How many people can you say that about?

How many people can make you feel

rare and pure and special?

How many people can

make you feel extraordinary?"

                                              - John Grogan



No matter how warm it is, Sammy loves the pool deck!

And then, when I think about the word "extraordinary", and say it with a hyphen (EXTRA-ORDINARY!), I look at that last sentence again and really think about it!  God MADE us extraordinary but somehow early in life we lose the ability to behave that way and/or let our family and friends know that THEY are extraordinary!  Sometimes it takes our dogs to do that!  We should learn from them....

That's all for today.  Of course, I have to leave you with my pictures for the day.  The sun was absolutely beautiful here in SW Florida today and the orchids are in bloom! 

Love that sunshine coming through the petals!  Have a beautiful week everyone! 

xoxo  VG

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him."
1 John 4:16

Quotes

Good Morning all!  For those of you looking for some quotes, I stumbled upon this site.  Wow!  I started pinning some of them but decided to just include it in a quick blog post - there are so many good ones and they all take some time to read and digest.  Enjoy!

Love, VG

"...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Isaiah 40:31

A short vacation...

Hi all - sorry it's been awhile - things have been a little crazy here!  Going to take a short vacation and back in about a month or so - happy days until then! 

Oh, OK then - one or two more pictures for the road...!!  :-)


A beautiful painted bunting who comes in each winter with his mate!



The parrots that come in each morning - who knows where they're from?!



My happy flowers - a zinnia about to pop!



A zinnia in full bloom - sunshine on a stem!

All my best to you - God is good!!  Love, VG

"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."
Psalm 18:2


Beautiful video!

Hi all - I just watched the most incredible video about pollination - oh my goodness!!!  I love to take macros of bees with pollen but this goes in so much closer still!  God made amazing and beautiful creatures - enjoy this!!

Warmly, VG

"And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds...And it was so....And God saw that it was good."
Genesis 1:24-25

A fork in the blog road...

Hello all!  This is a different sort of post - hang on to your seat!

Watch this video - it absolutely had my jaw on the ground.  Death-defying, breathtaking, awesomely incredible shots of people doing the most extraordinary things!  These kinds of videos thrill me to pieces.  The fact that people can do these activities (and not die...) brings me close to tears!  I hold my breath, laugh, sigh and struggle to stay seated as I watch some of these people defy the laws of gravity.  (I'm a kayaker and when it got to the shot of the guy at the top of the waterfall I got chills...)  I'm just sayin'... it ain't your momma's arts and crafts in this post...this is BIG time!!!

So...all that said, who wants some ice cream?  =:-)  Woohoo!!

Have a very lovely day!  VG

"Praise the LORD.  Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens."
Psalm 150:1

Something different!

Good Morning Everyone!

First of all, please let me apologize for the fact that I am not able to post every day since January is one of the busiest months of the year for our small business.  Since it's just my husband and me, work needs to come first.  I feel blessed to have anyone looking at my blog so please check back every 4-5 days or so - I think I can manage that!

OK - now that that's out of the way let's get on with the fun stuff!  I have been following some other blogs for about a month now and have noticed that I definitely lean toward the creatively crafty!  It is wonderful to see how people come up with ways to thrift, recycle, upcycle, create, color, and generally "build" something beautiful from odds and ends!  I have been adding buttons to my blog (something new I learned this year - thanks Debbie!) to show you just a smidgen of who's out there.  Please pop on over to any of them, as well as clicking on links to the vast amount of other blogs - you will find so many amazingly unique and talented individuals who write funny, interesting and creative blogs and show their awesome art!

Here are just a few things that have held my interest for awhile - making hand-stitched books and turning cigar boxes into jewelry boxes. 

One of my favorite stitches is the caterpillar stitch, which features the coptic stitch integrated with the caterpillar stitch:

There are so many variations on the coptic but this is the basic one:

Here is a "half-hearted" book - a nice little gift-size book:

Here is one of my favorites, made for one of the girls with whom I play Scrabble:

And then there are the cigar boxes, both big and small (note:  I LOVE Stickles!!!  Bring on the bling!!!):


  

 

small cigarillo box




inside of small box





One last thing:  I picked up the premiere issue of Pages magazine the other day - yay!!  It's for bookmakers!!  If you enjoy the process of making a handmade book, pick up the mag for inspiration!

Time to run for now - have an amazingly creative day and be thankful for all He does for you!

Warm regards, VG

"Praise the Lord....Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness."

Psalm 150:1a-2

Happy New Year!!

Hello everyone and Happy New Year! 

Just a short post to wish you a year filled with the Lord's awesome goodness, happiness, fine health and abundance beyond what you can imagine! 

Of course, my blog wouldn't be my blog without at least one picture!  So the first picture of the year, as serendipity would have it, is of one of my favorite subjects...guess who showed up on my poinsettias?

How fun is that??  It's a beautiful day here in sunny SW Florida and it couldn't have started out any better than with bees on my flowers!

I live with lots of color and that's just the way I like it!  Here are a few more pics - wahoo!

The poinsettias are a little leggy but still colorful!

On a different note, I finally learned how to put a button on my blog!  Debbiedoo's Blogging and Blabbing has been hosting a newbie party so check out the button to it (to the right > > > > > > > > > > > >)  It's a great way for newbs like me to check out other newbie blogs and support each other as we get up and running!  Thanks for a wonderful idea, Debbie!

One last item:  I follow the Parisienne Farmgirl blog and this morning she made a BIG announcement - she is starting the Parisienne Farmgirl Magazine!!  It's going to be a digital magazine full of all things Parisienne - fashion, delicious recipes, beautiful interiors, and so much more!!  If you are interested in the simple life lived beautifully, check out her blog and the coming e-zine, complete with a big giveaway!  First issue is set to arrive in e-mailboxes April 1, 2012.

That's all for now - have a gorgeous day!!

Warmest wishes, VG

"...the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."
Psalm 147:11

Christmas Cheer!

Hello to all and a very Merry Christmas to you!  I feel blessed to be able to say that in my blog since our congressmen are not allowed to wish anyone a Merry Christmas in any emails or letters - how crazy is that??  But I digress (quickly!) - let's keep things cheery today!

Of course, I have the obligatory pictures for this post - why not?

Little children always seem to want a puppy for Christmas.  Well, what about having a dog who pushes the tree skirt aside and puts herself under the tree?

And then there is the tree itself - not sure why I haven't done this in the past but I've never taken a picture of the tree when it's lit!  Egad - I've been missing out! 

Two years ago we bought some after-Christmas poinsettias at the grocery store for $5 each.  My husband planted them after they had done their time that season and here is how they look now!

who lost their duck lips??

 And of course, Christmas in Florida wouldn't be the same without SOME kind of flamingo reference!!  Here is a card I made for a friend:

Last, but certainly not least, I have two YouTube videos to share.  The first is a poem written for our men and women who serve us every day - please remember them in your prayers!!  poem for our servicemen and women

The second one made me laugh out loud - I know I've sent it to many friends but here it is again:  digital announcement of the birth of Jesus

Christmas has been Christmas for thousands of years - why have it be ruined because of a few loony tunes?  So go on - wish your friends, neighbors and strangers a Merry Christmas and see how they respond - I'll bet they'll be happy you said it so they can respond in kind!!  :-)

Have a loving, beautiful and sweet Christmas - see you after the new year begins!

Warmest regards, VG

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6

Christmas and crafting!

Hello to all and a Happy Day to you! 

Things get a little squeezed at this time of year but I wanted to note just a couple of websites you might want to peruse. 

First is the Tim Holtz "12 Tags of Christmas".  Even if you're not a "crafter" per se, this guy has more ideas in one sitting than I've had in a lifetime!  He works for Ranger and comes up with beautiful tags each year at this time.  Check out his website for more ideas!  (and, of course, he has several lines of products that are amazing as well!)

The next site I want to mention is Pinterest.com.  Oh my goodness gracious - if you're interested in, well, ANYTHING, you can find it there.  Start a Pinterest board and when you find something you like online, pin it on your board!  Others can re-pin it, comment on it, etc.  I've started one but don't have a lot on it yet - but it's only been a few days! 

Over the past few years I have enjoyed receiving (and sending) Jacquie Lawson cards.  Gee - could it be because she uses Chudleigh the dog as one of her characters??!  They're sweet, animated cards that can be used any time of the year.  This year my friend Lisa sent me an Advent calendar that comes in the form of a snow globe.  Each day I open up the snow globe "village" and see what comes to life.  They have one for the USA and one for London as well (for your friends in the UK!). 

And last, for today anyway, I HAD to post this picture of my friend Jennifer holding a prairie dog (we visited an animal sanctuary over the weekend).  These little guys are TOO CUTE (but DO NOT get/give them as pets - they will DIG right through the floor of your house!!!)  The owner of the sanctuary was kind enough to let my friends hold one...can you tell that it was nervous...NOT!!  I thought it went into rigor for a second...

Off to run the pup - have a wonderful evening and see you again soon!

Fondly, VG

^"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

The holidays are coming...!

Good Morning all - I just checked the Tim Holtz blog and yes, the 12 tags of Christmas are just around the corner!  If you don't know about the tags, Tim creates each one the night before he posts the pics/instructions, so each day's tag is a wonderful surprise!  See his blog to be inspired...

Had an awesome Thanksgiving with family and friends - so much for which to be thankful!!  Hope all of you had the same.  God is GOOD!!

Can't leave without posting at least a picture or two, so here are some recent ones from the Naples Botanical Gardens.  It is a beautiful venue - well worth the visit!


an alien pod...light from within (almost!)



A view across the pond to the mozaic



water lily



closeup of the lily


Have a blessed weekend!

Warmly, VG

1Thes. 5:16-18
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Out with the new, back to the old!

Hello all - It seems that the pictures look warped in the newest version of the blog template so I've gone back to the old one, temporarily at least.  Will have to sit down and design one of these days - for now, it's late and I'm off to veggie-land (i.e. the couch!)  :-)

Have a beautiful tomorrow - remember, He loves you!!

Yours, VG

"The heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness too..."
Psalm 89:5

A little update to my blog...

Hello all - I've stepped ahead and changed the format of my blog.  Since I've done it and don't have the ability to add my bison picture to the header, I'm going to insert the picture here - it just makes me smile!



heading out of Yellowstone...


Let me know what you think of the new format - since I'm a picture-taker I figured you could browse the pics if you don't feel like reading the content!

Happy day, everyone - it's a beauty here in SW Florida!

VG

"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
love and fathfulness go before you."
Psalm 89:14

Welcome to October!  Here in Florida the leaves don't turn colors, but it does start to cool off - thank goodness!  It's still hot but the mornings and evenings are tolerable.

The other evening we were out with friends and my friend asked me what's new.  I said, "Nothing - we are the boring couple!"  To which she replied, "That's great!  It means you're alive!"  I'd never thought of it that way, but it's true - so what if I'm not off on some exciting trip or doing something TV-worthy.  I'm still here, living life to the fullest (albeit not in a spine-tingling way!) and enjoying what God gave me.  Touche, my friend!

Have a beautiful day and thank the Lord above for your boring life!!  :-)

Hugs and smiles, VG

"My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."
Psalm 121:2

A little of this, a little of that...

Hello!  It's been a few weeks and I've got more pictures.  OK - so over the past few months of writing this blog I've realized that photography is kind of my passion!

This year we were fortunate enough to stay once again at the American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin for a conference.  The courtyard of the hotel was filled with flowers, and bees pollinating those flowers - it was mayhem and I loved it!  I found a bee with the biggest "pollen pocket" I have ever seen - it was ginormous!  :-)  It's always a challenge getting that close to the bees but they don't seem to mind me so I just keep clicking away...


Pollen pocket is the big orange "poof" on left rear leg



I also loved the incredible lilac-colored amaryllis (I think that's what they are) - I've never seen them that color before.  And the hibiscus were huge as well - they must use some mighty fine fertilizer up there!  The morning after the conference ended it was bright and the flowers had lots of droplets from the sprinkler system - just right for some photos - it was a great year for pictures!



     The droplets magnify what look like the flower's "petalprints"



As my husband returned me to the airport bright and early last week it looked like the sky was on fire - what a picture!  Sorry I haven't had time to edit out the telephone wires and lovely construction barrels, but hey, you get the idea!

Have an awesome day and enjoy His creation!

Fondly, VG

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalm 118:24