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