Simple Summer Beauty

It's July...okay...I am finally accepting it....If my mind won't acknowledge it, my body sure is telling me...The high heat indexes, the summer thunderstorms, the beautiful summer flowers and blooms that come with the hot sunny weather.

I accomplished one more small project last week to get it OUT of the mancave. It had been stored there...a tarnished and worn candelabra...waiting to be useful again...I got this last summer hoping to put it out on the deck with candles for evening pleasure, but...it didn't happen...So MANY things didn't happen, but that is life...and we live one day at a time with all the grace and courage and fortitude that God gives us. And we learn...SO....MUCH....OF....LIFE....involves waiting.


Kind of naked here...but to show the beauty of the candelabra by herself. She looks so pretty in her new coat of white... I do not have candles yet to put out here, and had done a test run with tealights in little glass fruit cups! - still - very calming setting at night on the deck. Justin and I sat out there and he talked and I listened... about Afghanistan the other night.



another idea for daytime viewing pleasure, since candles don't really show up too well... Fresh summer blooms (hydrangeas and Rose of Sharon) dunked in ice water in simple mason jars...it is just beautiful to me...sometimes even the most basic items mixed with flowers can trump any fancy vignette you could set in front of me!






NOTE to the Iowa man...remember out of all the Rose of Sharon suckers you planted along the fence line, that single bush that bloomed one WHITE flower the next year and how surprised we were, since we have NONE of those on our property? IT'S BLOOMING! and it wasn't a fluke..it really is a white bush...SO COOL and there is one of the blooms in the above shot...just for you. THANK YOU for all the planting you did. They are lovely...The next lady of the house will love them, I hope...
I LOVE YOU!


Since I can NOT hang anything on the new siding because we have chosen NOT to as the house is getting ready to be listed, I came up with hanging the candlabra on this double red wrought iron Shepherd's Hook my Father in law made years ago.. It was designed to hold a hanging feeder or basket on one side and to set a birdhouse or nonhanging feeder on the other side with the post on top...I simply put a grey ceramic insulator from the farm on the post as decor. It works for me. :-) "Work with what ya got."



This old shutter displays a Rooster WELCOME message to all who come via the back entrance...with a sweet summer wreath to halo it. Again, sits on a garden cart since I can't hang it on the house.

Summer Loveliness...cheers the heart, puts a smile on the face, and gives a touch of simple beauty to a home...I think sometimes the masculine members don't pay much attention to it, but if you removed the feminine touch of LOVE and NESTING added to "home", I do believe they would notice something lacking.


I can not remember what these flowers are called, but I LOVE the rainbow "riot of color" effect they give...Reminds me of fireworks on the Fourth, perfect summer blooms...

Sitting on a deck at night with the frogs croaking, the cicadas buzzing and the candles flickering, with the beverage of your choice, and sharing with the ones you love...you can NOT spend better time...

Hugs to all who pop by today...Enjoy the simple pleasures of this season, Fall will be sweeping in and the leaves changing before you know it...

*Tete, thank you for the "til they all come home" button!! :-)

God bless our Military heros ~ Grant them success...

****UPDATE****
Sgt. Raaz has had a setback. Infection has set into the wounds and surgical sites of his legs.
**** I would ask any of you who are saying prayers for him to please ask of the Lord that his surgeries over the next few days would be completely successful and that the infection would be removed so that he can move on to the next stage..pray for this HERO to be given courage and strength to endure the pain and the disappointment . God bless this family.

God Bless you... Thank you.