The Seasons of 2009

Just thought I would see the year out with a slideshow of the seasons. 2009, we'll miss you. :)

Coming Up for Air

I'm baaaack! Did you miss me? ;)

Just kidding. I somehow managed to get bronchitis on top of a flu-like virus. But I'm finally feeling as though I'd like to rejoin the land of the living. I sound terrible, and I'm weak as a kitten, but I'll live. lol My son went back to school on Tuesday, and is feeling much better except for a nasty cough. Thanks for all your get well wishes. :)

I hope you will all join me for Mosaic Monday this week. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Sunday. Have a wonderful weekend, dear bloggers!

Happy November

Well, it's definitely November here in New Jersey -- dropping into the high 30's overnight, with cool, windy days. But at least it's been sunny. And quite beautifully colorful, too. :)

We had such a terrific turnout for Mosaic Monday last week -- 90 participants! I have been overwhelmed by your wonderful images and your friendly comments. Please join me for Mosaic Monday this week. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Sunday.

Have a terrific weekend, dear bloggers!

Autumn Rambles

We are given so much; the full bounty of the season spreads before us as we walk. Tall, arching trees overhead are like some great cathedral. Sunlight dances through their leaves, as through windows of stained glass, scattering red and gold jewels across our path. They are laden with autumn's gifts too, which fall to the ground, crunching beneath our feet as we climb the hill. Soon the sun will be warm on our backs as it wheels across the empty sky.

Already, though, we can smell the decaying leaves on the forest floor, and the sharp wind is a constant reminder of what is to come. It is so bittersweet, this season, with it's warmth and fruitfulness overshadowed by the knowledge of it's own end. Soon, all this is will be nought, and we will mourn the dying of the light.

So come, walk with me and gather in the bounty.

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Mosaic Monday: Fall Hike

Welcome to autumn in New Jersey! We are so fortunate to have some really wonderful hiking trails pretty close to our house, and almost every weekend when the weather permits, we go for a hike.

When we were first married, my husband used to go on overnight camping trips with some high school friends. I could never quite see the charm -- getting up at 5:30am to drive six hours, strap on a 50lb. pack and walk up the side of a mountain to a place where there is no bathroom. Yeah, no. But I do love day hikes.

These photos were taken at the Scherman-Hoffman Wildlife Preserve in Bernardsville, NJ. There is a trail called the Dogwood Walk which, as you might imagine, is filled with dogwood trees. In autumn, they are covered with beautiful red foliage and bright red berries. As the trails wind through the woods, the ground is littered with acorns and hickory nuts. And the field near the river is filled with beautiful waving grasses. Oh yes, autumn has come to New Jersey. :)

Oh, and sorry about the two Mr. Linky's. He has been very curmudgeonly this evening, and I can't seem to delete one of them. So you can just add your link to the first one and ignore the second. :)

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.net. I can't wait to see your mosaics! Here is Mr. Linky:

See You Soon

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! Please join me for Mosaic Monday. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Sunday night. :)

Wonder and Humility

"It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility."

Rachel Carson

Wishing you worlds of wonder this weekend, dear bloggers. Please join me for Mosaic Monday. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Sunday night.

Just Breathe

I know I've been remiss about posting lately -- feeling a little burned out. We've had a rough few weeks with my in-laws' health starting to really go south, and a few of the normal speed bumps of every day life, like my son losing his cell phone.

I've been trying to find a little balance in my life, and at the same time thinking long and hard about what's really important to me, especially in the face of daily reminders of the fleeting nature of our lives. And today, of all days, should be a time for reflection.

So I've been taking some time to enjoy nature, to take some long walks in the park with my husband, and to remember that there is more to life than blogging.

And to just breathe.

It's The Little Things

I've been resting my achy typing fingers lately, and focusing my lens on the little things. A drop of dew that clings to the grass,

the tiny florets of Queen Anne's Lace, (aren't they beautiful?),

this small pink cuphea blossom dancing on it's delicate stem,

and the magical spider's webs that appeared one morning on the dew-drenched lawn. What amazing beauty can be found when we just take some time to really look closely at things.

It's the little things. :)

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I hope you will consider joining the fun at Mosaic Monday this week. Mr. Linky will be up (hopefully) by 8:30pm Sunday. Hope to see your link there. :)

Morning

"Every morning is a fresh beginning. Every day is the world made new. Today is a new day. Today is my world made new. I have lived all my life up to this moment, to come to this day. This moment--this day--is as good as any moment in all eternity. I shall make of this day--each moment of this day--a heaven on earth. This is my day of opportunity."

Dan Custer

I need a few more days off to give my achy fingers a rest. No blogging till Sunday night.

Seriously.

Yeah, let's see how long that lasts. lol

Have a great weekend, dear bloggers. I hope to see you on Sunday night after 8:30pm when Mr. Linky will be up for Mosaic Monday. :)

A Summer's Day

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass
on a summer day listening to the murmur of water,
or watching the clouds float across the sky,
is hardly a waste of time.
- John Lubbock

Happy summer, dear bloggers!