Friday, April 3, 2009

Finding What You Look For...

Yesterday was a day of searching.

It wasn't as easy to find the goal
of our search as I had expected.
The kids and I were looking for
Signs of Spring.

The day began with a thick intrusive
fog. That was not a surprise...however,
when the fog finally burned off what remained
were cloudy skies rather than the sunshine
we were expecting.

Not easily deterred we piled in the van
and, with Mikey at the wheel, headed to what
we expected to be an accelerated Springlike
environment. Of course we were looking
at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA.

I know we are there a lot.
We love it!

Anyway...our spirits were high and we were ready
for tulips, daffodils and many other spring-ish
sights.

What we found was a limited amount of these things.
Turns out Spring is running a bit late this year.
Perhaps it is because of our dry weather...certainly
it has been fairly chilly as of late.

But...whatever the case...we still managed to find
some signs that Spring is here, if ever so shyly.

And it is absolutely gorgeous!


So Fragile...


Naturalized planting of crocus and bluebells
are stunning as they carpet the ground....





Is it possible that even the sqirrels are more beautiful here?
We have plenty in our own neighborhood.
Mom was amused by one carrying a plastic bag
across her back yard and up a tree Wednesday...
but this one seems extra sweet.
A visiting toddler seemed totally fascinated
by this squirrel.
Otherwise I may not have even
noticed this little guy.
Sometimes it is a great idea to pay
attention to the things that
fascinate the little ones.




Hanging baskets are just the ticket
right outside this shaded seating.




At the entrance of the Topiary Garden sits this interesting
piece of stonework...








These were in the parking lot.



A cardinal who played shy...but a whistle
got some attention.





Spring was very evident in the
gift shop...I love these plates...
don't you????






"Fluffy Peeps" in a crate.





Some very sweet bunnies are looking for a good
home...I had to leave them there...however sad
that made me.






The signs of Spring we found were all the more special
because they were against a backdrop that was dark and
often brown. Kind of like a smile in the midst of a hard
day. We can pass on a precious treasure...
find our smiles and share them generously.

Just as life doesn't have to be perfect to be
beautiful, so we don't have to have all of the
answers to bless another person's life. A gentle
hug or a soft smile. We can bring the first signs
of Spring into the day of a friend.



For more posts on living Beautifully visit Melissa at
The Inspired Room...


Coming Soon...A post showing the wonderful stonework
at Longwood Gardens.
We spent some fun times in the Tower...
and I have some other pretty things
to share along that line.

Also coming up, a Post about my favorite chickens...
the ones in our backyard.

♥♥Becky K.♥♥

12 comments:

Pat@Back Porch Musings said...

Absolutely lovely post, for A Beautiful Life!!

Terri Steffes said...

I love the post! You know, I have found that when I go looking is when I can't find it. Sometimes I just have to look sideways!

Teresa said...

You sure did find spring- how fun!
Love the topiary garden.
Thanks for sharing.

Barb said...

Becky, your pictures are really lovely....you definitely have a talent.

I think you found spring. Those rabbit plates are to die for!!

Barb

Vee said...

Beautiful photos and a perfect day for picture taking. Thank you for including us all on your trip.

black eyed susans kitchen said...

Wow, Becky, you really did find Spring. Beautiful photos!
♥, Susan

Kelly said...

I wanted to take my camera in search of Spring things yesterday, too. We did have gorgeous sunshine, however, I took care of my responsibilities first and ran out of time and sunshine. Hopefully, sometime soon. Love your pictures.

SweetAnnee said...

What a fun trip.. I love to visit gardens..the topiaries are marvy.

Tell Chelsea she looks very cool!!!

smiles Deena

Diane Shiffer said...

i. want. those. dishes.


seriously, i adore them... do you happen to know what brand they are? they look as though they might be the same brand as a bunny teapot i got for a wedding present many moons ago...

Becky K. said...

Persuaded,

I am sorry I dodn't look. I just adored them from the other side of the camera.

The simplicity and whimsey in the design really made me love them.

Michelle said...

I love seeing Spring peek out at all of us!

Teresa @ Grammy Girlfriend said...

What a wonderful blog. So glad that I found you.
Hope you will stop by my blog.
I am going to have a "card box" giveaway every month. This drawing will be the last day of April.
Every comment you leave throughout the month will enter your name in the drawing, so if you visit several times and leave several comments, you will have a better chance to win. This NEW blogger was so touched by all the comments I got on the Blog Party, that I decided to make this a monthly GIFT...
Also, if you link to my blog telling about the monthly giveaway, you will have your name entered 10 extra times...How is that for an incentive?
I was so blown away by all the responses that I wanted to email each person personally, but TIME... just has not permitted..but I did love reading all of them..I am continuing to introduce my family members and then there will be some fun blogs coming up from Disney World in May. I am so thankful for all my new friends.