Daises Are Such Sweet Little Flowers

Daisies in my garden last Spring.  Looking forward to the Spring again to watch these bloom. Daisies (I think) are such happy and pretty little flowers.

I understood that every flower created by Him is beautiful, 

that the brilliance of the rose and the whiteness of the lily 

do not lessen the perfume of the violet or the sweet simplicity of the daisy. 

~ Therese of Lisieux

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Check out some great posts at these links:
#ABCWednesday 25-D
#SixWordSaturday 6WS


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Many shades of Yellow at sunset

I love sunsets and sunrises. They both make the sky and the scenery so spectacular. This photo was taken in Nelson, New Zealand.

"When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, 
my soul expands in worship of the creator." 
~ Mahatma Gandhi

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Check out some other great posts at these links:
#ABCWednesday letter Y
#SixWordSaturday #6WS
#OurWorldTuesday
My Corner of the World  MCoW

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Beehive Baby ... #SixWordSaturday #ABCWednesday #WordlessWednesday #OurWorldTuesday

Beehive Baby announced by NZ PM

Two days ago the Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Arden announced that she was pregnant and her baby is due to arrive in June.

But that gives me an opportunity to post some Beehive pictures.

Parliament building known as The Beehive

Military parade at Parliament

Cabbage Trees in the Parliament grounds

Have a brilliant week.

Linking to:
#SixWordSaturday #6WS
#ABCWednesday
#WordlessWednesday at
      Wordless Wednesday
      Image-in-ing
#OurWorldTuesday
#WATW (Wednesday Around The World)
 

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Kindness and Trees over Coffee

Sharing some snippets over a cuppa (in six words)

Tough week - felt a little stressed

Kindness is my word for K

We all need a little Kindness

Kindness comes in so many ways

Best are random acts of kindness

• A lunch date with a friend
  

• Inspirational quotes on various soical media
  

• Nice words from colleagues at work

Hope you've had a kind week

And now for some trees

Last week I posted some pictures of the Pohutakawa tree (Tree Love #4) and some wished they could see it in bloom.

So here are some pictures of the Pohutakawa in bloom. It blooms in Summer and is also called the NZ Christmas tree. It's a very pretty tree. Streets look very pretty and colourful with all the Pohutakawa's in bloom.

Written for:
The letter K at ABC Wednesday
Six Word Saturday #420
Thursday Tree Love #5

Linking to:
#weekendcoffeeshare
Wordless Wednesday

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Just ... and Tree Love #4

Just chatting - taking a coffee tea break

Just decided to stop - phone battery

Just no choice - had to buy

Just love the new phone camera

Missed the letter I at ABC Wednesday. So a sneak into the letter with iPhone.

My old iPhone just decided to stop working.  The battery seemed to drain by 20% each time I used it and when it got to about 46% it would just stop completely.

I waited a few days thinking it might be the very unusual high temperatures that might be making the battery go nuts but no such luck.  Eventually I had to get a new one. An unnecessary and unexpected expense, but there's always a silver lining - loving the new camera on the phone.

And that leads me on to the tree for this week - The Pohutakawa which is native to New Zealand. It looks beautiful when it is in bloom in Summer. Pictures taken with my new iPhone.

Written for:
The Letter J at ABC Wednesday
Six Word Saturday #6WS #419
#ThursdayTreeLove #4

Linking to:
Wordless Wednesday
#weekendcoffeeshare


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Holidays and Tree Love #2

Seasons seem to be mixed up.

Autumn already? - Where did Summer go?

The Sun took an extended Holiday.

Left us with rainy, cold days.

Maybe Summer is late - hope so.

Holidays are fun - had two recently

I spent a week in Nelson in the South Island of NZ over Christmas. Such a beautiful city, such nice weather - warm and sunny. I had an awesome holiday there with the family. Took lots of pictures of mostly trees. Nelson has the most beautiful trees. Here's one.

I said to the almond tree, 'Friend, speak to me of God,' and the almond tree blossomed.

Nikos Kazantzakis

Next holiday was in January to Auckland to a friend's son's wedding. R and I have been friends since we were 10 years old. I had a great time and it was so good catching up with her family that I hadn't seen for years. The weather in Auckland was dreadful though.

landing in Auckland

Written for:
The letter H at ABC Wednesday
Six Word Saturday #418

Linking to:
Wordless Wednesday
Tree Love #2



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Some things "N"

Nice new leaves - a pleasant surprise

On Friday as I waited for the bus I noticed some new leaves on an old tree. They've probably been there for sometime but I just noticed them on Friday.  I was really happy to see new leaves growing as I recalled I was quite sad when a whole big branch of the tree was chopped down.

And this morning as I walked around my garden I noticed my Pohutakawa that I thought was dying, had some new leaves. Not many, but some is better than none. Thrilled to see that.

 And now onto the other N things

My painting of the Nanga Parbat - the 9th highest mountain in the world. Something about this mountain endears me to it.

My fragments from the week

Reached a major milestone for my project. Now looking forward to the next new phase.

I finally finished reading I Can See Clearly Now by Wayne Dyer. Interesting and inspirational in parts. It's got me wanting to read the 81 verses of the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu.

I love boxes and yesterday while browsing the 2 Dollar shop with a friend, I came across this one that I just had to buy.  I needed a box for all my paints and crafty things and this was perfect.  So I got myself a set of 2.

Hope you had a great week.

Linking to:
The Letter N at ABC Wednesday
Six Word Saturday
Friday Fragments #42
Wordless Wednesday #125


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Fitting in

Feeling tired. Glad it's the weekend.

Quite a busy and hectic week. I'm not complaining as being busy is good. But I'm glad it's the weekend.   I feel a bit drained probably because I haven't been getting enough sleep. It's been so hot that I keep waking up.  I think I've decided I like the cooler weather a whole lot more. Cooler not colder :)

 This morning I thought a lot about my school friend.  She is my soul sister. I must've been picking up on her thoughts as I was thinking I must message her on Facebook. Then she posted an update that her hubby who is very ill has been moved to a nursing home. Please pray for him and send him positive and healing energy.  Thank you,

Some days ago someone said to me that he felt he just didn't fit in and that  he should make an effort to. I often felt that way too when I was little. His words prompted this entry in my art journal:

Why fit in when you were born to stand out 

~ Dr Seuss

Have a fabuloous week.

Linking to:
Letter F at ABC Wednesday
Six Word Saturday
Wordless Wednesday #118 at Abracadabra
Friday Fragments #34


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Dahlias in my garden

Some days can be too warm

It's been so warm lately. The temperatures have been soaring. Don't get me wrong I am grateful for the sunny warm days but some days are just too warm.

The flowers must truly love he sunshine as the dahlias in my garden look so pretty.

"What a desolate place would be a world without a flower!  

It would be a face without a smile, a feast without a welcome.  

Are not flowers the stars of the earth, and are not our stars the flowers of the heavens."  

-  A.J. Balfour 

Fragments this week:

The week did not start off well. My uncle passed away in India peacefully in his sleep.  A truly blessed death for him but a shock for all of us. May he be at peace. 

I finished reading The Celestine Prophecy. I admit that though it's a good read, I enjoyed it more the first time round.

I am now reading Ramayana The Game of Life Book 3 - Stolen Hope. The Ramayana is one of the great historical epics of India and chronicles the life of Lord Rama. The Ramayana is one of my favourites of all time and I never tire of reading it.

The next book on my list to read is Ruchira Khanna's Voyagers Into The Unknown.

I was going to post my painting of a dolphin for the letter D at ABC Wednesday but it didn't turn out so good.  The dolphin was okay, but the water was complete rubbish. I need a lot more practise in painting the ocean.

Have a great week.

Linking to:
The Letter D at ABC Wednesday
Six Word Saturday
Wordless Wednesday #116
Friday Fragments #32


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Butterfly

Looking forward to the long weekend

Monday is the Wellington Anniversary holiday hence a long weekend. Looking forward to an extra day at home.

What has that got to do with butterflies? Nothing at all but here is a butterfly painting I did.

“When a caterpillar bursts from its cocoon and discovers it has wings, it does not sit idly, hoping to one day turn back. It flies.”  ― Kelseyleigh Reber

Fragments from my week

I finally started my mixed media art journal. I plan to journal at least once a week, I'm also going to start a watercolour journal. Will share these in future posts.

Started reading The Celestine Prophecy. I had read it many many years ago and enjoyed it back then. Thought I would read it again. Often books read differently on 2nd readings.

I had a long overdue haircut this morning but I think it's got a bit too short - I miss my longer hair :(  I guess it will grow out again in a few weeks.

I hope you all had a good week. Enjoy your weekend.
  
Linking to:
Letter B at ABC Wednesday
Six Word Saturday 
Friday Fragments #30
Wordless Wednesday #115 at Abracadabra


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Magnolias

Magnolias look so pretty in bloom

The last month has been a tough one for me. I came down with the flu about 3 weeks ago that I managed to shake off quite quickly and then it came back a week later which I also managed to shake off.

Last week however it came back with a vengeance and knocked me out - unable to eat, no appetite, no energy, no strength. Thank goodness the meds took effect and I'm feeling much better today.

I also finished up at work last week as my contract came to an end. Contrary to what I thought that I would feel anxious about finding more work and work myself into a state of panic, I actually felt relief. I had worked at this place for 3 years and loved every moment of it. One of the best places I ever worked and my managers were some of the best I've had. It was a sad moment saying goodbye. But I think I was just tired and the Universe thought I needed a rest. So a rest I will take for a couple of months. Looking forward to more blogging, catching up with friends, catching up on reading, taking a yoga class, going for walks and spending time with my family.

Anyway, as I was feeling better today and the sun was shining, I went for a stroll in my garden, fed the birds with leftover bread and rice and was thrilled to see the magnolias in bloom. They are such a pretty pink colour and they make me feel happy.  Don't know why but these magnolias always make me think of flamingos.

Pink magnolias symbolise youth, innocence and joy.

Looking forward to embracing my inner child and enjoying my time off.

I hope you had a great week.

Linking to:
Letter M at ABC Wednesday
Six Word Saturday
Friday Fragments
Photo Friday - my favourite location - I have many but my garden is definitely one of them
Wordless Wednesday at Abracadabra



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Awesome Aspect

Woke up to an awesome aspect

I love the hills that surround my house and it's my early morning ritual to watch them while I sip my tea. The hills look so serene and I feel so peaceful.

But few days ago I drew open the curtains and my eyes lit up in wonder. What an awesome sight, Particularly since it rarely snows in Wellington. The last time it snowed was in 2011. 

It's been freezing cold the last few days. Winters in Wellington are cold, but the last few days have been unusually extra cold. 

So here is a picture of the hills with some snow

Linking to:
Letter A at ABC Wednesday
Six Word Saturday
Photo Friday
Wordless Wednesday at Abracadabra
Snap Your Week #28
Friday Fragments #4
Sundays in my city


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A Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Day

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Summer day and lovely blooms

Went for a walk yesterday and found these glorious blooms.

These are Pohutakawa (lovingly known as the NZ Christmas Tree)

And if you feel like singing, sing along ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcxYwwIL5zQ

On another note, the year started very serendipitously as I am a featured poet at Poet's United. Drop by and read my interview with Sherry Blue Sky who asked me some very interesting questions. Interview is at  http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.co.nz/2015/01/life-of-poet-suzy-que.html


Linking to:
The letter Z at ABC Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday at Abracadabra
Six Word Saturday
Eloquent Articulation Snap Your Week #3



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Yearly Resolutions or Themes?

No New Year Resolutions - just themes

I gave up on resolutions a long time ago as the Universe just has a mind of its own and its resolutions seem to prevail.

There have many times in my life when an exasperated Universe has basically said to me, okay then go pursue your own course but be prepared for the U turn!

So instead I prefer to set a theme for the year and then watch it unfold.

The Year 2014

My theme for the year 2014 was Joy. Did I find joy in all things all through the year? Obviously not but I did find joy in some big things and in many little things and overall I can say that 2014 was a joy filled year.

The Year 2015

This year my theme or word is Serendipity (a fortunate happenstance or pleasant surprise). The word came to me as I walked around my garden on New Year's day  and found some pretty pink flowers that are supposed to bloom in Spring and not Summer.

If you've made any resolutions or have a theme or word for the year, do share in the comments.

Wishing you all a blessed 2015. May you find many pleasant surprises.

Linking to:
The Letter Y at ABC Wednesday
Six Word Saturday


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Playing With Six Words and a Pot of Pretty Flowers

Thought I'd do something different for the Letter P at ABC Wednesday.

So ... Playing with 6 words and then a Pot of pretty flowers

A stressful week is finally over

Gruelling Uni assignment completed on time 

Was it my test or son's?

Glad that week's behind us now

and on a completely different note

Flowers at the market look lovely

There is always something that uplifts

The Universe is a mind reader

Each week at the supermarket I would stop and look at the flowers and I loved the little butterflies in them. And what a surprise, my friend dropped by on my birthday with a pot of pretty flowers and a butterfly!

Linking to:
Ruchira's Wordless Wednesday
Six Word Saturday
The Letter P at ABC Wednesday
Sunday's in my city


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A few "L" words

Hail on a sunny Spring day?

We had hail yesterday on a sunny Spring day that wasn't actually all that cold. For about 10 minutes the sky turned grey and it suddenly got quite cool. And then just as suddenly as the hail came the sun came out again.

Lost for words so best to say it in pictures. Loved watching the hail even though it was pounding down quite hard and loud.

Life is unpredictable, like the Wellington weather.

Linking to:
The Letter L at ABC Wednesday
Six Word Saturday
Sundays in my city
Ruchira's Wordless Wednesday #55


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Joy

Antics of birds - amusing and joyful

It's so much fun watching the little birds that flock to my garden each morning to feast on leftover breadcrumbs or rice. I love how they perch on my camellia tree and it's fascinating to watch how they balance even when the wind is blowing hard.

The flowers are also starting to bloom so the garden is so colourful. Another source of joy!

Linking to:
The letter J at ABC Wednesday
Sundays in my city
Six Word Saturday
Ruchira's Wordless Wednesday #53

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