March 8, 2018 ~ Hope and Promise

March brings with it the hope of Spring. New life and rebirth. Beauty and color. The beginnings of bird song round about me as I step outdoors each morning to tend to my bird feeders. Everything seems so new and fresh. How uplifting! I'm ready for all this snow to be gone until next year.
I find that as my excitement mounts for the coming of Spring, I want to have my house in order so that I can be ready to start setting up my outdoor things as soon as the weather finally breaks. We're not quite there yet, but almost. 

The other morning I stood near the window holding my breath as I saw various birds peeking in and out of the holes of a few of my bird houses, seeking a safe place to raise their family. I remembered that I still had two of my smaller bird houses for the likes of Wrens and Chickadees still tucked away in the screen room. I dug them out and hung them up. You've heard of the saying, the early bird catches the worm? Well, I guess you could say, the early bird secures the house, too! With so much activity going on in their little community, I'm sure it won't be long before all the houses are occupied. That makes my heart happy!

It's nice to see brighter mornings and longer days. The sun has been moving higher and higher into the sky.... Some of our sunsets have been simply amazing. They chase away the far too many dull, dreary evenings we've been so accustomed to all winter long. We've hunkered down, kept busy and carried on, but, oh how lovely it is to be stepping into the hope and promise of Spring!

~ ♥ ~

February 8, 2018 ~ Getting Back On My Feet

Right about now, the belief that we're anywhere remotely close to Spring, feels about like wishing for a miracle! We've had so many frigid, gray, snow-filled days it almost seems impossible, but it certainly is true. And news of the groundhog having seen his shadow.... well.....shush! We don't talk about things like that here in our house ~ Lol!!

Besides, it wasn't even sunny when Mr. Groundhog poked his head out. Now I ask you, how could he have possibly seen his shadow? According to my calendar, Spring is approximately 6 weeks away, and that's the hope I'm clinging to these days. Yes, I'm believing in miracles! ☺ How about you? If you're lucky enough to live in an area that's already experiencing some beginnings of Spring, oh, I'm so very happy for you!! Soak up some of that gorgeous sunshine for me, would you? 

 Fortunately, with such inclement weather outdoors, I've been making the most of my time indoors. Shortly after the New Year, I began going through just about every cupboard, closet and drawer in the house, to bring some semblance of order that has been much needed, but neglected while enjoying the previously beautiful days of seasons gone by.
Have you been lucky enough to escape a cold or the flu this year so far? I think I've had a mix of both in whatever has been ailing me this last week and half. Suffice it to say, after a good few days in bed getting plenty of rest, taking long, hot showers, eating comforting meals and soaking in the deep warmth of our wonderful wood stove, I'm on the mend and ready to tackle things around here. Now, it's my turn to nurture Dean back to health.... Yup, he got it, too. :/

My thoughts on the whole matter are this: you just don't want to get sick in the first place. Because once you do, there's really very little you can do to prevent it from taking hold and doing what it's going to do. That's just my take from our own experiences in dealing with this stuff. From the very tiniest, slightest symptom I felt right at the start, I took a very proactive stance with fighting this thing off. I really wasn't too worried as we've been eating super healthy and taking great care of ourselves for these last nearly 6 months with a new whole foods approach that has left us feeling absolutely, amazingly better in so many ways! (From weight loss, to more energy, to less bloating, to beautiful skin, to lower blood sugar levels.... the list goes on!) But, alas, aside from the days spent in bed getting every bit of rest that my body needed, none of the cold medicines, extra vitamin C, or even the hot showers making me "sweat it out" seem to have helped. However, something very basic and rudimentary did - drinking lots and lots of fluids! Now isn't that something we always hear when we're sick? "Drink lots of fluids, Dear!" Not only did it help my body flush out the toxins of this illness, it kept the chest and head congestion to such a minimum that I was truly pleasantly surprised. And that's my advice, should you, unfortunately, find yourself sick.... 
In the future, I think I'm going to be looking into foods and herbal supplements that boost the immune system to be specifically super strong in order that I may not even get sick in the first place! 
In the meantime friends, here's to hopes of sunnier days, warmer weather and beautiful hints of Spring as each day passes by. ☺ 

~ ♥ ~

Tip-Toeing Into Spring ~ April 29, 2017

Up and down, around and around, through a variety of weather patterns, we are slowly getting there!

 
The sun is finally waking early, the days continue to grow longer, and countless birds fill the air with their songs of cheer. 

The Goldfinches are once again golden, the Cardinals are scarlet, and the Grosbeaks have returned. It won't be long before I see my first Oriole. I hung out a dish of grape jam to lure them in sooner! :) Then shortly, it'll be time for the Hummingbirds to arrive. I look forward to their return all winter long!

The bushes and trees are pushing out buds and blooms, Hyacinths sweetly scent the air, the daffodils and tulips bob their heads in the breeze. Lilac blossoms are gently and cautiously taking a curious peek at the world.

Yes, Spring is surely unfolding each and every day. Little by little, my yard and flowerbeds are getting back into shape. I mowed for the first time a couple of days ago. The smell of the freshly cut grass is just as I've always remembered it. Funny how some things never change.....

This evening several deer were roaming through our back yard, as have foxes, ducks and this year, surprisingly, rabbits. You'd think with all the opportunities for foraging in and around our yard, rabbits would be in abundance. But until just last week days we've never seen even one!

As night falls and I settle in for a rest from my endeavors, I feel a happy contentment to be back outdoors, experiencing all the lovely things that nature has to offer. Me, myself and I - and my trusty camera in tow! 

  ~ ♥ ~

Taking It All In - April 22, 2017

Hello Friends!

Have you opened your eyes to a beautiful sunrise lately, or blinked at the incredible beauty of a sunset, or watched a magnificent moon in the night sky?

 Have you gone outdoors and heard the sweet chorus of birds, or perhaps a gurgling brook?

 Have you been tempted to buy flowers and just can't wait to plant them? (Or, maybe in your part of the world you already have!)

Did you have a joyous Easter, and did you happen to see crosses out of the blue? 

Have you been well, and happy and enjoying the coming of Spring, my friends? Has it's message of hope, and rebirth filled your heart with promise of good days to come - despite hardships and battles that sometimes come our way?

Oh, I truly hope that you have, and just wanted to share the beauty of all these special things that I've seen and cherished throughout the past many days as my life has unfolded. 

Wishing you happiness and all good things, and the strength to move through when the going gets tough!

 ~ ♥ ~

Winter and Wind ~ March 16, 2017

Hello, my friends! Thinking of you and wishing you well. :)

I got a good chuckle when I found this image on Google the other night:

With the way Winter has recently roared through the northeast (and given us all of winter in about one week's time), I definitely am so ready to hang out with Summer now! ☺

In the meantime, besides dealing with power outages from strong winds, and shoveling through mounds of drifted snow nearly 2' high, I've been sticking close to home, literally tending the home fire, and putting in overtime feeding my feathered friends. 

You'd think that when the weather is at its worst, the birds would stay hunkered down, but exactly the opposite happens. They flock to feeders in droves!

These are just a few of the several feeders I have out. When they're full, you can look up into the branches of the trees above, and see handfuls of birds waiting to dive down for their turn at a feeder!

We've enjoyed feeding cardinals, tufted titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, house finches, goldfinches, sparrows, woodpeckers, bluebirds and a host of new birds who recently migrated back ~ probably thinking differently about having done that now! 

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the last few days:

The one nice thing about a late Winter storm, is that I know it cannot last for very long, for Spring is certainly right around the corner being just 5 days away. Even though I know the snow and wind may not up and disappear immediately, it helps to know that there's more of a chance for warmer weather ahead with each day that we get behind us!

And it wasn't more than 2 weeks ago when I took this picture of my beautiful bluebirds, on a mild, Spring-like day enjoying the treat of peanut butter on my homemade suet log. ☺

Yep, Spring is just around the corner, and while March may have come in like a lion, it's sure to go out like a lamb!

~ ♥ ~

My Yard Is Buzzing With Activity ~ May 1, 2016

I've been here, there and everywhere.....but STILL waiting for Spring to officially settle in and bring us its beautiful, mild days and sunny skies!

The birds must know in their inner beings that, despite the poor weather displays, Spring is here nonetheless and it's time to get busy! 

I'm thrilled with seeing many juveniles returning to the feeders with their parents. I've seen several lovebirds pairing up, and even feeding one another. Two days ago, I saw a Northern Flicker follow his love into one of our apple trees and show her a beautiful display of his tail all feathered out and he did a kind of little dance for her! ~ ☺ ~

The Robins are busy building nests. I hear my House Wrens, but have yet to see where they may be nesting as of yet. So far, no one has taken up residence in the previous Wren nesting site in my lighthouse birdhouse hung from the branches of my peach tree. 

The Pileated Woodpecker has even made some bold appearances, flying right onto my suet cake to have itself a little treat!

I hope that all is well in your world. Has Spring arrived like normal where you are? Only a few of my flowers have actually bloomed. How about yours? My lilacs are finally starting to show promise of some flower clusters this week..... 
 

I'm really looking forward to sitting outdoors more, and enjoying the beauty around us more fully.

Wishing you all an enjoyable and inspiring day!

 ~ ♥ ~

In Celebration of Spring ~ March 22, 2016

Do you remember what it was like, being young and welcoming Spring?

 Did you feel light-hearted and happy, excited mostly for an Easter basket, a bonnet, bunny or chick?

As the flowers poked their heads through the soil, did you stoop down to pick some to put in a vase?

Were you excited for the blooming of Lilacs as I always was? Oh, how heavenly their scent has always been to me!

Do you remember finding the nest of a Robin, and watching in wonder as those little blue eggs finally hatched?

Oh, the beauty of it all ~ rebirth, new growth, and everything coming alive once again!

You are most welcome Spring, with heartfelt joy!!

~ Happy Spring, friends ~

♥ 

Making Blogging Practical

Hello, friends! How are you on this lovely Spring day? 

I've been happily out and about, wandering through my yard, and observing the little flower blooms that have stretched out from under their blanket of soil. I've dug out my planters and pots, bird baths, more bird feeders and patio furniture. I've even dug out my grill, cleaned it thoroughly, set it up, and have begun grilling. I just can't wait to enjoy our beautiful, finally warming up Spring, which will turn into the even more delightful season of Summer! Can you tell I'm excited that winter is now officially over (despite how hard and long it tried to hold on)?!

One thing I've also been doing a lot of lately is taking pictures. And more pictures. And more pictures....And.....well, you get the idea! Many are of the birds at my feeders, squirrels performing silly antics, getting into their usual squirrel mischief, bordering on being a nuisance! Then others are of nature - flowers blooming, leaves budding, the sun rising and setting. Everything is beautiful to me ~ SIGH.... And every day I discover how relaxing and enjoyable it is to view life around me through the lens of my camera. I love how rewarding and exciting it can be!

Really, when you think about it, the story of one's life can be told through pictures. Sharing what is seen, sharing what inspires and what that person deems unique, interesting, or even ordinary, yet still picture-worthy. That item, that creature, that person, that moment, forever frozen in time, able to be viewed over and over again. Not a day goes by when I haven't taken a picture of something, somewhere! Even in a store ~ lol! I guess I just love everyday life photography.....

And that recent realization has made me rethink just how I'd like to post here on Simply Me ~ Kimberly Marie. Often I wait for that right moment of carved out time to sit, and think, and form into some semblance of order words that would describe and convey what has gone through my mind, what's gone on in my life, places I've been and special moments I've enjoyed. Waiting for that "right time" has often left me missing in action here on the blog; a place I truly love to be! I miss sharing and visiting with you. I miss the quiet "me time" doing something that brings me happiness and satisfaction. And often, pictures I had wanted to share along with my post, have now become so outdated and "old news" that I no longer feel they're worth sharing for the post idea I'd had.

Then it came to me. Photo journaling.  And every day can still be a fresh new beginning, with new thoughts to ponder, new beauty to see, new ideas to try, and new things to share! 

So, without further adieu, here's my post for today:

A Visit With My Sister ~

(She's A Country Girl For Sure!) 

She owns Alpacas. Her girls make yarn from their fleece, which is SO SOFT!

 

 ~ ~ ~ 

 My sister also recently got goats. She wants to use their milk for soaps and cheese making. I'm not sure if her children would like it for drinking, but we'll see!

 

The goat on the left is pregnant, and due to deliver any day now! My sister is nervous, but excited.

~ ~ ~

 You can't live in the country without chickens! There are plenty of fresh eggs every day.

Ummm, I think the ground was a little saturated that day!

 ~ ~ ~

Of course, there always has to be a cat, too! They're great for keeping those country mice away!

 ~ ~ ~

Back here at my home.....

See what I mean about those silly squirrels?! Talk about hanging on by your toenails.... Good grief. This one's got that mastered!!

This squirrel believes in that old saying, "Where there's a will, there's a way"!

~ ~ ~

What a treat to see this Pileated Woodpecker on the suet cake just the other side of the glass! Charlie spotted him first and called me in to see this awesome sight!

 

 ~ ~ ~

Watching the beautiful morning sunrise....

 ~ ~ ~

Loving the beauty of Spring popping up all over.

These delicate little flowers are growing in the backyard.

And Hyacinths out front.....Can't you just SMELL their deeply scented perfume?!

While sitting on my front porch, I can smell their loveliness in the air.

~ ~ ~

Just too cute not to post! 

This was Checkers, yesterday, on his birthday. All the birthday hoopla must've wore him right out. NOT! 

But he did just turn 11, so I guess he has an excuse! 

☺

 

 What a tough life! Maybe I should take a few pointers from him......An afternoon siesta makes everything all better! I'll definitely have to try it sometime. *WINK*

~ ~ ~

Well, that's it for this journal post, friends!

I hope you'll find my new approach as enjoyable of a visit as always. I look forward to sharing a part of our day together with each new entry I post!☺