Snowberry Clearwing

Looking like a fascinating cross between a bee and a hummingbird, this little visitor appeared among the blossoms of my Texas Sage. I had never encountered such a creature before, so its presence caught me completely by surprise. Curious, I did a bit of research to figure out what it might be, and it seems that it may actually be wandering a bit outside of its usual range. Regardless, it was a delightful discovery—an unexpected guest that brought both wonder and beauty to my garden.

Wildflowers

A splash of color to brighten the day—wildflowers have a way of catching the eye and lifting the spirit. Their natural beauty offers a welcome distraction, a gentle reminder to pause and appreciate the simple joys that nature provides.

Ave Maria, Gratia Plena…

Plumeria

The beautiful, fragrant plumeria is easily one of my favorite flowers. There's something about its soft, tropical scent and vibrant blooms that always lifts my mood. While this particular one isn’t mine, I do have a plumeria plant of my own that I rooted from a small cutting I picked up at the Honolulu Airport. Over the years, it’s grown to be several feet tall, and each summer it rewards me with a handful of stunning blossoms. It's like a little piece of Hawaiʻi blooming right at home.

 

BlueBonnet

Every year, wildflowers make a surprise appearance in my yard, adding a little burst of unexpected color to the landscape. This spring, among the usual blooms, I was delighted to find a single bluebonnet standing tall and proud. Though it was just one, it felt like a quiet but powerful reminder of the beauty and spirit of Texas, where the bluebonnet holds the honor of being our beloved state flower.

Here in Texas, it’s a cherished tradition to pull over on the side of the road where bluebonnets bloom in abundance, just to snap a few photos—families, friends, even pets all gathering for that classic springtime moment. While my yard isn’t quite picture-worthy yet, I like to think that maybe one day I’ll have a whole patch of bluebonnets big enough for my own bluebonnet selfies.

 

Reflexii în Oglinda

When I was a child, our yard was always dotted with cheerful primroses, their bright blooms spreading freely across the grass. My mother was the one who brought them home—she had dug up a few resilient little plants from a roadside median, tucked them into the earth, and watched as they thrived and multiplied. To her, they were “buttercups,” a name that suited their sunny, unpretentious beauty.  

Now, whenever I see them, I’m reminded of her—her resilience, her ability to find beauty in unexpected places, and the quiet way she nurtured life wherever she went. Those flowers are more than just plants; they’re living echoes of her presence. I’ll always cherish them in my yard, not just for their vibrant color, but for the way they keep her memory rooted in my world.  

My attempt to participate in "Reflexii în Oglinda.” 

 

Spring Memories

These sunflowers are from my garden last spring.  With the recent cold blast, its obvious that we are still a few months away from blooms like this, and here in Texas, they’ll only last until the summer heat and dryness take over and the squirrels have their fill. 

This year, I’m considering sticking to just flowers—but then again, I say that every year and still end up planting tomatoes!

Busy, Busy, Busy

One of my favorite plants is the Texas Sage.  It's silver leaves give way to purple blossoms several times a year.   These are then frequented by bees.   For many years since coming to Texas, I didn't see many bees.   Now when they come visit I make sure that they know they are welcome.  In the summer I plant many flowers that they love to visit and I also make sure that they have accessible water; especially in the heat of the Texas summer.   

A Journey

I do not know the type of Cactus this is.  I just know the journey that it took to get to me. 

My Uncle took a piece of this cactus home from Oklahoma.  It was planted in his yard in Terry, MS and that yard became my moms’ yard.  I had seen it bloom a handful of times and I loved it.  It took a piece to my dads and it grew there.  After I moved to Texas I visited my dad and took a piece of it back with me in my luggage on a flight.  I planted it in a pot… and when I bought my house it finally was planted in the ground.

It came to Texas in 2013… and I planted it at my home in 2018.   This was the first year it bloomed; I love it.

Sunflower

I grew this sunflower from a seed in my little backyard garden.  Now as summer is coming to a close; we will soon be back in winter.  These little memories will bring us back through to spring. 

Texas Spring

With the change of the weather in Texas and the winter chill on the way out, the plants are in bloom.   That is one thing I love about Texas, they spend a little money to ensure the medians and roadways are covered in Bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrushes, and other Texas wildflowers.  The bluebonnets are such a phenomenon unto themselves (being the state flower and all) that people wills stop on the side of the road and go out into the median to take photos of themselves in the bluebonnets.    I love it.   I am always sad when summer comes and they all disappear. 

Pretty Bird

This cute bird joined me last year at the Dallas Arboretum. I’d never had a wild bird come that close and let me take photos. You’d think it thought it was a model, it posed and let me get many shots before I finally let it go on begging others for  handouts.

Happiness

 

 

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.

 

~Buddha

 

I took this photo during my first visit to Chùa Đạo Quang a Buddhist temple in North Garland.   It was a wonderful experience and the building is beautiful.  For me it was a growth opportunity to see and participate in a culture's religious rituals I had never experienced before. 

Awakening

We as a sentient species have the ability to recognize that suffering is part of our being. Suffering comes from attachment and attachment takes many forms from material items to the relationships in our lives.  While it is part of our human nature to build attachments; we have the unique ability as a species to make the intelligent decision to not allow ourselves to foster attachment.  This by no means devalues those in our lives or even the items that are important to us. It simply means that we can make a decision to suffer or not to suffer or even lesson the amount of suffering that we choose to endure.

We have the ability to live our lives with grace and dignity and to approach every problem with a positive mind and review every angle to see all sides of all things. Nothing is truly good and nothing is truly bad.  Even the things that we take as blessing can have negative consequences and the things that we encounter that are bad can have positive outcomes. Knowing this about our world allows us to approach everything with the knowledge of the dual nature of reality and consciously choose to face every obstacle with an open mind.

We must learn to live our lives with respect for those around us. Religion, race, political beliefs, these are all things that we consistently fight over.  We should learn to respect and celebrate our differences and know that we all have much to teach one another.  We also must teach ourselves that every creature is worthy of respect; all life is important and can make an impact that at the moment seems small but could potentially change everything.

Failings

Words can fail to express the beauty of what lies within sight… sometimes we fail to see the importance of what is in front of us when we focus on the wrong things.

Breaking Dawn

I never expected this,

to be captured by your eyes.

Not even a little wish,

to cut through the old lies.

All it took was a single smile,

and all my walls fell down.

I thought it would take a while,

before I knew it all was lost,

And I was surely under a spell.

You came in and it’s gone at all cost,

and deeper and deeper I fell.

Before I knew it I was not alone,

and my heart, it was gone.

What is Love

Love is a complex emotion that is hard to describe.

It is an Unwillingness to let someone fall… to see them hurt, to see them cry.

It is a Willingness to do whatever it takes to ensure that they continue to smile.

It is an insurance policy, maybe not for you…  but for you to them.

It is a road… the road is best traveled with the one you love… but sometimes you go solo.

It is the greatest feeling you can ever feel at any given time… however it can also be the worst feeling you can ever feel at any given time… and on top of that… at the same time.

Love…  just is.

You can’t change it when it happens… Love is a river you get caught in the current and you just have to let it guide you where it goes.

Something Beautiful

From the darkness and the debris of that lost...  come a new arising… reaching for the light.   Something beautiful. 

Find the Color

The trees are bare, but the air is starting to warm.  The trees are slowing awakening from their long winter sleep.   Back home in Mississippi the trees are never as bare as I have seen them here in North Carolina.   When I first arrived, I commented that they looked dead.  I was soon informed that it was just “seasons” and that it is normal for trees not to have leaves during the winter.  In Mississippi the leaves did fall however the pine trees stayed green all year, here the pine trees are not near as numerous and the world is lacking in that magical hue. 

Lately however hints of color are poking through, not just green…. But pink, white and purple.  The trees are flowering well before they have leaves it is a wonderful surprise for a world that has been grey since my arrival. 

Becoming One

Two hearts combine into one,

something that can not be undone.

The beauty that begins,

when two hearts glow with the love within.

Souls intertwine into something more,

a new love that outshines what came before.