Happy Helianthus

The pretty yellow flower in yesterday's post is gazania linearis which is a sun and drought loving species of the daisy family originally from South Africa.  

It also goes by the name Treasure Gold.

Helianthus is the genus of the very cheerful sunflower.

Helios is Greek for sun and anthus is flower.

These are some of the first sunflowers I've seen on my neighborhood walks.

On November 14th, I planted sunflower seeds from a packet that I bought at a farmer's market in Sri Lanka a couple of years ago.

I have thoroughly enjoyed watching them sprout, shed their outer shells and grow over the past couple of months.

And now they are forming buds so I am eagerly awaiting the unfurling.

I remembered a crochet project from some time back that resembles a sunflower so dug it out and decided to add it to some yarnbombing crochet.

So that even after the real sunflowers are gone, we'll have a little crocheted version to bring a little cheer.

Happy Tuesday!

The Humble Hoverfly

My what big eyes you have!

There are about 6,000 hoverfly species around the world.

Some have the coloring of a bee or wasp which aids in warding off predators.  

But, unlike the bee and wasp, they only have two wings (not four) and their huge compound eyes take up nearly their whole head.

However, it is their ability to hover, suspended in midair, that truly sets them apart.

Hoverflies are beneficial insects in the garden since they are great pollinators and their larvae feed on aphids and other pests.  

And they are great entertainment for someone who marvels at all that nature has to offer.

Garden blessings,

Be Cafe

We had a very short spell of cold weather weeks ago, but lately the temperatures have been in the 70's during the day and around 50 at night.  Perfect weather for me as I don't like it much colder than that.

Today my Colorado boy and I walked to Be Cafe, a new vegan restaurant that recently opened up near us.  It only takes about 15 minutes or so to get there, and as you can see, the weather was perfect for walking.

The cafe is in a great location at the back of a hotel just a short walk from the sea. 

Such a lovely, laid back vibe.  And the food is delicious.

The first time I went, I had the tofu wrap.

This time I had the lentil wrap.

My son had a jackfruit wrap but he gobbled it up so fast I didn't have a chance to get a picture.

He thinks I take way too may pictures anyways.

But if I didn't take pictures, then I wouldn't have anything to share with all of you.

And I definitely think this place is worth sharing.

Plus that blue sky is pretty amazing!

Warm Wednesday wishes,

Just Breathe

And now let us welcome the new year, full of things that never were.

Rainer Maria Rilke

I think it's extra special that the first day of the new year arrived along with the first full moon of 2018.

2017 was a year filled with a lot of negative energy that needs to be released.

It's the perfect time to to step back, reflect, and focus on nurturing and improving our mind, body and spirit.  It's also a good time to just breathe.  Did you know that it's been scientifically proven that most people are shallow breathers?  Breathing deeply and properly has a calming effect on our body.  In fact, just sitting and breathing deeply is itself a form of meditation.  And when we are calm, when we breathe and meditate, we are able to manifest the desires of our heart.

You can read more about proper breathing in this article:
Why do so few of us know how to breathe properly?

New Year.
New ideas.
New opportunities.
New energy.
New beginnings.

I have high hopes for 2018!
Sending light and love to all,

Peace and Purpose

Popular right now on Instagram is generating your best nine photos of the year.

As you can see, mine is filled with color, crochet and hearts.  There's some of the drawings from when I participated in an index-card-a-day challenge during June/July, which was just that ... challenging.  (I plan to do more drawing and journaling in the new year.)  Then there sits Jingles ... she weaves her furry little self into every aspect of our lives as cats will do.  And finally, it's appropriate that the PEACE picture I took when we visited Jerusalem in September was included since the words PEACE and PURPOSE have been on my mind as words to guide me in the new year.

I contemplated all these things as I took my morning and walk and lo' and behold but what should appear.

The joyful heart sees and reads the world with a sense of freedom and graciousness.

John O'Donohue

Wishing you beautiful moments,

treasured memories,

And all the blessings a heart can know!

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas Eve

Well folks, according to my youngest son it's been way too long since I last updated my blog.  Several friends have made the same comment so here I am, a month after my last post.

I'm happy that both my boys are home for the holidays but unfortunately, their trip here was not without difficulty.  Their very first flight on Wednesday morning experienced mechanical problems and let's just say that it was downhill from there.  They missed their international connection and wound up having to spend 2 days in Chicago.  Instead of arriving Thursday afternoon, they just arrived yesterday evening, frustrated and tired, but thankfully safe and sound.

I've been crocheting and doing a lot more cross-stitching than usual.  On Saturday, the 16th, I even held a cross-stitch workshop along with Mini (from the blog Miniz Diary) at The Secret Garden.

The boys wanted to rest up and relax today after their travel ordeal so we've just been hanging out at home.

I made vegan pancakes for breakfast.  They both say that they have no taste, but topped with cashew butter, jam and sliced banana and they taste pretty delicious to me.

This afternoon I crocheted some very simple star ornaments.  You can find the pattern on the blog One Dog Woof. 

The moon and a colorful winter sky to end the day.

Happy Holidays!