bouquet of daffodils (no flash)

Oh my goodness gracious me!  I am in need of slowing down and taking some nice deep breaths!  Phew! Life is going way too fast for me. Anyone else feel that way?

Narcissi Blazing Starlet

I returned to the outside workforce about 18 months ago after being a stay-at-home mom for 16 years.  I absolutely love working, but boy it can be tough trying to do it all!

Ice King (carnation like daffodils). You can see the raindrops on the flowers!

There are times I find myself completely out of breath just *thinking* about all that my husband and I do for our family.  Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t change a thing!  It sure does make time all the more precious though.

six different varieties

My garden is my place of peace and where I “catch my breath”.  I love working in the garden and seeing how it changes from season to season and year to year.   Mostly, though, I love flowers.  🙂

nameless daffodil (read: I can’t find the name of it!) with tiny white specs on the tips of each petal.

There was a lot of rain today. It takes more than just rain to stop me from gardening, so out into the garden I went to weed …   until my fingers were too wet and too cold to do anymore.  THEN I cut some flowers to bring inside, cause that just makes me smile.

a rather gray day…

I went around the yard and cut five stems here, five there, and a few stragglers more there.  That is all it takes.

using the flash

It’s the first time I have used my new pottery vase. Dunbeacon Pottery is made in West Cork, and I bought this vase at the RDS in Dublin this past December at a Craft fair. You can checkout  Dunbeacon Pottery here:  http://irishdesignshop.com/collections/dunbeacon-pottery  I love supporting crafters!  I really like the colors that this artist used.  I have a much larger vase and a wee vase that match this one. (’cause why buy one when you can get three?)

full view (no flash)

I was really trying to use natural light which was hard to do with it being so gray outside.  So I put the flowers on a step stool near a window.  This intrigued my cat to come and investigate what I was doing.

Kitty smells the flowers

I have to say that most of these daffodils are fragrant, but it was funny to see the cat go over to them to have a smell!

I think I’ll sit here in front of these pretty flowers that mom is taking pictures of…

She is a very good cat and a well loved member of our family.  She, I think, also enjoys being in the garden with me while I work!  Here’s a look at some of the daffodils out in the yard.

Ice King daffodils in April sunset

Narcissi blazing starlet in the ditch-wall garden

But sometimes, I’d just prefer to have them inside with me.

just another angle

I hope that you are able to slow down, breathe deeply, and enjoy what makes you smile in life…  at least for a little bit, every now and again.

In peace,
Dana